I am deeply saddened to report that climber Markus Kronthaler apparently died on Broad Peak in the Karakorum after returning from the summit and spending the night in a snow cave.

The facts of what happened will come out over time, but this is what is known so far: he and a teammate were forced to stay overnight in a snow cave on their summit bid. After the summit, they returned to the same snow cave and requested emergency help from other expeditions due to exhaustion and dehydration. No High-Altitude Porters were able to reach them.

A Polish team found Markus’ climbing partner Sepp Bachmair on a col (25,500 feet) in bad condition, and climber Piotr Morawski helped Sepp down to Camp 3. On the summit ridge, they later found Markus, who had already perished. After performing the last rites, the Poles proceeded to the main summit. His body remains on the mountain.

Unlike this season’s climbers on Everest, Morawski gave up his summit attempt in order to help the injured climber. However, he made a solo bid on Sunday July 9, reaching the summit at noon.

According to veteran climber Alan Arnette, who already had turned back from a summit attempt on Broad Peak this season, climbing to any summit above 26,000 feet is exhausting. It is difficult to eat or drink enough. Almost every climber becomes weak and dehydrated, and that is in good conditions. On Broad Peak this year there has been deep snow, crusty tops and exhausting trail breaking. Even when teams created a route through the deep snow, winds obscured them causing the next team to start all over. It is easy to see how Markus, being completely spent, made the decision to bivouac in the snow cave to try to regain his strength. Perhaps he simply fell asleep and then it was over.

Markus’ Austrian team reflected confidence and determination, probably characteristics of their leader. They were one of the first teams on Broad in 2006. Along with the Australians, they established high camps early, and unselfishly assisted other teams with trail breaking, while sharing equipment and space at the high camps.

The climbing season in the Karakorum is coming to an end as the jet stream is beginning its blast of the summit. With all of the tragedy on Everest earlier this season, this latest death is a sad finale to the year.