A British climber, aged 28, died after falling approximately 60 meters while descending from the summit of Torrecerredo, the highest peak in the Picos de Europa mountain range in northern Spain. The accident occurred on Thursday, with the climber falling about 20 meters below the mountain’s 2,649-meter summit, according to Spanish authorities.

Torrecerredo, located within the Picos de Europa National Park, is known for its steep limestone peaks and attracts climbers and hikers from across Europe. The mountain, part of the Cantabrian range, is more than twice the height of Snowdon, a notable peak in the United Kingdom.

Details about whether the climber was alone or accompanied have not been disclosed, and his identity has not been released. The emergency call was received at 1:27 p.m., and a rescue doctor who arrived on the scene confirmed the climber’s death at 2:18 p.m. Firefighters remained with the body until a Civil Guard helicopter, carrying mountain rescue specialists, arrived at 3:28 p.m. Two rescuers were lowered to the site to conduct an inspection and recover the climber’s belongings before his remains were airlifted and transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Asturias.

The fatal incident happened during a particularly busy day for mountain rescue teams in the Cabrales area. Less than 20 minutes after the initial call, emergency services responded to a separate alert involving a 54-year-old French woman injured in the nearby Jou Sin Tierre area. The woman, who was accompanied by another person, suffered suspected fractures to her tibia and fibula and was subsequently flown to Hospital del Oriente in Arriondas for treatment.

This death marks the second time in under a week that a foreign visitor has died in the Picos de Europa. On September 19, a 71-year-old Norwegian woman fell down a steep slope on the Cares Trail after losing her balance while putting on a heavy rucksack.

Nicolás Barrena Ortiz, a mountain guide familiar with the Picos de Europa, highlighted the challenges posed by the lack of trail markers on certain routes. He noted that this situation, combined with insufficient preparation, inexperience, or errors in planning and equipment, can significantly increase the risk of accidents in the area.