Five members of a Russian expedition attempting to climb Mount Dhaulagiri have been found dead, according to Russia’s embassy in Nepal. The group of Russian mountaineers is believed to have died as a result of falling down a slope, initial investigations suggest.
Mount Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-highest peak standing at 8,167 meters above sea level in the Himalayas in central Nepal, has a fatality rate slightly over 16%, making it one of the most dangerous mountains to climb. The mountain was first scaled in 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian expedition due to its steep sides and extreme cold temperatures.
The Russian Mountaineering Federation confirmed that the expedition was organized by a private organization and consisted of experienced climbers who set off in early September. The climbers were following a traditional method of ascending known as “siege” climbing, where they split into smaller teams to set up temporary camps throughout the expedition.
Contact was lost with five members of the group after they departed for the peak’s summit on October 6. A sixth climber who was supposed to join them abandoned the attempt due to poor health.
The federation expressed its condolences to the families and friends of the victims and stated that the climbers were attempting the ascent during the off-season when weather conditions are particularly challenging.
A photo reportedly taken from a helicopter by the Leningrad Region Mountaineering Federation shows where the bodies were found, indicating that the climbers were tied together with a safety rope and fell down the slope together.
The embassy is in contact with the remaining members of the expedition to assess the feasibility of retrieving the bodies for identification and repatriation. The Ambassador of Nepal to Russia also extended his condolences to the families of the victims.
