In a tragic turn of events, five Russian climbers lost their lives while attempting to summit Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-highest peak, standing at 8,167 meters. Russian mountaineer Alexander Dusheyko, who led a team of 14 climbers, shared his last update on social media on September 23, 2024 (Ashwin 7). His post, accompanied by photos of their ascent, mentioned that “four participants refused to continue, and the rest are waiting for favorable weather to conquer Dhaulagiri.”
On October 6 (Ashwin 21), Dusheyko and his team lost contact after informing the base camp that they were descending, with just 167 meters left to reach the summit. Two days later, on October 8 (Ashoj 23), the bodies of Dusheyko and four other climbers — Oleg Kruglov, Vladimir Chistikov, Mikhail Nosenko, and Dmitrii Shpilevoi — were found at an altitude of 7,100 meters.
The climbers were attempting the ascent without supplemental oxygen, a risky endeavor that ultimately claimed their lives. Efforts to recover the bodies took 10 days, hindered by the harsh terrain and adverse weather conditions. On Wednesday, the remains were finally retrieved using ropes from a high-altitude helicopter operated by Seven Summit Treks. The team led by Mingma Sherpa successfully transported the bodies to the Italian Base Camp.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Bharat Shrestha of the District Police Office, the bodies were later airlifted to Kathmandu’s Teaching Hospital. He explained that the rescue mission had been delayed due to the challenging weather and geography. Several attempts to recover the bodies by helicopter were unsuccessful, with each flight returning empty until the final recovery mission.
Out of the 14 Russian climbers, only two — Denis Alexenko and Artsem Tesentsev — successfully reached the summit, according to the expedition company. Six climbers abandoned the ascent midway, with one climber, Valery Shamalov, evacuated from the first camp due to altitude sickness. Another climber called off the ascent at Camp 4, citing difficulties in continuing further.
This tragic incident has once again highlighted the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering, particularly on Dhaulagiri, located in Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality-4.
Source: RSS
