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Gone, but not forgotten

When Kevin Sandiford died of cystic fibrosis in 2002, his widow, Gwen, decided to have a plaque put up in his name. As a way to remember their loved one and friend she and 32 others joined the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s annual ascent of Ben Nevis, leaving behind a black plaque at the top. Daily Telegraph, November 2006

It is a touching tale, but it is being repeated too many times for some. The number of plaques spontaneously appearing on Britain’s highest mountain - there are now around 50 - has raised the eyebrows of The Nevis Partnership, who are responsible for its management. In response, they have decided that all the memorials must be removed. Only the Peace Cairn, built in 1945 to mark the end of World War Two, will remain.

“People climbing Ben Nevis want a natural, wild land experience, away from the troubles of the man made world,” says James Weir, one of the Partnership’s Directors. The partnership wants to preserve the 4048’ Scottish peak, which is climbed by around 150,000 people ever year, contributing an annual £8m to the Fort William economy.

Some of the memorials are made of wood, brass and stone and are quite well constructed, says Weir. But some are just markings on rocks, done with felt pens, he says critically. Others are remains of bouquets of flowers, with the plastic still flapping beneath.

“I can see their point of view,” admits Gwen Sandiford, who now lives in Australia. “But when I heard the news I found it quite upsetting.” The plaque was not only a memorial to her husband; it also symbolised the gathering of Kevin’s friends from all over the UK, and the £25,000 that they raised for cystic fibrosis sufferers. And it was somewhere for Gwen to one day revisit.

Defending the decision, Weir says that surveys have found 90 per cent approval for clearing the mountain top. Some memorials, he explains, bear little relation to Ben Nevis, such as one that commemorates a man killed by an avalanche on Snowdon, 500 miles away.

Some do not explain why they are there, such as the blanket tribute to the former Royal Ulster Constabulary (and a canvassing of ex-members of that organisation has failed to come up with more information).

And some do not explain to whom they are dedicated, such as one that reads: “In memory of D who died in her sleep, aged 12, and climbed the mountain many times.” Weir and his colleagues asked around, in local schools and hospitals, but are fairly sure “D” was four-legged.

Nevertheless, many hill walkers rather enjoyed reading the memorials – the poor visibility usually restricts views from the top. “It is interesting to read the tributes and find out about people that loved this place,” said Yacqub Mirza, visiting from Stoke on Trent. “It’s a shame,” added Dawn Helsby from Coventry. “I didn’t see any that made the place look any worse.“

The memorials are not just being cleared and dumped. Five were claimed over the summer; the rest will be kept for five years for others to collect. But many have eroded so badly that they are now barely recognisable from when they were left.

In the future there will be two ways for people to commemorate those who had an association with Ben Nevis, says the Partnership. A virtual “Book of Remembrance” will host permanent and unobtrusive memorials on a web site, and a collective memorial garden has been built close to the visitor centre, at the mountain’s foot.

“Some people may only climb the mountain once, so will never see a plaque that they left up there,” says Weir. “Now they can drive their car to the memorial, and sit peacefully and contemplate their friends. It will be maintained as a neutral site, with no plaques.”

www.nevispartnership.co.uk

© Robert Bullard. Not for reproduction without prior permission


 

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