Indian-German climber, Nepali Sherpa guide killed in Mount Manaslu avalanche

Indian-origin climber Dhrubajyoti Guha, 47, and his Nepalese Sherpa guide, Fursemba Sherpa, 47, died in an avalanche at Camp 3 on Mount Manaslu, according to expedition organizers. The climbers had continued their ascent despite other climbers turning back. Guha, based near Frankfurt, Germany, had a background in mechanical engineering and had worked for ABB, IBM, Pfizer, and Nestlé.

He was also an accomplished trail runner, having completed 32 UTMB World Series races. Sherpa, a highly experienced NMA-registered guide, had summited Everest nine times and climbed several other peaks. The weather conditions worsened as the group reached higher camps, and while six other climbers retreated from Camp 2, Guha and Sherpa decided to attempt a summit early on Saturday evening.

They were not found until Sunday morning, buried under nearly seven feet of snow. The avalanche raised the autumn season death toll on Manaslu to four, with previous fatalities including Singaporean climber Lau Wee Seng and Nepali high-altitude worker Tashi Sherpa. Manaslu has seen a record number of foreign climbers this autumn, leading to at least 24 mountaineering fatalities in the region this year.