The bodies of five Russian climbers who died during an expedition to Mount Dhaulagiri last week are yet to be retrieved.
The bodies have been located at an altitude of 7,100 metres, but adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain have made the recovery efforts more challenging, Deputy Superintendent Bharat Shrestha at the District Police Office, Myagdi, told RSS, the state-owned news agency.
The site, which cannot be reached on foot, is difficult for a helicopter to land. Attempts to retrieve their remains by helicopter were unsuccessful last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Thick fog in the area affected the visibility on Sunday, preventing aerial recovery attempts, DSP Shrestha added.
The climbers had spent the night at the base camp before their ascent. They lost contact with authorities at 11:00 am last Monday, October 7, at an altitude of 7,600 metres. They were confirmed dead on October 9.
The expedition was organised by IAM Trekking & Expedition for a total of 14 climbers, but nine decided to cancel their trip midway.
Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest peak in the world at an altitude of 8,167 metres. According to the Department of Tourism, only 14 climbers have received permits this autumn to scale the mountain.
RSS