|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liberation Weekend Yomp By Matthew Eccles, Sea Moffatt and Zoran Zuvic-Bulic Seven peaks, deep snow drifts, driving rain, sleet, snow, mist, carrying bergens containing 25-30kg of kit and thirty miles to cover in two days. In the "most arduous" expedition any of them have experienced, three young Islanders challenged themselves to reach the peaks of seven mountains surrounding Stanley over the Liberation weekend. Here Matthew Eccles, Sean Moffatt and Zoran Zuvic-Bulic write of their journey and why they were motivated to take on the task in the first place. Friday 13 June 2003 We left school at 4.30pm and walked up the road to Sappers Hill. Once there, we paid our respects to the Royal Engineers and set up camp in the dark. We used the World War II bunker for sheltered cooking and retired to our sleeping bags by 8.00pm in anticipation of the next two eventful days. We took on this challenge to express our gratitude to the soldiers and sailors who fought here in 1982, raising money for SAMA 82. This expedition was the most arduous and gruelling two days we have ever experienced. Saturday 14 June 2003 (21st anniversary of Liberation Day) Our first objective was to get across the valley and onto Wireless Ridge. The weather was wet and drizzly making our bergens very heavy. As we were not warmed up the task ahead seemed more difficult than it actually was. Walking along the ridge we stopped at the 105mm anti tank gun, a relic of Argentine origin, and listened for the Last Post from Stanley. Having had our two minutes of silence we then proceeded towards Mount Longdon. Reaching the summit of Longdon around lunch time, experiencing patchy snow cover over the summit, we stopped for a group photo and had lunch. Our next destination, the Two Sisters, could not be seen through the thickening mist and our navigation skills were going to be tested for the first time. It was calm in the valley west of Longdon, but the ascent to our next peak was a different story. The worsening weather conditions at higher altitudes were becoming apparent, deep snow drifts, driving sleet and poor visibility made for extremely tough going. Our next peak to bag was the Two Sisters memorial. To approach this required micro-navigation and a good knowledge of the land; GPS navigation aids and a good map ensured we got there in extremely poor visibility, at best perhaps 200 metres. Reaching the memorial up a steep, treacherous slope with deep snow drifts, horizontal sleet and gale force winds taking the wind chill factor to well below zero required solid team work and sheer determination. Stopping for a brief pause and a team photograph we looked forward to getting off the mountain and to our next camp site. The contrast of the higher ground to the lower valleys with wet marshes and less snow cover was becoming evident as we approached the Murrell Bridge. Our time of arrival was five minutes after sunset with the deep mist making it seem darker. The very heavy rainfall of recent days had made the soil saturated and the water table high. This resulted in a high rate of surface run-off making conditions wet and very muddy. Our first task after setting up camp was to get into dry kit and get the kettle on the boil, always a good morale booster. We had no problem finding fresh water - it was everywhere. After a good solid ration pack meal we turned in early in anticipation of our next day's yomp. Sunday 15 June 2003 We awoke to more mist and rain and while cooking breakfast in the dark and damp conditions, it seemed a daunting task we had set ourselves. Our kit was soaked and so were we, packing up was a chore. Once on the move our morale was higher however and we looked forward to our next objective. We approached Mt Harriet from the north west side and had to cross many stone runs, making the journey very hazardous and slippery. Again, accurate and careful navigation ensured we reached our destination on time and without injury. The ascent was a steep gradient with deep snow drifts which made our pace very slow and arduous. Once on the top of Harriet we laid a wreath to the Royal Marines who fought and died there on behalf of the youth community of the Falklands. After a short break we prepared for our descent. Our next peak was Mount William and to achieve this we walked along the MPA road to avoid the stone runs. Reaching Pony's Pass quarry, we turned off the road to ascend Mt William in the thickening mist. Bull rush and a water logged ground slowed our progress and made for very hard walking. As we approached the summit, more and more defensive positions from 1982 became evident and the faint outline of Mt William emerged from the mist. We ditched our bergens before walking to the top where the rain was falling harder. The short walk to our next objective was a relief as Mt William was a major climb. Tumbledown was a sign of completion of our task as it was the last peak to bag. The finish was almost in sight. A short four mile walk into Stanley on the concrete was hard on our already tired limbs. It was dark, wet and cold. We reached the Liberation monument at about 6.30pm Sunday evening and were overwhelmed by family and friends who had come to cheer us in. We were elated and looking forward to a hot bath and home. After a final group photo we shook hands and said our farewells, reflecting on our achievement. What we achieved was arctic warfare without the warfare. Those who yomped from San Carlos to Stanley had to fight as well as enduring harsh elements, the heavy packs and the physically demanding yomp. We knew we were going home on Sunday, those brave men and women who fought for our freedom did not know when they would be returning to their loved ones and our achievement pales into insignificance compared to what the British soldiers gave to us so that we may enjoy our freedom. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all who fought here in the winter of 82, inspiring us to take up this challenge. Thanks also to our family and friends, Terry Peck for his encouragement and to all our sponsors for helping us raise over £1,000 for the local branch of SAMA 82, and finally to WL Gore for inventing Goretex. Our thanks to Matthew, Sean and Zoran for allowing us to reproduce this article, which first appeared in the Penguin News on 20 June 2003 Zoran, Matthew and Sean are age 15, inseparable friends who are looking forward to going to Peter Symonds College in Winchester in August 2004 to commence A-level studies. Zoran's mother is from an old Islands family, his father a Chilean electrical engineer. Together they run a successful business supplying cable television to Stanley homes. Matthew's father Bernie Eccles was part of the Marine detachment due to be relieved in April 1982 after a year's stint in the Falklands. Bernie was repatriated by the Argentines, and returned to fight with the Task Force. In 1989 Bernie and wife Moira plus baby Matthew emigrated to the Falklands. Bernie is now the Fisheries Licensing Officer and Moira the Postmaster. Sean's father Jimmy Moffatt spent a year in the Falklands with the Marines in the late 1970s. Jimmy and wife Angela emigrated to the Falklands in 1980. In 1982 they were living at North Arm with their baby daughter. They now run a successful business importing and retailing furniture and DIY products.
|
|
Introduction, Acronyms, Census, Freedoms,
Geography,
Government, Governors,
Lifestyle, Listed Buildings,
Poetry,
Royal Visits |
|
| Copyright & Disclaimer |
Site Designed and Maintained by eb-host.com |