French mountaineer and mountain guide Guillaume Pierrel has died in an avalanche while attempting to scale the 7,282-meter K-6 peak, also known as Baltistan Peak, in Pakistan’s Karakoram range.
K-6, located in the Karakoram range of Pakistan, is considered one of the region’s challenging peaks and attracts experienced climbers from around the world due to its technical difficulty and remote terrain.
The 41-year-old climber was caught in a sudden snow and rock avalanche at an altitude of around 5,000 meters on June 24, 2026. Two other members of the expedition survived the incident.
The accident took place during a three-member international climbing expedition in the Hushe Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ghanche District. The team included Guillaume Pierrel from France, Boris Jule from France, and Christina Maria from Switzerland.
According to details, the team was ascending K-6 when a powerful avalanche swept through their climbing route. Pierrel was struck by the debris and died instantly, while his teammates managed to survive.
Following the incident, the surviving climbers used satellite communication equipment to inform authorities about the tragedy.
Local officials and volunteer rescue teams have since started efforts to recover Pierrel’s body from the mountain.
