Even after years of first-hand experience, it’s hard for Don Bowie to believe just how harsh winter in the Himalaya can be. High winds scour the mountains of snow, leaving behind rock and bulletproof ice. Temperatures regularly drop to -50 degrees—as low as -80 with wind chill.
In January, 2020, Kaspar Podgorski, age 33, fell approximately 130 feet while climbing in El Portrero Chico. A determined group of local rescuers were first on the scene.