Sign up to receive this in your email
(No more than once daily, often less depending on the amount of new news.)

2025 Archive Index - All Editions

The last news update was about one month ago. This has been due to some travel back to the US as well as a move from a flat in Tbilisi to a house outside the city. For the most part news has been slow during this period anyway, but this marks a resumption for the summer.

In This Edition:

Washington state skier dies in Mount McKinley avalanche

A skier died after triggering an avalanche that carried him more than 1,500 feet down North America’s tallest peak. Nicholas Vizzini, 29, of Washington state, and his climbing partner, a snowboarder, triggered the avalanche high on the 20,310-foot peak as they were descending a slope, the National Park Service said in a statement June 11. The incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m. local time on June 10 while Vizzini and his partner were climbing along the West Buttress route of Denali, recently renamed by the federal government as Mount McKinley.
More ... (Avalanche Center)

First-hand account of the 1990 Lenin Peak avalanche tragedy

Thirty-five years ago this July, an avalanche killed forty-three climbers on a mountain called Lenin Peak. I [Miguel Helft, the author] witnessed the disaster and have lived with the memories ever since. Here’s the untold story of mountaineering’s deadliest day.

By the time I caught up with my teammates at an elevation of seventeen thousand feet, the call had already been made to stop and set up camp. That decision saved my life. We’d spent most of the day inching our way up the slopes of Lenin Peak, a 23,406-foot mountain in what was then the Soviet Union, and were still a few hundred yards short of Camp 2, our intended destination. Progress from Camp 1, around three thousand feet below, had been slow in part because we were struggling to breathe in the thin mountain air, but also because it had been snowing for several days, and making headway in the soft snow was hard work.

We bolted out of our sleeping bags as soon as we heard it. What began as a faint rumble quickly grew in intensity. In no time, it had morphed into a terrifying roar that kept growing louder and louder. It was evening but light enough to get a clear look at the slopes above us. Mercifully, there were no signs of immediate danger. But our sense of relief didn’t last. As we turned our eyes toward Camp 2, we caught sight of the impending disaster. Several hundred feet above the camp, a giant avalanche was gathering mass, strength, and speed. Nearly the entire slope, extending down from the ridge around three thousand feet above, had let loose.
Source ... (Esquire)

Alaska officials hope to recover bodies of March avalanche victims

Alaskan officials absolutely hope to return the bodies of the men to their families when teams can safely be put into the rugged and dangerous landscape, which is accessible only by air. “The Alaska State Troopers overflew the avalanche area on the week of June 2, and conditions were not safe enough to put recovery personnel in the slide area,” Austin McDaniel, communications director for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, told The Free Press. “Troopers will continue flying the area to determine when conditions will be safe enough for recovery personnel to attempt to recover the bodies of the three men.” The men were buried under an estimated 40 feet or more of snow after an avalanche struck the area near Girdwood, which is about 40 miles south of Anchorage, on March 4.
Source ... (Mankato Free Press)

Neelum Valley: Third body recovered four months after avalanche

The picturesque yet perilous Neelum Valley of Azad Kashmir has once again plunged into mourning, as the body of a third youth trapped under a snow avalanche was recovered after four months. The tragic incident occurred on February 24, when three friends lost their lives after being buried by a massive avalanche near the Dudgai area.

According to police, the bodies of two of the victims were retrieved earlier, but relentless snowfall, extreme cold, and treacherous terrain made it impossible to recover the third body at the time. Following months of persistent search efforts, improved weather conditions, and assistance from local volunteers, the third body was finally recovered and handed over to the grieving family after identification.

All three victims were close friends and belonged to Phalawai in Grace Valley. This heartbreaking incident not only highlights the severity of natural hazards in mountainous regions but also serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those living in such remote areas.
More... (MM News)