UKC

I have just heard a rumour that Ben has been killed climbing in Morrocco, does anybody know if this is true? Tragic if so, I have known Ben and Marion and climbed with them for 40 years. A great couple and very inspiring climbers, Condolences to all who knew Ben if it's true?

In reply to Al Evans: Actually just found this link
http://tohatchacrow.blogspot.com/2011/10/welsh-climber-ben-wintringham-kill...
So it seems tragically it is true

In reply to Al Evans:

Yes, tragic news. Ben was a superstar at Harrison's Rocks when I first started climbing in the mid-60s, and later moved to N Wales (wasn't he a Londoner BTW, and not Welsh?) I think he pioneered a lot in Pembrokeshire and elsewhere. I also met him and Marion many times over the years, but never climbed with him. (He was of course in a totally different class from myself.) My condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:

That is incredibly sad Al. Hard to believe. Sincere condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans: Very sad, a lovely guy. Condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:

Tragic. Ben was a prolific and very talented climber and was largely responsible (together with the late Tony Wilmott) for opening up the immensely popular Baggy Point back in the late 60s. Condolences to Marion and the family. There is a brief note on the circumstances on the CC Home Page at: http://www.climbers-club.co.uk/

In reply to Al Evans:

Sad, he was such a nice bloke and always had a friendly word.

Condolences to Marion.

ALC

In reply to Al Evans:

This is really sad news. Ben was an encourager to me when I knew him very slightly in the 1970s and he and Marion have done so much for British climbing, not least at Baggy Point where I was on Saturday.

Condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:

Condolences to Marion. Ben was an all round good guy.

In reply to Al Evans:
I got this sad news yesterday., and have spent some time trying to find more about. Ben eas a very good friend to me for 45 years and we did some great climbing together from time to time. For me he was one of those friends that I might not see for months, even a year or two, but when we met we'd be exactly the same as ever. His new routing was prolific, Baggy, Gogarth, Pembroke, and in recent years two annual trips to Morocco, In fact that was the last place I was actually with him and Marion, in April 2008. Seems it was an ab anchor failing that caught him out as so many of our stars have ended their lives. It can happen all too easily in exploratory climbing. I've had several narrow squeaks myself. Ben was always a super safe climber. What a devastating blow for Marion. My deepest sympathy.

In reply to Al Evans: Very sad indeed. Last time with them in Morocco 2006. Did a couple of first ascents with them in New Hamshire 1973.Great couple.

In reply to Al Evans:

Al, how awful. He gave me a lift down from Cloggy once. I was very grateful for it, I was well knackered. I never met him again, to try to repay him. He seemed a lovely man, certainly overwhelmingly generous, as a muddy figure collapsed into the back of his car.

What a pity.

Mick

In reply to Al Evans:

I'm very sad to hear this. Ben & Marion were always around in Devon and Pembroke when I started climbing. We later climbed with them at Handegg where, despite all others having long since succumbed to using chalk, they managed perfectly well without it (even if Marion did occasionally dry damp holds with a tissue!)

My condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans: Sorry to hear the bad news, Ben and Marion where two of the lovely people in the North London MC who where helpful to a young boy(me), as people have said Ben was great, nice, cheerful climber, who was very much a positive part of the scene back in the day, sorry for peoples loss, and to Marion, I dont know what to say, Stevie Haston.

In reply to Al Evans:
Really sad news about Ben, a real gentleman who's exitable cheery outlook and sense of fun will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate enough to have known him. Ben was a prolific explorer and new route activist throughout his life, with a huge catalogue of high quality routes to his name all(well most) done in an exemplary ethical style without recourse to the modern obsession with self publicity so prevalent in our sport, we could do with a few more "Ben's".
Love and condolences to Marion .
egg

In reply to Al Evans:
Very sorry to hear that, I met Ben a few times in the N London pub in Highgate in the early 70's. He always seemed such a nice guy - my best wishes to the lovely Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:

God, how terrible. I didn't know him except by repute and a chance meeting at Gogarth, but some people you can just tell are friendly and sound. Condolences to Marion.

jcm

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: Most people on here will have done one of Ben's routes, whether it is the easy stuff like Ben and Marion at Baggy, or harder stuff he was involved in like The Butcher at St Govans or Aardvark which he followed me on at Gogarth, or indeed hard routes of his own at Gogarth etc, give him a thought when you climb them.

In reply to Al Evans:

Ben said that the Pembroke route he was proudest of was Star Wars. Certainly a fitting memorial to him. I think it's significant that everyone that's posted has sent condolences to Marion. They were completely inseparable. You'd say 'Ben and Marion' like it was one name... it's hard to think of Marion without Ben.

In reply to Al Evans: When I got to the top of Aadvark I found Ben sitting on the ledge at the top so I started burbling to him about what a great route it was, and then I said to him: 'I wonder who did it first.'
'Oh,' he said, 'Al Evans, and some others, including me actually.' I blushed. He was such a great guy.

In reply to Al Evans:
I'm one of the great many who never met Ben, but have enjoyed lots of his and Marion's routes. Blue Peter particularly stands out

In reply to Al Evans: How very sad.

I only met him and Marion a couple of times, but they were both such lovely people, and of course put up some great new routes (Star Wars being a classic)

Sincere condolences to all those who knew him well, and of course to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:

Very sad news. It seems amazing that this could happen to someone who's been around for so long. I only met Ben a few times (and those were a long time ago) but he was clearly a great guy. I enjoyed lots of his routes, some of which have been mentioned above but I'll add Midnight Cowboy and Fantasia. And I still have, somewhere, a Wintergear goretex bivvy bag which has some big memories attached. Condolences to Marion.

In reply to Al Evans: Oh, how very sad, I just heard from NLMC. Ben and Marion were always so friendly, and inspiring with their intelligent energy and positivity. Met them once by chance at an obscure roadside restaurant near Sella, and somehow it wasn't that surprising, with their unstoppable enthusiasm for climbing in beautiful places. The world is lucky to have had Ben, and he won't be forgotten.

In reply to Al Evans:

Ben and Marion were always very friendly and enthusiastic, and how could anyone not forget his much-loved Porsche? Ben's smile was always so welcoming and cheerful.

Very sad to hear the news about Ben. I knew him from my early days in the North London, '65 to '68. There is always a feeeling of "there but for the grace of God" when you hear of abseiling accidents. Thoughts with Marion.

In reply to Al Evans:
condolences to Marion and also to Mike, who seems to have been with them. Must be a terrible situation to be in...

In reply to David Barlow:

In the early days Ben was known as E-type Benjy, all the rest of us could afford was mini-vans and motorbikes

In reply to Al Evans:In the late '60s/early '70s we knew him as "Shekels" Wintringham as he had more money than any of us. lots of fond memories:seeing how fast we could get the type to go on Black Rock Sands, sitting in the back of the Porsche when he drove from llnberis to North London in one hour 20 minutes! And this before the M6 was built. A fabulous guy and my heart goes out to Marion.
Richard Haszko

In reply to Haszko:

>sitting in the back of the Porsche when he drove from llnberis to North London in one hour 20 minutes!

Christ, really?! 220 miles in 80 minutes? Those were the days.

jcm

In reply to Ed Douglas:

Like that story of Jim Simpson repeating Doorpost in his eighties, and a party queueing at the bottom offering, "with refreshing courtesy", to let him go first.

"But Doorpost's first ascentionist declined with equal courtesy.

'It's all right', said Jim, 'I've climbed it before'."

I always like to think of the anonymous refreshingly courteous party reading Des Hannigan's guidebook a few years on and being enlightened.

Anyway, sorry. Off topic.

jcm

In reply to Al Evans:

It is such a tragic loss - when I first started climbing Ben was the President of the NLMC and a great figurehead to look up to, I have great memories of away days with Ben & Marion. As a youngster getting into climbing, I found Ben was always approachable and very enthusiastic, he even came to my aid along with Ken Wilson when I was arrested for climbing on the Regents Canal walls - little did I know that the wall I was climbing up belonged to a warehouse the police had under surveillance. The only way I could convince the police I was just climbing was by having Ben and Ken visit them and vouch for me at the police station - I think the police regretted that move. Ben really did have a huge influence on my early climbing years and I will miss knowing he is there, so sad. My thoughts are with Marion

In reply to Haszko: I enjoyed listening to the story of that journey so many times over a pint! Only found out today-shell shocked, seems impossible. Heart goes out to Marion.

Absolutely stunned at the news. Had two of the happiest years of my life working in Llanberis for Ben in the late 1980’s. Always seemed to take great delight in making sure I would show up at the shop on a Saturday morning with a monster hangover! Got my own back once or twice (don’t think Marion ever forgave me)

Saturday nights in the Pad/ Heights / Royal Vic with the amazing double act of Wintringham and Banner will never be forgotten.

Both of us thinking of Marion.

Rich & Jane Pierce

In reply to Al Evans:

NLMC friends phoned the terrible news last week. I knew Ben from the '70's and he was always friendly and cheerful and I had many fond memories working with him and designing his Wintergear catalogues. He was an excellent raconteur too - remember his talk about a trip to Kilimanjaro and running down the mountain at night avoiding growling lions etc. to get help for a friend who suddenly collapsed high on the mountain. He personally paid for the helicopter rescue that saved the guy's life such was his generosity. His fear of Whillans finding out that Ben had taken a pic of the slightly portly and pale pink Don coming naked out of a lake on the same trip. His legendary driving stories - told by others!

He will be terribly missed.

My deepest condolences to Marion

In reply to Al Evans:
We are running a tribute to Ben Wintringham in Daily Post newspaper for Thursday. Would appreciate any tribute comments or if anyone has pictures of Ben, particularly of him climbing.
My e-mail is owen.hughes@dailypost.co.uk

Thanks

In reply to Al Evans: Only just heard of the tragic news. Although Ben and I were the same age, our climbing paths had never crossed over the last 40 odd climbing years until March this year when I was able to talk to him at length in Tafraoute over a bottle or two of Moroccan red wine. Totally open and likable, I took to them both immediately and was hoping to continue our discussions next year. My condolences go out to Marion and thoughts also go to Mike Mortimer.

In reply to Al Evans:

That's really terrible news. Known Ben (& Marion of course) since the 70s,
maybe longer than that. Always a nice guy, always smiling, always
interesting, always good company, on the hill, in the pub at the
exhibitions. What a way to go after all these years. So sorry Marion. It's
a cliche, but our thoughts are with you, Tony & Di

In reply to Al Evans:
I've only just seen the news. Very sad. That's three of the people I knew in the NLMC in the early 70's gone, Tony Wilmott, Dave Edwards, and now Ben. Condolences to Marion and also Mike, who I haven't seen for years.