icehikegrey3_1.JPG Sarah_Maccu_Piccu.JPG Colorado_Monument_Rocks.JPG

National Geographic Adventurer Killed On Mont Blanc

Gauntlett and Hooper Climbing EverestClimber Rob Gauntlett, a 2008 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and James Atkinson were killed in an ice-climbing accident on Mont Blanc (France’s highest peak) this past weekend.

James Hooper (pictured at right), another 2008 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, was also on the expedition in the French Alps but was unharmed. Apparently Gauntlett and Hooper had split up earlier in the day and taken separate routes with two less-experienced climbing friends.

Gauntlett (pictured at left) and Hooper, both 21, were awarded the 2008 National Geographic Adventurers of the Year award after completing a year-long, 26,000-mile expedition in April that took them between the magnetic North Pole and the magnetic South Pole. The pair had a history of daring accomplishments in addition to their most recent adventure – that 396-day ski, sail, cycle and dog sled expedition that National Geographic Adventure Magazine called “the most madcap adventure we saw all year.”

Gauntlett became the youngest Briton to scale Everest at the age of 19. Hooper, who was only a few months older at the time, accompanied him on that expedition as well.

“He really pushed himself as hard as he could,” said Hooper. “It was only because he was such a motivated and driven person that the accident happened, but those were the qualities that made him so incredible.”

Atkinson, who was not as experienced of a mountaineer, was described as a “top guy” with a passion for outdoor sports

There is no word yet on what caused the fall on Mont Blanc Saturday and no official cause of death has been reported.

Hooper did say, however, that he and a fourth mountaineer chose an alternate route that day because he “didn’t like the look of the weather.”

Conditions were cold and clear when the bodies of Gauntlett and Atkinson were found in a steep gully near Chamonix. I’m sure there will be more details to follow about this sad and tragic accident.

Our sincere condolences go out to the families of both climbers and to the climbing community as a whole.

* = required