Time running out for missing Irish climbers

Friends of two Irish climbers missing in the Himalayas have appealed to the Irish and British governments to intervene in rescue efforts on their behalf. They want pressure placed on the Pakistani authorities to deploy a helicopter in searches of the remote region near K2, the world's second-highest mountain, where the pair were last seen.

Mr Ian Rendle (41) and Mr Gordon Campbell (38), both from Belfast, should have returned home almost a fortnight ago from their three-week trek in the Pakistani Himalayas, but they failed to make their planned flight on August 14th.

Mr Calvin Torrans, the leader of the Irish K2 expedition, which has just returned from the region, said a helicopter was essential to carry out a proper search of the vast uninhabited area in which the two disappeared. "We need political pressure from the Government to persuade the Pakistanis to send in a helicopter."

Only military helicopters are allowed to fly in the region, which is close to Kashmir, a mountainous province claimed by both Pakistan and India. Mr Torrans said the helicopters had been diverted recently to assist in fighting between the countries.

Another friend of the missing men, Mr Gary Murray, has had to abandon plans to fly to Islamabad to co-ordinate the search after being advised by the British government not to travel. The British Foreign Office has issued a warning to British citizens to stay out of the region for security reasons, particularly following the US missile attack on alleged Islamic fundamentalist targets in Afghanistan.

Ireland has no embassy in Pakistan. Relations between the UK and Pakistan are strained currently after the British government backed the US attacks.

Mr Rendle and Mr Campbell were last heard of from the village of Skardu. From there, they travelled to Askole by jeep and then started climbing with a group of porters to trek in the Snow Peak region. After establishing a base camp at 5,000 metres, the porters would have descended, leaving the climbers on their own.

Another Northern climber, Mr John Armstrong, who is currently leading a trek in the area, is expected to come down out of the mountains shortly. Friends of the missing climbers hope he will have news.

According to Mr Torrans, both men were experienced mountaineers. "Ian started climbing more than 20 years ago, and I also met Gordon fairly regularly at climbing competitions. They were much more than your average trekker."

Mr Torrans said there was no reason to give up hope for the pair, who would have been carrying provisions. However, time was of the essence as far as a rescue attempt was concerned.

Another member of the K2 expedition, Mr Eddie Cooper, was less sanguine. "If they get out of there, it will be the story of their lives. The longer this goes on, the less hope there is of finding them alive."

The main risks in Himalayan trekking are avalanches and crevasse falls, he said.

Mr Rendle works for Barnardos and is married with a 10-month-old daughter. Mr Campbell, who is also married, works as a laboratory technician in Queen's University Belfast.

Meanwhile, members of the Irish K2 expedition say they will have to restart fund-raising efforts to clear a £10,000 debt outstanding after the trip. The group was turned down for further funding by the Irish Sports Council on the basis that mountaineering is not a competitive sport.

The expedition recorded the first Irish ascent without oxygen or Sherpa support of an 8,000 metre peak when Mr Cooper reached the top of Broad Peak last month. However, an attempt on K2 (8,611 metres) had to be abandoned due to bad weather.