A MISSION to bury the body of a North-East climber on Everest has failed.

On Thursday, British-born climber Ian Woodall was unable to complete his mission to bury the body of David Sharp, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, who died in May last year, after an estimated 40 climbers passed him by - most of them without making any attempt to save him.

Mr Woodall returned to Everest last month to bury three bodies left abandoned on the mountain.

His main reason for the mission was to bury US climber Francys Arsentiev, who collapsed and died on her descent from the summit in May 1998. For nine years, her body has remained at 28,000ft on the mountain, clearly visible to other climbers.

Mr Woodall, one of the climbers who had to leave her behind, decided to return to bury her body, and those of Mr Sharp and an Indian climber.

But after extreme weather conditions, Mr Woodall was driven back, although he managed to reach Francys.

On his blog, he described his expedition as "the hardest days of my life".

Mr Woodall and his team wrapped Francys in a US flag and left with her a small stuffed bear holding a red heart.

During a short ceremony, he read out a message from her son.

They then lowered the body to the end of their ropes and dropped it down the North Face of Everest.

The blog states: "She now lies well away from the curious eyes and shuffling feet of the summit climbers, free to rest in peace and dignity on the mountain that she loved."

Meanwhile, the debate surrounding mountaineering ethics has been re-ignited after the successful rescue of a female climber found in an almost identical dilemma to that of Mr Sharp.

This week, a US guide successfully rescued a Nepalese woman found by accident by a group of climbers returning from the summit.

The woman was suffering from severe altitude sickness about 550 metres beneath the 8,848m summit.

She was at a similar altitude to the cave where Mr Sharp died.

The 34-year-old's death sparked an international row within the climbing world, including Sir Edmund Hillary - the first man to climb the world's highest peak - who criticised those who passed by Mr Sharp as he lay dying 300 metres below the summit.

The Nepalese woman, known only as Usha, was reportedly on a budget mission, like Mr Sharp, with basic equipment.

She was too weak to move when she was found by David Hahn, a veteran American guide, and his sherpa, Phinjo Dorje, who were on their way down from the summit.

Mr Hahn and Mr Dorje decided to risk their own lives by taking her with them.