Found Deceased Spain - Esther Dingley, from UK, missing in the Pyrenees, November 2020

[CoverMeCagney]

Does anyone know exactly where the rainbow photo was taken “as they drove off” on 19th. I’m guessing a car park or near one.

 

[Andreee]

I use the word hill loosely as in hillwalking when this often used to describe quite mountainous terrain, but I get your drift.

That's a fair point about starting altitude, my bad. Benasque is 1140m and Pic de Sauvegarde is 2738 so, without knowing her exact route , that's roughly about 1600m of ascent. Ben Nevis via the route we did was 1345m, so possibly her climb was less than I estimated, but still a fair old climb.

The witness described the backpack as large and it looks fairly big in photos I've seen, maybe 65L , but as you say could be full of ultra lightweight gear.

Hard to judge really from our armchair view what her level of expertise and fitness would be but I thought there did seem to be some harsh criticism building on here (even suggesting she was recklessly following bear tracks for goodness sake!) and felt myself wanting to try to take the balanced view.

I agree, too much criticism by some!

 

[LadyL]

Doesn't everyone have a lock on their phone these day? I can't imagine travelling around with an unlocked phone. Also, it's very hard for a stranger to send a message that would fool a spouse. Esther was very communicative, not just cryptic texts.

nope, not everyone

 

[LadyL]

I find it odd how Esther poses in that photo perhaps taken by the stranger. She looks extremely comfortable in the photo and it's not how I would pose when being photographed by someone I barely knew.

I think it's obvious they're both selfies.
both taken with left hand (arm outstretched) IMO

 

[Andreee]

Maybe he doesn't exist?

Very true.

What!? Why would you think that?!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I think it's obvious they're both selfies.
both taken with left hand (arm outstretched) IMO

Pretty sure the reference was to the photo in that DM article of ED making a one-footed, arms-akimbo pose well away from the camera, so presumably taken by another person.

 

[TillyMay]

Police searching for missing British 'van life' blogger Esther Dingley interview her boyfriend twice | Daily Mail Online

My first thoughts were has her boyfriend been questioned.

 

[Marulinka]

If this dude is a hiker, he might be in the middle of nowhere right now, with limited or no access to media and internet.

Thats what I have also been thinking....he might be somewhere on another treck. However, the longer he remains silent the more suspicious it will look naturally. Could they trace him by a phone mast signal ping nearby Esthers that day? Im just wondering..?

 

[TillyMay]

I think it's obvious they're both selfies.
both taken with left hand (arm outstretched) IMO

I'm right handed but text, take selfies, pour kettle, with left hand, wonder if she's the same, and could she just be reaching out to someone with her left hand/arm?

 

[Marulinka]

I wonder if this man doesn't exist and that's why no one has come forward?

Interesting option...surely cannot be totally discounted either

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I wonder if she shared details of her plans with the hiker guy and he knew where to find her later. She comes across as open and trusting and I dont believe that all hikers are good people. Evil can wear a backpack too. The point I cant visualise is how and when he may have abducted her. He would have needed his vehicle. If he harmed her and left her up the mountain she would have to be very well hidden.

If he is innocent, where is he? I dont believe he's so off grid he wouldnt hear news.

JMO

 

[Andreee]

dbm

 

[Inverloch]

She has clearly done a lot of hiking, so I don't think it's unreasonable to describe her as 'experienced'.

I do think she seems willing to take what many would consider unreasonable risks, such as heading for a summit so late in the afternoon at this time of year. I'm not much of a hiker, but I'm a keen skier & some of the most 'experienced' skiers I know have been known to take crazy risks, especially off-piste etc. So I think it's more about character/attitude to risk than 'experience' per se.

On the other hand, just going from her posts on social media, she does come across as slightly innocent/ trusting - for that matter, her boyfriend does, as well. This may have made her doubly vulnerable: I'm still concerned about the mystery hiker. On balance, though, I think she had some sort of accident and wasn't spotted due to the camouflaged colours of her hiking gear.

 

[Grouse]

Asking for fruit bothers me because it's heavy. IMO she wouldn't have asked for it unless she really needed it. She might also have seen that the other hiker had extra.
.

A piece of fruit to eat there and then would not have added much to her payload IMO. The other hiker said in his statement that they didn't have any food left.
Edit: it might have indicated she was low on energy though.

 

[Sjm_qc]

I’ve been following this and don’t have much to add, other than that I think an accident is the most likely probability unfortunately.

The witnesses who passed her on the trail corroborate her husband’s report of her being where she said she was during their last call, as far as I can see.

I do wonder how widely the story has been covered in Spanish media. If it’s not been a major story, it’s possible the hiker who gave her a lift on the 19th may not even know she’s missing or that he’s being looked for.

 

[Ruthbullock]

What!? Why would you think that?!

My interpretation of those quotes (and I could have misunderstood) is that writing about a man (she didn’t meet), making yourself memorable by asking for fruit etc all may have been red herrings and perhaps she chose to disappear. To me it is as much an option as anything else at the moment.

 

[Sjm_qc]

Also should perhaps be considered whether it was actually Esther posting?

As I understand it, she actually called her husband, not just messaged him.

 

[spangled]

I find it odd how Esther poses in that photo perhaps taken by the stranger. She looks extremely comfortable in the photo and it's not how I would pose when being photographed by someone I barely knew.

I went up Sca Fell (highest mountain in England) on my own in the summer. A stranger took pictures for me at the summit, and I took some for her. I look pretty happy and comfortable in them. You wouldn't know a stranger took them. I was pleased to be up there, didn't care what the photographer thought!

So I could easily see this scenario happening.

 

[Auntie_Seagull]

So really, had she done the planned route, it leaves a relatively small area to search. I'd be very interested to know at exactly what point she was seen by the other hikers (the ones who were walking down the mountain).

First, the mountain trails do not go as the crow flies. They zigzag, they turn, that makes the search area much bigger. Second, we don't know if she did her route as planned. She might get off the trail in the darkness, either unaware, or purposefully, trying to get faster to the refuge. She might fall off and wander away in confusion. It's not that simple. It's not that easy.

 

[Ruthbullock]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

The other option I am now considering is that she might not have continued heading uphill, but perhaps she waited a while and headed downhill (there were no more witnesses uphill we have been told). I don’t think we can dismiss the notion that she went uphill for a little longer, or even stayed in the area, but then turned back. That still doesn’t give anymore clues as to where she is now though unfortunately.