Two American women vying to be the first in the country to climb the 14 highest mountains died while climbing the last remaining peak on their list.
Gina Rzucidlo and Anna Gutu and their Nepalese guides lost their lives in separate avalanches while climbing Mount Shishapangma in Tibet on Saturday.
Gutu, 32, and his guide Mingmar Sherpa were confirmed dead on Saturday, while Rzucidlo, 45, was reported missing.
Her family later confirmed the death of the Massachusetts native and her guide in a Facebook post.
The Chinese government has denied the family’s request to search for his body by helicopter, and Christy Rzucidlo said that “the search for their bodies can resume in the spring once weather conditions are favorable.”
The mountain has been closed for the season due to “unsafe snow conditions,” Christy said.
The two women died in different places on the mountain due to two different avalanches.
Gina Rzucidlo and Anna Gutu (pictured) and their Nepalese guides lost their lives in separate avalanches while climbing Mount Shishapangma in Tibet on Saturday. Instagram / @anyatraveler Gutu, 32 (pictured) and her guide Mingmar Sherpa were first confirmed dead on Saturday. while Rzucidlo, 45, was reported missing. Instagram/@anyatraveler
Mount Shishapangma was the mountain each had to complete to be the first American woman to climb all 14. Edurne Pasaban was the first woman to climb all 14 peaks, and Kristin Harila of Norway recently completed the challenge in 92 days, beating the record of 189 days.
Fellow climber Uta Ibrahimi, from Kosovo, said she turned back after the first avalanche out of fear for her safety, but Rzucidlo kept going.
“I saw the first avalanche! “I was terrified when I realized that the avalanche took three people, including Ana and Mingna, who died!” the Kosovo mountaineer said in a Facebook post. “I was so surprised. I stopped for an hour trying to understand what I should do… of course I don’t want to go up! I see my dear friend Lama’s other team, who was guiding Gina, still continuing towards the summit!
Ibrahimi said he also saw the second “big” avalanche that “came from the summit” and killed Rzucidlo. Ibrahimi, who had reached 7,600 meters before turning around, said the avalanches occurred within three hours of each other.
His family later confirmed the deaths of Rzucidlo (pictured) and his guide in a Facebook post. Instagram / @ginamarierzucidlo The Chinese government has denied the family’s request to search for her body by helicopter and Christy Rzucidlo said that “the search for their bodies may resume in the spring once weather conditions are favorable.” Instagram/@ginamarierzucidlo
Karma Gelen Sherlpa, another Nepalese guide, was seriously injured and had to be escorted down the mountain and taken to a nearby hospital.
A total of 52 climbers, all from the United States, Great Britain, Japan, Italy and other countries, were attempting to reach the summit of Shishapangma, the 14th highest peak in the world. It is the only mountain that rises above 8,000 meters or 26,000 feet and is located entirely in Tibet.
Chinese authorities have recently allowed foreign climbing expeditions to begin again this year after three years of COVID-19 restrictions.
A total of 52 climbers, all from the United States, Britain, Japan, Italy and other countries, were attempting to reach the summit of Shishapangma, the 14th highest peak in the world. It is the only mountain that rises above 8,000 meters or 26,000 feet and is located entirely in Tibet. AP
Rzucidlo’s family said his death was “heartbreaking” because he was “so close” to his goal.
Christy told The Telegraph that her family remembers her sister as “always smiling, always happy, a joker.”
Gutu’s social media pages were flooded with tributes to the mountaineer, with many calling her an “inspiration” and a “strong woman.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn