Russian alpinist vanishes during rescue operation in Pakistan's mountainous terrain
In Pakistan, the hunt is still on for three Russian mountaineers who went missing on Gasherbrum IV. These guys were part of a five-man team attempting a rescue mission to conquer the peak, which stands at close to 8,000 meters, as reported by Pakistan's Alpine Club. Their objective was to retrieve the body of a fallen teammate from last summer's ascent.
As per the club, another incident occurred. A large ice block, presumably a sérac, that's a tower of glacial ice, fell during the climb on Saturday. The Pakistani army successfully retrieved two climbers and transported them to safety. Unfortunately, two others were seriously injured with slim chances of survival in the upcoming days. The whereabouts of the fifth climber are unknown. The army will persist in the search using helicopters.
Gasherbrum IV, nestled in the northern part of Pakistan, is the seventeenth tallest peak globally. It belongs to the Gasherbrum mountain range and is a part of the Karakorum Mountains, famously home to K2, the second highest mountain in the world. Each year, this area draws fearless climbers. However, even in summer, the threat of avalanches and storms remains quite high. Tragically, two skillful Japanese climbers tumbled to their demise on K2 in July last year, and prior to that, three Japanese climbers suffered fatal falls on Spantik Peak.
The Alpine Club mentioned that the rescue mission on Gasherbrum IV was initially aimed at a summit, hoping to conquer the peak and retrieve a fallen teammate's body. Despite the success in retrieving two climbers, the army continues their search for the fifth climber amidst the danger-filled summits.
