In a somber turn of events, the bodies of five Russian climbers who tragically lost their lives during an expedition on Dhaulagiri Mountain have been recovered and transported to the Italian base camp. The climbers were discovered at an altitude of 7,100 meters and were brought down to the Italian base camp, situated at 4,000 meters, earlier today.
According to Bharat Shrestha, the chief of the District Police Office in Myagdi, one body was airlifted directly to Kathmandu, while the remaining four were retrieved and transported to the base camp. The recovery was conducted by a team of Sherpas, including Mingma Sherpa, from Seven Summit Treks, who reached the site via a helicopter operated by Air Altitude.
Indrasingh Sherchan, who coordinated the rescue efforts from Myagdi, mentioned that if weather conditions permit, plans are in place to transfer the remaining four bodies to Kathmandu later today. The climbers had set out for the Dhaulagiri ascent, but lost contact on Ashwin 21 at 11 a.m. from an altitude of 7,600 meters.
The deceased climbers have been identified as Alexander Dusheyko, Oleg Kruglov, Vladimir Chistikov, Mikhail Nosenko, and Dmitrii Shpilevoi. Their bodies were located on Ashwin 23.
The delay in retrieving the bodies was attributed to adverse weather conditions and challenging terrain that made it difficult for helicopters to land or for personnel to reach the site on foot. Rescuers had to use ropes to access the locations where the bodies were found.
A total of 14 Russian climbers, organized through IM Trekking and Expedition, had aimed to summit Dhaulagiri. Of those, only two successfully reached the peak, while seven others opted to turn back during the ascent.
It is important to note that a helicopter previously dispatched to the area returned empty due to the hazardous conditions. Dhaulagiri, standing at 8,167 meters, is the seventh-highest mountain in the world and is located in the Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality of Myagdi district. The Department of Tourism reported that only 14 climbers from Russia have received permits to attempt the Dhaulagiri ascent this autumn season.
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