Two Climbers Killed in Patagonia Avalanche
Due to dangerous avalanche conditions, no official search team was sent to the area
There have been several accidents in Patagonia this season, with at least four climbers losing their lives in the mountains. The most recent deadly incident involved three climbers, with one making it out alive.
On Jan. 19, Basque climbers Amaia Agirre, 31, and Iker Bilbao, 29, were caught and buried in an avalanche that carried them into a crevasse. A third climber in the group was not caught in the avalanche. They rushed to help and searched for Agirre and Bilbao for over an hour, but was unable to locate them.
No rescue team was sent to search for the missing climbers, as it was determined the avalanche danger was too high. Climbers in the area were asked by authorities to keep an eye out for Agirre and Bilbao, however any hope of finding them has dwindled.
Earlier this year, Cassy Doolittle died while climbing in Patagonia. Her family organized a fundraiser to arrange for a team to recover her body. Our condolences to Agirre and Bilbao’s family and friends.
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