Last updated at 11:51, Tuesday, 02 March 2010

A man who died in an avalanche in Scotland has been named as Cumbrian mountaineering instructor Chris Walker.

Related: Cumbrian climber killed in Scottish avalanche

Mr Walker, 29, of Keswick, was killed when he fell 1,500ft in the avalanche on Glencoe last Wednesday.

His body was recovered, along with that of Robert Pritchard, 37, from Surrey, by a mountain rescue team in the Buchaille Etive Mor area.

A third man escaped and was spotted by two other climbers, who called the emergency services.

The climbers found avalanche debris and a hand sticking out of the snow. The survivor then used a handheld GPS unit to guide rescue teams to the spot where the bodies lay.

Mr Walker, of Bank Street, worked as an instructor at the Glaramara Outdoor Centre in Borrowdale, near Keswick.

He also ran his own company teaching rock climbing, scrambling and mountain navigation.

His passion for climbing took him all over the world, to conquer peaks in Spain, the European Alps, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet and South America.

Matt Devaal, 29, his next door neighbour, paid tribute to a friend and fellow climber who was “a joy to be around.”

He said: “He was fantastic to spend any amount of time with – he’d never have anything negative to say about anyone. He was very, very passionate as a climber and mountaineer, and as a neighbour he was always very friendly.”

“It’s a great loss to a lot of the younger generation of climbers and mountaineers who are coming through the Keswick area.”

Mr Devaal, who works at Needle Sports, on Main Street, went climbing with Mr Walker in Borrowdale earlier this year. An expert on winter mountaineering, the instructor was always ready with the latest weather information.

Although unmarried, he was keen to settle down with his long-term partner and had talked about having children.

He added: “He talked to my wife a lot and our little daughter, who is 16 months old now. He was amazingly passionate about children and wanting to settle down and have kids.

“I think you expect something like this to happen at least once during your climbing career, but obviously that doesn’t make it any easier.”

A spokeswoman for Northern Constabulary said: “ Relatives request that their privacy be respected at this very sad time.”

First published at 11:28, Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk