A pair of hikers have died after a 300-metre fall from a mountain ridge onto a glacier.
Alexandra Gheorghe and Marco Stagi suffered the accident on Wednesday (13 Aug).
The climbing partners plunged from the ridge of the mountain they were traversing, likely due to bad weather.
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The fall may have been 200 to 300 metres in an area where the slopes are sheer sheets of ice.
The alarm was raised only during the night, when Alexandra’s boyfriend alerted rescuers after she failed to return and could not be contacted.
The pair had spent Tuesday night at the Quintino Sella refuge at Felik, on the Italian side of the Monte Rosa massif, near the Swiss border.
They set off at dawn on Wednesday aiming to reach the 4,228-metre summit of Mount Castor.
Alexandra, 36, was an experienced climber and had all the necessary equipment, as reported by Need To Know.
It is believed the pair reached the summit and continued along the ridge to complete the traverse before descending the western slope towards Champoluc.
While the route runs along a relatively easy crest, it can become treacherous in bad weather.
Local media report that fog and wind may have wiped out visibility, making it difficult to find the descent route among the ice.
At first light, the regional mountain rescue service carried out a helicopter flyover but found no trace of the pair.
Police later managed to retrieve the last GPS signal sent from Alexandra’s watch.
Searches were focused on the area, and the bodies were finally located and recovered early in the afternoon.
Alexandra was originally from Romania but had lived in Campodarsego, Veneto, for many years.
Marco, 34, was from Santa Maria a Monte, Tuscany. His family were in Ireland when the tragedy unfolded and were reported to be making arrangements to return to Italy.
Alexandra described herself as a “passionate Venetian, crazy about sports, aperitifs, and, of course, travelling”.
She wrote: “Discovering new places, meeting different cultures and people, watching sunrises and sunsets, running, and having new experiences around the world fills my heart with joy.
“And how wonderful is it to share all of that with the people by your side? Always smiling and ready for the next adventure. I love embracing the full simplicity and authenticity of every place I visit.”
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