- Klara Kolouchova part of 7-member expedition team.
- Alpine Club assisting in recovery efforts: Haidri.
- Kolouchova is first Czech woman to summit Everest, K2.
CHILAS: A climber from the Czech Republic has died during the expedition of the Nanga Parbat after falling from the mountain between Camp 1 and 2, according to Diamer officials.
Klara Kolouchova, 46, was part of a seven-member expedition team, including her husband, that had arrived in Pakistan on June 15 and reached base camp two days later.
Diamer Additional Deputy Commissioner Nizamuddin said Klara teammates confirmed her death after returning to base camp, but her body remains at the fall site.
He said efforts are underway to confirm the exact spot where the mountaineer fell before starting a recovery operation.
According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the incident occurred around 4am local time.
Rescue officials and high-altitude porters have been dispatched to the area, though recovery efforts are complicated by the mountain’s extreme terrain.
Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, expressed deep sorrow over the Czech climber’s death, calling her an “inspiration to climbers worldwide”.
“We are devastated by the loss of Klára Kolouchova, an extraordinary mountaineer who had conquered some of the world’s highest peaks,” Haidri said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to her family, friends, and the global climbing community during this painful time.”
Haidri confirmed that the Alpine Club was coordinating with local authorities to assist in recovery efforts.
Kolouchová gained international recognition as the first Czech woman to summit both Everest and K2, two of the world’s tallest peaks.
Her attempt on Nanga Parbat — Pakistan’s second-highest mountain at 8,125 meters — was part of her quest to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks.
Nanga Parbat is the third-most dangerous 8,000-meter peak, with a death rate of around 22% of climbers. The “Killer Mountain” — as it is titled — has claimed more than 60 lives.
It is one of the most prominent peaks of the Himalayas range after Mount Everest. Nanga Parbat has a big vertical relief over the local terrain in almost all directions.
Its south ‘Rupal face’ is referred to as the highest mountain face in the world, which rises 4,600m (about 15,090 ft) above sea level. It’s North ‘Rakhiot Flank’ is one of the 10 greatest elevation gains in such a short distance on earth. It rises 7,000m (about 23,000 ft) above sea level.
