GILGIT: Award-winning Russian climber Dmitry Golovchenko died at Gasherbrum IV (7,925 metres) on Wednesday while his partner Sergey Nilov was injured.

Nilov was airlifted to Skardu by Pakistan Army helicopters.

Gasherbrum IV is the 17th highest mountain on earth and the sixth highest in Pakistan.

Dmitry Golovchenko and Sergey Nilov set out from their base camp via the extremely demanding Southeast Ridge in without bottled oxygen, high altitude porters, fixed ropes or high camps.

The two went missing after reaching an altitude of 7,000 metres as the weather intervened.

According to Karrar Haidri, general secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Dmitry Golovchenko had probably suffered a lethal fall. His partner Sergey Nilov returned alone to the base camp, but was feeling weak and had suffered frostbite.

Golovchenko and Nilov had won two Piolet d’Or awards together for their daring ascents of treacherous peaks.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2023