‘Doing what he loved best’: Last pictures actor Julian Sands sent to his grandson from snow-clad mountain peak - The Independent

The household of missing movie prima Julian Sands accidental helium was doing what helium loved champion when helium vanished – arsenic they released the past known images of him mountaineering.

With the hunt for the British histrion successful the California mountains entering its sixth day, poignant photographs that helium sent to his grandson amusement him looking relaxed and blessed portion climbing good supra the clouds.

Mr Sands, who starred successful much than 150 films and tv bid including A Room with a View, sent the pictures of himself climbing the Weisshorn upland successful the Swiss Alps to his grandson past September.

A family subordinate told The Independent: “This is however helium would emotion to beryllium seen, doing what helium loved champion – a heroic mountaineer, and thrilled to nonstop a representation of him looking truthful blessed to stock with his beloved grandson, Billy.”

And a person described him arsenic “a Byronesque romanticist and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the state of mountains”.

Mr Sands was scaling a conception of the 14,783ft Weisshorn erstwhile the colourful pictures were taken.

The images, which Julian sent to Billy successful September and person been fixed exclusively to The Independent, amusement the begetter of 3 utilizing climbing cogwheel including ropes, wearing a helmet and with a rucksack strapped tightly to his back.

In 1 photograph, helium is holding a vessel of h2o and turning to grin astatine the camera portion seated connected a peak.

A keen and experienced hiker, the 65-year-old erstwhile described his happiest moment as “close to a upland acme connected a glorious acold morning”.

The Weisshorn, a three-ridged pyramid-shaped upland astir 15 miles from the Matterhorn, is described by climbing experts arsenic “more serious” than its celebrated neighbour.

“One of the astir hard 4,000m peaks, the Weisshorn is simply a agelong and superior ascent by immoderate route,” according to Alpine Guides.

His wife, the writer Evgenia Citkowitz, reported him missing past Friday portion helium was retired connected America’s San Gabriel mountains, and a adjacent person told The Independent that his household were frantic with worry.

A immense hunt cognition was launched for Mr Sands, and connected Friday crews recovered a car believed to beryllium to him, which they towed away.

Henry Sands, Julian’s lad and Billy’s father, joined the hunt successful the Californian mountains alongside an experienced hiker. The West Yorkshire-born actor, who lives successful northbound Hollywood, played writer Jon Swain successful The Killing Fields, and is besides known for starring successful the Merchant Ivory romance A Room with a View.

A person told The Independent: “Julian is chaotic and ne'er contained by rules oregon boundaries. He is simply a Byronesque romanticist and an adventurer who is drawn to the extremes of nature, relishing the state of mountains which helium conquers each implicit the world.

“He is profoundly inspired by the Romantic poets and his performances of their enactment are spellbinding and travel from a passionate emotion of literature.

“He is simply a person bound by Homeric qualities of loyalty and surviving beingness to the full.

“He takes nary prisoners and yet is arsenic gentle and generous and delicate arsenic the poets helium truthful admired. 

“His full and implicit adoration is ever towards his woman the novelist and screenwriter Evgenia Citkowitz by whom helium has 2 daughters.

“And his lad Henry by his archetypal woman the writer Sarah Sands is intimately bonded to him and joined the hunt for him successful the Californian mountains wherever helium went missing.

“His roles are often quirky and archetypal arsenic helium moved distant from the Merchant Ivory matinee idol roles successful which helium has cemented himself arsenic 1 of the large British stars.”

When helium disappeared, the histrion was thought to person been determination connected the fashionable Baldy Bowl Trail, which climbs 3,900ft implicit 4.5 miles to the highest acme successful the San Gabriel Mountains.

Search and rescue crews to suspend the hunt implicit the play due to the fact that of avalanche threat, a section spokesperson told said, with authorities continuing to usage drones.

In caller years, respective experienced hikers person died owed to Mount Baldy’s icy terrain. It’s considered 1 of the astir unsafe peaks to ascent successful the US.