British climber, 60, falls to her death – and guide is dragged to his doom trying to save her – after slipping on ice while descending Mount Kenya
A British woman has died after slipping on a patch of ice while descending Mount Kenya and falling hundreds of meters from the edge of a cliff.
Shilpa Shah, 60, from London, lost her balance on Thursday as she climbed back from a successful hike to the mountain’s third highest peak, Point Lenana.
Her guide, a Kenyan man named Kelvin Muriuki Mwithi, made a valiant attempt to grab her but was pulled over the edge with her.
The rest of the climbing group, seven women and their guides, could only watch in horror as their friend and colleague disappeared down the side of Africa’s second highest mountain.
Their bodies were recovered on Friday afternoon after rescue teams had to make several attempts due to poor weather conditions.
Shilpa Shah, 60, from London, lost her balance while climbing down Mount Kenya last week (pictured)
Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa, after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, with a height of 5,199 meters (17,057 feet). October falls within the short rainy season in East Africa, and parts of the Naro Moru route can become increasingly difficult as rain makes some of the trails muddy or slippery as the water freezes.
Kelvin’s colleagues have set up a fund to support his wife and their young child.
Robert Kamura, who was close to Kelvin and helped organize the fund, shared his grief on Facebook, saying, “My friend has rested. Our hearts are broken.’
“May his soul pass peacefully into the afterlife,” he wrote, before adding, “(Kelvin) was always smiling and was an incredibly kind and positive person.”
“Kelvin, a renowned Mount Kenya guide, died on (Friday, October 20) while assisting a hiker on a slippery slope,” said a tribute to the guide.
“Both slipped off the ridge and died. The hiker has been identified as Shilpa Shah, a British citizen.
“Our prayers go out to both families during this difficult time of mourning and beyond.
‘Kevin leaves behind a young family (wife and toddler). We join forces to support the family in various ways.
“Good luck, Kevin. Continue to smile gracefully in the hereafter.”
Kelvin’s body was taken back to a hospital in central Kenya to be collected by his family, while Shilpa’s remains were flown to Nairobi.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British woman who died in Kenya and are in contact with local authorities.’
Lenana (left) and Batian (right) peaks can be seen in Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya
Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa, after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, with an impressive height of 5,200 meters (17,050 feet).
The route on which Shilpa and Kelvin died, the Naro Moru, is not considered a particularly challenging trail and does not require technical climbing experience to complete.
But October falls within East Africa’s short rainy season, and parts of the Naro Moru route can become increasingly difficult as rain makes some of the trails muddy, or slippery as the water freezes.
During the fatal descent on Thursday, the climbing group had to brave large chunks of ice and significant snowfall.
Despite being only a few kilometers from the equator, Mount Kenya is home to some 11 glaciers, which allow for rock and ice climbing, offering a different challenge than the much-loved Mount Kilimanjaro.