The renowned American mountaineers Alex Lowe and David Bridges went missing in October 1999 while climbing Shishapangma in Tibet. More than 16 years later, their remains were discovered last week frozen in ice by other climbers. Lowe’s widow, Jennifer, described the pair as if they had been “frozen in time.”
According to a report by BBC Chinese, the remains of Alex Lowe and David Bridges were discovered in late April by German climber David Goettler and Swiss climber Ueli Steck while they were ascending the southern slope of Shishapangma.
The report stated that after discovering the remains, Goettler and Steck informed Jennifer Lowe-Anker, Lowe’s widow. Based on a description of the clothing and gear of the deceased, Jennifer confirmed the identities of the two as Lowe and Bridges, who had been missing for 16 years, and made the confirmation public on April 29.
According to Goettler and Steck, the bodies of Lowe and Bridges were still encased in azure-colored ice but were gradually emerging from the glacier, indicating that the ice was beginning to melt. Jennifer further described the pair as if they had been “frozen in time.”
According to information from China Tibet Online, which is affiliated with the Tibet Autonomous Region Government, the summit of Shishapangma stands at an elevation of 8,013 meters, ranking as the 14th highest peak in the world and the only one over 8,000 meters entirely within mainland China. The first successful ascent of Shishapangma by a Chinese climbing team took place on May 2, 1964 — exactly 52 years ago today. 1050502
(CNA)