Pakistan recovers bodies of 4 climbers after Broad Peak avalanche

Pakistani authorities continue to search for six climbers still missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak. Meanwhile, rescue teams have identified three of the four recovered bodies: Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Everest; Nepali climber Pur Bahadur Gurung; and American climber Sarah Mallory Geis.

The first three bodies were found on Friday in severe weather that hampered helicopter search-and-rescue flights. The fourth body has not yet been identified.

The ill-fated expedition consisted of five Nepali climbers, two from Oman and the United States, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang, and another foreign climber, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

The expedition leader was renowned climber Nirmal Purja, a Nepali-born former British soldier widely known by his nickname Nims Dai. He conquered all 14 of the world's highest peaks in 189 days in 2019, a record documented in the Netflix film '14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.' That record was broken in 2023.

The climbers were swept away by the avalanche around midday Thursday on Broad Peak, which rises 8,051 meters and is the world's 12th-highest mountain. The search area is described as 'remote and rugged,' according to Sajid Hussain, deputy director of the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department.

Of the world's 14 highest peaks, eight are in Nepal, five in Pakistan and one in Tibet. Climbing experts say just over three dozen climbers have ever summited all 14. Broad Peak is considered one of Pakistan's toughest challenges.

Gurung, known as Yukta to friends, had summited Everest more times than anyone in the Gurung community, with 10 successful ascents. He also climbed 12 peaks over 8,000 meters. Yukta held the record for scaling Pakistan's K2, the world's second-highest mountain, in 24 hours. He regularly took part in rescue operations for stranded climbers.

Al Harthy, an Omani with a master's degree in geography, served as director of civic affairs at Oman's Ministry of Education. In 2019, she became the first Omani woman to reach Everest's summit, and later the first Omani to conquer K2.

For Geis, a 39-year-old American living in San Antonio, this was her first attempt at a peak above 8,000 meters in Pakistan. She had earlier posted on social media that she closed her Pilates studio to 'take a leap into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a feeling there will be helmets, ropes and climbing boots involved.'

Sakhi, a Pakistani guide for the expedition company, was also a geographer and high-altitude photographer who had conquered several of the world's major peaks.