German climber dies in Patagonia avalanche
January 8, 2022
A German climber was found dead on Friday after an avalanche in Patagonia in southern Argentina, officials said.
The avalanche took place Thursday afternoon near the peak of the Aguja Guillaumet (Guillaumet needle) in the Fitz Roy range, according to a statement released by Los Glaciares National Park.
An Austrian climber was injured, while a third climber was able to escape and report the incident. Authorities then launched a search and rescue operation, the statement added.
About 40 rescuers and an army helicopter were deployed, but they were only able to reach the site of the accident by Friday morning.
Who were the climbers?
The three climbers were reported to be experienced mountain guides and members of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (UIAGM).
The national park statement said the body of the German climber, identified as Robert Grasegger, was found early morning on Friday.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Austrian mountaineer Ana Truntschnig suffered several broken bones and was being treated in an intensive care unit in El Calafate, some 2,750 kilometers (1,708 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.
'For experienced climbers'
The Aguja Guillaumet, located south of the Andes and on the border with Chile, is part of the Mount Fitz Roy range — considered one of the most accessible mountaineering areas in the region.
"Aguja Guillaumet is the ideal (introduction) to an Alpine ascent in Patagonia, for experienced climbers," according to tourism agency Mountaineering Patagonia.
"The terrain involves steep screes, glacier travel, ice climbing, and rock climbing," it said.
The peak is named after French aviator Henri Guillaumet, a hero of the Aeropostale, the French airmail service.
Guillaumet flew over the Andes more than 300 times in the 1930s.
adi/nm (AFP, EFE)