Russian mountaineer’s shocking struggle traced.
Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina, 47, has been stranded on Victory Peak in Kyrgyzstan for at least ten days.
Nagovitsina’s mountaineering history highlighted.
Nagovitsina has climbed extreme peaks in the Himalayas and Pamirs over two decades.
Colleagues describe her as meticulous and careful, often acclimating for weeks at high altitude.
In 2015, she survived an avalanche in the Caucasus, establishing her reputation as one of Russia’s toughest climbers.
She and Sinigaglia had previously summited peaks together, creating a strong professional bond.
Her careful planning included food, water, oxygen, and emergency gear—but even this could not prevent the accident.
The chaotic climb exposed.
Known for tackling extreme mountains, she meticulously mapped her route and arranged supplies for the climb.
Victory Peak, also called Jengish Chokusu or Pik Pobedy, rises to 24,406 feet on the Kyrgyzstan–China border.
The Tian Shan range is notorious for sudden weather shifts, jagged ridges, and extreme cold.
Around 22,965 feet, Nagovitsina fell and broke her leg, leaving her immobilized on a steep, icy ridge.
Temperatures quickly dropped to -23C, making survival without immediate aid nearly impossible.
Alone and stranded, she relied on any emergency supplies she could carry and her own mountaineering skill.
Rescue attempts profiled.
Italian climber Luca Sinigaglia, a previous climbing partner, ascended to deliver aid.
He brought her a sleeping bag, a tent, food, water, and a gas cooker to help her survive.
Drone footage captured her moving weakly on the rock, showing that she was still alive.
Drone footage of her moving after the fall gave rescuers hope, though conditions worsened daily.
After delivering the supplies, Sinigaglia collapsed from hypoxia and exposure to low oxygen levels.
“He carried out an act of great courage. He would never have left anyone behind,” said his sister Patrizia.
His body was recovered from an ice cave where he had succumbed to exhaustion.
Patrizia added, “It was an action to be proud of that unfortunately did not allow him to return to us. But that was Luca.”
Rescue teams immediately attempted to reach Nagovitsina, using both climbing and helicopters.
One defence ministry Mi-8 helicopter crashed during the mission, forcing teams to retreat.
Another helicopter had to fly back down due to bad weather, halting rescue again.
Vitaly Akimov, leading one of the rescue teams, had to abandon efforts due to back pain from the helicopter crash.
Abandoned rescue mission confirmed.
Dmitry Grekov, head of the base camp, confirmed that the latest search had been called off.
“It is unrealistic. It is unrealistic to survive at such an altitude,” he said.
The Russian Mountaineering Federation described a rescue mission as nearly miraculous.
Vice president Alexander Pyatnitsyn explained, “There’s a three-kilometre-long ridge, and it takes at least 30 people in such a situation to rescue a person.”
Tragedy rocks local communities.
Fellow climbers and mountaineering communities expressed grief over both Nagovitsina’s plight and Sinigaglia’s death.
As of the latest reports, all rescue attempts have officially been abandoned.
“We cannot realistically continue. The risks outweigh any chance of success,” Grekov confirmed.
Nagovitsina’s fate now remains uncertain, stranded high in the Tian Shan range, a chilling reminder of the perils of extreme climbing.