Experienced climbers Saki Terada and Chiaki Inada from Japan faced severe challenges while climbing 6,757m Nevado Huascaran earlier this week. Their climb of Peru’s highest peak ended in tragedy.
The duo became stuck at 6,600m during their descent. Inada died, and rescue teams struggled to help Terada down.
Yesterday, rescuers finally evacuated Terada from the mountain, transporting her to Víctor Ramos Guardia Hospital in Huaraz. She is in a critical but stable condition, suffering from severe dehydration and frostbite on her hands and feet from prolonged exposure to extreme cold, according to Infobae.
Today, medics will transfer her to a hospital in Lima, Peru’s capital city, where she can continue treatment.
Saki Terada was rescued and taken to Huaraz. Frame from a video: Canal N/Infoabe
Inada’s body recovery underway
Efforts are underway to recover Inada’s body. Inada, a 40-year-old doctor for Wilderness Medical Associates Japan (WMA), succumbed to hypothermia and cerebral edema.
According to some Peruvian sources, rescue services found the climbers at approximately 6,500m on the south face of Huascaran’s south peak, just below the summit. They were on the technical Escudo route, a 600m ice and snow wall known for its steep terrain and harsh weather.
Terada and Inada had arrived in Peru two weeks ago and had at least one acclimatization hike before starting the ascent on Huascaran. Presumably, the two women summited on June 23, and the problems started on June 24 when they encountered foggy weather and low visibility.
Huascaran at sunrise. Photo: Wikipedia
Timeline of events
Today, WMA Japan has published a report on what happened. Below we have translated it into English with minor edits to improve clarity. Note all times referred to are Peru Standard Time.
June 24
At around 1:30 am:
– Chiaki Inada became incapacitated due to suspected hypothermia. A distress signal was sent via Garmin’s SOS satellite device to a private rescue agency in Peru. The agency contacted WMA Japan to verify the situation.
At around 4:00 am:
– A response headquarters was established, and negotiations began with various parties.
– Requests for rescue to the local private rescue agency and to local police authorities.
– Request for support through the Japanese Embassy in Peru.
At around 7:30 am:
– Online meeting with Japanese and Peruvian stakeholders.
– Survival of Inada and Terada confirmed.
– Text communication with Japan was possible until around 10:00 am. The climbers were stranded and incapacitated at the site.
– Rescue arrangements confirmed.
– The climbers’ problems occurred around 6,600m, just below the summit. No helicopters in Peru can fly at this altitude, so the rescue team had to fly to the Huascaran refuge hut, then proceed on foot to the site. The plan was to bring both climbers to the refuge hut by land, followed by a helicopter rescue.
– Cooperation from local police was secured through the Japanese Embassy in Peru.
At around 4:00 pm:
– A joint rescue operation by local police and private teams began. Nine team members, split into three groups, arrived at the Huascaran refuge hut.
– The team began climbing toward the stranded climbers on foot.
– Additional teams were dispatched through efforts by the Japanese Embassy and local stakeholders.
– The rescue team consisted of over 10 members, primarily local mountain guides, operating in several groups.
Saki Terada and Chiaki Inada earlier this month at Laguna Churup, Peru. Photo: Chiaki Inada
June 25
At around 7:30 am:
– Staff at a lodge at the mountain’s base reported phone contact with Inada and Terada
– Though their responses were not entirely clear, their voices were confirmed.
At around 12:00 pm:
The rescue team approached the SOS location but encountered difficulties due to large crevasses. They continued searching for a viable route.
At around 3:00 pm:
– The rescue team reached the two stranded climbers. Terada was conscious. Inada was unconscious and in critical condition.
– The team provided first aid and considered transport options through the night.
At around 6:00 pm:
– Deteriorating weather conditions made rescue operations extremely difficult, rendering simultaneous transport of both climbers impossible.
– Local rescue teams and authorities determined Inada’s death at the site.
– Further rescue activities became unsafe, so Inada’s body was temporarily left at the site with its location recorded via GPS.
– The rescue team focused on evacuating Terada.
A green arrow marks where Terada and Inada became stranded. Frame of a video by Latina Noticias
June 26
At around 9:00 am:
– Terada was walking at approximately 5,100m (the pickup point is at about 4,500m).
– A helicopter and local medical personnel were on standby for transport.
– The plan was to transport Terada to a hospital at the base via helicopter upon reaching the pickup point.
At around 1:45 pm:
– Terada safely reached the helicopter pickup point at the refuge hut.
– Partway down, she became unable to walk independently and was carried by the rescue team, but remained fully conscious.
– Final landing arrangements and flight permissions were being coordinated, with the helicopter set to deploy once conditions were met.
Inada was an experienced climber. Photo: Chiaki Inada
At around 2:30 pm:
– Thanks to the rescue team’s swift coordination, Terada was safely admitted to a hospital.
– Preparations for the recovery of Inada’s body have begun.
At around 10:00 pm:
– A team of local mountain police and guides left to retrieve Inada’s body.
