Russian climber stranded on Victory Peak as rescue suspended

Natalia Nagovitsyna, a 47-year-old Russian climber, has been stranded on Victory Peak (Pobeda) in Kyrgyzstan since August 12 after breaking her leg at about 7,150 meters. With brutal weather and avalanches hampering rescue attempts, a four-climber team reached camp two (about 5,800 meters) on August 20 and pressed forward along a three-kilometer ridge in a bid to reach her, but the mission has repeatedly been forced to pause as conditions deteriorated. An Italian climber who had delivered essential gear to Nagovitsyna died during the rescue effort, leaving the operation in a precarious and uncertain phase as authorities suspended further attempts.

The rescue operation has been marked by a mounting series of setbacks. After Nagovitsyna’s injury, her climbing partner provided first aid before returning to base camp to organize help. Days later, Luca Sinigaglia arrived at Nagovitsyna’s location with a tent, sleeping bag, food, water and a gas cooker, but he died on the mountain during the descent, a loss attributed to prolonged exposure and hypothermia. His death, followed by that of another climber who stayed with the team, underscored the extreme dangers of high-altitude rescue...