Tragic Climb Ends in Loss
What began as a typical adventure for three close friends ended in tragedy, with only two returning from their mountain climb. Matty Belcher, Brandan Smith, and their best friend Jack Carne journeyed from South Yorkshire to the mountains of north Wales for a weekend of camping and climbing.
The trip took a devastating turn when Jack, aged 23, lost his grip on a rock he had grabbed, which came loose in his hands. Before Matty and Brandan could react, Jack fell approximately 200ft (60m) to his death.
After the accident, Brandan and Matty immediately contacted mountain rescue services, but despite their efforts, Jack could not be saved. The two friends waited on a ledge for several hours until they were located and had to leave the mountain without their companion.
It was not until the following day that volunteers from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue were able to recover Jack's body from the rocky slopes of Glyder Fawr in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia.
Jack had been just 10m from the 1,000m (3,284 ft) summit of Wales' fifth highest peak when the accident occurred.
"We'd probably walked for about four hours - and then it all went wrong,"said Matty.
"It was no harder than anything we'd done before, it was actually easier than a lot of stuff we'd done before. It just could have been anybody."
Details from the Inquest
An inquest into Jack's death revealed that he "somersaulted" down the mountain. His friends observed his rucksack approximately 50m (165ft) below the point where he fell. When they called out to him, there was no response.
In the early hours following the incident in February 2023, after their police interview and receiving reassurance from mountain rescuers, Matty and Brandan received a call from Jack's father, Rich, checking if they were "ok."
For many, such a traumatic event would deter any future mountain excursions, but for Matty and Brandan, continuing to hike was essential.
"After speaking to mountain rescue, they said it was a freak accident,"said Brandan, who had traveled from Barnsley to Wales for the climb.
"It was just timing. The boulder that actually took Jack, it could have gone in a week's time, a year's time - it just happened to go then and there."
Volunteers from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue reassured the friends that it was a "really tragic accident."
"The boys were well equipped and well organised,"said rescuer Chris Lloyd.
"It affects us as well. We're all mountaineers - and it brings home the reality that one slip can lead to disaster."
Return to Glyder Fawr for Closure
Struggling to comprehend the loss of his son, Jack's father asked Matty and Brandan if they could accompany him back to the site of the accident. The friends agreed, feeling a similar need for closure.
Just one week after the tragedy, Brandan and Matty returned to Glyder Fawr, this time joined by Rich and members of the Ogwen Mountain Rescue team who had recovered Jack's body.
"I think Jack's dad wanted a bit of closure,"said Matty.
"They took us back up to where they found Jack. We had about half-an-hour there asking questions."
During the visit, they found Jack's cap resting near the location where he fell and brought it back with them.
Increasing Mountain Rescue Callouts
The number of mountain rescue callouts in England and Wales has doubled over the past decade, exceeding 3,000 annually by 2024.
In north Wales alone, there were 23 mountain fatalities last year, compared to 14 in 2015.
The area where Jack died is served by two of the busiest mountain rescue teams in the UK. The team covering Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, is the busiest, while Ogwen Mountain Rescue, responsible for recovering Jack, ranks as the second busiest in England and Wales.
New Bonds and Continuing Adventures
Although the return trip to Glyder Fawr was intended to provide closure, it instead marked the beginning of a new chapter. Within weeks, Jack's father contacted Matty and Brandan to plan outdoor trips together, forming a new bond through shared adventures.
"After that we just started going out together all the time,"recalled Brandan.
"It just feel like talking to a mate, it's brilliant."
Matty added,
"Climbing mountains is not something Jack ever would have wanted us to stop doing. And now we're doing it with his dad - it's like we're bringing a piece of him with us."
Since then, Brandan and Matty have traveled internationally, climbing increasingly challenging peaks, often accompanied by Rich and his partner, Andy.
Among their trips, one held special significance.
"Jack always wanted to do Tryfan, but we never got to do it with him,"said Brandan.
The 917m (3,000ft) summit in north Wales is visible from the ridge where Jack fell and had been Jack's next planned adventure.
"It was one of the last big mountains around here that we'd never done. We always said we wanted to do it,"Brandan continued.
Matty explained,
"Unfortunately the accident happened before that.
So after the funeral we actually went up Tryfan with Jack's dad - and we scattered his ashes at the top of there. It was a nice gesture, to say that we'd finally all done it together."
Remembering Jack
Brandan reflected on what Jack might think about his friends spending time with his father.
"I guess he'd think it was a bit weird,"he said with a grin.
"But going out with his dad is just like going out with him. He treats us like we're his best mates."
Jack's family and friends also held a memorial for him in the Ogwen Valley, within Eryri National Park, honoring his memory and the impact he had on those around him.
