Mountaineers Face Weather Challenges in K2 Retrieval Mission

Peshawar, Aug 14 (AP) A team of mountaineers began a ground expedition Thursday to retrieve the body of a Chinese climber from the world's second-highest peak after inclement weather halted helicopter operations, a Pakistani official reported.

Guan Jing was tragically hit by falling rocks on Tuesday while descending K2, just a day after reaching its summit with an expedition group in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region. She succumbed to the perilous mountain conditions, notorious for challenging slopes, frequent rockfalls, and severe weather extremes, as shared by Faizullah Faraq, a local government spokesperson.

Faraq noted that Jing's body rests between 100 and 150 meters above the advanced base camp at approximately 5,400 meters and is yet to be recovered. K2 stands at 8,611 meters above sea level and is considered one of the most demanding and dangerous peaks to climb, bearing a significantly higher fatality rate compared to Mount Everest.

“Current weather conditions are unfavorable for a helicopter rescue, which has delayed the retrieval of the body from the mountain,” he stated. Faraq mentioned that Jing was part of an expedition organized by a Nepali company.

He disclosed that a Nepali Sherpa, Jangbu, was dispatched on Wednesday in an attempt to recover her body but sustained injuries during the mission and became stranded. Fortunately, the Nepali was later airlifted and admitted to Skardu Hospital, where he is undergoing medical care.

Fatal accidents are frequent on K2, where its steep terrain, rarefied air, and abrupt storms can turn regular descents into perilous challenges.

The current fatality occurs two weeks following the death of German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier, who perished while attempting another peak in the region. Recovery efforts were suspended after Dahlmeier's family communicated her wish that no one risk their lives retrieving her body in the event of a fatal accident. (AP)

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