Hyder was so close to safety (From Worcester News)

Hyder Ali Manir was so close to safety on Ben Nevis

10:55am Thursday 10th February 2011 in Local By Richard Vernalls, @rvernallsWN #worcsnews

FATEFUL decisions led to the tragic death of a fit and healthy young climber determined to scale Britain’s tallest peak.

Hyder Ali Manir set off for the summit of Ben Nevis on Sunday, January 30, but got into difficulty when blizzard conditions hit the slopes.

But his father Mohammed Manir revealed how his son was just hours from rescue and then, deciding to set off alone, got to within 1km (0.6 miles) of safety. The 20-year-old of Canterbury Road, Worcester, was a “bright” civil engineering student at the University of East London.

The former King’s School pupil was also selfless, volunteering with the Muslim Youth Helpline in the capital.

He set off up Ben Nevis on Sunday morning with a female cousin but she turned back in an area, known as the Upper Zig Zags, about 344m from the summit. Mr Manir’s father Mohammed Manir said his son was “fit and healthy” and “loved the outdoors”.

“He’d been up Mount Snowdon [in Wales] – it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision to go to Ben Nevis.

“He had a passion for climbing and wanted to challenge himself.”

His mother Sughra Manir had asked him not go up the mountain.

His father said their youngest son Mr Manir had intended to go to the Ben Nevis visitor centre and pick up information on weather and the terrain before starting up the west path, but was running late and instead made directly for the summit.

After parting with his cousin, he made it to the top where he recorded a video on a handheld camera. His mobile phone battery had gone flat.

Mr Manir described in the video that he knew he was in trouble, according to his father, who has not seen the footage but was informed by the police of its contents.

“He says on video he had found the shelter building near the summit, but he was ‘in difficulty because visibility is very bad’ saying he wasn’t sure where he was heading,” said Mohammed Manir.

When Mr Manir was declared overdue, a search team was on the mountain by 9pm in blizzard conditions and stayed there until 1am.

Mr Manir left the shelter and set off into the teeth of worsening weather, gale force winds and snow.

Just a few hours later, a search team, including a doctor, got to the shelter but it was empty. Mr Manir was not found until a week after his disappearance.

He lost his walking shoes, but still managed to get to within 1km of a service road at the base of the mountain, despite steep, icy and treacherous terrain. He had managed to descend about 500m from the summit.

His father paid tribute to his son’s sheer tenacity: “He must have fallen because he had head injuries. They haven’t found his shoes, but he was found wearing only his socks.”

He revealed how many of his son’s friends had been desperate to join the search and called him to offer their services.

He said: “The weather and the terrain was so bad I didn’t want them risking their lives.

"But we are so grateful to everyone from all communities who offered help and support and especially the rescue teams, putting their lives at risk looking for him.”

Mr Manir’s funeral was held on Tuesday.

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