PRESS RELEASE

Monday afternoon, 7th June 2010, after successfully climbing Magherita Peak with RMS (Rwenzori Mountaineering Services) a Dutch National, Peter Van Oene, slipped and fell into a 12 metre deep crevasse on the way down. Initial attempts to rescues him failed and the only guide had to leave the scene and run down to Elena Hut to get the second guide who had refused to climb because of the bad weather. A porter was dispatched to Kitindara Hut to get the remaining Porters who had stayed at the lower altitude. According to first hand reports Mr Van Oene was pulled to safety after six hours badly bruised and cold. Unfortunately as it was already dark he had to spend the night on the glacier. RMS rescue teams were dispatched from Nyakalengija (base camp) early Tuesday morning to assist in carrying him down the mountain. According to those on the glacier the crevasse was new and not part of the major split on the 20th April 2010

An attempt to carry Mr Van Oene down to Elena Hut failed as the RMS guys struggled on the slippery rocks. Eventually it was decided to carry him back up cross the Stanley plateau glacier and come down via Irene Lakes which is a long distance but the only way they could manage to carry him. UWA then took over the rescue to get the injured down safely.They reached John Matte Hut at around 10pm Wednesday night and Nyakalengija (base camp) at around 8pm Thursday.

Update. Peter is now down and resting in the RMS lodge where he was diagnosed as having a compound fractures of the left leg although not severe. He will be flown to Kampala in the morning for further treatment.

This incident highlights the need for technical experience when climbing Magherita as the crevasses have now brought in the necessarity to take extreme care..

On the 20th April it was reported that a large crevasse and several small holes had opened up across Magherita Glacier in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. As a consequence on 26th April 2010 the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) suspended all trekking to Magherita Peak with a letter to all operators trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains.

After reports of crevasses appearing in the Magherita glacier, Rwenzori Trekking Services dispatched a team to the peak to assess the situation on ground and while we found the claims of a 6 metre wide crevasse to be greatly exaggerated the glacier was breaking up with many new crevasses and holes. The weather of recent has been particually bad with heavy rainfall and snow. We respected the UWA directive and saw that even though we have an ongoing training programme for ropes, safety and rescue covering all aspects of mountaineering and rescue that it was not wise to climb Margherita Peak against the UWA suspension of trekking to Magherita. We have since refocused our marketing to Alexandra Peak, Mt Baker and Weismanns Peak and are recommending that Magherita be classed as a technical climb. As Alexandra is steep and difficult and needs to be experienced with ropes and some technical experience. we recommend either Mt Baket or Weismanns Peak. It is from this peaks where you get the most beautiful views of Mt Stanley and Magherita and where the most famous photos of the peaks are taken from.

Rwenzori Trekking Services has had in place intensive training on a daily basis following a two week intensive training in January 2010 by three German mountaineers and another six week course high altitude rescue techniques will take place in August and September 2010 by a Norwegian Mountaineering Instructor. We believe that safety and wellbeing of our clients is paramount and are endeavouring to bring all our staff up to a high level of understanding and capabilities so that they may safely guide clients and in the event of an accident can quickly recover and medivac the client.

See pictures below