A British trekker's body was found at the bottom of a ravine in northern Pakistan after he failed to return from a mountain climb. The 30-year-old, Alexander Harris, had trekked up the 13,000ft Musa Ka Musalla mountain with his friend Alun David Cooper Cledwyn on Saturday, but they separated during their descent and Harris slipped on a ridge, plummeting 200ft into the ravine. According to Javed Ali Noonari, an organiser of Harris's running club, locals avoid the area where Harris' body was found due to its difficulty and inaccessibility. The rescue operation involved hundreds of police officers and volunteers searching on foot and with drones over two days.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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An expert who has visited mountains in Pakistan numerous times has described the final moments a British trekker who fell to his death may have faced – and revealed even locals avoid the area near where his body was found.
Concerns rose on Sunday when Alexander Harris, from Birmingham, failed to return to the base camp of the Musa Ka Musalla mountain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
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Harris → see → province
The 30-year-old had trekked up the 13,000ft (4,000m) with his friend Alun David Cooper Cledwyn on Saturday morning, but the pair separated during their descent.
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pair → trek → descent
Hundreds of police officers and volunteers scoured the Musa Ka Musalla, translated as 'Moses's Prayer Mat', from Sunday – searching on foot and with drones.
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Hundreds → scour → drones
As the rescue operation clocked from one day and into two, Mr Harris's body was found at the bottom of a ravine in an area known as Paracha Jungle – a dense area not even locals visit.
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locals → clock → Jungle
It is believed Mr Harris, who was an experienced endurance runner and trekker, slipped on a ridge and plummeted 200ft (70m) into the ravine.
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who → believe → ravine
He was discovered with serious injuries.
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He → discover → injuries
'He was found on the Paracha side by the Paracha Katha Stream.
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He → find → Stream
Locals don't even go down that trail, which is one of the reasons his body wasn't found for so long,' Javed Ali Noonari, an organiser of Mr Harris's running club Margalla Trail Runners, told the Daily Mail.
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Noonari → go → Mail
But Alex was a great endurance runner, so possibly he couldn't see because of the mist.
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he → see → mist
Alexander Harris (pictured) trekked up the 13,000ft (4,000m) Musa Ka Musalla mountain in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday with his friend Alun David Cooper Cledwyn
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Harris → picture → friend
Javed Ali Noonari (left) is pictured with Mr Harris (right), he described the Briton as his 'younger brother'
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he → picture → brother
We are still doubting the exact trail he took because that trail he fell down from was not a normal trail.
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he → doubt → trail
Not even the local runners, hikers or trekkers go that side.
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runners → go → side
Mr Noonari said locals saw the pair of men at the peak of the mountain around 12.30pm – and reported they started their descent together.
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they → say → descent
The men were spotted, and photographed with locals, still together around (3,250ft) 1,000m below the mountain's summit in an area called Gali.
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men → spot → area
However, they are then believed to have gone separate ways at a point called Khori, with weather conditions making the descent more difficult.
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descent → believe → point
'It was raining hard,' Mr Noonari, who described Mr Harris as a 'younger brother', said.
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who → rain → brother
He continued: 'They separated either because one of them was quicker or accidentally because one of them thought the other was behind them.
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other → continue → them
Mr Cledwyn reached the village of Mandagucha in Siran Valley, where the pair were staying, at 6pm – but Mr Harris wasn't there.
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Harris → reach → pm
The friend, who is believed to also be British, contacted authorities and reported him missing.
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who → believe → him
Police then started searching the remote mountains the next morning, joined by the running club.
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Police → start → club
The men were spotted, and photographed with locals, still together around (3,250ft) 1,000m below the mountain's summit
'
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men → spot → summit
Alex was most likely lost as his phone was dead and you can't get signal up there,' Mr Noonari said.
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Noonari → lose → signal
'He did, however, have his Garmin watch that has GPS on it.
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that → have → it
He probably slipped and there is a massive fall there from a cliff.
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He → slip → cliff
It was raining hard and cloudy so he probably slipped from the ridge side.
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he → rain → side
It becomes a tricky terrain at times, so he probably lost balance and visibility because of the rain.
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he → become → rain
He was found at the bottom with serious injuries, so I think he died suddenly.
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he → find → injuries
He couldn't have survived.
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He → survive → ?
I think he possibly died that day on Saturday in the evening.
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he → think → evening
It wasn't the first time Mr Harris had hiked up the Musa Ka Musalla, having climbed it up the other side in June 2024.
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Harris → hike → June
'It isn't a dangerous route, it is a beautiful trail,' Mr Noonari said.
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Noonari → say → ?
'Even beginners can do the normal trail.
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beginners → do → trail
But if you go the wrong side of tree then the cliffs are quite steep and tricky.
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cliffs → go → tree
He was possibly on the wrong side of the trail and possibly going in the wrong direction.
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He → go → direction
He may not have known where he was going because of the mist and clouds.'
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he → know → mist
The pair had, however, not told anyone they were climbing the mountain after arriving on Friday.
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they → tell → Friday
Running group Islamabad Run with Us made a tribute to Mr Harris on Wednesday
Khalid Iqbal, the Mansehra deputy commissioner, told the BBC: 'The hotel had offered him a guide and police security, but he said that he knew the area and did not need any help.'
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he → make → help
'There was a difference in their speed,' Mr Iqbal added.
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Iqbal → be → speed
[Mr Harris] was moving faster, he got about one to two kilometres ahead.
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he → move → ?
…and 22 more, not listed.
