All efforts to retrieve the body of Alex Goldfarb from Pastori Peak have been in vain. “They have tried to reach the spot more times but failed,” spokesman Laszlo Pinter reported. “It is in a very dangerous place, not really suitable for a ground recovery.”
Alex Goldfarb went missing on January 16 while climbing Pastori Peak on his own after partner Zoltan Szlanko turned around due to dangerous conditions. The two climbers were acclimatizing on the 6,209m peak before launching an alpine-style attempt on neighboring Broad Peak.
Alex Goldfarb and Zoltan Szlanko aimed for a fast, alpine-style attempt on Broad Peak. Photo: Laszlo Pinter/Mozgasvilag
Two days later, a helicopter spotted Goldfarb’s body on a lower yet inaccessible part of the mountain. Apparently, the climber had fallen off the mountain’s upper section.
Alex Goldfarb’s family arranged a retrieval mission, in which four experienced Pakistani climbers tried to reach the deceased climber on foot. The Pakistani government gave them a free flight to Concordia, and from there, they trekked into Broad Peak Base Camp. However, bad weather and dangerous terrain have repeatedly prevented the men from reaching Goldfarb, and the mission has finally been called off.
Base Camp was dismantled yesterday, and the ground team along with the two-person staff and Goldfarb’s Hungarian partner, Zoltan Szlanko, have started their trek back on the Baltoro, Pinter said.
