A search operation is underway to recover the body of Czech mountaineer Klára Kolouchová, who went missing on Nanga Parbat. The 46-year-old climber reportedly fell while descending the mountain early Thursday morning.
Klára Kolouchová was part of a multinational team attempting to reach the summit of Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest mountain in the world at 8,126 metres. However, her health worsened at Camp 4, and she began descending the peak with Nepali Sherpa Taram Tamang on Wednesday night.
She is believed to have slipped on a rocky section just above Camp II and has been missing since. According to Seven Summit Treks, the expedition’s organisers, the Pakistan Army has launched a helicopter rescue mission. Ground support teams and Kolouchová’s family are also involved in the recovery efforts.
In an official statement, the organisers clarified misinformation circulating in the media. They stated that an explosion did not cause the fall. The loud sound reported was from an oxygen bottle hitting a rock, not an explosion. They urged people to share accurate information and respect the sensitivity of the situation.
Despite the tragic incident, 11 other climbers from the same expedition successfully reached the summit of Nanga Parbat on Thursday and Friday. This marks the first team to summit the peak in Pakistan’s 2024 summer climbing season. The climbers also helped fix the route to the summit.
The successful climbers include two Pakistanis, Rana Hassan Javed and Ali Hassan, along with mountaineers from Finland, Poland, Spain, Australia, and Nepal.
Alpine Club of Pakistan Vice President Karrar Haidri expressed deep sorrow over the presumed death of Klára Kolouchová. He confirmed that she likely fell between Camp I and II near Bunar Base Camp in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Kolouchová was widely respected in the mountaineering world. She was the first Czech woman to climb both Mount Everest and K2. She arrived in Pakistan on June 15 with her husband and a five-member team.
Authorities continue to search for her body, while the global mountaineering community mourns the possible loss of a pioneering climber.
Read more about the tragic incident here: Czech Mountaineer Klara Kolouchova Dies During Nanga Parbat Ascent
