Rescuers have recovered the bodies of two Japanese mountaineers who went missing while attempting to climb an unexplored Himalayan peak in Nepal an expedition organiser said on Friday.
The climbers were attempting to make the first ascent of Gangapurna West a 7,140 metre (23,425-foot) mountain, using an alpine style climbing approach. They lost contact with their support team after October 15.
According to Kumar Chhetri of Cosmo Adventure, which provided logistical support for the expedition, the search operation began after the climbers failed to return to their base camp on October 18 as scheduled.
The rescue team spotted the bodies at an altitude of approximately 6,300 metres. Searchers had earlier located the climbers’ camping sites and later discovered a rucksack and ropes in the area.
Chhetri said the bodies had been recovered and transported to Kathmandu. The team is now awaiting a decision from the climbers’ families regarding the next steps.
Nepal’s Himalayan mountains attract mountaineers from around the world, including those seeking remote peaks and less travelled routes. The country has 462 peaks open for climbing, with around 100 yet to be summited.
The incident highlights the risks faced by climbers attempting challenging ascents in remote, high altitude terrain, where difficult conditions can complicate search and rescue operations.