Famous Mountain Climber Noel Hanna, Who Climbed Mount Everest 10 Times, Dies During Expedition in Nepal

Noah Hanna, a famous mountain climber, died while on an expedition in Nepal
The climber's body has been flown to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu
Hanna resided in Dromore, County Down, with his wife, Lynne

According to reports released Tuesday, the renowned Northern Irish climber Noel Hanna has perished in Nepal while descending the treacherous Annapurna mountain range.

Noel Hanna, 56, is said to have perished in a camp while descending from the summit of the hazardous Annapurna mountain range, the world's tenth-highest peak.

Noel Hanna Dies on Nepal's Annapurna

Hanna, from County Down, has climbed Mount Everest ten times. He died overnight after scaling the 8,091m (26,545ft) summit peak on Monday, according to Irish station RTé. His body was transported to the capital Kathmandu. Hannah's sister said her brother was "a legend" who "liked a view and simply loved people."

When asked if his family was aware of the threats he faced, Irene Hunter replied, "He didn't say too much; he didn't want to worry us all."

Hanna's remains, she added, will be returned to Finnis, near the Mourne Mountains, where he began climbing. A buddy of the mountaineer, Pat Falvey, said that he died after returning from the mountain's peak, The Independent reported.

Meanwhile, a second Indian climber who had gone missing after plunging into a crevasse was discovered alive. Mourne Mountain Adventures, a Kilkeel-based guided hiking firm, has paid homage to Hanna. According to Yubaraj Khatiwada, a tourist officer in Kathmandu, Hanna's death remained unknown.

Per Daily Mail, Hanna resided in Dromore, Co Down, with his wife Lynne, a skilled climber, and the two had climbed Everest together in 2016. As his death was revealed, tributes flooded in.

Annapurna Has Higher Death Rate Than Mt. Everest

According to Khatiwada, two Indian mountaineers went missing on Monday after losing radio communication with the base. Hundreds of rescue teams were dispatched to find the climbers, and one of them, Baljeet Kaur, was eventually rescued at 24,156 feet.

Kaur was airlifted to base camp and then to a hospital in Kathmandu, where she was claimed to be in stable condition. Khatiwada said the second climber, Anurag Maloo, was still missing. According to NY Times, the hunt for him was set to restart on Wednesday.

Because of the constant risk of avalanches, climbers see conquering Annapurna as a challenging endeavor. Deaths from snowslides, storms, or altitude sicknesses are not rare. Just 369 individuals had reached the peak of Annapurna before last season, and 72 had perished while ascending.

Three Sherpas were reportedly killed last week while ascending Mount Everest after a column of ice collapsed their route and buried them beneath heaps of snow. The tragedy happened in the Khumbu Icefall, a glacier near the base camp of the 29,032-foot-tall peak.

Rescuers discovered the accident site but could not approach it since it is considered one of Everest's most avalanche-prone locations. According to the Himalayan Database, six climbers perished climbing Nepal's mountains in the spring of 2022, a chronicle of mountaineering trips.

Summiteers have had to postpone their treks for weeks due to exceptional weather conditions. They've been stuck on the base for weeks due to this. Descending Annapurna has grown more difficult this year due to late snow and rain over the winter, making the slopes treacherous and perilous. Sherpas have needed help clearing pathways to the top.