Katmandú, May 5 (EFE) .- The death of an American climber, 39, in the Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world (8,485 meters), raised to four the number of deaths during the current season of spring climbing in the Himalayas, when the expeditions to Everest have not started yet.
The American climber Alexander Pancoe, died on Sunday night in the field II of the Makalu, the director of the Department of Tourism of Nepal, Himal Gautam, told Efe.
“He had just completed a acclimatization rotation in Field III and was resting in Field II when he died. His body will be transferred by helicopter to Katmandu after the necessary procedures and delivered to his family,” added the official.
Pancoe was the founder of the ‘Peaks of Mind’ initiative (Picos de la Mindo), which raised the challenge of climbing the highest peak of each of the seven continents and then skiing to the North and South poles, a milestone that the American completed in 2019.
However, his death elevates four deaths recorded during the spring escalation season in Nepal, which extends between March and May, according to data from the Tourism Department.
On April 26, an Austrian climber died as he descended from Ama Dablam (6,814 meters) after reaching the top successful, the department said.
On April 8, two Nepalese mountain guides died from a powerful avalanche in Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain in the world (8,091 meters), and which were the first deaths of the season.
The season of promotion to Everest, the highest peak of the planet with 8,848 meters of altitude, has not yet begun, in the absence of the last strings in its final stage.
It is expected to start approximately as of May 10, according to Gautam.
The Tourism Department has issued so far climbing permits at 1,095 climbers from 73 countries for expeditions to 26 different peaks.
Only for Everest, until May 5, 441 climbers have received permits.
