Chinese climber Guan Jing tragically died Tuesday night after being struck by falling rocks while descending from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. The accident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp, an area known for frequent rockfalls.
Guan had successfully reached the summit on Monday with a team of climbers before beginning her descent. Recovery efforts for her body are ongoing, while other climbers from the same summit attempt have safely returned to base camp. Over 30 climbers reached K2’s peak that day.
Last month, a Pakistani climber, Iftikhar Hussain Sadpara, died in an avalanche near Camp I on K2. Four climbers were affected; two returned safely, one foreign mountaineer suffered minor injuries, and Sadpara lost his life.
In a separate recent tragedy, Czech mountaineer Klara Kolouchova died last month during an expedition on Nanga Parbat, falling between Camps I and II. Kolouchova was the first Czech woman to summit both Everest and K2.
Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 meters, including K2, often called the “Savage Mountain” for its greater difficulty compared to Everest.
