Search teams have located the remains of American climber Mallory Geis, the final missing member of a 10-person international mountaineering group that perished in an avalanche on Broad Peak several weeks ago, as confirmed by a mountaineering official and local authorities on Friday. Geis’s body was discovered by a team of local volunteers, led by Irfan Arshad Khan, the president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. This expedition marked Geis’s first endeavor to summit an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan.

Living in San Antonio, Texas, Geis, aged 39, made a public announcement earlier this year on social media regarding the closure of her Pilates studio to embark on “a significant leap of faith into the unknown to explore life’s journey. I have a strong feeling that helmets, harnesses, and crampons will play a significant role.” Her family described her as “a shining beacon deeply cherished by her loved ones and friends.”

The recovery operation concluded a search initiated on July 31 after the group, guided by renowned climber Nirmal Purja, was swept away by an avalanche on Broad Peak. Purja, also known as Nims Dai, a former British Army soldier of Nepali origin, achieved fame by conquering the world’s 14 highest peaks in a remarkable 189 days in 2019, a feat showcased in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was later broken in 2023.

Incidents like avalanches, falling ice and rocks, high altitudes, and sudden weather changes are frequent hazards faced by climbers in northern Pakistan.