 Poster: A snowHead
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Eric Langmuir, a leading figure in British climbing, mountaincraft, avalanche research and ski instruction, has died at the age of 74.
Langmuir wrote the classic book "Mountaincraft and Leadership", published in 1969, and was Principal of Glenmore Lodge at the foot of Cairngorm - which served for many years as the training base for BASI (the British Association of Ski (now Snowsport) Instructors). He climbed and skied extensively, and his two sons represented Great Britain at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
This obituary from Telegraph.co.uk.
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| Eric began skiing as a teenager, later recalling: "My sister and I would cycle out to the Cairngorms with our skis across our handlebars, and we had to walk up the mountain because there was no chairlift, but I loved it. I then got into snow and ice climbing and was hooked the moment I started." |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Remember using Eric's book when I did a summer walking leadership course years back at Plas-y-Brenin in North wales. Also used his book to prepare myself for the winter course but the weather in Scotland was either no snow or too harsh so never got round to doing it. Basically studied multiple times for a test I never took. Got into bother 3 years back on the GrossGlockner glacier here in Austria. It's amazing what you remember when you have to, the techniques I studied all those years back in Eric's book helped to get us out.
RIP Eric.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I used Mountaincraft and Leadership in the mid 80's and bought the 3rd ed when it came out in the mid 90's because I remembered what a great book it was, though I haven't really used it since. Just checked, still on my shelf! What a contribution. RIP.
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More about Eric Langmuir, his extraordinary experiences and influence, in this obituary from The Guardian.
Langmuir "attained the highest qualification of the British Assocation of Ski Instructors - a body of which he eventually became honorary president" according to this further obituary published by The Independent today.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Very sorry to hear the news, and commiserations to Cate, Roddy, Moira and Sean. I only knew Eric as just another dad of the kids I raced with, but he was always the nicest, gentlest man you could meet.
Now, reading these obituaries, it seems that British skiing and mountaineering have much more to thank Eric for than perhaps us "younger folks" had realised. Hillend, which was under the jurisdiction of Eric's department in the 1970s, remains one of British snowsports' most valuable assets. (Incidentally, my brother and I learned to windsurf at the Port Edgar watersports centre which Eric set up.)
Hopefully many British skiers and mountaineers have now been reminded of all Eric's achievements.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| his two sons represented Great Britain at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. |
Roddy did. Sean was at the 92 Games in Albertville. Moira was at the 82 Worlds in Schladming. Cate now edits Good Ski Guide magazine.
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Thanks for that correction, Martin. Got that point from the last para. of the Telegraph obit.
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