Les Binns, former soldier and adventurer

I was 500m from the summit of Mount Everest in 2016 when I looked up and saw a woman careering down towards me. One of the Sherpa guides managed to clip her into the line and I rugby-tackled her to stop her from going any further.

Sunita Hazra was part of an Indian climbing team. She was suffering from high-altitude cerebral oedema, pulmonary oedema, frostbite and had almost no oxygen left. I made the decision to sacrifice my summit attempt and take her down the mountain.

Bad weather came in and at one stage it was a complete whiteout. We saw a man waving and initially thought he was part of the rescue team. It turned out it was fellow climber Subhash Paul and he was in trouble as well.

There was a point when I thought all three of us were going to die as we began sliding down the mountain. I didn't have an ice axe and had to use my crampons to stop. That's a big no-no among climbers, but I had no other choice. We were dropping into crevasses, some up to 5ft deep.

By the time we safely reached camp four on the South Col, I was so exhausted I couldn't even crawl into my sleeping bag. I passed out on a roll mat in temperatures of -30C and woke up two hours later to find my oxygen mask and suit were frozen solid. I couldn't feel my feet and feared I had frostbite.

Sunita and Subhash – who were part of the same Indian team – were taken down the mountain while I waited for my own team to arrive. As I began my descent, I saw a body in the snow and I didn't know if it was Subhash or Sunita. They had similar clothing and all I could see was a bare hand.

Reaching base camp a day later, I found out Sunita was safe and Subhash had died. I try to draw on the positives and remember that I helped Sunita get back home to her 15-year-old son and family. It was a proud moment when I knew she had got off the mountain.

I returned to Everest last year. This time I went from the north side. Unfortunately, there was a massive storm with 70-80mph winds. A mate had his tent ripped to bits. I lost equipment. When the expedition leader said we had to abandon the attempt and go back down that was emotional.

I was in the Army for 13 years and did two tours each in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. I was blown up four times in improvised explosion (IED) strikes, including a couple of close shaves in Afghanistan during 2007 and 2009. The last one culminated in me being blinded in my left eye.

Dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the reasons I started climbing. Being outdoors and in the mountains helps clear my head. Exerting yourself is a release. You can give yourself a pasting and get rid of that pain.

Les Binns is an ambassador for ABF The Soldiers' Charity 2018 Cateran Yomp in the Cairngorms from June 9-10. Early bird entry costs £80pp until Wednesday, then £99pp. Visit soldierscharity.org