North graduate is killed in climb fall

Jan 12 2009 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

AN adventure holiday in France ended in tragedy when a Durham University graduate and his friend were killed in a climbing accident.

James Atkinson, 21, who is originally from Sussex, and Rob Gauntlett, also 21 and from Sussex, plunged to their deaths in the Chamonix region on a route on the east face of Mont Blanc.

The pair were on holiday with two other friends when the tragedy occurred on Saturday.

Last night Mr Gauntlett’s climbing partner and school friend James Hooper, also 21, described Mr Atkinson, who had previously studied in Durham, as a “top guy” who was fanatical about outdoor pursuits.

He also described Mr Gauntlett as an inspiration who packed his short life full of incredible experiences.

Mr Hooper said: “Rob and James went off to do a route and my friend and I looked at a route, but didn’t like the look of the weather so we decided not to.

“Then the weather suddenly cleared up but by that time it was too late for us to start our route and we decided to come down.

“Rob and James stayed up there and they were trying to do a big route yesterday morning and fell.”

Mr Hooper said Mr Gauntlett’s parents, Nicola and David, arrived in Chamonix yesterday.

He added: “It’s nice to be with Rob’s family because we are able to support each other. They are obviously devastated.”

Mr Hooper said Mr Atkinson was in the year below him at Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex, but they became friends through their shared interests.

He said: “He was a fantastic guy. He loved climbing and he loved cycling and he has been a great friend of ours for many years.

“This time in Chamonix was the first time that the group of all four of us best friends have been able to get away and have a big holiday together.”

Speaking from the family home in Petworth last night, Mr Gauntlett’s mother Nicola said the friends arrived in the region on January 2 and were due back in the UK on Wednesday.

She said: “We are all just devastated. He’s far too young to die. We had spoken about something like this happening only recently.

“We can only take consolation that he died doing something that he loved.”

The two friends were remembered at services yesterday at St Mary’s Church, Petworth.

The priest in charge, the Very Reverend Michael Till, said: “This is very tragic news but what a wonderful life he (Mr Gauntlett) enjoyed, however short it turned out to be.”

A spokesman for the British Foreign Office FCO said yesterday: “We can confirm that two British nationals died while climbing in the Alps. Consular assistance is being provided.”