Glacier melt reveals remains of Austrian climber after 41 years

The remains of Austrian climber Gerald Fellner, who died in the Karakoram in 1985, have been recovered from a glacier and reburied in Pakistan, ORF reported. Melting ice exposed his body two years ago.

Fellner was 26 when he joined an expedition to make the first ascent of the east summit of Rakaposhi, a peak more than 7,000 metres high. The team reached the summit, but Fellner died in a fall during the descent. His body was buried in a crevasse at about 5,000 metres.

Local residents found his remains after the ice retreated and recently arranged a burial in the valley. Last summer, Fellner’s family travelled to Pakistan for a memorial with residents of the Nagar Valley. His former partner, Karin Frick, could not join them for health reasons, but she had remained in contact with the family over the decades.

Fellner’s brother Johannes, who lives in Salzburg, said the news brought a sense of relief: “We can now think of or feel a place. The crevasse was somewhere unknown. Now we have a specific place with the grave in Pakistan.”

Local residents also named a bridge after Fellner. His brother Anton said the family had experienced their warmth during the trip, adding that anyone leaving the community for the mountains now has to cross the bridge.

Frick remembered Fellner as someone who brought people together. She said her grief had gradually given way to the enduring love and connection she felt for him.