Two courageous British climbers, Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, were determined to conquer the world’s highest and most treacherous peaks. Sadly, their aspirations were cut short on Mount Everest in 1982 when they disappeared in the death zone, never to be seen alive again. Known for their bold and lightweight Himalayan climbing style, the inseparable duo faced their biggest challenge on Everest’s North East Ridge, a perilous route marked by the infamous Three Pinnacles.
On May 17, 1982, Boardman and Tasker embarked on their ascent towards the Second Pinnacle at an altitude exceeding 8,000 meters, where oxygen levels are critically low. Tragically, their endeavor coincided with a deadly period on the mountain. Just days earlier, a female climber from an American expedition met a fatal fate on Everest’s north face, plunging into a crevasse and never recovered.
Both expeditions, including Boardman and Tasker’s, opted to climb without supplemental oxygen, a highly risky decision that ultimately led to their unsuccessful attempts. The news of their disappearance was initially withheld, only surfacing upon the return of the British expedition leader, Sir Chris Bonington, who witnessed the vanishing of his comrades through binoculars.
Despite the exhaustion and dangers, Bonington believed Boardman and Tasker were on the brink of triumph. However, the mystery of their fate lingered for years until a decade later, when a body near the Second Pinnacle was identified as Peter Boardman, with Joe Tasker still missing.
The climbing community mourned the loss of these exceptional mountaineers, renowned not only for their skills but also for their literary talents. Tasker’s posthumous work, ‘Savage Arena,’ and Boardman’s prior writings solidified their legacy. To honor their passion for the mountains, the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature was established as a perpetual tribute to the duo who gave their lives in pursuit of their mountainous dreams.