British climbers saved after deadly Pakistan avalanche hits tent on Ultar Sar mountain
Officials say the rescue operation began on Saturday but it was too dangerous to complete because of appalling weather.
Sunday 1 July 2018 15:36, UK
Two British mountaineers have been rescued from a remote peak in Pakistan after they were hit by an avalanche at 19,000ft.
Pakistan army helicopter pilots took part in what their general called a "daring mission" to reach Bruce Normand and Timothy Miller on the 24,239ft Ultar Sar mountain near Hunza Valley on Sunday.
The men became stranded on Friday when an avalanche hit their tent 19,300ft above sea level. Their climbing companion, Christian Huber, from Austria, did not survive.
The three-member expedition started in May and was being managed by Higher Ground Expeditions, a tour operating company in Hunza.
Pakistan army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor tweeted: "Bruce Normand and Miller Timothy from UK successfully rescued alive while Christian Huber from Austria had succumbed to avalanche."
The British high commissioner to Pakistan, Thomas Drew, thanked the Pakistan army for the rescue operation.
Mr Drew said: "A remarkable and dangerous rescue. Our gratitude to the Pakistan army pilots who rescued two British climbers trapped by avalanche on Ultar Sar Peak near Hunza.
"Our thoughts with the Austrian fellow climber who did not survive the avalanche."
The rescue mission began on Saturday but pilots could not complete the mission because of appalling weather conditions.
Ultar Sar has been described as a difficult and dangerous mountain to climb, with a significant risk of avalanches.
Northern Pakistan is a favoured destination for climbers. It rivals Nepal for the number of peaks over 24,000ft and has five of the world's 14 summits taller than 8,000 meters.
It is situated between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range.