East Midlands Airport worker forced to abandon mountain climb

Michael McCorkindale said it was hard to make the decision to go down

An airport security officer has returned home after abandoning an attempt to climb the highest mountain in the Americas.

East Midlands Airport's Michael McCorkindale was close to the summit of Aconcagua when conditions and an injury forced him to turn back.

He had previously been hurt by a trekker's crampon as he stopped him slipping during an earlier climb.

The 36-year-old said: "It was hard to make the decision to go down."

"But the alternative was a one-way ticket to the top," he added.

The former soldier, who is known as the airport's "resident action man", was taking on the challenge for children charities The Children's Society, Magic Breakfast and Medcare.

Mr McCorkindale sustained his injury when his group - led by Argentinian Sherpas - summited a neighbouring peak at over 5,000m (16,404ft) as part of acclimatising to the gruelling conditions.

The group started climbing Aconcagua during a heatwave and once on the peak known as the Mountain of Death, they faced a combination of avalanches, mudslides and a storm.

Reaching 6,100m (20,013ft) means Mr McCorkindale can now be considered for his dream of climbing Everest

Mr McCorkindale, from Anstey in Leicestershire, said he spent a night in a tent on a cliff edge as the storm blew in, causing an avalanche which forced the group to ascend a further 1,100m (3,608ft) without rest.

He began suffering from hallucinations due to the lack of oxygen and physical exhaustion, and had to abandon the challenge at 6,100m (20,013ft) of the 6,960m (22,834ft).

Mr McCorkindale said: "I had been doing well physically and mentally but unfortunately everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

"I did defeat the Mountain of Death because I refused to let it take my life. A mountain man isn't someone who always summits but is someone who lives to tell the tale."

He now plans to trek thousands of steps for five days in May along the Great Wall of China to help to repair a broken section.