The partner of a Kinross climber stranded on Everest has described her nightmarish wait to hear that he has been rescued.
James Grieve, 52, who is originally from Kennoway, was climbing on the north side of the mountain when a massive earthquake that decimated Nepal caused an avalanche on the slopes.
Climbers have been cut off from the mountain’s base camp and remain on various routes leading to the top of the world’s highest peak.
Mr Grieve’s partner Shirley McGhie, with whom he has a one-year-old son, also James, has been frantically trying to keep in touch via satellite phone to discover when he will be airlifted to safety.
Shirley, 40, said: “They’re stranded up in Camp One on the north side. They keep feeling the aftershocks and he says the crevasses in the glaciers are getting bigger.
“They have no way of getting down and apparently they are not letting everyone on the helicopters.
(VIDEO CONTAINS SWEARING)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_JC_wIWUC2U%3Frel%3D0
“What they have in Camp One with regards to food and climbing equipment is limited. All their bags in base camp are not there because the avalanche wiped everything out.
“They’re all safe at the moment and are all going to sit tight. He seemed quite calm and relaxed. He wasn’t panicking.”
Mr Grieve, of Bellfield, who works as a chief rig technician for offshore drilling contractor Teniz Burgylau in Kazakhstan, had been climbing with a group from Help for Heroes and Children 1st.See also:Two Dundee women ‘safe and well’ in NepalHe was able to contact Shirley not long after the avalanche happened on Saturday to allay her fears for his safety.
Shirley recalled: “I found out on Saturday morning at 10.30am. James contacted me to let me know about the avalanche and that he was okay. At that time I wasn’t aware of just how devastating it was.
“He said they were in their tents before the avalanche hit. They were warned to put their ice picks in the ground and hold on as tight as they could.
“He found it difficult to breathe and when it was over they just tried to get some shelter and get some tents erected. They were just really concerned for the others and those that were injured.
“It must be a nightmare. It is light from about 5.30am until 6.30pm at night. Any communication is going to be difficult and 24 hours will feel like a lot longer for them.”
Mr Grieve began his climb on April 9 and on the third day reported that he was already at 3,550 metres and on his way to Everest base camp.
The magnitude 7.8 quake struck at around noon on Saturday about 50 miles north west of Kathmandu. Nepal was then hit by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock. The earthquake and the avalanche are thought to have killed more than 2,500 people.
The Everest base camp itself was a scene of devastation after snow and rocks smashed through it. Officials at Nepal’s mountaineering department said at least 17 people died and 61 were injured in the avalanche, with an unknown number still missing.
Shirley added: “I’m just hoping for their safe return. My thoughts go out to the families who have lost loved ones.”
Before leaving, Mr Grieve told The Courier how the expedition was a lifelong dream. After two years of training, he said: “Lack of money or starting other sports got in the way of that dream but it is finally about to happen.”