A Scottish climber has died in an avalanche on K2 as he attempted to take a new route to the summit.
Rick Allen was attempting to climb the world’s second highest mountain to raise money for the Partners Relief & Development charity.
The 68-year-old mountaineer from Aberdeen was caught in an avalanche on the mountain’s south-east face. His two climbing partners, Jordi Tosas of Spain and Stephan Keck of Austria, were reportedly rescued without serious injuries.
A statement on the charity’s Facebook page said: “It is with great sadness to announce that Rick Allen, a member of the board of Partners Relief & Development UK and also a great friend, has died whilst attempting a new route on K2, the world’s second highest mountain.
“Rick, a world-renowned veteran mountaineer, was caught in an avalanche on the south east face but fortunately his two climbing partners survived. Rick died doing what he loved the most and lived his life with the courage of his convictions.
“All members of the board send our condolences to Rick’s family. A fuller statement will be issued once we have more news and when we have had time to consider how we can best give thanks for Rick’s contribution to our work and his legacy.”
On the fundraising page shared by the international aid charity, the description read: “Two of Britain’s most experienced mountaineers, Rick Allen and Jerry Gore, are attempting the ascent of K2, the second highest peak in the world and the most challenging.
“Each is using the attempt to draw attention to the needs of a charity with which they are closely associated. Rick is a trustee of Partners UK, which is currently focused on meeting the acute health and educational needs of refugee children displaced from their homes in Myanmar by recent political upheavals.
“Jerry lives with Type 1 diabetes and, through Action4Diabetes, facilitates the distribution of insulin to children with diabetes across SE Asia. If the pair are successful, Jerry will be the first British and the first French mountaineer with type 1 diabetes to reach the summit of K2.”
The fundraising effort had received £170 of the £10,000 target at the time the death was reported. Later on Sunday evening, the total passed £1,200.
Allen had previously been presumed dead in 2018 after falling from an ice cliff during a solo climb to the summit of Pakistan’s Broad Peak that, at 8,047m, is the 12th highest mountain on Earth. However, his rucksack was spotted by a cook at the mountain’s base camp before a drone was used to locate him and guide rescuers to his location.