A British climber has gone missing on a 23,000ft mountain in the Himalayas with an American friend after their equipment and food tumbled down a ravine.
Fay Manners, 37, and Michelle Dvorak, 31, have been unaccounted for since Thursday and fears are growing for the pair, who were trekking up India’s Chaukhamba mountain.
They sent an urgent message back to base camp to say they were in trouble more than 48 hours ago, having lost their climbing equipment, tent and food down a gorge, according to local officials.
Helicopters were sent to search for the two women in the snow-capped region of northern India. The search was reportedly halted as harsh weather conditions took hold at high altitude.
Rescuers said a group was planning to trace the women’s steps up Chaukhamba on Saturday morning in the hope of finding the pair, who are both experienced climbers.
India’s Army and Air Force are among a number of regional and national bodies joining in the rescue effort.
“We hope to evacuate these two ladies as soon as possible,” the head of the rescue operation said.
Ms Manners and Ms Dvorak are believed to have sent their SOS message to mountain rescue from a pager while they were 20,350ft up the mountain and have not been heard from since.
Ms Manners, from Bedford, left the UK to move to the Alps to pursue her passion for climbing, becoming a professional alpinist sponsored by brands including The North Face and Petzl.
Following her move she became the first person to complete a number of complex routes up various alpine mountains.
She is also a data consultant “by night”, according to her Instagram account.
Ms Dvorak is also an experienced climber, as well as a teaching assistant at the University of Washington – according to her social media.
Both women were given permission by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) before they began their ascent – as is required to climb mountains as difficult as Chaukhamba.
A Foreign Office spokesman said it is “supporting the family of a British woman reported missing in India”, adding that it is in contact with Indian authorities.
