French mountaineer dies as avalanche hits GB's K-6 peak

GILGIT: French climber Guillaume Pierrel lost his life after a snow avalanche hit as he attempted to scale the 7,282-metre-high K-6 peak in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghanche district.

Mountains in the north of Pakistan are a popular destination for adventure tourism, with many climbers aiming to summit prestigious peaks such as K2 and Nanga Parbat. However, rough terrain and harsh weather conditions create a challenge, frequently causing deaths and injuries.

Tour operator Ishaq Ali told Dawn that a foreign climbing team — comprising 41-year-old Pierrel and Boris Jule from France, and Christina Maria from Switzerland — was attempting to scale K-6 situated in Ghanche’s Hushe valley. The team set out on the expedition on June 6.

He said that during the attempt, a snow avalanche hit the team at an altitude of about 5,000m. Pierrel died on the spot, while the other two climbers remained safe, the tour operator said.

“Through satellite communication, they informed their relatives in France and ultimately, the relatives contacted me at 11am this morning,” said Ali.

A recovery team consisting of local police and volunteers has been immediately dispatched to the area to trace the body of the climber.

Pakistan is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks exceeding 8,000m, including K2 (8,611m), the world’s second-highest mountain, as well as Nanga Parbat (8,126m), Gasherbrum-I (8,080m), Broad Peak (8,051m), and Gasherbrum-II (8,035m).

Sajid Hussain, assistant director at the GB tourism department, said the climbing and trekking season typically runs from June to mid-August.

According to the department, concerns had been raised about the potential adverse impact of the now-paused US-Iran war and the resulting rise in fuel prices on GB’s tourism and hospitality industry. However, the situation on the ground suggests otherwise, with a surge in both foreign and domestic tourists.

According to officials from the department, applications from foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking permits have already surpassed last year’s figures.

In the summer of 2024, around 2,200 foreign adventure tourists, 24,000 foreign tourists without permits, and nearly one million domestic tourists visited the region.

However, last year, arou­­nd 2,000 permits were issued to foreign adventure tourists for climbing and trekking, as climate disasters and tensions along the Pakistan-India border led to a sharp decline in tourist arrivals.