The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Missing mountain guide’s family tell of avalanche fears
Briton among group lost trying to reach unclimbed summit
The family of a British mountain guide, who is missing along with the climbers he was leading in the Himalayas, have said they are “deeply saddened” after an avalanche on the mountain range.
Martin Moran, who is originally from Tyneside, was leading a party of eight who were attempting to reach the top of an unclimbed summit in a remote area.
While his family said it was “not entirely clear” what had happened to the group – which included another three British climbers – they said there was “clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain”.
Mr Moran has been a mountain guide since 1985 and set up his company Moran Mountain, which is based in Strathcarron in the Highlands, together with his wife Joy – with the couple’s grown-up children Hazel and Alex both also working with the family business.
Searches have been taking place in a bid to find the missing climbers after the alarm was raised on Friday morning.
In a statement, the Moran family said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic events unfolding in the Nanda Devi region of the Indian Himalayas.
“As a family, we share the same emotions that all next of kin are experiencing in not knowing the whereabouts or wellbeing of those closest to us.”
Academic Richard Payne from York University is believed to be among the group of missing climbers.
The university said it was “extremely concerned for his safety”, adding: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.”
The Moran family said the climbing group “had set out to attempt an unclimbed, unnamed summit, Peak 6,477m, and the last contact intimated that all was well”.
They added: “It is not entirely clear what happened from this point onwards or indeed the timeline of events.
“We do know that a British mountain guide who was in the area leading a trekking group, as part of the same expedition, was informed that the climbing group had not returned to base camp as expected.
“He immediately went on the mountain to search for the missing climbers.
“There was clear evidence that a sizeable avalanche had occurred on the mountain and it seemed to be on or very near the route that would be taken by the climbing group.”
As well as four Britons, the group is thought to include two US climbers, one Australian and one person from India.
Climber Nigel Vardy, who has known Mr Moran for 20 years, described him as “an absolute professional and genuinely a really, really nice guy”.
The Foreign Office said it is in contact with the authorities in India.