The wife of a devoted mountaineer killed in a plane crash in Nepal has begged others to "live their life to the full, this should never deter people from going out and living their dreams."
Angie Gaunt, speaking from the semi-detached family home in the Cheshire village of Winwick, said her husband worked in education and she and their daughter were mourning their loss.
"I believe my husband died this morning and the Home Office have confirmed that because he was due to be on that aeroplane this morning," Mrs Gaunt said.
"Tim was a mountaineer. He lived life to the full and died doing something he always wanted to do. It should never deter people from living out their dreams.
"He was a mountaineer and he always wanted to go to Everest base camp, not climb it, to go to the base camp, and that's what he was doing. He was going because he always wanted to see Everest. It was the trip of a lifetime, he had always wanted to do it.
"If you love the mountains, it is the ultimate. He was with a very close friend, a friend he went to school with. He was with a tour company he held in very high esteem.
"When you live, if you live your life to the full, you take risks.You can go to work in the morning and get run over by a car. This should not deter people. He was a climber and a mountaineer."
Ms Gaunt added: "Please don't paint a negative picture. I have lost my husband today and my daughter has lost her dad.
"People have got to live and enjoy what they want to do. That is exactly what Tim would want people to do."
A young Oxford graduate at an international law firm, on a three week trekking holiday before beginning as an associate at Allen & Ovary, was also one of the seven Britons killed in a plane crash in Nepal.
Villagers look on to the site of the crash
Ben Ogden, 27, was the youngest member of the British group, all of whom died on their way to the Everest region in Nepal. The others killed were Raymond Eagle, 58, Christopher Davey, 51, brothers Vincent Kelly, 50, and Darren Kelly, 45 and Stephen Holding, 60, according to the Press Association.
Mr Ogden, who studied Law and German at Oxford, lived in London with his girlfriend Stephanie.
His firm said in a statement: "Everyone at Allen & Overy is deeply shocked and saddened by the news that Ben Ogden was one of 19 people who were tragically killed in a plane crash in Nepal this morning.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.
"As well as being an excellent lawyer, Ben was a very popular member of the firm.
Oxford graduate Ben Ogden who died in the Nepal crash
"Ben had recently qualified and it was clear to everyone that he had an incredibly promising career ahead of him.
"Ben will be deeply missed by all who knew him."
James McConnachie, co-author of The Rough Guide to Nepal, who has frequently visited the country over the last 20 years, said flying in Nepal is "very dangerous indeed".
He said the mountainous terrain and regulation of domestic airlines were both "appalling", with fuel often adulterated and some aircraft in a poor state of repair.
There had been around 24 major crashes in Nepal since 1992, he added, but local pilots are often highly skilled because of the testing conditions they fly in.
"Regulation is loose and there are bad crashes but in my experience they (the pilots) are mainly brilliant," he said.
"They have to pull off extraordinary stunts just to get the planes down."
He said the airport in Kathmandu was next to a river that was used as a rubbish dump, which attracted "a lot of birds" to the area.
He added: "It is just a very poor, corrupt country. You cannot trust them (the aircraft) in quite the same way as you can in better-regulated countries."
Seven Britons are believed to have died in the tragedy
He said flying conditions were often terrible from mid-morning onwards, with heavy cloud and strong winds.
"There is a Nepalese saying 'Don't fly in clouds in Nepal - clouds have mountains in them'," he said.
A spokeswoman for local travel company Sherpa Adventures said the group had arrived in Nepal on Wednesday and were due to begin trekking today.
She said they were on their way to the Khumbu area in the north east of the country, also known as the Everest region.
They were due to be trekking until 16 October and were with two Nepalese leaders.
The twin-engine propeller plane, belonging to the domestic Sita Air, crashed near the Manohara River to the south west of the city. It had taken off just minutes earlier.
SEE ALSO:
The plane was heading east towards Lukla, the gateway to Everest and a popular destination for trekkers. Witnesses say it burst into flames and came down in a field. All 19 people on board died.
Four Nepalese crew members, two Italians and six Chinese nationals are also amongst the dead.
British Ambassador to Nepal, John Tucknott, speaking earlier today said: "Our thoughts at the moment are with the friends and families of those who lost their lives this morning.
"We will be offering consular assistance to the families of those bereaved.
"We’ve had excellent cooperation from the Nepalese authorities and the Nepali Police and have been in touch with the local tour company who were arranging the tour for those British nationals we believe to have been on board."
Thousands of Westerners head to the Himalayas every year to trek in the region around Mt Everest, the world's highest peak. Autumn is considered the best time to trek in the area.