Bodies of two Italian climbers missing on Mont Blanc found: they hugged each other to survive the cold.

The bodies of the two Italian climbers missing on Mont Blanc, Andrea Galimberti and Sara Stefanelli, were found embracing at 4.500 meters above sea level. They died of exposure during a storm. Two South Korean climbers and a Canadian hiker who died due to illness were also found.

The bodies of the two Italian climbers missing on Mont Blanc, Andrea Galimberti, 53, and Sara Stefanelli, 41, were found embracing, probably in an attempt to protect themselves from the extreme cold.

After days of intense searching, the Peloton d'haute montagne de Chamonix located their bodies at 4.500 meters above sea level on the “Mur de la Cote”, a steep icy slope that leads to the summit. The climbers had been missing since last Saturday, and the difficult weather conditions, with temperatures down to -15 degrees and winds of 150 km/h, make it likely that they died of exposure during a storm.

The rescue operations were complicated by a series of logistical difficulties: the fresh snow, which had accumulated in quantities of at least 50 cm, had buried the tracks of the crampons on the glacier. Due to the strong wind and the unstable snow, which increased the risk of avalanches, the Aosta Valley Alpine Rescue had decided not to leave a team on foot on the summit.

The hopes of finding the missing alive were minimal, especially after the last desperate call of the two climbers asking for help, declaring that they were stuck and at risk of freezing to death. The bodies were taken to Chamonix.

About a hundred meters from the two Italians, the bodies of two South Korean mountaineers were also found, also missing since Saturday and surprised by bad weather at high altitude. Their bodies were found close to each other, suggesting conditions similar to those of the two Italians.

Another mountain tragedy occurred in the Col de la Seigne area, near Courmayeur, where the body of a Canadian hiker was found. The woman had disappeared after failing to return to the valley from an excursion; it is likely that she died due to illness. The search began on Monday evening and continued all night, until the body was found and recovered by helicopter at dawn. The investigation into her death is being conducted by the Guardia di Finanza of Entreves.