How old was Anna Gutu? Avalanches kill mountaineer and a Sherpa while two others remain missing

American mountaineer Anna Gutu and her Nepalese guide, Mingmar Sherpa, were killed in dual avalanches that rocked the Tibetian mountain Shishapangma on Saturday, October 7, 2023. The two others, American climber, Gina Marie Rzucidlo, and her guide, Tenjen Sherpa, remain missing in the high-altitude calamity.

According to Xinhua News Agency, a Chinese state-run news media, Anna Gutu, who is 32, and Mingmar were with a group of 52 others who were pushing for the Shishapangma summit. They were reported missing on Saturday and their tragic deaths were confirmed on Sunday after their bodies were pulled from the snow.

The peak is just over 8,027 meters (26,335 feet) above sea level, making it the 14th highest peak in the world. As per the report, the two avalanches hit the Tibetian mountain at elevations of 7,600 meters (24,934 feet) and 8,000 meters (26247 feet).

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Anna Gutu was racing Gina Marie Rzucidlo to become the first American woman to climb all the "eight-thousanders"

According to the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, the eight-thousanders are a group of fourteen mountains over 8000 meters above sea level. While the list is currently in the process of being expanded, all the peaks are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges.

Additionally, their summit lies in the death zone, where the pressure of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for a long period of time.

Tenjen Sherpa, who climbed with Gina Marie Rzucidlo, shattered the Guniess records for the fastest climb (92 days) of the eight-thousanders back in July, along with 37-year-old Norwegian climber, Kristin Harila. The previous record was 189 days. Harila announced on Saturday that she, along with her team, were en route to Nepal to assist in the search of both the climbers.

Tenjen, who is 35 years, would have become the youngest climber to scale all 14 peaks twice. Rzucidlo, who hails from New York, started her quest back in 2022 when she finished climbing eight peaks.

Anna Gutu was an accomplished mountaineer herself and was climbing with Elite Exped. She was attempting to complete the eight-thousands challenge in the same season. Her 13th climb was the Cho Oyu, which she completed on October 4.

Shishipangmawas the final peak for both the women in their respective journeys to scale the 14 mountains. Anna Gutu started her ascend of Shishipangma on Friday, October 6, when Rzucidlo was at a higher camp.

Additionally, another guide of Nepalese origin, Karma Geljen Sherpa was seriously injured in the calamity. However, his condition was not life-threatening, and he was escorted down by rescuers.

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While Himalayan mountain climbing season typically starts in October due to the end of rains, experts warn that avalanches have been a common occurrence due to climate change. According to Reuters, about 120 people have died due to avalanches on the Indian side of the Himalayas in the last two years.

Anna Gutu was among the fifty-two member-group that included climbers from the United States, Britain, Romania, Albania, Italy, Japan, and Pakistan. All climbing activities in Shishapangma have been suspended currently due to unstable snow conditions.