BROAD PEAK — Search teams found the remains of American climber Mallory Geis on Friday. Geis was the last missing member of a 10-member international mountaineering team killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak.

A team of local volunteers found Geis’ remains. The search for Geis began on July 31. Geis was 39 years old and lived in San Antonio, Texas.

She was a Pilates studio owner. The expedition was Geis’ first attempt to climb an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan.

The expedition was led by Nirmal Purja. Purja is a Nepal-born former British Army soldier. He is widely known as Nims Dai.

In 2019, Purja climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days. His 2019 climbing achievement was featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” Purja’s record for climbing the 14 highest peaks was broken in 2023.

The expedition was swept away by an avalanche on Broad Peak. The avalanche occurred on 30 July 2026 at an altitude of about 6,600 m (21,700 ft) on the slope between Camp 2 and Camp 3. Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,051 metres (26,414 ft) elevation above sea level. Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan due to avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude, and rapidly changing weather.

Geis announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio. "I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved," Geis stated on social media. Irfan Arshad Khan is the president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

Why It Matters

The death of Mallory Geis reflects the dangers faced by amateur climbers on extreme expeditions. Geis was attempting her first 8,000-meter peak when the avalanche struck. The incident shows the risks inherent in high-altitude mountaineering in northern Pakistan, where environmental hazards such as avalanches and rapidly changing weather are frequent.

The loss of the entire 10-member team, including experienced leader Nirmal Purja, demonstrates that even seasoned professionals are vulnerable to these conditions. Purja had previously set records for speed ascents of the world's highest peaks. The confirmation of all fatalities by the Alpine Club of Pakistan closes the search for the group but reinforces the statistical reality of danger in the region.

Timeline

Nirmal Purja climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019. Nirmal Purja’s record for climbing the 14 highest peaks was broken in 2023.

The search for Geis began on July 31.

What's New

The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that the remains of Nirmal Purja and three other climbers were found by a ground team on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains, where a 10-member international expedition was swept away by an avalanche.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the ranking of Broad Peak among the world's highest mountains.