Horror as British tourist falls 1.6kft to her death from Spanish mountain | World | News

A British woman has died after falling more than 1,650ft off a Spanish peak. The 42-year-old was hiking with her 53-year-old partner in the slopes of the Pyrenees, before dropping to her death from Balaitus Peak. She was traversing the Great Diagonal – a popular hiking route. The deceased woman was born in the UK but lived in Finland, local officials said. They were alerted to the incident at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 30.

The woman’s body was flown to Zaragoza’s Forensic Medicine Institute for a post-mortem. “An investigation is ongoing and a report drafted by officers will be sent to a local investigating court along with the post-mortem results,” a spokesperson for the Civil Guard said.

They added: “At this stage the woman’s death is being treated as a tragic accident resulting from a fall.”

“We are aware of a British woman who has died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told The Sun.

It is thought that, even though weather conditions were calm at the time of the incident, the woman slipped on snow as she walked down the 10,277ft peak.

It is on the Spanish and French border, and separates the Tena Valley from the Val d’Azun.

Outdoor exploration website AllTrails describes the Balaitus as “the pinnacle of the Tena Valley to the east”.

It adds: “For its ascent, high mountain knowledge is required due to its extreme altitude, the enormous technical demands of the climb, and the mandatory specialised safety equipment.

“The most common approach is to access it within two days, with one day spent reaching the shelters of Ibón de Respumoso and the next day spent climbing up and down the summit.

“From Sallent de Gallego, you reach Respumoso.

“Next to the refuge, there is a ravine from the north that you have to go up on the left.

“The path goes uphill and enters, on the left, the cirque called La Vuelta Barrada, surrounded by the impressive crests of El Diablo and other peaks.”