Brit climber killed in horror avalanche while scaling frozen waterfall with friend

A British adventurer has tragically lost his life after he and a companion were caught in an avalanche while climbing a frozen waterfall in Norway. The man's body was only recovered yesterday, following the disaster on Friday, as rescue teams' efforts were hindered by severe weather conditions.

His friend, a man in his 30s, was airlifted to hospital via helicopter, but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The daring duo had been scaling the icy incline of the frozen falls known as The Gausta Marathon near Rjukan when they were engulfed by a wall of ice and snow.

Local climbing guide, Jørn Knustad, commented: "The waterfall is about 17 rope lengths long and is the longest we have here. That is why it was originally named Gausta Marathon."

The survivor, also from Britain, was rescued on Saturday afternoon and flown to Ullevål Hospital after a descent that took teams "several hours", according to officials. Mr Knustad noted that the area where the pair were climbing is not popular with tourists due to the lengthy time it takes to ascend the waterfalls.

He added: "It is unlikely that they were poorly trained - they would hardly have embarked on such a trip. A snow and ice avalanche is the cause of this incident.", reports The Mirror.

The region where the tragedy occurred has seen temperatures drop to -6C, heavy snowfall, and more is predicted for the coming week. The Foreign Office has been contacted by The Mirror for comment on the death.

This comes after a similar tragedy in Italy last week, where a British lad lost his life in a skiing mishap. The 14 year old boy collided with a tree while descending a trail in Cortina d'Ampezzo, located in northern Italy.

Despite wearing a helmet, the young lad was the unfortunate victim of "a matter of cruel bad luck," according to authorities.