Mountaineering Accidents

One of the worst tragedies in the history of mountain climbing has taken the lives of at least 40 members of an international team in the remote Pamir Mountains, in the Soviet Union near the Chinese border.

On 17 July, 1990, a team of 140 international climbers were attempting the Lenin Peak, in the remote Pamir Mountains of the Soviet Union. The team had made camp at 6000 meters, in an area known as the Frying Pan, a well-known ledge used as a place of rest for teams before beginning their summit. While in camp an avalanche commenced down the face of the mountain and swept 40 climbers from five nations which caused their deaths.

The victims included 27 Soviet climbers, principally a 23 Leningrad alpine team led by Leonid Troshchinenko, one of the nation’s leading climbers. The other climbers were from Czechoslovakia, Israel, Switzerland and Spain.