Ireland's 'Holy Mountain' in Danger of Ruin

Concerns are rising in Ireland over the state of the country's holiest mountain, Croagh Patrick. Locals say the mountain is being worn down and damaged by modern hikers who are failing to respect the nature of the land.

Legend has it that in 441 AD St. Patrick resided on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights whilst fasting, making this a monumental landmark in Ireland's history. However, if popular opinion is right, the mountain may not be there forever if no preventative measures are taken against the damage that is being caused by the hiking enthusiasts in their outdoor clothing.

A local priest, Father Michael Macgreil, warns, "If we don't do something about Croagh Patrick it won't be there in the future" at the latest Western Tourism Organisation AGM in Mayo.

"The growing number of climbers on the mountain is now cutting into the mountain and their heels are digging into the shale on the path. It is not like when pilgrims went up in their bare feet; they didn't damage the path."

It is reported that areas of the pathway that leads to the top of the peak are now virtually inaccessible as a result of the harm being done to the land, which has led to nine medical emergencies to which the Mayo Mountain Rescue team have been called out.

Sadly, visitors are now being warned to avoid climbing to the summit in order to prevent further injuries because of the erosion and treacherous terrain.

Man Killed in Tragic Surfing Accident

People who were surfing at Currumbin Alley off the Gold Coast of Australia at 8:48am on Sunday 8th May have been left reeling in shock after a man in his forties was killed in a freak accident whilst riding the waves.

The surfer, who has not yet been identified, failed to catch the crest of a wave and as he was coming down a fibreglass boat following shortly behind collided with him, causing serious injury.

The boat did a U-turn to return to the aid of the surfer, and fellow surfers in the surrounding waters also rushed over in their wetsuits to the scene.

Surf-skier Sharon Kyme gave the following account of the tragic events: “I was holding his head and …we had to bandage his head with a towel.

“Once we got him to the boat ramp the lifeguards and ambulance came quickly, helped keep him still, and gave assistance.

“He was not talking, but was breathing.”'

Regional duty officer Inspector Geoff Palmer said that in “an area with surf across the bar and boats going in and out, this had a propensity to happen”. The surfer was rushed to the Gold Coast Hospital in a critical condition where medics were unable to save his life and later pronounced him dead.

The boat driver is said to have been treated for shock.

Palmer warns that this sad event should be a reminder to both surfers and boat users to be more aware of one another when riding the ocean.

Californian Hiker Killed in Tragedy

When Sean and Christopher Davis, brothers from Rancho Cucamonga, California, put on their outdoor wear and headed for Cucamonga Canyon the last thing they imagined was that only one would return. But after a devastating turn of events this became a reality for the brothers after the pair fell around 100 feet near a waterfall in the Canyon during their hiking trip at 10:15am last Sunday.

However while 22 year old Christopher had his fall broken, his 26 year old brother continued to fall a further 260 feet down the mountainside, making this horrific accident a fatal one for Sean Davis.

Christopher sustained severe leg injuries but was able to crawl to a nearby hiking trail where he was found by a fellow hiker who called Rancho Cucamonga Fire Department for help. A search and rescue team was sent out to find his brother and the Sheriff-Coroner Department pronounced him dead at the scene after the sad discovery had been made.

The sheriff's Air Rescue 6 helicopter embarked upon a rescue mission at 11am to hoist Christopher Davis to safety. He was transferred to a local hospital where he has been treated for serious injuries including a compound fracture to the leg.

It has been reported that the pair of brothers fell from an elevation of 2,300 feet in the Canyon. In a news release the Sheriff's Deputy Carlos Quezada described the area they fell as "very rough, extremely steep and very rugged” and said "People do not normally climb down from the specific section where they had fallen”.

Bodies of Tragic Skiers Uncovered in Wyoming, USA

Walker Pannell Kuhl and Gregory Seftick, two men in their late twenties and early thirties who had slung on their ski jacket cheerfully on Saturday April 16th, the last day they were seen alive, to embark upon a two-day skiing adventure, were reported missing the following Monday after Kuhl failed to turn up for work.

After an exhausting six-day search, hopes never fading that the pair would be found alive, the bodies of the two men were recovered from beneath 13 feet of snow at 9,000 feet in Garnet Canyon of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

It is thought that an avalanche swept the men away and buried them while they were inside their tents and sleeping bags.

The bodies of the men were discovered after search teams' transceivers detected a signal being emitted by the one of the skiers' avalanche beacons. The searchers are now trying to establish why the signal was only detected late on Saturday, when they had been searching that debris field for two days.

The team were forced to retire before being able to uncover the bodies on Saturday as daylight was fading and the search helicopter's flying hours were limited by regulations, but the rangers flew back to the site on Sunday morning and the sad discovery was made.

The bodies of the men, an emergency room doctor and a US Treasury Department employee, were airlifted to a mortuary in Jackson, Wyoming to be met by their grieving relatives, some of whom were in the valley when the bodies were discovered.

Scottish Skiing Season to be Prolonged by Bubble Wrap

Skiing enthusiasts in the Cairngorms might be able to don their skiwear for an extra week or two next season, if Professor John McClatchey, a scientist working for the University of the Highland and Island's Environmental Research Institute, has his way.

As climate change is believed to have been leading Scotland's skiing season to progressively shorten year after year, climatologists such as Prof McClatchey have been scratching their heads over how to tackle this growing problem.

The wind, rain, and sun have been plaguing the bank balances of ski resort owners for a lengthy period of time since the conditions have been both blowing away and melting the snow prematurely and creating weak patches on the pistes, cutting the season short by an average of two more days each year.

As McClatchey has proved, sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland he revealed that he had been testing out his theory that bubble wrap laid over areas of ski slopes could delay the snow's deterioration. "I used single coverings, double coverings and ones painted silver to increase the reflectivity of the material” he said, going on to state that ordinary and silver-painted coverings worked best in reducing the effects of the elements.

Ski resort managers will now be looking into the practicalities of McClatchey's recommendations and are hoping to utilise them so they can stretch their skiing seasons out by a further couple of weeks every year.

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Ski Patrol Dog Rescued

A lost ski patrol dog was stuck down a hole in the Scottish hills for two days before being rescued.

Bode disappeared while on her morning round, checking for hazards on the ski runs, with Kate Hunter, head of ski patrol at the Glenshee centre.

The young cross-collie disappeared at about 1030am on Saturday.

Kate's friends found Bode down a 5ft (1.52m) hole in peat, which was buried under heath and snow close to the centre, late on Sunday afternoon.

Kate said: "She was cold and wet but otherwise okay. She was allowed to sleep on the sofa on Sunday night."