A British climber, Fay Manners, has shared her relief after surviving two days in perilous conditions on Chaukhamba mountain in northern India. Manners, originally from Bedfordshire and now residing in Chamonix, France, was stranded with her American climbing partner, Michelle Dvorak, after their essential supplies, including food, tent, and equipment, were lost when a rope snapped at over 20,000 feet (6,096m).
The pair managed to send an emergency message, but harsh weather hampered initial rescue efforts. Manners, an experienced alpinist, described the terrifying moment when she watched the bag containing their supplies fall down the mountain. With no tent, stove, warm clothes, or equipment for their descent, they were left vulnerable. “I felt despair,” she told the BBC, explaining that they had no means to melt snow for water or keep warm at night.
Taking refuge on a small ledge as snow began to fall, Manners and Dvorak shared their only sleeping bag. Manners recounted feeling hypothermic as they waited for rescue. A helicopter flew by the next morning but was unable to locate the climbers due to brutal weather conditions.
Facing another 24 hours on the mountain with minimal water and no food, they attempted a risky descent. On the second day, they finally encountered a team of French climbers, alerted to their situation by mutual friends. The rescuers shared essential gear, food, and sleeping bags, and provided the helicopter with their exact location for extraction.
The rescue brought a wave of relief for the two climbers. Manners, who has a history of tackling challenging climbs, said the experience left her mentally and physically exhausted but thankful for their survival.
