Arnis Strapcans

Dzimis Koventrijā, Rasmas un Aleksandra Strapcānu ģimenē

Viens no "Britu salu alpīnisma" tēviem

Gājis bojā, vienatnē mēģinot kāpt Monblanā pa sarežģītu maršrutu sniega vētrā.

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However, in July 1980 and all-star French team of Jean-marc Boivin, Philippe Martinez, Christophe Profit and Dominique Radigue claimed and then widely publicized the same line, thinking they had made a first ascent.

The third ascent came just a couple of weeks later, by Graham Desroy and Arnie Strapcans just a few days before Strapcans disappeared while soloing on the Brenva Face of Mont Blanc.

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/News.aspx?id=4343

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Arnie has been closed but there was some doubt regarding Arnies demise. [Summer 1980] I was with him the night before he went off soloing on Mt Blanc. Arnie and I and members of The Portsmouth Mountaineering club were camping at Snells field and had gone for a meal in a dodgy restaurant near Cham station. None of us had any money and I cannot remember what possessed us at the time to 'eat out' indeed one of our club [Pete Moody] had travelled out with just £10 to last 6 weeks. He earned money for food by washing up around the camp site.

The staff in the restaurant gave us free wine which flowed in excess. Indeed I remember the supply was a little slow in being produced so we just helped ourselves. Arnie I recall was more than keen to 'refresh himself' and I distinctly recalling at the time how he was getting his monies worth ! He did mention that he wanted to solo something on Mt Blanc but I was certainly too pissed to remember. We may have been thrown out but I cannot be sure about this. What I do remember was traveling back in a car driven by Angus which was a 'hand me on car' which he had bought for £10 from a Brit returning to blighty.

On the way back the door got ripped off by a tree [well it would given that there were about 10 of us in it] but we all got back in one piece.

We eventually got to bed and Arnie was gone by the morning. A few days later Angus [who had done a few climbs with him ] contacted the rescue services as he had not returned and we all gatherted up his stuff which eventually was delivered to the police station. Years later I understand that his body emerged at a glacial snout and it was thought that he was killed whilst soloing the Brenva spur on Mt. Blanc. As years passed I realised what an incredible guy he was and could have been. Andy MacG

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=423688

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