US mountaineers die in record-breaking race on Shishapangma

Himalayan mountains
US female mountaineers compete to set a record – and both have fatal accidents

Two US mountaineers dueled for the title of the first American woman to climb all of the world’s eight-thousand-meter mountains. The record hunt ended fatally for both of them.

Gina Marie Rzucidlo and Anna Gutu both had one goal in mind: each of them wanted to become the first American woman to climb all of the eight-thousand-meter mountains in the world. There are 14 of them, 13 of which Rzucidlo and Gutu had already climbed. Only one was missing – but both mountaineers died on the last stage of their record hunt.

It was at Shishapangma that the decision should be made as to who would secure the prestigious title. The mountain in At 8,027 meters high, the Himalayan Mountains are the lowest of the 8,000-meter peaks, but still the fourth highest mountain in the world. So Rzucidlo and Gutu had already mastered much bigger tasks. On the mountain in Tibet they had a real race for the best mark. In the course of this, both died in various avalanches, according to various US media reports, including the New York Times and the Reuters news agency.

One after another, mountaineers were hit by avalanches

Rzucidlo and Gutu made their way to the summit with different groups. Gutu was in the lead for a long time, but 80 meters from the finish she and her Sherpa were hit by an avalanche. Her death was officially confirmed soon after, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. The last post on the native Ukrainian’s Instagram profile still shows her celebrating on the summit of her 13th eight-thousander, the Cho Oyu (8,188 meters). She wrote: “One step, one peak closer to all 14 highest mountains on earth.” A dream that would never come true.

Her competitor Gina Marie Rzucidlo was hit and swept away by another avalanche shortly after Gutu. Rzucidlo was initially considered missing. Her family has now announced on Facebook that the Chinese authorities have also declared the 45-year-old dead. Requests for a helicopter search from Nepal were rejected. After the fatal accident, the mountain is closed until further notice; according to the family, the search for the bodies will not begin until spring. Then the weather conditions at Shishapangma are more favorable.

Sources: Reuters / Anna Gutu on Instagram / Christy Rzucidlo on Facebook

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