Chinese mountaineer dies while climbing down K2

A Chinese mountaineer, Guan Jing, died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest peak (8,611 metres). 

Karrar Haidri, Vice President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement that the Chinese mountaineer died on Tuesday night after being hit by falling rocks while climbing down from the peak. “The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp — a section notorious for frequent rockfalls,” the statement read. “Guan had reached the summit on Monday with a group of climbers before beginning her descent.”

According to the statement, recovery efforts for her body are ongoing, while other climbers who also summited K2 that day are now returning safely to base camp. In total, 32 climbers summited the peak on Monday.

Teams with elite Exped, Imagine Nepal, Seven Summit Treks and Alpinist Climber Expedition successfully summited K2 on Monday morning, according to Haidri. “The joint team which reached the summit of K2 includes Tao Hu from China, Eduard Kubatov from the Kyrgyz Republic, Gulnur Tumbat from the United States, Zhang Qingliang and Li Na from China and Pasang Tenje Sherpa, Mingma Jangbu Sherpa, Pasang Sherpa, Sona Sherpa and Pasang Nurbu Sherpa from Nepal.”