Spanish mountain climber Sergi Mingote dies on K2

Experienced Spanish mountaineer Sergi Mingote died Saturday while attempting to summit K2, the world’s second-highest peak. He was 49.

Mingote fell down a crevasse while making his way back to camp, Reuters reported.

“Rest in peace Sergi. Today you start a new climb,” read a post on his Instagram page.

Mingote was attempting to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter-high mountains in 1,000 days. K2, standing 28,250 feet as part of the Karakoram range along the Pakistan-China border, was to be his eighth.

Sergi Mingote stands on K2.
Sergi Mingote stands on K2.


Sergi Mingote stands on K2.

Prior to Saturday, K2 had never been successfully climbed in the winter. The mountain is known as the deadliest of the world’s five highest peaks.

Around 370 people have reached the summit of K2 since 1954, while 86 have died trying. Mingote was the first person to die on the mountain since 2018.

Ten Nepalese mountaineers made history Saturday, becoming the first people to reach K2′s peak in the winter. It was the last of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks to be summited in the winter.

Nirmal Purja, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Geljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Mingma G, Dawa Tenjin Sherpa, Kilu Pemba Sherpa and Sona Sherpa reached the peak at 5 p.m. local time, according to an Instagram post from Purja.

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