A Climbing Guide and Client Die from Carbon Monoxide

Two Russian climbers have died while climbing Lenin Peak (pictured above) this week. According to mountain.ru, they died from carbon monoxide poisoning while in their tent during an ascent of the 7,134-metre mountain.

Vyacheslav Sheiko, known by many as Slava Topol, was a well-known mountain guide known for climbing long hours carrying heavy loads. The other climber was his client, named as Georgiy Veselovsky. They were 38 and 41 years old.

The accident happened at just over 6,000 metres and there’s currently an investigation into what happened taking place. Sheiko ran his own guiding business and had climbed Lenin Peak, which is on the border of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in the Pamir range, 26 times.

In 2019, Sheiko won a bronze medal competing in the Lenin Peak Sky Marathon, which is one of the highest altitude races ever organized.