Trapped by a glacier: Russian climbers rescued in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – A group of six mountaineers was trapped near Satpayev Peak in the Almaty region after their instructor broke his leg, leaving them stranded on a glacier, citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The distress call reached emergency services in the evening through hotline 109. Rescuers and a canine unit were dispatched, but navigating the glacier at night posed a deadly risk, so a Mi-8 MTV helicopter was called in.

The crew successfully evacuated all six climbers — five Russians and one Kazakh. Two of them sustained injuries and are now under medical supervision.

Satpayev Peak (4,301 meters) is located in the Zailiyskiy Alatau range. While popular among tourists, the area is considered highly challenging, with routes across steep rocks and glaciers requiring significant mountaineering skills.

The ministry emphasized that rescue teams and aviation remain on 24-hour standby for emergencies in hard-to-reach mountain areas.

The incident comes amid renewed focus on mountain safety following a recent tragedy in Kyrgyzstan. Russian climber Natalia Nagovitsyna sustained a leg fracture at over 7,000 meters on Victory Peak and was later declared missing after failed evacuation attempts — a case that sparked heated debate among mountaineers about the risks of high-altitude expeditions.