Scottish climber ‘dies attempting new route up K2’

Scottish climber Rick Allen has reportedly died in an avalanche on K2 as he attempted to take a new route to the summit.

The Aberdeen-born mountaineer was attempting to climb the world’s second highest mountain to raise money for the Partners Relief And Development charity.

But according to reports from the base camp in Pakistan, the 68-year-old 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 major injuries.

The death has not been officially confirmed but a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “The British High Commission in Islamabad is aware of reports that a British citizen has died climbing K2 and stands ready to assist.”

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.

Mr 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 8047m, is the 12th highest mountain on Earth.

However, his rucksack was eventually spotted by a cook at the mountain’s base camp before a drone was used to locate him and to guide rescuers to his location.