Climber Dies After Being Struck by Falling Rocks While Descending World’s Second Tallest Mountain

An experienced Chinese climber has died while coming down from the world’s second-highest mountain, just one day after reaching the top.

On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Guan Jing was descending K2, a 28,251-foot peak in the Karakoram Range, when she was struck by falling rocks in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region and died, the Associated Press, CBS News, and The Independent reported. K2 is known as one of the most dangerous mountains to climb because of its harsh weather and frequent storms.

Her body is currently located about 330 to 500 feet above the advanced base camp, at around 17,700 feet, local official Faizullah Faraq told CBS News.

“The weather is not suitable for a helicopter flight right now, which is why the body has not yet been brought down,” Faraq explained. According to Britannica, K2 has a higher death rate than Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.

The day after Guan’s death, a Nepali Sherpa tried to recover her body but was injured and became stranded. He was later rescued by helicopter and taken to a hospital, Faraq told CBS News. On Thursday, Aug. 14, a team of climbers was sent on foot to retrieve her, since helicopters could not fly due to bad weather.

The tragedy marked the end of what should have been a major achievement for Guan, who was in her early 40s. She had already climbed many other high-altitude peaks, according to The Independent.

On Monday, Aug. 11, she and about 30 other climbers reached K2’s summit. The fatal accident happened the next day on the Abruzzi Spur route, the Pakistan Alpine Club told The Independent.

Just last week, Guan had posted photos from K2, celebrating her arrival at the mountain’s second camp and her first time climbing House’s Chimney. She wrote that the climb “almost consume[d] at all energy!” and ended her post with, “No matter how hard [it] is, finally we will get to [our] destination!”