Remains of American Climber Recovered from Broad Peak Avalanche in Pakistan

Local volunteers discovered the body of American mountaineer Mallory Geis on Friday, concluding a weeks-long search effort on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan. Geis, 39, of San Antonio, Texas, was the final missing member of a 10-person international climbing expedition that perished in an avalanche in late July, according to Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

The mountaineering expedition, led by renowned climber Nirmal Purja, was struck by an avalanche on July 31. Purja, a Nepal-born former British Army officer known as Nims Dai, gained international prominence in 2019 when he summited all 14 peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in just 189 days—a feat documented in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was subsequently surpassed in 2023.

For Geis, the Broad Peak expedition represented her inaugural attempt to climb an 8,000-meter mountain. Earlier this year, she announced via social media that she was closing her Pilates studio to pursue mountaineering, describing the decision as “a giant leap of faith into the unknown” involving “helmets, harnesses, and crampons.”

Her family released a statement earlier this month characterizing Geis as “a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends.” Avalanches, falling ice and rock, extreme altitude, and unpredictable weather patterns make expeditions in northern Pakistan exceptionally hazardous.