KATHMANDU, NEPAL: US mountaineer Anna Gutu, 32, who had previously scaled K2 and Everest-Lhotse, and her Nepalese guide Mingmar Sherpa were confirmed dead after they were hit by two avalanches while attempting to climb Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma.
Two others from the US and Nepal, respectively, Gina Marie Rzucidlo, 45, and Tenjen Sherpa, 35, were reported missing after two avalanches hit the 14th tallest mountain in the world on Saturday, October 7, as per The Himalayan Times.
Notably, two women climbers were in a race to become the first American female mountaineer to climb Mount Shishapangma as a part of the challenge of climbing the true summits of all 14 eight-thousanders.
The 14th tallest peak, which measures about 8,027 m (26,335 ft), falls entirely in the Chinese territory and has become the spot of at least 120 deaths due to avalanches in the past two years.
As per The Himalayan Times, two deadly avalanches struck at around 7,800 m (roughly 26,000 ft) when the climbers were trying to scale the peak on October 7.
Who carried out the rescue mission of the missing mountaineers?
A team of rescuers from Imagine Nepal Treks, under the leadership of Mingma G, carried out the rescue mission in the avalanche-hit mountain.
According to sources, "The team has recovered two bodies," with a rescue mission being underway.
The incident also injured several other climbers, including Kami Rita Sherpa, Mitra Bahadur Tamang, and Karma Gyalzen Sherpa, who were rescued by the rescue team.
Per Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, a group of 52 climbers from several countries, including the US, Britain, Romania, Albania, Italy, Japan, and Pakistan, were aiming to reach the summit of the mountain, as reported by The Guardian.
Who are Gina Marie Rzucidlo and Tenjen Sherpa?
Gina Marie Rzucidlo, 45, who was climbing Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma with Seven Summit Tracks, is still missing in the aftermath of an avalanche.
She recently became the first American woman to successfully climb Nanga Parbat.
Her guide, Tenjen Sherpa, shattered the record for being the fastest climber of the 14 peaks. He is also one-half of the duo who successfully climbed Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second-highest peak that stands at 8,611 m (28,251 feet), in July.
Tenzen, who is popularly known as Lama, and his climbing partner, Norwegian Kristin Harila, 37, scaled the peak in a record 92 days.
A successful ascent of Mount Shishapangma would have made him the youngest climber to reach the summit of all the eight thousanders twice, as per Daily Mail.
On October 7, Harila's team - after citing The Himalayan Times report - posted on Instagram, "Tenjen Lama Sherpa, Kristin's bhai and dear friend, is sadly missing after an avalanche on Shishapangma today."
They continued, "Kristin is now on the plane, on her way to Kathmandu, to help in any way she can. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lama and his family."
