A British hiker has died after falling from a cliff in an off-limits area of the Himalayas
The unnamed 27-year-old man was trekking with a fellow Brit in the Dhauladhar mountains of Himachal Pradesh, North India. when he slipped and fell, sustaining serious injuries.
Rescuers from the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force were alerted to the incident at 6pm local time on Sunday, February 16 and launched a rescue attempt.
A team of ten navigated 'extremely difficult' mountain terrain to reach the pair at 10.30pm. They found the injured hiker in a critical state with rib injuries and secured him to a stretcher.
High-altitude hiking in the region is banned during the winter due to the likelihood of heavy snowfall and treacherous underfoot conditions. The two hikers were reportedly unaware of this.
With conditions worsening, the group began a daunting descent, navigating rugged terrain and a steep incline. At one point, the group took more than two hours to travel just 330ft / 100m as they traversed a challenging rivulet.
A second and eventually third rescue team was sent to assist the group, which finally made it down soon after 5pm on Monday, February 17, roughly 23 hours after the first rescuers began their operation.
"The combined efforts of all teams finally enabled the successful transport of the victim and his friend," the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Response Force said on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The injured hiker was swiftly transported to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The British pair had been attempting to trek from the mountain village of Dharamkot to the Triund hill station. The popular 3.7 mile / 6km route takes hikers along steep mountain passages and through harsh Himalayan terrain to an altitude of 9,432ft / 2,875m.
The route and its surrounding region are closed in January and February each year.
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