Climbing
China moutaneering authorities have declared American climber Gina Marie Rzucidlo and her guide Tenjin Lama Sherpa dead. The pair went missing on Saturday, October 7, 2023, when an avalanche took out the path on Tibet’s Shishapagma. Their bodies have not been found and Chinese authorities do not allow helicopters in search and rescue efforts.
Tenjin (or Tenjen) Lama Sherpa was the legendary guide that helped Kristin Harila climb all 14 eight-thousanders in just 92 days earlier this year. The pair went missing during their push for Shishapagma last Saturday together with another rival climbing team lead by Elite Exped, the company founded by Nirmal Purja (Nims) Sherpa and Mingma David Sherpa.
Gina Marie hailed from New York and was on a mission to conquer all 14 peaks as the first American woman. She had started this project without any sponsors or social media coverage and wanted to accomplish this feat in a mission to inspire others, especially Iranian women. She would take the Iranian flag to each summit to show Iranian women that they can fight for their freedom. The Massachusetts resident was a passionate climber and above all a beloved daughter, sister and aunt. A fundraiser has been started to help her family cover the cost of repatriating her body.
It has been a tragic weekend in Tibet with the loss of four incredible people. In total 52 hikers were on the mountain and some decided to turn around earlier in the day, including Nims himself, avoiding an even larger loss of life.
In lieu of hollow phrases, I will leave you with the simple but impactful words by Reinhold Messner:
“Mountains are not fair or unfair, they are just dangerous.”
