'My legs trembled': Dubai-based mountaineer recalls how she survived avalanches that killed 4 friends

It was a narrow escape for Dubai-based Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani — who lost four friends in avalanches that swept down the Tibetan mountain of Shishapangma, one of the highest peaks in the world.

"If I didn't take a break, I would have been in the avalanche," Kiani told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.

Among the four people who died in the tragedy on Saturday were two US nationals who were competing to become the first American woman to scale the tallest 14 mountains in the world. Shishapangma was the last on their lists.

The two other fatalities were their Nepalese guides.

Kiani, who recently summited China’s Cho Oyu mountain — her seventh in seven months, was with the entire team for six hours. She got separated from them as they went straight ahead, instead of turning left.

“At one point, I stopped to take my glasses out and take a drink, which caused us to separate," she wrote in an Instagram post.

She said she saw American mountaineer Anna Gutu and her team continuing straight ahead. Then they slowed down for some reason. Kiani then heeded a group leader's instruction to take a break.

Next thing she knew, after a few minutes, the leader Nims was already shouting, “Avalanche! Avalanche!”

"Initially, we didn't grasp the gravity of the situation, but moments later, I spotted movement around 200 metres below and alerted Nims. He sent his team to investigate whilst we anxiously waited. Meanwhile, we saw (Gina Rzucidlo, the other American) continuing her ascent despite the avalanche,” Kiani recalled in her post.

She followed her instincts

When the first avalanche happened, half of the team went to rescue three people who got hit, she told KT.

"Anna and her sherpa (guide) Mingmar died in the first avalanche."

Upon realising the death of her team members, she decided to descend immediately.

"My legs trembled as I descended 1,000 metres,” she said.

They were just 350 metres away from the summit then, and their leader was telling them to continue.

"We were so close. But the route was very steep and blue ice was hard to climb. There was no rope and I immediately thought it was too dangerous,” she said.

“Plus when your team members die, it’s disrespectful to continue to summit. I immediately decided to turn around, and my instincts told me there will be another avalanche,” she added.

Kiani said she was the first person to leave.

“After I turned around to descent, another avalanche hit three more people taking down the other American climber (Gina) and a Nepali record holder guide who climbed all 14 of the 8,000-metre peaks in 92 days,” she added.

“I was so close to the first avalanche. Thankfully, Nims told me to stop and take a break. If I didn’t take that break, I would have been in the avalanche,” she said.

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‘Devastating turn of events’

“It was a devastating turn of events,” Kiani said in her social media post.

“The last few days have been hard, we still can’t believe we lost four friends and colleagues."

The two avalanches occurred at altitudes of 7,600 and 8,000, according to authorities.

Anna and her Nepalese guide Mingmar Sherpa were the first to be declared dead on Saturday. Christy, Gina’s sister, announced the climber’s death in a post on Facebook on Monday.

Fierce competition

Other Shishapangma climbers also revealed there was a “fierce competition” between the two US summitters who were vying to become the first American woman to climb all 14 mountains that are more than 8,000m high. Anna and Gina each had 13, and had only Shishapangma left to do.

Kiani continued her poignant account: “Gina and her sherpas were informed of the avalanche but kept climbing. One can assume they kept climbing in pursuit of the record of being the first woman from USA to climb all 14 8,000-metre peaks.”

“This pursuit of a record contributed to the loss of four lives,” Kiani sadly pointed out. “We all share responsibility for this tragedy. If we prioritise the love of climbing over records and cultivate a culture that rejects toxic competition, perhaps such heartbreak can be prevented in the future.”

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