After six harrowing days stranded on a remote peak in northeastern Pakistan, two injured Russian climbers have been successfully rescued, while a third remains missing and is feared dead, according to a mountaineering official on Wednesday.
The five-member team embarked on an expedition to one of the peaks of Gasherbrum with the goal of retrieving the body of a fellow climber who had perished there the previous year.
However, on Friday, the group was struck by a massive icefall, leaving them in a perilous situation. Rescue operations commenced on Monday, with two climbers being airlifted to safety, but the rescue of the remaining two, who were immobilised due to their injuries, required additional planning.
An army helicopter, supported by local volunteers, managed to rescue the two injured climbers on Tuesday, as confirmed by Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the third climber fell into a crevasse and has not been found.
On Wednesday, Haidri provided an update, stating that the rescued climbers had been moved from the peak to the base camp and were in stable condition.
"A helicopter was set to transport them to the northern city of Skardu, but it could not fly due to bad weather," he said, adding that efforts were underway to find an alternative means to get them to a hospital.
The Russian climbers had chosen an unconventional route on Gasherbrum and were not accompanied by guides or sherpas. While Haidri acknowledged the climbers' noble intent in ascending the mountain to retrieve a fallen comrade, he also issued a cautionary note.
"Climbers are fully aware of the dangers linked to such missions, but they still opt for dangerous and unexplored routes," he remarked. "This is how climbers make records but also come across challenges."
Earlier this month, Pakistani climber Murad Sadpara, 35, known for his high-altitude rescue efforts, tragically died while descending from one of the country's tallest peaks in the north.
Read the full story at the express tribune website.
