Newsflash: The following news flash is a preliminary report posted as a service to our readers. Alpinist has not confirmed the veracity of its contents but will post a story in detail when more information becomes available.–Ed.
This morning, news reached Base Camp that Alexy Bolotov, the rope partner of Denis Urubko, died in an accident at 5600m on Everest. “The incident is confirmed,” Beni Maiya Hyoju of Cho Oyu Trekking told Montagna.tv. “But still little is known about the dynamics. It took place at about 5600 meters above sea level, just above the Icefall. Maybe a fall into a crevasse.”
Bolotov and Urubko planned to climb a new route in alpine style on the southwest aspect, between the Southwest Face route (Haston-Scott-Boardman-Pertemba-Burke, 1975) and the South Pillar (Czok-Kukuczka, 1980).