Two American mountaineers competing to be the first American woman to summit all 14 of the world’s tallest mountains have tragically lost their lives during their final climb. Anna Gutu and Gina Marie Rzucidlo were ascending Mount Shishapangma when avalanches struck at altitudes of 25,000 and 26,000 feet, according to media reports.
This incident occurred during an expedition that involved at least 52 climbers from various countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Italy, attempting to conquer Shishapangma, the world’s 14th tallest peak. Shishapangma is the only mountain over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) located entirely in Tibet.
Anna Gutu and her Nepalese guide were confirmed dead, while Gina Marie Rzucidlo, initially reported missing, was later confirmed deceased along with her guide. The Chinese authorities have declared them deceased and have halted all activities on Mount Shishapangma for the season due to unsafe snow conditions.
Nirmal Purja, a record-breaking climber, paid tribute to Anna Gutu on Instagram, remembering her as an inspirational talent and kind soul. Team Elite Exped also expressed their condolences for the loss of these climbers.
Gina Marie Rzucidlo, together with her climbing companion Tenjen Sherpa and Norwegian climber Kristin Harila, previously set a record by summiting the world’s 14 tallest peaks in just 92 days, with K2 in Pakistan as their final summit.