Ben Cheek, 28, began climbing Shimshal Whitehorn on 11 July, but failed to return as planned. Climbers in his expedition had warned him that conditions were too bad to attempt the peak alone and he has now been missing for more than a week.

At the family home in Gordon, Berwickshire, his sister Laura said they were praying for good news. She said: "We are all keeping our fingers crossed and waiting for any news we can get from Pakistan from Ben's expedition leaders.

"They did advise him that it was a very dangerous undertaking to go on his own and they are extremely worried about him. He has been in dire situations before and he has survived for long periods in extreme conditions. We're just praying that, at the moment, he is well and just waiting for rescue."

It is not the first time that the climber has attempted the peak. Poor conditions had forced him to call off a previous attempt in 2006.

Mr Cheek, who now lives in Manchester, decided to make the attempt alone after he and a group of three other experienced climbers failed to reach a 25,000ft peak in the same range. He was due to return four days later, but he has not been seen since.

The family has been told two helicopters from the Pakistan military have not yet been sent out because of bad weather in the region.

Foot searches of the area by other people in the original expedition have failed to find any trace of him.

Miss Cheek said: "We are all pulling together. We are a very close family."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with next of kin and the Pakistani authorities, and providing consular assistance to the family."