News Desk |
On Thursday, an Italian mountaineer died on Gasherbrum IV after being hit by falling ice. Maurizio Giordano, 32, was on an acclimatization routine with fellow Italian army climbers when the unfortunate incident took place at 6,300 meters. Mr. Giordano’s body had not been retrieved yet.
Gasherbrum IV, is the 17th highest mountain on Earth at an elevation of 7,925 metres.
The Italian mountain guide was a member of an expedition that included Valerio Stella, Marco Majori, Marco Farina and Daniele Bernasconi, arranged by Hunza Guides. The expedition was attempting to summit the peak 60 years after it was first conquered by Walter Bonatti and Carlo Mauri on an Italian expedition led by Riccardo Cassin.
lan Arnette, the oldest American climber to summit K2, wrote on his blog: “Once again, there is sad news from the Northern Pakistan Mountains. While attempting the almost 8,000-meter peak Gasherbrum IV, 32 years-old Italian climber Maurizio Giordano was hit by falling ice while on rappel.” Mr Arnette said that Mr Giordano and his team members wanted to be the first to repeat the Bonatti-Mauri route along the northwest ridge on its 60th anniversary.
Read more: Elite climbers and Pak military rescue French mountaineer
Mr Giordano death comes after a series of fatal incidents in July. A Canadian mountaineer fell to his death on 7 July while attempting to climb K2. His body has been shifted to PIMS, Islamabad and will be sent to Canada on Friday.
In start of July, Pakistan Army successfully rescued the two British mountaineers who were stuck in a snow avalanche at above 19,000 feet high Ultar Sar Peak near Hunza Valley while a third mountaineer Christian Huber from Austia died due to the incident.
This year has witnessed an increasing number of mountaineers rushing towards Northern Areas of Pakistan. Enthusiast consider mountains in Pakistan like K2 a far more challenging but fatal climb.