by DaveNoble » Sun 05 Apr, 2009 3:46 pm
We were in the area when the search was resumed after the weather fined up. On our way to the Geryon North Peak - a helicopter was flying around looking for her (body?) and it dropped some searchers off on the plateau north of the Geryon. They climbed the north peak, and we met up with them on top. Talking to them I got the impression the search was very thorough. I could remember a previous search many years before involving a professor and his son, who were on their way to the Labyrinth. When they got to the Parthenon - Minataur saddle - they saw some lakes below them to the west, assumed that was the labyrinth and bashed down there. They stayed down there till they were rescued a few days later. The searchers were aware of that particular search and said that yes, it was one of the first places looked at. On the Geryon - they were looking below - in case she had been out that way and fallen.
On a later trip, I remember meeting up with Ted Mead, camped in the Geryon climbers campsite. he was waiting for the weather to improve so he could photograph and while he was waiting he told us he had been looking up some nearby gullies. He mentioned that all you would find would be bits of clothing and her pack. Devils would have eaten all the corpse and bones.
Reading about Claire, I got the impression she was a fit and very keen walker, who wanted to climb everything she could in the area. Perhaps she lacked some experience and over-stretched herself?
Dave