Death of Les Southwell

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-16/e ... ch/8952352

A major search is underway to find an elderly hiker who has gone missing in Victoria's Alps.

Leslie Southwell, 88, had been hiking with friends in the state's north-east Alpine region over the past eight days.

He went missing on Thursday, after he became separated from friends on a 4.7-kilometre trek from Cleve Cole Memorial Hut to Michelle Hut.

[north-north-west]

Doesn't bode well if the weather up there is anything like we've had in the high country down here.
At least he's properly equipped.

[Xplora]

The weather was worse last night and this morning but has cleared now. There are lots of people up there at the moment so every chance things will turn out OK if he is sufficiently experienced, prepared and has not fallen foul.

[Overlandman]

Just heard on the ABC radio
Sadly Leslie was found deceased this morning.
RIP Leslie.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-17/b ... nd/8954372

The body of a man, believed to be missing hiker Leslie Southwell, has been found in the Mount Bogong area in Victoria's Alps, police say.

Police said they found the body just after 9:00am.

[ofuros]

Sad indeed....

[mikethepike]

I am sorry to hear of Les Southwell's death. I feel fortunate to have met Les in the Western Arthurs in March 2006 and where he was walking with a companion. I was impressed then with his walking and the short time that I spent in conversation with him. Les's walking and walking ethics are superb and inspirational and I hope that the bushwalking world gets the chance to read and hear a lot more about Les from the people who knew him well. Walking and camping at 88 years on Mt Mt Bogong with it still deep in snow!
Les is the author of the book "The mountains of paradise: The wilderness of south-west Tasmania" (1983) and it is full of his brilliant photographs, mainly if not entirely pre-dating the flooding of Lake Pedder. I believe that Les was a civil engineer and the book has an addendum giving a critical analysis of the Lake Pedder empoundment.
RIP Les!

[bigkev]

Thanks Mike, I was also thinking what an inspiration this bloke was so it's good to hear a little back ground. It sounds like he may of passed away doing what he loved, you can't really ask for more I suppose.

May he RIP.

[bauera]

I believe he has now been found, regrettably deceased, by his tent.
I think this may be the Les Southwell who authored a book called The Mountains of Paradise - a photography book on Tassie's south-west, with particular focus on Lake Pedder, in the 70s or 80s. Age would suggest it's a good chance he is one and the same.
I would like to think he would be content that his life ended as and where it did.

[DaveNoble]

Les Southwell was certainly, through his photographs, a most inspiring person. In the mid 1970's, he visited Sydney and showed a selection of his slides on South West Tasmania. That led to the formation of the Sydney Branch of the South West Tasmania Action Committee. A few name changes later this was the Sydney Branch of the Tasmanian Wilderness Society and then later The Wilderness Society. Les Southwell's photographs were widely published in conservation magazines - particularly in "Habitat" by the ACF. They showed the wild beauty of a strange land. A land not many had visited or knew of. They showed South West Tasmania - mountains, rivers, lakes and vegetation. They showed what would be lost if people didn't act. Fortunately many did act.

His beautiful book "The Mountains of Paradise" (Published by Les Southwell, 1983) is well worth seeking out. Amongst other photos, his series of images of Lake Peddar, before its destruction is most poignant. To quote from that book - "Now that Lake Peddar lies under sixteen metres of dead water and that several of the gorges on the Middle and Lower Gordon are no longer accessible, I now realise how many other photos I missed taking. I greatly regret those lost opportunities. What is far worse, of course, is that others in the future will be denied the privilege I have enjoyed."

Rest in Peace Les Southwell.

Dave

[muddy99]

We were up there on the weekend. All we knew was that S&R were looking for a "Leslie" and an orange tent somewhere between CC and Michell Hut. The tent must have been off the route a little way , as we ascended Eskdale Saturday afternoon, summitted and ended up camping down at Bivouac, to keep out of the way of all the searchers. There's a load of snow up there at the moment, the summit cairn is about knee high and the sign indicating the Staircase is now at ground level. Was very shocked to learn later, on this forum, that it was Les Southwell - the Mountains of Paradise is one of my all time favourite Tasmanian pictorials, alongside Truchanas and Dombrovkis, and certainly spurred me on to many a Tasmanian adventure.

Thoughts are with his family and friends, walk in peace Les, you were a Giant!

[stepbystep]

Media release from the Bob Brown Foundation.

RIP Les.

BOB BROWN FOUNDATION
Media Release 19.9.17

RENOWNED WILDERNESS MAN, LES SOUTHWELL, DIES AGED 88.

Les Southwell, a towering figure of last century wilderness travel and photography in Tasmania and Victoria, has been found dead in the Victorian alps. He had been separated from companions and was sitting outside his tent near snowy Mt Bogong when he died, aged 88.

"Les Southwell, a Melbourne engineer, was one of the most remarkable wilderness walkers in Tasmania in the high age of wild country adventure last century. He first came to Tasmania in the early 1960s and, via the original Lake Pedder, walked to Federation Peak, the most remote mountain in Australia. Consequently, in scores more trips, he bushbashed into other remote places including Pokana Cirque, Lake Curley, the Denison Range and Gordon Splits," former Greens leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today. "Les was a vigorous advocate for saving the Franklin and Gordon rivers from damming."

"Les Southwell's 1983 book 'The mountains of Paradise: the Wilderness of South-west Tasmania' is a classic of Australian wilderness photography. His depictions of Lake Pedder National Park are now national treasures. Until the end, Les was a crusty advocate for restoring Lake Pedder," Bob Brown said.

Victorian environmentalist Karen Alexander OA said that "Les had a very long dedication to conservation, from the Lake Pedder campaign to Fraser Island, the subject of his first book, and the Franklin. He saw the value of photography to convey the good message about wild places, like Peter Dombrovskis and Olegas Truchanas who also died in the wild. Les kept the campaign for Tasmania's South-west wilderness alive in Melbourne after the loss of Lake Pedder, paving the way for saving the Franklin. As a civil engineer, Les had argued strongly for alternative solutions to the flooding of Lake Pedder."

"Half a century ago Les observed that for Tasmanian politicians 'the idea of the wilderness experience seemed incomprehensible and they often seemed hostile to the very notion'. Nowadays wilderness is arguably Tasmania's greatest tourism drawcard, thanks to advocates like Les Southwell," Bob Brown said.

Contact
Jenny Weber
0427 366 929

Les Southwell, left, with Dave Noble of Sydney discuss wilderness photography in the Labyrinth near Lake St Clair, Tasmania, 2008. Photo courtesy John Robens.

[farefam]

Very sad news, but at least he got to pass away in a bush land area he would have loved. His work, "The Mountains of Paradise" is one of my favourite books and his photography of the Tasmanian SW in particular has inspired many an adventure of mine (the Gordon, the Spires, Lake Curly, the POW's, Mt Bobs etc etc). The protection of these areas is a lasting memorial to his life and to his talents as an adventurer, conservationist and photographer. A life with some adventure in it, is a life very well lived.... RIP Les Southwell.

[Lizzy]

There has been some discussion of this on the ski forum in the backcountry section.
RIP and thrilled he could keep doing what he loved at 88!
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/missi ... ong.79386/

[Moondog55]

Lucky bloke in may ways. He got to do what he loved until the end
I think I've met him on the track a couple of times and hope to emulate him when I get old

[DaveNoble]

A few anecdotes about Les. I met him in the Labyrinth in 2008 but knew of his photography from the mid 1970's. I can remember talking to Chris Bell after he and Les had not long returned from a 10 day photographic trip to PB. Chris mentioned the main lenses that Les used were a 20 mm lens and a 100 mm lens. Also, after that same trip. Les was showing his slides at Bob Graham's house in Hobart and it was full of bushwalkers. But there were a lot of slides..... A couple of the bushwalkers got a little restless and went outside and then decided to head off in their car. Perhaps they were picking up something? But, on their way, they saw a lady whose car had broken down (perhaps a flat tyre?). So they stopped to help and spent a while there and got her on the road again. Then headed back to the slides. When they got in, they found that Les was up to the second day of the trip with his slides.

Back to the Labyrinth in 2008. The party I was with was camped at Lake Elysia. Les was camped somewhere well away. It sounded like he had a favourite campsite that only he knew that had amazing views.

[Porter Ricks]

Lovely old bloke Les. Met him at the PWS Field Centre in Huonville last year. He came in asking for advice about Mount Bobs and the Boomerang. Met with him a few times over the next month. Made him a few cups of tea and had some long chats with him. Think he'd be happy to have checked out in the bush and not at home in an arm chair.

[crollsurf]

Comes a time. Good on you Les.

[Genesis]

Lovely old bloke Les. Met him at the PWS Field Centre in Huonville last year. He came in asking for advice about Mount Bobs and the Boomerang. Met with him a few times over the next month. Made him a few cups of tea and had some long chats with him. Think he'd be happy to have checked out in the bush and not at home in an arm chair.

Quite right, all us bushies and lovers of the wilderness wild rather this egress rather than numerous other options.

[andrewa]

I have great respect for someone who could. Enjoy the mountains at his age. It was a beautiful weekend up there, despite the sadness. A

https://youtu.be/GyloRsPE554

[awildland]

Vale Les Southwell.

A truly remarkable bushwalker and conservationist.Had the great pleasure of meeting and camping with him on the Mt Anne circuit two and a half years ago. He had been out walking for 10 days with his friend Geoff and it was quite a hilarious meeting we had (featured in a story later published in Tasmania 40 South magazine). If I am even half as fit and bright as he at that age I could be happy. I felt quite shy and star struck when meeting him. While I am sad for the loss of such a great character, from the conversation we had then, I am grateful for the way he has gone. Boots on, bushwalking.

[chapman]

Les would have wanted to check out with his boots on. I also know he would not have wanted us to have to go out and look for him. Early one he walked with clubs but for the last few decades usually walked solo but always left instructions where he was going and meet-up times plus carried an EPIRB etc. The alarm was raised after he had failed to get to Michel Hut where he had planned to be the next night. While we dont actually know what happened (yet), it was fairly sudden as his EPIRB was close and had not been activated. While some in the press speculate that he was maybe intending not to return, I am certain that was not the case. He was working on a new book of photographs to be his masterpiece which possibly might now not appear which will be a shame.

I have known Les since 1974 when I first did some walks with him and kept in touch since. His slide shows were legendary, as Dave Noble has described he did not know how to edit a large number down to a sensible length slide show - he just showed the lot including multiple exposures of the same scene with slightly different camera settings! Earlier this year, we talked about how to import a lightweight pack for him which is the one he was carrying on his last trip. He will be missed as he was one of the crusty unique characters from the early pioneering era.

[farefam]

I reckon a Les Southwell memorial book (even an online version) would be a great tribute to his life (admittedly it may take quite some time to sort through his collection!). Perhaps something for his bushwalking and photography colleagues to consider approaching his family for permission to do, as I expect it wouldn't be too difficult to raise the money through crowd funding. I'd be very happy to chip in to see more of his adventures or to help out with such a project if I can be of any assistance from WA.