French alpinist and big mountain skier Guillaume “Gee” Pierrel died in an avalanche yesterday, June 24, 2026, according to Everest Today.
Pierrel was attempting to summit K6, a 23,891′ peak in the Karakoram Mountain Range of Pakistan.
“The accident occurred at around 5,000 meters on June 24, 2026, during an expedition in the Hushe Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan,” writes Everest Today. “His French teammate Boris Jule and Swiss climber Christina Maria survived the avalanche, while recovery efforts for Pierrel’s body were launched by local authorities and volunteers.”
Known for notching countless first descents, Pierrel’s achievements have been covered by POWDER in recent years, including a new descent with Christina Lustenberger on Canada’s Deltaform Mountain, the first descent of New Zealand’s highest peak, and the first descent on the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, Mt. Robson.
Our thoughts and condolences are with Pierrel’s friends and family during this time.
Related: Lusti and Gee on Their Impressive First Descent of New Zealand’s Highest Peak
