The body of Alexander Harris, a 30-year-old British trekker from Birmingham, was discovered at the bottom of a ravine on Pakistan's Musa Ka Musalla mountain after he failed to return to base camp. The discovery was made in an area known as Paracha Jungle, a dense region that even local residents avoid.

Harris and his friend Alun David Cooper Cledwyn began their ascent of the 13,000-foot mountain in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday morning. The pair separated during their descent, with Harris going missing. A search operation involving hundreds of police officers and volunteers, utilizing both foot patrols and drones, commenced on Sunday and continued into Monday.

Javed Ali Noonari, an organizer for Harris's running club, Margalla Trail Runners, told the Daily Mail that Harris was found near the Paracha Katha Stream. Noonari described the trail as exceptionally difficult and noted that locals typically do not venture down it, which likely contributed to the delay in locating Harris's body. It is believed Harris slipped on a ridge and fell approximately 200 feet into the ravine, sustaining fatal injuries.

"It's a very tough trail. But Alex was a great endurance runner, so possibly he couldn't see because of the mist," Noonari stated. He added that the specific trail Harris took is in question, as it was not a standard route and locals do not use it.

Locals reported seeing Harris and Cledwyn together at the mountain's peak around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and later approximately 3,250 feet below the summit. The pair are believed to have parted ways at a point called Khori, with weather conditions exacerbating the difficulty of the descent. "It was raining hard," Noonari recalled. "The weather was misty and cloudy."

Cledwyn reached the village of Mandagucha around 5 p.m., but Harris did not arrive. Cledwyn then contacted authorities, prompting the search effort. Noonari suggested Harris might have been lost, as his phone was dead and there was no signal in the area. However, Harris was carrying a GPS-enabled Garmin watch, the data from which organizers hope will clarify the circumstances of his fall.

This was not Harris's first time hiking Musa Ka Musalla; he had previously climbed it via a different route in June 2024. "It isn't a dangerous route, it is a beautiful trail," Noonari said of the normal path, but cautioned that deviating from it can lead to steep and treacherous cliffs. "He was possibly on the wrong side of the trail and possibly going in the wrong direction."

Harris, who worked for the global advisory firm Adam Smith International in Islamabad, was known for his deep affection for Pakistan, its people, and its mountains. He was also learning Urdu. Tributes from his running groups and employer have highlighted his love for the country and extended condolences to his family and friends.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is providing support to Harris's family and is in contact with local authorities.