‘My horrifying mountain rescue has not put me off’

Fay Manners says her next climb will be more relaxed after a recent trip sparked a rescue operation.

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A British mountaineer said the “horrifying” experience of going missing in the Himalayas would not deter her from future expeditions. Fay Manners was found alongside her climbing partner, Michelle Dvorak, on Chaukhamba mountain, in northern India, on Sunday after an 80-hour rescue mission. The pair had been stranded at more than 20,000ft (6,096m) when the rope lifting their food, tent and climbing equipment snapped and plummeted. On her next trip, Ms Manners, who grew up in Bedfordshire, said: “I think I’m just going to take a more relaxed climbing holiday.” Both Ms Manners, 37, and Ms Dvorak, 31, from the United States, could only watch on as rescue helicopters failed to see them on two separate occasions. They later decided they had no choice but to make part of their descent alone, before being met by a search party. “Although it was a really horrifying experience, mountaineering is my passion and it won’t deter me from continuing to do the sport,” said Ms Manners, who now lives in Chamonix, France. However, the alpinist stressed having a rope snap on a loose rock was “a really rare occurrence”. “It’s usually really unlikely there would be such loose rock and rock form that would tangle your rope and split your tagline,” Ms Manners said. “I’ve been mountaineering for over 10 years on some really extreme routes, where I’ve been pioneering new lines, and it hasn’t happened to me before.” Ms Manners was left almost hypothermic after she and Ms Dvorak took cover on a ledge for their first night while it snowed. After managing their daring abseil down the mountain face, they found some melting ice and were able to catch some water in their bottles. As they descended down a rock spur the following morning, they spotted a team of French climbers coming towards them. They shared their equipment, food and sleeping bags with the women and contacted the helicopter for rescue. “We were really dehydrated and my body was just absolutely exhausted from trying to stay warm,” Ms Manners said. The climber explained how she “cried with relief” after realising she could survive. Despite the ordeal, Ms Manners told the BBC she had already outlined her next trip, which will be a rock climbing expedition in Morocco. Before that, she planned to be “eating lots of Cadbury’s chocolate” as a reward for surviving her most recent challenge. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. A neighbour describes hearing the explosion and says the “whole roof” of the house come off. Inclusive band Delta Sonic wants to be a part of an more accessible music scene in Bedford. An emergency assistance centre is set up for people told to leave their homes after a house fire in Bedford. A heavy metal fan says Gig Buddies Bedford has “given him back a huge amount of freedom”. Singer Catherine Lawless features in a film about agoraphobia, showing at Headfest in Bedford. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

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