The accident site (© Alex Gavan)

Looked at soberly, actually there can not be any doubt: The Spaniard Alberto Zerain and the Argentinean Mariano Galvan have been killed two weeks ago in an avalanche accident on the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat. Photos taken by the Romanian climber Alex Gavan from a rescue helicopter show the track of the two climbers ending exactly at the fracture line of an avalanche. The last position indicated by the climbers’ GPS tracker is a spot far below, in the supposed fall line. (Look also at the video below) Nonetheless a Pakistani team of eight is currently again searching for the missing climbers at the place where the avalanche swept down. “We moved to the south side of the ridge. We closely looked at the face,” the leader of the search team said today. “We can see the traverse Mariano made. We can also see the ridge from which a chunk of ice fell that potentially caused the accident by sweeping the climbers off the (ridge) into the highly broken glacier. Three of us will try (to ascend) from South West Ridge and three from south east.”

Shaman dreamed of Galvan in a cave

Galvans family and friends have joined forces to fund the new search costing $ 38,000. Spanish media reported that Galvan’s mother had previously consulted a shaman. He said he dreamed that Mariano was trapped in a cave. According to the reports, a cuban clairvoyant also said he visualized Galvan alive in a cave. Even if the Argentinean really survived the avalanche this way, he would have in the meantime almost certainly suffocated or frozen to death, more than two weeks after the accident. Avalanche rescuers know that the rescue of trapped people is a race against time. Already after two hours, according to the statistics, only about seven percent of the avalanche victims are still alive – and only if their air pocket has a connection to the outside.

Gavan: “Irresponsible”

Against this background, the search in the area below the Mazeno Ridge which is exposed to avalanches and full of crevasses appears to be not only useless, but also negligent. Alex Gavan, who had coordinated the rescue efforts immediately after Zerain and Galvan got missing and had flown in one of the rescue helicopters, put in a nutshell: The new search was “irresponsible” because it “only endangers more people’s lives”, he said. There had been a similar discussion on Mount Everest last spring, when Sherpas had recovered the body of a dead Indian climber in a highly risky action from an altitude of 8,400 meters. Not only the climber’s family but also the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had exerted pressure on the Nepalese expedition operator.

R.I.P.

The two climbers Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan were most likely killed in an avalanche accident on Nanga Parbat. A rescue helicopter from the Pakistani army has now discovered an avalanche cone at the place from where the last signal from the GPS tracker was sent last Saturday. During two flights today the helicopter crew found no trace of the  55-year-old Spaniard Zerain and the 37-year-old Argentinian Galvan. “This situation unfortunately excludes the possibility of finding survivors,” said Alberto Zerain’s team.

Experienced eight-thousander climbers

Alberto Zerain (r.) and Mariano Galvan (l.)

Zerain and Galvan had wanted to reach the 8125-meter-high summit of Nanga Parbat via the Mazeno Ridge, which is about ten kilometers long and the longest ridge on the 14 eight-thousanders. On Friday last week, the Spaniard had last telephoned with his team. A day later, the GPS showed over six hours that Zerain and Galvan were moving across the ridge. After this, the locate point remained on the same spot. At some point, the signal from the GPS device died. Later, the GPS signal ran out.

In May, Alberto had scaled Annapurna in Nepal, his tenth eight-thousander. Mariano Galvan had reached the summits of seven eight-thousanders. Last spring, he had guided the Australian Allie Pepper on Lhotse. Pepper had not reached the summit because of health problems.

Alberto Zerain (r.) and Mariano Galvan (l.)

Since Saturday there is no trace of the two top climbers Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan on Nanga Parbat. The 55-year-old Spaniard and the 37-year-old Argentinian wanted to climb via the 10-kilometer-long Mazeno Ridge to the 8125-meter-high summit. Last Friday Alberto had spoken on phone with his team. They were doing well and made good progress, said Zerain then. The next day, the signals from the GPS tracker showed that the two were still moving for six hours. After this, the locate point remained on the same spot. Later, the GPS signal ran out.

Experienced eight-thousander climbers

The Mazeno Ridge (© Doug Scott)

Zerain’ team organized a rescue helicopter. On Thursday, a first flight had to be aborted after three hours due to bad weather. The spot on the ridge, which the GPS tracker had shown last, was stuck in clouds. Also for the next days rather bad weather is expected. In May, Alberto had scaled Annapurna in Nepal, his tenth eight-thousander. Mariano Galvan has so far been on the summits of seven eight-thousanders. Last spring, he had guided the Australian Allie Pepper on Lhotse. Pepper had not reached the summit because of health problems.

Only one success so far

The Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat is the longest ridge on the 14 eight-thousanders. In 2012, The British climbers Rick Allen and Sandy Allen made the first and so far only ascent of Nanga Parbat via the complete ridge. For their coup, the two Britons were awarded the Piolet d’Or, the “Oscar of the climbers”, in 2013.