BRITAIN'S leading high altitude mountaineer Alan Hinkes has described his narrow escape from death after plunging into a crevasse close to the summit of Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest peak.

Despite his traumatic experience, he has vowed to 'get to grips' with the 8,286m peak in his bid to become the first Briton to climb the world's 14 highest peaks.

Northallerton-born Hinkes was speaking last week at the offices of his sponsor Berghaus, in Sunderland, after returning from his ill-fated assault on Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas - the 12th on his list.

Hinkes, who was descending after being forced by exhaustion and bad weather to abort the solo climb, a bare 600m from the peak, said: "I expected to come across a crevasse at that spot.

"But when the snow bridge collapsed and the ground opened up beneath me it was like the trapdoor opening on the gallows."

He broke a bone in his elbow when he put his arm out to arrest his fall down a 60m chasm and managed to scramble out. With only one useful arm he faced a freezing and arduous return.

He said: "I was beyond being scared. I realised I just had to keep going. There was no one else on the mountain."

By the time he reached base camp he had lost 10kg, but still faced a further ten-day trek back to Kathmandu.

Hinkes is planning to return to Kangchenjunga - solo.