Latest news with #Tryfan
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Travel influencer, 28, fell 60ft to her death in front of her friends on one of Britain's deadliest mountains
Friends of an extreme sports enthusiast who fell 60ft to her death from one of Britain's deadliest mountains watched in horror as she went 'tumbling through the air'. Influencer Maria Eftimova, 28, who friends said had an 'insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty', joined a Facebook group who went hiking up a 3,000ft Snowdonia peak, which is located in Wales. The thrill-seeker was an experienced mountaineer who had recently completed an ice-climbing course in Norway. But tragically the engineering student lost her footing when her heel slipped while scrambling up Tryfan on February 22. Neil Oakes, who was among a group of about 18 on the peak when the party split in two, said he had been ahead of Eftimova and turned around to check on his companions. 'I turned around again and saw Maria tumbling through the air below me,' he said in a statement to an inquest into her death on Wednesday. He added: 'I knew there was going to be an impact. I was shouting "No,no,no!" When I turned back she had hit the ledge below.' Harry Jones, another witness to the tragedy, said about seven of the group on the peak had been going from ledge to ledge. Eftimova was ahead of him and slipped as she pulled herself up. He said: 'All I saw was her flying over the top of my head and down the mountainside.' Jones said he 'froze' then called emergency services. A rescue helicopter and mountain rescuers arrived at the scene but Eftimova died from multiple injuries. Jed Stone, of Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team, told the hearing she had been scrambling on the north ridge of Tryfan, an area of steep rocky ground and many cliff faces. Originally from Bulgaria, Eftimova had lived in the UK for ten years. A heartbroken friend previously posted a video of the group of walkers attempting the 'Mexican wave' on the peak - half an hour before the tragic slip. Nargesse El Haiba wrote on Facebook in a tribute: 'This will have been roughly 30 minutes before your tragic accident and you taking your last breaths in front of me. 'I have grieved you and cried so much that I can't cry anymore. I will never take the mountains for granted again.' Eftimova - who was studying at Salford University in Manchester, England - was a keen climber, surfer and snowboarder who had climbed Tryfan several times. In a statement her father Rosen said: 'We learned about Maria's death from a telephone call from her friends with her at the time of the accident.' North West Wales senior coroner Kate Robertson told the hearing: 'Very sadly it seems Maria was scrambling with others when she's unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen. 'During the course of that fall, she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death. That fall was entirely accidental.' She concluded that Eftimova's death had been an accident. When she opened the inquest, the coroner said Eftimova had been 'trying to reach a ledge to get a grip on the hand-hold and has gone to lift herself up'. She added: 'Her heel has slipped and she's fallen from the ledge and it appears she's fallen some distance.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Influencer died after fall on 3,000ft Snowdonia peak
An influencer died after falling down a Snowdonia mountain, an inquest heard. Maria Rosanova Eftimova, 28, was hiking up 3,000-foot Tryfan when she slipped and fell 60ft to her death on Feb 22. Neil Oakes, who was among a group of about 18 on the peak when the party split in two, said he had been ahead of Miss Eftimova and turned around to check on his companions. He said in a statement: 'I turned around again and saw Maria tumbling through the air below me. I knew there was going to be an impact. I was shouting 'no, no, no'. When I turned back she had hit the ledge below.' Jed Stone, of Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team, said the accident happened on the north ridge of Tryfan, an area of steep rocky ground and many cliff faces. Miss Eftimova, a civil engineer who had lived in England since 2015 and studied at the University of Salford, died on the mountain. She had more than 10,000 followers on social media and was an experienced climber who had recently completed an ice-climbing course in Norway. Kate Robertson, senior coroner for north west Wales, said: 'Very sadly, it seems Maria was scrambling with others when she'd unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen. During the course of that fall, she sustained the injuries, which have sadly led to her death. That fall was entirely accidental.' Severe head injuries A conclusion of an accident was recorded. A pathologist had found multiple injuries including severe head injuries. Miss Eftimova's Bulgarian family were on a video link to the inquest. The coroner passed on her condolences to them and said: 'The way Mr Eftimov described Maria shows she was a very bright and conscientious individual.' In a statement, Rosen Eftimov, her father, said: 'We learnt about Maria's death from a telephone call from her friends with her at the time of the accident. 'Maria had climbed Tryfan several times on different routes.' Mr Eftimov said his daughter had been snowboarding, surfed, entered marathons and did yoga, pole dancing, and glacier climbing in Norway. Harry Jones, another witness to the tragedy, said about seven of the group on the peak had been going from ledge to ledge. Miss Eftimova was ahead of him and slipped as she pulled herself up. 'All I saw was her flying over the top of my head and down the mountainside,' he said. Mr Jones said he 'froze' but dialled 999. A rescue helicopter and mountain rescuers arrived at the scene. A fund-raising appeal was launched to support the family of Miss Eftimova. The appeal's organisers said: 'Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. 'She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Extreme sports enthusiast went 'tumbling through the air' after tragically losing her footing on one of Britain's deadliest mountains
Friends of an extreme sports enthusiast who tragically fell 60ft to her death from one of Britain's deadliest mountains watched in horror as she went 'tumbling through the air', an inquest heard today. Influencer Maria Eftimova, 28, who friends said had an 'insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty', joined a Facebook group who went hiking up a 3,000ft Snowdonia peak. The thrill-seeker - who had more than 10,000 followers on social media - was an experienced climber who had recently completed an ice-climbing course in Norway. But tragically the engineering student lost her footing when her heel slipped while scrambling up Tryfan on February 22. Neil Oakes, who was among a group of about 18 on the peak when the party split in two, said he had been ahead of Ms Eftimova and turned around to check on his companions. 'I turned around again and saw Maria tumbling through the air below me,' he said in a statement to the inquest. 'I knew there was going to be an impact. I was shouting "No,no,no!" 'When I turned back she had hit the ledge below.' Harry Jones, another witness to the tragedy, said about seven of the group on the peak had been going from ledge to ledge. Ms Eftimova was ahead of him and slipped as she pulled herself up. 'All I saw was her flying over the top of my head and down the mountainside,' he said. Mr Jones said he 'froze' then dialled 999. A rescue helicopter and mountain rescuers arrived at the scene but Ms Eftimova died from multiple injuries. Jed Stone, of Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team, told the hearing she had been scrambling on the north ridge of Tryfan, an area of steep rocky ground and many cliff faces. Originally from Bulgaria, Ms Eftimova had lived in the UK for ten years. A heartbroken friend previously posted a video of the group of walkers attempting the 'Mexican wave' on the peak – half an hour before the tragic slip. Nargesse El Haiba wrote on Facebook in a tribute to Ms Eftimova: 'This will have been roughly 30 minutes before your tragic accident and you taking your last breaths in front of me. 'I have grieved you and cried so much that I can't cry anymore. 'I will never take the mountains for granted again.' Ms Eftimova - who was studying at Salford University and lived in St Helens, Merseyside - was a keen climber, surfer and snowboarder who had climbed Tryfan several times, her family said. In a statement her father Rosen said: 'We learned about Maria's death from a telephone call from her friends with her at the time of the accident.' North West Wales senior coroner Kate Robertson told the hearing in Caernarfon: 'Very sadly it seems Maria was scrambling with others when she's unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen. 'During the course of that fall, she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death. 'That fall was entirely accidental.' She concluded that Ms Eftimova's death had been an accident. When she opened the inquest, the coroner said Ms Eftimova had been 'trying to reach a ledge to get a grip on the hand-hold and has gone to lift herself up'. 'Her heel has slipped and she's fallen from the ledge and it appears she's fallen some distance.' Claiming an average of two lives every year, Tryfan has been described as 'one of the more challenging climbs in the UK' by BBC Countryfile. Ms Eftimova was the second woman to die within the space of a week on a Snowdonia peak after Dr Charlotte Crook, 30, fell on Glyder Fach just six days earlier. In an online fund-raising appeal to support Ms Eftimova's family, organisers wrote: 'Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. 'She had a passion for engineering, having studied Civil Engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports, her biggest passion being snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. 'She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far far far too soon! 'Words cannot express the devastation her family and our community are experiencing.'
Wales Online
10-05-2025
- Wales Online
Ridge and scramble circular walk that beats Yr Wyddfa for one major reason
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info It has ridges, dramatic scenery and a bit of scrambling but those aren't not the best part of this high altitude route. This walk takes in the second highest mountain in Wales - just 20 metres smaller than the famous Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) peak. Its ridges aren't quite as terrifying as Crib Goch but there's enough edge to make it exciting and a couple of times when you need your hands on rock in Tryfan style. The views are spectacular and ever changing as you take in three peaks over 2,500ft and five lakes - with options to add extra summits to that with detours. But the best part of the Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe walk compared to the Yr Wyddfa range is the absolute lack of people. For the first half of the walk - on a bank holiday Monday - it was literally one man and his dog encountered, compare this with the queues of walkers you see at the summit of Yr Wyddfa. The route starts at the little car park near Llyn Eigiau, the former reservoir where a dam break led to the loss of 16 lives in the village of Dolgarrog. While limited in size, I've never found it full and it's free unlike the small fortune now needed to park at Pen-y-pass. It's located around 10 minutes from the village of Tal-y-bont, the journey broken up by three gates that need to be opened and closed. From here, rather than walk towards Llyn Eigiau you head up a track towards Llyn Melynllun and Llyn Dulyn, round the back of the cliffs of Craig Eigiau that tower over Llyn Eigiau. You then spur up off the path towards the edge of Craig Eigiau. The rocky area here is not a bad place to catch your breath and enjoy the vista. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community There is now a fairly barren stretch as you head in the direction of Carnedd Llewelyn across what can be quite boggy - classic Carneddau - terrain. You look down on the two lakes mentioned earlier where the dark cliffs brood over them and across to the ups and downs ahead. (Image: North Wales Live) If you're 'hill-bagging' you can add in Y Foel Grach and Carnedd Gwenllian without too much of a detour but I headed straight for Llewelyn, which at 3,491ft is only slightly below Yr Wyddfa (3,560ft). It's a section that is easy to navigate if the sky is clear but on this day - as is often the case - clouds settled around the summit to really reduce visibility near the top. This is probably the dullest stretch of the trek but I rewarded myself with a food break in a shelter out the wind close to the top. The views are amazing if you're lucky. On this day I'm the only soul on the summit, which is not uncommon. (Image: North Wales Live) Some on this route also take the ridge over to Yr Elen but with the cloud set in I decided not to this time. At this point if you feel you've done enough uphill walking then you can head back from whence you came or detour slightly round the 'back' of Llyn Eigiau. But you would be missing the best part of the whole route. From here it is initially downhill in the direction of Craig yr Ysfa and Pen y Helgi Du and thankfully I now dipped under the clouds that engulfed the top of Llewelyn. At one point you come to the edge of a small cliff face and at first glance can wonder how you progress but there are routes to pick with some scrambling, and care is needed. (Image: North Wales Live) Once down there is a winding ridge path - Bwlch Eryl Farchog - with the fourth lake on the circuit - Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir - on the right. There are views across to the Glyders and Tryfan but my pictures of those were too awful to share! It is only at this point - around two and a half hours into the walk - that I encounter other humans, initially the aforementioned man and his dog before a quick chat with a couple of other walkers between Craig yr Ysfa and Pen y Helgi Du. Then comes the next scrambling part of this circuit. You come face to face with a big slab of Pen y Heligi Du and spend a minute working out your way up. (Image: North Wales Live) There is no obvious route so take your time and pick your way carefully up the cliff, it's a bit airy so you need a reasonable head for heights but no issues for anyone with experience of scrambling. It is tiring too (or I'm getting old!) so I paused on a ledge around three quarters of the way up to enjoy the view and catch my breath. That's the second peak of the day with one more lying ahead. You head down the mountain and across Bwlch y Tri-Marchog. I'm fairly tired at this point and you know every metre of altitude lost is another metre you'll soon be climbing to reach the final summit. The last mountain is the wonderfully named Pen Llithrig y Wrach - which roughly translates as "slippery peak/top of the witch', presumably referring to the mountain's profile being similar to an archetypal witch's hat. This is daunting in a different way to the scramble up the last mountain. It's a more gentle grassy slope but the fact you've already clocked up around 3,000ft in height gain and now face another climb makes your legs question your choices. But a steady trek soon takes you to the summit and opens up a new view - taking in Llyn Cowlyd and Creigiau Gleision. (Image: North Wales Live) You can then walk along the edge of the mountain as it runs parallel with the lake, which is a decent drop below. The 'path' as you turn to head back towards Llyn Eigiau path is never that clear and I seem to have done it differently each on the three occasions I've done this route. This wasn't the best of them (see map below!) and I think I added an extra 20 minutes or so trampling through bracken and gorse. But it wasn't too long before I was back on the rough track at the side of Llyn Eigiau and it is then another 20 minutes or so walking - thankfully on the flat - to get back to the car park. And that's it, back to the car and to take on the gates on the route down the hill to Tal-y-bont. In total I saw around eight people - about the number you pass every 10 seconds when climbing Yr Wyddfa. It's a challenging route of 11 miles and not too far off 4,000ft in height gain but it is rewarding in so many ways, not least the solitude! Follow advice before heading out with this useful checklist from Eryri National Park
North Wales Live
10-05-2025
- North Wales Live
Ridge and scramble circular walk that beats Yr Wyddfa for one major reason
It has ridges, dramatic scenery and a bit of scrambling but those aren't not the best part of this high altitude route. This walk takes in the second highest mountain in Wales - just 20 metres smaller than the famous Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) peak. Its ridges aren't quite as terrifying as Crib Goch but there's enough edge to make it exciting and a couple of times when you need your hands on rock in Tryfan style. The views are spectacular and ever changing as you take in three peaks over 2,500ft and five lakes - with options to add extra summits to that with detours. But the best part of the Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe walk compared to the Yr Wyddfa range is the absolute lack of people. For the first half of the walk - on a bank holiday Monday - it was literally one man and his dog encountered, compare this with the queues of walkers you see at the summit of Yr Wyddfa. The route starts at the little car park near Llyn Eigiau, the former reservoir where a dam break led to the loss of 16 lives in the village of Dolgarrog. While limited in size, I've never found it full and it's free unlike the small fortune now needed to park at Pen-y-pass. It's located around 10 minutes from the village of Tal-y-bont, the journey broken up by three gates that need to be opened and closed. From here, rather than walk towards Llyn Eigiau you head up a track towards Llyn Melynllun and Llyn Dulyn, round the back of the cliffs of Craig Eigiau that tower over Llyn Eigiau. You then spur up off the path towards the edge of Craig Eigiau. The rocky area here is not a bad place to catch your breath and enjoy the vista. There is now a fairly barren stretch as you head in the direction of Carnedd Llewelyn across what can be quite boggy - classic Carneddau - terrain. You look down on the two lakes mentioned earlier where the dark cliffs brood over them and across to the ups and downs ahead. If you're 'hill-bagging' you can add in Y Foel Grach and Carnedd Gwenllian without too much of a detour but I headed straight for Llewelyn, which at 3,491ft is only slightly below Yr Wyddfa (3,560ft). It's a section that is easy to navigate if the sky is clear but on this day - as is often the case - clouds settled around the summit to really reduce visibility near the top. This is probably the dullest stretch of the trek but I rewarded myself with a food break in a shelter out the wind close to the top. The views are amazing if you're lucky. On this day I'm the only soul on the summit, which is not uncommon. Some on this route also take the ridge over to Yr Elen but with the cloud set in I decided not to this time. At this point if you feel you've done enough uphill walking then you can head back from whence you came or detour slightly round the 'back' of Llyn Eigiau. But you would be missing the best part of the whole route. From here it is initially downhill in the direction of Craig yr Ysfa and Pen y Helgi Du and thankfully I now dipped under the clouds that engulfed the top of Llewelyn. At one point you come to the edge of a small cliff face and at first glance can wonder how you progress but there are routes to pick with some scrambling, and care is needed. Once down there is a winding ridge path - Bwlch Eryl Farchog - with the fourth lake on the circuit - Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir - on the right. There are views across to the Glyders and Tryfan but my pictures of those were too awful to share! It is only at this point - around two and a half hours into the walk - that I encounter other humans, initially the aforementioned man and his dog before a quick chat with a couple of other walkers between Craig yr Ysfa and Pen y Helgi Du. Then comes the next scrambling part of this circuit. You come face to face with a big slab of Pen y Heligi Du and spend a minute working out your way up. There is no obvious route so take your time and pick your way carefully up the cliff, it's a bit airy so you need a reasonable head for heights but no issues for anyone with experience of scrambling. It is tiring too (or I'm getting old!) so I paused on a ledge around three quarters of the way up to enjoy the view and catch my breath. That's the second peak of the day with one more lying ahead. You head down the mountain and across Bwlch y Tri-Marchog. I'm fairly tired at this point and you know every metre of altitude lost is another metre you'll soon be climbing to reach the final summit. The last mountain is the wonderfully named Pen Llithrig y Wrach - which roughly translates as "slippery peak/top of the witch', presumably referring to the mountain's profile being similar to an archetypal witch's hat. This is daunting in a different way to the scramble up the last mountain. It's a more gentle grassy slope but the fact you've already clocked up around 3,000ft in height gain and now face another climb makes your legs question your choices. But a steady trek soon takes you to the summit and opens up a new view - taking in Llyn Cowlyd and Creigiau Gleision. You can then walk along the edge of the mountain as it runs parallel with the lake, which is a decent drop below. The 'path' as you turn to head back towards Llyn Eigiau path is never that clear and I seem to have done it differently each on the three occasions I've done this route. This wasn't the best of them (see map below!) and I think I added an extra 20 minutes or so trampling through bracken and gorse. But it wasn't too long before I was back on the rough track at the side of Llyn Eigiau and it is then another 20 minutes or so walking - thankfully on the flat - to get back to the car park. And that's it, back to the car and to take on the gates on the route down the hill to Tal-y-bont. In total I saw around eight people - about the number you pass every 10 seconds when climbing Yr Wyddfa. It's a challenging route of 11 miles and not too far off 4,000ft in height gain but it is rewarding in so many ways, not least the solitude!
