Items Belonging To Missing Climbers Found In Kyrgyzstan

Searches are continuing in Kyrgyzstan for three missing climbers. Belarusians Maksim Palianski and Mikalai Svirydau, as well as Lithuanian citizen Sergey Rubtsov, have been out of contact since August 2.

On Thursday, the search team managed to find items belonging to the climbers.

“While examining the western side of the ridge, at an altitude of about 4,500 meters, a backpack and an orange item — a sleeping bag or a jacket, it is not yet possible to say more precisely from the video — were found below the ridge. There were separate items nearby, apparently from the same backpack. The equipment apparently belongs to one member of the group. Neither the climbers themselves nor their tracks can be seen around the area or on the ridge.

We are not drawing any conclusions yet, but the picture is taking shape as follows: the items were most likely lost during the descent. If a roped team had fallen on this section, the equipment of the other members would also be lying nearby. It is not. It remains to be determined exactly where the backpack fell from: given the terrain, it could have come down from a steep section above the first camp, from altitudes of 5,100–5,300 meters.

The section in question is one of the most difficult parts of the ridge: rock and ice formations where it is almost impossible to arrange belaying. Even in good weather, something is constantly falling there, while below, under the avalanche deposits, there are large crevasses,” the search organizers said.

The work was interrupted by rain yesterday. Today, as soon as weather conditions allow, a drone will survey the entire section from the ridge to the location where the items were found.