Islamabad, July 4 (EFE).- Czech climber Klara Kolouchova died trying to climb the Nanga Parbat, also known as the “killer mountain” and located in northern Pakistan and one of the fourteen eight-thousander peaks, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said Friday.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of renowned Czech mountaineer Klára Kolouchova, aged 46, during her Nanga Parbat expedition,” the Club’s Vice President Karrar Haidri said in a statement.
Kolouchova was part of a group formed by Finnish climber Paula Brigitta Strengell and Spanish climber Jorge Egocheaga Rodriguez, among other mountaineers of various nationalities, as well as six Nepali Sherpas.
The group began its advance to the summit of Nanga Parbat on Wednesday from Camp 3, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
However, Kolouchova began experiencing health problems at Camp 4 and aborted her expedition, beginning to descend with a Nepali Sherpa on Wednesday night.
While descending, Klara fell from near Camp II and went missing on Thursday morning.
“The mountaineer fell from a height between Camp I and Camp II,” Diamer’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Nizamuddin said in a statement adding “initially, it was reported that the accident was caused by an oxygen cylinder explosion.”
Nizamuddin said Kolouchova’s teammates confirmed her death after returning to base camp, but her body remains at the fall site, and that a search operation to locate her body was underway using Pakistan Army helicopters.
The climber had been the first Czech woman to reach the top of the three highest mountains in the world, Everest, K2 and the Kanchenjunga; she had completed five eight-thousanders and the so-called Seven Summits, which include the highest peak of each of the seven continents.
The Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters) is known as the «killer mountain» as more than 80 climbers have died on its slopes since the first attempt to climb it in 1895. The first successful climb was by the Austrian Hermann Bulh in 1953.
The Naga Parbat has a massive rock and ice wall rising nearly 4,000 meters and is also known for having frequent avalanches. EFE
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