3 stranded mountaineers rescued in northern Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Two Czech and a Pakistani climbers, who were stranded due to bad weather at Rakaposhi mountain in northern Pakistan, were rescued on Wednesday, an official said.

"Wajidullah Nagri and two fellow climbers Peter Macek and Jakub Vicek from Czech Republic, who were stranded due to bad weather at a height of 6900m (22,638 feet) at Rakaposhi, (have been) finally rescued by Pakistan Army aviation," Karrar Haidri, secretary general of Alpine Club of Pakistan, the country's official mountaineering organization, told Anadolu Agency.

The climbers were stranded last week, while descending after summiting 7,788-meter (25,551-foot) high Rakaposhi, located in the scenic Gilgit-Baltistan region, which borders neighboring China.

The rescue operation took several days due to inclement weather as the climbers descended nearly 1,000 meters (3,281 feet) down to be airlifted by the army helicopters.

Food items and ropes were dropped by the helicopters to help the stranded mountaineers survive.

In February, Pakistan's iconic climber Muhammad Ali Sadpara, John Snorri from Iceland and JP Mohr from Chile lost their lives, while attempting to ascend world's second highest peak K2.

Gilgit-Baltistan is at the confluence of world’s greatest mountain ranges – the Karakoram.

Rich in history, culture, and natural beauty the area which also remained a center of rivalries between Russian, British and Chinese empires has been a cynosure of trekkers and adventure tourists over centuries.

The region is home to six peaks of over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), including K2.