Two Pakistanis, record-chasing mountaineers Sirbaz Khan and Naila Kiani, had a near miss on the world's 14th-highest mountain, Shishapangma, on Saturday. However, at least two other climbers were not as lucky and were swept away by an avalanche.
Kiani and Khan were climbing the 8,027-metre mountain. However, due to poor weather conditions, the two decided to call off their bid to climb to the summit and move lower. Their decision came even with the summit within touching distance.
Update : Few Hundred meters away from the summit.
— Naila Kiani (@NailaKiani) October 7, 2023
Sirbaz is about to make a history by becoming the first mountaineer from Pakistan to scale 14 out of 14 8000ers.
Prayers for our heroes with the green flags on Shishapangma!#NailaKiani #SirbaazKhan pic.twitter.com/JftA9GbiIg
UPDATE : Due to an avoidable situation both Naila and Sirbaz have reverted back to the safer area.
— Naila Kiani (@NailaKiani) October 7, 2023
The summit hasn't happened yet, the image shows latest and updated location.
Will be update ASAP. pic.twitter.com/6PjWQK8237
However, two American climbers, both competing with each other to become the first American woman to climb all 14 mountains taller than 8,000 metres, decided to continue towards the summit with their sherpas.
Anna Gutu and her guide, Mingmar Sherpa and Gina Marie and her guide, Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, proceeded to climb above 7,800 metres.
However, disaster struck on Saturday when there was an avalanche due to poor weather. The avalanche swept the four climbers.
A rescue mission was launched by Mingma G from Imagine Nepal Treks company, and rescuers managed to recover the bodies of the American Ukranian climber Gutu and her sherpa Mingmar.
Marie and Tenjen are currently missing.
Tenjen is a record-breaking Sherpa, having climbed all 14 peaks in a record 92 days earlier this year with controversial climber Kristin Harila.
A third Pakistani had also arrived at the mountain, Shehroze Kashif, but he was far lower when the avalanche struck.
Shehroze and Sirbaz are also in a race to become the first Pakistanis to complete the quest to summit all 14 mountains taller than 8,000 metres. The two mountaineers have climbed 13 mountains, and this would be their last mountain in the quest. Meanwhile, Kiani has conquered 11 mountains, which would be her 12th mountain taller than 8,000 metres.
Kashif fell behind while summiting Cho Oyu earlier in the week. Cho Oyu and Shishapangma are the only mountains taller than 8,000 metres which are not located in either Nepal or Pakistan. They are located in Tibet, and accessed from China. Pakistan also shares the second highest mountain in the world, K2 with China, with half of the mountain, its north side, located in Chinese territory.