Mountaineer Alan Hinks traces the route taken by David Sharp and says there was nothing other climbers could do to save him from his fate on Everest's infamous North Face. Ian Noble repors.

AT least 180 people have died whilst climbing Mount Everest since 1953, when it was first conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing.

At 29,028ft (8,848m) high, Everest reaches well into the "death zone" - the height above 26,246ft (8,000m) where the air is so thin that it's only a matter of days before the body begins to shut down.

Breathing is difficult in an atmosphere where there is a third less oxygen than at sea level. This, combined with the life-threatening, frigid temperatures, saps both body and mind.

North Yorkshire mountaineer Alan Hinkes - who became the first Briton to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks - is more aware than most of the dangers.

Mr Hinkes, who climbed Everest in 1996, said that the intense mental and physical problems of existing in the death zone would have prevented other mountaineers from going to the aid of David Sharp.

In such a hostile environment, such an act may well have placed their own lives in real danger, while remaining futile.

"It's tragic when this happens but it brings home how dangerous it is on the mountain," he said.

"It's very easy to underestimate these mountains. In Britain you can do it and escape by the skin of your teeth - but underestimate something like Everest and sadly it bites back.

"There's not much you can do and it's very difficult to help other people.

"It's not that you don't want to help, but generally you are trying to save yourself first and can't help others."

George Martin, general manager of website EverestNews.Com, said: "Climbing is a dangerous sport and every year people die on Everest.

"It's a very hard decision to make not to help but there have been cases when climbers have died trying to help people. But if he'd got a bit further, he was almost at camp four and someone there would have helped him."

Already this summer, three sherpas have died in the Everest icefall, a fourth died due to high altitude pulmonary oedema on the Tibet side and a Czech climber fell to his death on the Lhotse wall.