Mountaineering tragedy on Podeba Peak: Luca Sinigaglia perishes, recovery efforts halted

In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the search for Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna, who has been stranded on Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan for 11 days, has been suspended indefinitely due to adverse weather conditions.

Nagovitsyna, a 48-year-old experienced mountaineer, fractured her leg during her ascent of the 7,439-meter high mountain. Her husband, Sergei, who passed away while climbing the highest peak of Kazakhstan, Khan Tengri (7,010 meters), in 2021, would have undoubtedly been her biggest supporter.

On August 15, a tragic incident occurred when Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia died while trying to save Nagovitsyna. A rescue helicopter, details of which are yet to be specified, was involved in a crash on the mountain.

Dmitry Grekov, the head of the Victory Peak base camp, has been leading the rescue efforts. However, the challenging conditions on the mountain have proved to be a significant obstacle. Manual evacuation is impossible, and only helicopter evacuation could be considered. Unfortunately, Kyrgyzstan does not possess the necessary helicopter for such high-altitude rescues.

Adil Chargynov, spokesman for the Kyrgyz Ministry of Emergency Situations, made this statement to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti. He also highlighted that nighttime temperatures on the summit of Victory Peak are currently around -30 degrees, making the rescue mission even more treacherous.

The weather conditions on the mountain deteriorated dramatically on Saturday, causing all rescue operations to be suspended. The location of Nagovitsyna on the mountain is known but inaccessible due to current conditions.

The search for Luca Sinigaglia's body has also been hampered by the weather. Italian rescuers attempted to retrieve his body using a helicopter, but the mission was unsuccessful.

All climbers and experts agree that Nagovitsyna is no longer alive. This devastating news comes as a shock to the global climbing community, who have been following her story with bated breath.

A group of climbers had to abandon their ascent due to a serious illness of their leader. This incident, along with the current rescue mission, underscores the inherent risks and challenges faced by mountaineers in such extreme conditions.

As we wait for the weather to clear and the search to resume, our thoughts are with the families of Luca Sinigaglia and Natalia Nagovitsyna, and with all those who have been impacted by these tragic events. May they find strength and solace in the face of such adversity.