British climber dies on Everest

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33964, 3 October 1975, Page 10

British climber dies on Everest

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright)

KATMANDU, October 2.

A British climber, Mr Mick Burke, met his death on Mount Everest in a violent storm after he decided to go it alone, the expedition leader, Mr Chris Bonington, said today.

He said that the 34-year-old British Broadcasting Corporation cameraman probably reached the summit before he died on Friday.

Mr Bonington, in a report to the Nepal Foreign Ministry, said that Mr Burke was seen by two other members of the expedition only a short distance from the top. The two men, Peter Boardman and a Sherpa guide, Pertemba, were returning after the second successful conquest of Mount Everest by the south-west face. On track

“On the way down, a short distance from the top, they were surprised to meet Burke, who had decided to continue (alone), following the wellmarked track . . Mr Bonington said. The death of Mr Burke, who was making a film for the 8.8. C., recalls that of his mountaineer countrymen, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who vanished on Everest in 1924 near the

summit. Like them, it may never be known whether he made it to the top. According to the expedition leader, Mr Burke was in good spirits as he continued towards the summit. Decision to wait Mr Boardman and Pertemba, making their way down towards the south summit,- had agreed to wait for him before returning to camp. Mr Burke was recognised as Britain’s leading highaltitude cameraman. Mr Bonington said that they waited for more than an hour, with a swirling snowstorm —known as white-out conditions—and a gale blowing up. Mr Burke did not arrive, and they assumed he had slipped on the way down. Their own position was critical—daylight was fading —and they took the “agonising” decision to continue down.

“They only just managed to get back to their camp an hour after dark.

“The storm raged throughout the next day, making any kind of movement impossible. There was, therefore, no question of making any kind of further search and on September 28, in the interests of safety, the expedition leader ordered the mountain to be cleared,” Mr Bonington said. The white-out conditions referred to by Mr Bonington are among the worst hazards facing Himalayan climbers. Snow is blown in the air and it becomes impossible for a climber to distinguish between. the white of the air and the white of the snowcovered mountainside.

Others safe

Mr Chris Railing, a 8.8. C. producer with the expedition, said that all other members had now reached safety at base camp.

Mr Railing, who reached Katmandu by helicopter yesterday, said that all camps on the mountain had been closed, although some Sherpas were still ferrying loads of equipment down to the base. Mr Railing said yesterday that Mr Boardman was certain that Mr Burke had reached the summit. Another expedition member, Mr Hamish Macinnes, said that the climber had probably been killed in an avalanche.