On 17 May 1982 Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker were last seen on Mount Everest attempting to traverse The Pinnacles on the unclimbed North East Ridge at around 8250 metres. Their deaths marked the end of their contribution to a remarkable era in British mountaineering.

Peter Boardman

Peter Boardman, born on Christmas Day 1950, was educated at Stockport Grammar School and took a degree in English at Nottingham University. His first expedition was to the Afghan Hindu Kush with Martin Wragg and others in 1972 and in 1975 he was a member of the Everest South West Face Expedition led by Chris Bonington. As one of the strongest members of the expedition he was chosen for the second ascent, reaching the summit on 26 September 1975.

After Everest his expeditions followed with impressive speed. In 1976 he made a winter traverse of the Polish High Tatra and later that year joined Joe Tasker on the legendary climb of Changabang. In 1978, by now established as one of the most respected high altitude climbers, he took part in the K2 Expedition, which was marred by the tragic death of Nick Estcourt, and in 1979 successfully climbed Kangchenjunga with Joe Tasker and Doug Scott. Later that year he was to climb Gauri Sankar South in Nepal and in 1980 returned to K2 with Joe Tasker and Dick Renshaw reaching 7975m but poor weather and exhaustion prevented a further summit attempt.

Mount Kongur followed in 1981 and in March 1982 in a small expedition with Chris Bonington, Joe Tasker and Dick Renshaw he attempted the North East Ridge of Everest in which he and Joe Tasker so tragically lost their lives.

Peter's talent for writing emerged through his climbing career. The success of his first book, The Shining Mountain, was immediate in the climbing world and won him wider acclaim with the John Llewelyn Rhys Memorial Prize for literature in 1979. Sacred Summits, published shortly after his death, described the climbing year of 1979, about the trips to New Guinea, Kangchenjunga and Gauri Sankar South.

Peter Boardman obituary

Joe Tasker

Joe Tasker was born in Hull in 1948. As the eldest son of a strong Catholic family, Joe went to Ushaw College, a Roman Catholic seminary, at the age of thirteen. After gaining a first class honours degree in sociology at Manchester University, he decided not to settle into a career but to allow himself the freedom to climb. His early mountaineering was largely spent in the Alps where he climbed a number of demanding routes, and the North Face of the Eiger in the winter of 1974/5, and the second ascent of the rarely climbed East Face of the Grand Jorasses. Both these ascents were made with Dick Renshaw

In 1975 he experienced his first Himalayan peaks, preferring small lightweight expeditions. After Dunagiri in 1976, he conceived the audacious idea of climbing the awesome West Wall of Changabang with Peter Boardman. In 1977 he attempted, without success, the North Ridge of Nuptse and in 1978 he went with Chris Bonington's expedition to K2, where he witnessed the huge avalanche that swept away his friend Nick Estcourt. The following year, in 1979, he went to Nepal and successfully climbed Kangchenjunga with Doug Scott and Peter Boardman. In 1980 he returned to K2 and in epic attempts with Peter Boardman and Dick Renshaw reached 7975m before being defeated by extreme conditions.

Shortly after returning from K2, Joe was part of a team that attempted a winter ascent of the West Ridge of Everest. Later that year, in 1981, he reached the Mount Kongur summit, an unclimbed peak in Western China, with Chris Bonington, Peter Boardman and Alan Rouse. He returned again to Everest in March 1982 to climb the North East Ridge on which he tragically lost his life with Peter Boardman.

Joe developed a special talent for writing along with film and photographic work. His first book, Everest The Cruel Way, was an exciting account of the winter attempt on Everest and his second book, Savage Arena, was finished just before he left for Everest in 1982.

Joe Tasker obituary