Saturday night I posted the first news that I had heard about adventurer Rob Gauntlett perishing in the Alps after taking a massive fall there. At the time, the details were still coming in, but it seems that now there is more information on the situation.
When the story first broke we knew that Rob was climbing with a friend, but that person had not been named yet. It turns out that he was fellow Brit James Atkinson, who, like Gauntlett, was 21 years old. The two men were climbing in good weather conditions, and were said to be well equipped, so the mystery of what exactly happened remains. It does appear that they may have simply made a mistake that sent them falling to their deaths.
Rob was the youngest Brit to climb Everest, topping out back in 2006 at the age of 19 with his friend James Hooper. The pair then went on to make an epic journey traveling from the North Pole to the South mostly on foot, bike, and ship. Completing that journey garnered them the coveted National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award back in November.
You can read an update from the Times Online by clicking here and on a tribute to Rob here.
I continue to send thoughts and prayers to Rob’s friends and family.
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Probably a bunch of preppie school dicks. If you have money to climb Everest at such an age you are a spoiled prick and would benefit from a fatal cliff plunge to knock some sense into you.
As a matter of fact, they raised the funds by getting sponsors and went on their adventures to raise funds for charity.
You may want to show a little compassion and humanity for once.
Anonymous, the fact that he touched thousands of people’s hearts and helped raise charity funds has a lot to say about him. He worked hard to get his sponserships to do everything that he did.
I knew him on a personal level and know how lovely and giving he was and inspired all that he met. Yes the fact that he was 21 has a lot to say about his determination in achieving all that he set off to do. All this from someone not born with a silver spoon I will have know.
I won’t waste my time trying to explain his background to a small minded arrogant twit like you. Would you rather youngsters take drugs and stay on benifits or have the guts to go pursue their ambitions?
We have lost a special person and those that were lucky enough to ever meet him will know what I mean.
Rest in peace Rob! You will truly be missed 🙁
Thank you for your comments Shiro. Don’t let some anonymous Internet poster get to you. He’s clearly speaking from a place of ignorance and idiocy.
I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.
Thank you Adventure Junkie for your kind words.
You are absolutely right, it just makes me angry that someone who didn’t know him could make such outrageous remarks, especially when he is not here to speak for himself.