Rob Gauntlett, Youngest British Mount Everest Climber, Died in Alps Ice-climbing Accident
Posted Jan 11, 2009 by Lindsay Britney
Rob Gauntlett died in an ice climbing accident in French Alps
Rob Gauntlett, the youngest British climber ever having scaled the Mount Everest, has died at an ice climbing accident in the Mont Blanc du Tacul near Chamonix, France. His friend James Atkinson, a student from Durham University, was also a victim.
The climber who died in the French Alps along with Rob Gauntlett, the youngest British mountaineer to conquer Everest, was named today.
James Atkinson and Mr Gauntlett, both 21 and from Sussex, fell to their deaths while ice climbing in the Mont Blanc du Tacul near Chamonix. Their bodies were discovered by a mountain rescue team on the 14,000ft high mountain at 8am yesterday [January 10]. French police said they were in a couloir when they fell. It remains unclear how they died as weather conditions were not extreme, there were no reports of avalanches and they were both well equipped. [Times]
Rob Gauntlett, an adventurer and motivational speaker according to his own website robgauntlett.com, became the youngest British person to conquer Mount Everest when aged just 19 in 2006. In order to raise awareness of climate change. Starting from March 2007 to April 2008, Mr. Gauntlett and his companion James Hooper who also a Everest conquerer in 2006, achieved an unprecedented feat that noboby achived before–a 26,000-mile north geomagnetic pole to the south magnetic pole journey which used only human and natural power.
On the expedition, Hooper and Gauntlett skied, used dog sleighs, sailed and cycled through Greenland, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Chile. [Guardian]
Sad! Mr. Rob Gauntlett and Mr. James Atkinson are indeed too young to die! Our thoughts and prayers go to their family and friends. Send your love by leaving a comment.
#Permalink Tags: Accidents, Death, France, Rob Gauntlett, UK
January 11, 2009 at 2:13 pm
any deaths like this are sad but perhaps given the obvious abilities of these two these were even more sad and they will be a loss to society.
My nephew Will, rescued a number of Belgians in the Pyrrenees and he told me that conditions deteriorate so rapidly that it can become very dangerous very quickly. Details and pictures on my Blog.
http://www.a-i-darlo.com
Condolences to their family.