Daniel Paterson missing: Impossible to search for British climber and his Sherpa missing on Everest, official says

Nepalese authorities have dashed hopes of an immediate search for a British climber who went missing on Everest six days ago.

Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and his local guide Pas Tenji, 23, were reported missing on Tuesday on the world's highest peak on the China-Nepal border. Mr Paterson's family have appealed for funds to launch a search effort to find him.

But on Sunday, a Nepalese official said it was not possible to search for the two men at the moment because both fell while descending “from a very high altitude” on the Chinese side of the mountain, which will require a further coordination to form a research team.

“It is not possible to search for the missing climbers at this time as the British climber and his Sherpa fell from the bottom of the Hillary Step which is approximately 8,800 meters (26,964 feet) and towards the face of Kangshung in Tibet,” Khim said. Lal Gautam, head of Everest base camp who monitors climbers.

The Kangshung Face is one of the Tibetan sides of the mountain facing east, controlled by China.

“It will be difficult to search for them as they have fallen on the Tibetan side, which requires coordination,” Gautam said.

Mr Paterson was part of a 15-member paid team from mountaineering company 8K Expeditions, which is now frantically searching for other climbers who have gone missing in temperatures as low as -36C.

Describing him as a “beloved son, brother, partner, friend and proud co-owner of Wakefield Crossfit” who is “known for his adventurous spirit, kindness and unwavering dedication to helping others”, Mr Paterson's partner, Becks Woodhead, is urgent. seeking help to fund a rescue effort.

“Time is of the essence in a situation like this, and we are mobilizing every resource possible to locate Dan. We hope to launch a search mission with the help of a rescue team specializing in search operations in extreme environments,” Ms Woodhead said earlier this week.

This climbing season, which began in March and is expected to end in a few days, has seen four climbers — two Mongolians, a Nepalese and a Kenyan — die. Kenyan mountaineering guide Nawang Sherpa has been missing since May 22. Last year, 18 climbers died trying to scale the dangerous 8,849-meter mountain, according to Nepal's mountaineering department.

Hundreds of climbers managed to climb Everest this month during the short window of good weather. Climbers also reported the usual number of mountaineers heading to the summit's summit this week.

“The traffic of climbers heading to the summit was similar to the last two or three years,” Tendi Sherpa, who has scaled the peak 17 times, including twice this month, told the Associated Press.

Tendi said that when he and his team reached the summit on May 21, although they saw “about 200 climbers … they were all organized and using their experience and expertise” to navigate the crowds.

Among Tendi's climbing team was Phunjo Jhangmu Lama who scaled the peak in 14 hours and 31 minutes, regaining the title of fastest female climber on Everest.

Lama also said climber traffic was normal and most of his climb from base camp to the summit was smooth, with no long stops.

“Traffic is nothing new,” Lama said. “This has been going on for years.”

Recently, some have complained that the mountain has become too crowded with climbers and dirty from litter.

In March, Kanchha Sherpa, 91, the only surviving member of the mountaineering expedition that conquered Everest, echoed the sentiment, saying the number of climbing permits should be reduced.

During the spring 2023 climbing season, 667 climbers scaled the peak, taking thousands of support staff to base camp and raising concerns about trash and waste generation.

Those who would like to donate to help fund Mr Paterson's research I can do it here.