Did a Dangerous New Mountaineering Trend Cause Four Deaths on Shishapangma?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the tragic deaths of two American women, Anna Gutu and Gina Rzucidlo, who were attempting to become the first American women to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks. They were killed in separate avalanche incidents on Shishapangma, an 8,027-meter peak in Tibet.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Tragic Incidents

1. What happened to Anna Gutu and Gina Rzucidlo?

• Anna Gutu, a 33-year-old American woman, was caught in an avalanche while climbing Shishapangma in Tibet and was reported missing. Her sister Elena later learned that Anna had died in the incident.
• Gina Rzucidlo, a 45-year-old American woman, also died in an avalanche on Shishapangma. Her cousin informed her mother, Susan Rzucidlo, about the tragic news.

2. What were Anna and Gina trying to achieve?

• Both Anna and Gina were attempting to become the first American women to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks.
• This feat had been popularized by Nepali mountaineer Nirmal "Nims" Purja, who in 2019 proved that all 14 peaks could be climbed in just a few months.

3. What were the circumstances surrounding their deaths?

• The accidents occurred on Shishapangma, an 8,027-meter peak in Tibet, where both women were climbing with Sherpa guides.
• The climbing community pointed to recent snowfall that likely heightened the risk of avalanches, as well as a failure of leadership on the mountain.
• One expedition leader, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, suggested that the "competition between the two ladies" was to blame for the tragedy.

[02] The Broader Context

1. What is the significance of climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks?

• Climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks is considered a significant mountaineering achievement, as it was previously thought that these peaks could not be climbed in such a short timeframe.
• Nirmal "Nims" Purja's record-breaking feat in 2019 inspired a trend of "record chasing" on these peaks, fueled by social media.

2. How did the climbing community respond to the incidents?

• Climbers spoke to reporters about the "dangerous trend of record chasing" on 8,000-meter peaks, which they believed was inspired by Purja and others.
• Some criticized the failure of leadership on the mountain and the increased risks posed by recent snowfall.
• One expedition leader, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, directly blamed the "competition between the two ladies" for the tragedy.

3. What questions remained unanswered about Anna and Gina's climbing pursuits?

• Several years ago, it would have been considered lucky to climb one or two of these peaks in a lifetime, but Anna and Gina had ticked off 13 in rapid succession.
• The article questions who these women were and how they ended up racing to the "roof of the world", as well as why they and their guides died on the mountain.