Search under way for two Belarusian climbers in Kyrgyzstan

August 10, Pozirk. Rescuers in Kyrgyzstan are searching for two Belarusians and a Lithuanian who disappeared after ascending Kurumdy Mountain at the border with China, according to media reports.

Belarusian nationals Mikałaj Svirydaŭ and Maksim Palanski – seasoned climbers aged 60 and 43, holders of the “Snow Leopard” (Snezhny Bars) prestigious mountaineering title awarded to those who successfully summit the five ultra-prominent 7,000-meter peaks located within the former Soviet Union – and Lithuanian Sergejus Rubcovas, 37, reached the peak of the mountain, at 6,613 meters (21,699 feet), on August 1. The following day, they reported that they were preparing to start their descent to the base camp. After that call, contact with the men was lost, and they did not come to a designated point on August 4 where a vehicle was waiting for them.

Search operations, involving a combined rescue team, border guards, and a drone, are ongoing but have been significantly hampered by heavy snowfall and poor visibility.

Because Kurumdy Mountain sits directly on the frontier between Kyrgyzstan and China, satellite phone positioning failed and cellular tracking only came in fragments via a Chinese operator, leaving rescue teams with no specific coordinates and forcing them to sweep the entire mountain route.

Relatives and friends have initiated a public fundraising campaign to cover additional costs for a specialized high-altitude rescue team and helicopter support.

Kurumdy Mountain is situated in the Trans-Alay Range of the Pamir Mountains. With a reputation for extreme technical difficulty, dangerously loose rock, rotten summit cornices and severe isolation, it has seen very few successful ascents.