A 57-year-old German climber has died after plunging approximately 1,500 meters during a descent from the 6,814-meter summit of Ama Dablam in northeastern Nepal, according to Gokul Thapa, head of the trekking company Real Himalaya.
The Ascent and Disappearance at Camp
The climbing group reached the summit on Sunday, but the fatal accident occurred during the descent on Monday morning local time. Thapa stated that a Nepali mountain guide advised the German climber to remain inside his tent at a high-altitude camp situated at approximately 6,100 meters until the surrounding icy terrain was fully secured. When the guide returned to the tent, the climber was gone. “He did not see him anymore in the tent,” Thapa said, adding that weather conditions at the time were favorable.
Rescue Teams Recover Climber's Body for Autopsy
Following a search operation, rescue teams located the climber’s body and recovered it from the mountain. A helicopter subsequently transported the remains to Kathmandu. Thapa confirmed the drop distance, stating, “He is 1,500 meters deep fallen.” The body was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu to undergo an autopsy.
Broader Himalayan Climbing Incidents
The tragedy follows another fatal mountain incident in Nepal. On Friday, local police reported that search teams discovered the bodies of two Japanese climbers who had been missing since October 15. Those remains were found at Gangapurna West, a 7,140-meter peak located in the Annapurna region near the border with Tibet. Ama Dablam itself stands in the Khumbu region, roughly 20 kilometers from Mount Everest, the earth’s highest peak at 8,849 meters.
