The harrowing tale of two American climbers lost on the treacherous slopes of Mount Shishapangma has finally come to a bittersweet conclusion, as rescuers successfully retrieved the bodies of Anna Gutu and Mingmar Sherpa after more than seven months.
Anna Gutu, 33, had set out on a mission to become the first American woman to climb 14 mountains higher than 8,000 meters, with Mount Shishapangma being her final challenge. Tragically, she and her guide, Mingmar Sherpa, were buried in an avalanche on October 7, 2023, while racing against time to make history.
After a grueling three-day rescue mission led by Nirmal Purja, also known as Nimsdai, the bodies of Gutu and Sherpa were finally brought down from the mountain and transported to Kathmandu, Nepal. Nimsdai, who has summited peaks higher than 8,000 meters an impressive 45 times, described the retrieval mission as one of the most challenging tasks he had ever undertaken.
The tragic story took an even more heartbreaking turn when it was revealed that another American climber, Gina Marie Rzucidlo, and her guide, Tenjen Lama, had also perished on Mount Shishapangma in a separate avalanche. Mr. Lama, a renowned mountain guide who had already set a world record for climbing the 14 tallest peaks in just 92 days, was working with Ms. Rzucidlo in an attempt to break another record.
Efforts to retrieve the bodies of Rzucidlo and Lama have been postponed after China denied rescuers permission to enter Tibet. The two bodies remain on the mountain, with Mr. Lama’s former climbing partner, Kristin Harila, leading the charge to bring his body back to Nepal.
The tragic events on Mount Shishapangma serve as a stark reminder of the dangers and challenges that climbers face in pursuit of their dreams, and the incredible bravery and dedication of those who risk their lives to bring closure to these heartbreaking stories.
