Friends and colleagues from the St Andrews area have paid tribute to a 24-year-old PhD student who was one of four young climbers killed in an avalanche in Glencoe last weekend.
Christopher Bell, who was from Lancashire, graduated in maths from St Andrews University in 2010 and was studying for a PhD at SAMS (Scottish Association for Marine Science) in Oban.
News that he was one of four young mountaineers killed when an avalanche swept them 300m (1,000ft) down Bidean nam Bian on Saturday has come as a particular shock to students and staff who remember him as a bright, energetic and committed student.
Professor Clare Parnell was Christopher’s lecturer at St Andrews and she said everyone was “shocked and saddened” at his death.
She said: “I remember Chris’s huge smile which he always wore. He was a conscientious, hard-working student who was very happy, friendly and enthusiastic.
“Since Chris was a very keen outdoors person, we always started our honours project supervision sessions off with an exchange of our weekend’s adventures. In particular, Chris was an active member of the university cycling club.
“He will be very much missed.”
Meanwhile, St Andrews Cycling Club secretary Huw Oliver and alumnus Luke Bradley are competing in the Strathpeffer race this weekend and raising money for the Glencoe mountain rescue team in Christopher’s memory.
Christopher’s climbing companions Tom Chesters, a PhD student, Una Finnegan, a junior doctor and fellow medic Dr Rachel Majumdar perished in the incident on Argyll’s highest mountain.