A Chinese climber, Guan Jing, tragically passed away on Tuesday night after being struck by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
The incident occurred along the Abruzzi Spur route, located between Camp I and the Advanced Base Camp, an area known for its frequent rockfalls. Guan had successfully reached the summit with a group of climbers on Monday before beginning her descent.
Recovery efforts are currently underway to retrieve her body, while other climbers who reached the summit that day are making their way back to base camp. In total, over 30 climbers successfully reached the peak of K2 on Monday.
This loss follows the death of a Pakistani climber last month, who perished in an avalanche near Camp I on K2. The avalanche affected four climbers, two of whom managed to return safely to base camp, while one foreign mountaineer sustained minor injuries. Tragically, Iftikhar Hussain Sadpara, a climber from Skardu, lost his life in the incident. His body was recovered shortly after the avalanche.
In another recent tragedy, Czech climber Klara Kolouchova also died during an expedition to Nanga Parbat last month. Kolouchova, the first Czech woman to summit both Everest and K2, fell between Camp 1 and Camp 2.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, including K2, which is considered a more challenging ascent than Everest. It is often referred to as the “Savage Mountain” due to its difficulty.
