Anatoli Boukreev

Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev (January 16, 1958 - December 25, 1997) was a Russian climber who made seven ascents of 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. Boukrev was relatively unknown, though well accomplished, in the international climbing community until the 1996 spring climbing season on Mount Everest, where eight people died in one of the biggest tragedies in the climbing history of Everest, an event chronicled by Jon Krakauer in a best-selling book.

Annapurna 1997

In the winter of 1997, Boukreev was attempting to climb the south face of Annapurna I (8,078m) along with Simone Moro, an accomplished Italian mountaineer. They were accompanied by Dimitri Sobolev, a cinematographer from Kazakhstan, who was documenting the attempt. On December 25 around noon, Boukreev and Moro were fixing ropes in a couloir at around the 5,700m (18,700') level. Suddenly, a cornice broke loose from a ridge not visible from the climbing route. The resulting avalanche knocked Moro down the mountain where he landed just above their tent at Camp I (5,200m/17,060'). Fortuitously, Moro had somehow stayed near the top of the avalanche debris and managed to dig himself out after a few minutes. Unable to see or hear any signs of Boukreev or Sobolev, Moro descended to Annapurna base camp where he was flown by helicopter back to Kathmandu for surgery on his hands, which had been ripped down to the tendons during the fall.

Related Topics:
1997 - Annapurna I - Simone Moro - Italian - Dimitri Sobolev - Cinematographer - Kazakhstan - December 25 - Rope - Couloir - Cornice - Avalanche - Kathmandu - Tendon

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News of the accident reached New Mexico on December 26. Linda Wylie, Boukreev's girlfriend, left for Nepal on December 28. Several attempts were made to reach the avalanche site by helicopter but inclement weather in late December prevented search teams from reaching Camp I. There was some hope that perhaps Boukreev and Sobolev had managed to reach Camp I. However, on January 3, 1998, searchers were finally able to reach Camp I and an empty tent. Linda Wylie subsequently issued a somber statement from Kathmandu:

Related Topics:
New Mexico - December 26 - Nepal - December 28 - January 3 - 1998

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"This is the end... there are no hopes of finding him alive."

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