The wife and daughter of a British mountaineer killed in an avalanche are locked in a High Court fight over his £10million fortune.

Paul Samuel, 55, once described as 'an adventurer in a slightly old-fashioned sense', died along with a Slovenian climber and their local guide on Alpamayo, a 19,511ft peak in the Peruvian Andes, in June 2018.

Mr Samuel, who was also an author and entrepreneur, left behind a fortune worth about £10million, which according to his will is set to be shared roughly equally between his partner, Ana Lesiak Samuel, 59, and his daughter from a previous relationship, Kate Samuel, 25.

But eight years on from his death, his family are still wrangling over his money amidst claims of a 'difficult relationship' between the two women – strained after Ana allegedly refused to allow Kate's mother to attend Mr Samuel's memorial. 

London's High Court heard this week that disagreements between them and a lawyer appointed to oversee the distribution of the fortune have led to years of delay. 

Mr Samuel's adventures included sailing the South China Sea, trekking through the Borneo jungle and scaling Mount Everest. He also wrote a book, Find Your Own Mountains, a collection of 18 letters he wrote for Kate's 18th birthday reflecting on his experiences published in the months after his death.

Judge Master Francesca Kaye was told most of the explorer's wealth, which included the £780,000 Bank Farm, near Whitchurch, Shropshire, had been put into a trust in accordance with his will, with daughter Kate and partner Ana to have equal shares.

Some of his wealth has been distributed, with Kate having received a £1million payout and Ana handed the farm and another property, the court heard.

But the pair, who the court heard were 'not close' even before the explorer's death, are now facing off in court along with will trustee and lawyer Anna Unett.

The row previously reached the High Court in 2023 due to disagreements about the value of estate assets and how they ought to be divided, with Ana then failing in a bid to remove Mrs Unett and Mr Samuel's father Peter – who later died – as trustees.

A judge gave directions then on how the assets should be shared – but the dispute has rumbled on regardless.

Mrs Unett, backed by Kate, has asked for Ana to be removed as executor of the estate and a co-trustee of the will trust, accusing her of wasting time and costing the estate money.

But Ana is battling to hang onto her role, insisting that her husband wanted her to be in charge of his estate.

Julie Case, Kate's barrister, accused Ana of attempting to 'delay and frustrate the proper and efficient administration of the estate.'

She said: 'Kate believes that Ana is unsuitable to act as an executor. The relationship between Ana and Kate has been strained for some time.

'Ana has caused difficulties and delays since the April 2023 hearing. She appears to be unable - whether it is deliberate or not - to deal with anything in a straightforward and transparent manner.'

The court heard that Mr Samuel's will created two trusts, of which both Ana and Kate were to be equal beneficiaries. Ms Case said the aim had been to create a 'clean break between them... having regard of the difficult relationship'. 

She concluded: 'It is Kate's position that, but for Ana's conduct since the April 2023 order, all the distributions would now have been made and the administration of the estate would have been completed some time ago.

'Kate wants to see the administration of the estate concluded as quickly as possible and with minimal cost to the estate. The deceased never intended Ana to act as the sole executor.'

But Alexander Learmonth KC, for Ana, told the judge that she denies being at fault for the delay and insists she is the right person to be in charge of the estate as that is what her dead husband wanted.

'Ana resists her removal as executor: there is simply no proper ground for doing so,' he said, labelling the ask a 'drastic step'.

'Ana experienced a period of poor mental health in 2024 following her bereavement, but... that has fully resolved,' he said, adding that she had driven the publication of his book and had been raising funds for a school in Nepal in his memory.

Blaming Mrs Unett, the lawyer, for the delay, he said Ana had been denied access to vital estate documents, delaying the administration of the £10million fortune.

'Mrs Unett says that the estate administration is almost complete. If so, then Ana, as the appointed and properly constituted executor, should simply be allowed to complete it,' he said.

For Mrs Unett, barrister Mark Baxter claimed administration and distribution of the estate had in fact been 'delayed and complicated by Ana's conduct'.

'Generally, Ana's approach to all matters related to the estate is uncooperative, if not combative,' he told the judge.

'The only person with any interest in the matter who wishes Ana to remain in office is Ana herself.'

Following a half day hearing, the case was adjourned, but is due to return to court at a later date.