Russian Mountaineer Stranded at 7,200 Meters Declared Impossible to Save

The rescue campaign for Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna, stranded on Kyrgyzstan’s Peak Pobeda at an altitude of 7,200 meters, has officially been declared impossible and terminated. The head of the base camp, Dmitry Grekov, confirmed the decision, stating that saving the mountaineer from such a height was unrealistic. The base camp at 4,050 meters will be evacuated on August 26.

Helicopter Attempts Blocked by Weather

Efforts to reach the climber were further complicated by severe weather conditions. A rescue helicopter, Airbus Helicopters H125, was unable to take off due to poor visibility and storms. According to Adil Chargynov, press secretary of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, Italian pilots waited for two days at Karkyra near Peak Pobeda, but the weather prevented any flight attempt.

European Rescuers and the Role of Drones

On August 25, European rescuers considered deploying a drone to locate Nagovitsyna and recover the body of Italian climber Luca Singaglia, who had perished while assisting. Members of the rescue team said that if Nagovitsyna showed signs of life, an Italian pilot would attempt an evacuation by helicopter.

Experts: “Rescue Was Impossible”

This was not the first time the operation had been declared over. On August 23, base camp officials had already announced its conclusion. “Since 1955, no one has ever been evacuated from that altitude on Pobeda,” noted Dmitry Grekov. Alexander Yakovenko, head of the Russian Federation of Mountaineering’s classical climbing commission, described the chance of saving Nagovitsyna as simply “impossible.” He pointed out that the climbing season on Peak Pobeda had ended, no qualified rescuers were nearby, and too much time had passed since she was stranded.

Background of the Expedition

Nagovitsyna became trapped on the mountain on August 12. According to her friend Liya Popova, the climber began the expedition despite a fresh injury—she had broken her leg only six months earlier. She had attempted to summit Peak Pobeda once before in 2024. For this year’s climb, she reportedly purchased only basic insurance and placed her trust in an inexperienced guide.

Foreign Climbers Who Tried to Help

The Russian climber was not alone. Two foreign alpinists, Italian Luca Singaglia and German Günter, were with her during the climb. Both tried to support Nagovitsyna during the ordeal. Tragically, Singaglia lost his life in the process, underscoring the extreme dangers of one of the most lethal mountains in the former Soviet Union.

“Saving her from that altitude was impossible. The season is over, the conditions are fatal, and the resources simply do not exist,” — Alexander Yakovenko, Federation of Mountaineering Russia.

Details

Jengish Chokusu or Victory Peak is the highest mountain in the Tian Shan mountain system in Central Asia at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft). It lies on the China–Kyrgyzstan border between the Ak-Suu District in the Issyk-Kul Region of far Eastern Kyrgyzstan and Wensu County, Xinjiang, China. It is part of the Kakshaal Too, the highest part of the Tian Shan, and is southeast of lake Issyk-Kul. Jengish Chokusu is the 16th most prominent peak on Earth.