The case has drawn global media attention to what, if any, precedent it could set for climbers and mountaineers involved in accidents. He had declined the offer of assistance from a rescue helicopter that had been sent to see if they required help. For a mixed ice and rock climb like that in winter, you really need to know what you’re getting into. “One of the things that struck me was the big disparity in experience between the two,” said John Cousins, a British mountain guide and chief executive of Mountain Training, which runs training schemes for mountain activities. But once you get a way along that continuum, in my mind as a mountain guide, it very definitely becomes a negotiation.

Source: The Guardian February 20, 2026 19:24 UTC