Body of American Climber Missing for 22 Years Found Frozen on Peru’s Huascaran Mountain

American climber William Stampfl, who went missing 22 years ago while hiking on Peru’s Huascaran mountain, has been discovered deceased.

His body was found on the mountainside where he disappeared, remarkably well-preserved due to Peruvian ice, which has been melting amid rising temperatures.

Stampfl, 59 at the time of his disappearance in June 2002, was reported missing following an avalanche.

Police officers at the scene on the mountainside (Picture: Peruvian National Police/AFP)

Despite extensive search efforts, he was not located until now. His identification was made possible by recovering his clothing, harness, boots, and passport.

Stampfl had embarked on the hike with companions Steve Erskine and Matthew Richardson, the former of whom was previously found deceased. Richardson’s whereabouts remain unknown.

Huascaran, standing at 22,000 feet and located approximately 270 miles north of Lima, is renowned among climbers for its challenging routes and snowy peaks.

However, climate change has significantly impacted the region, losing more than half of its glaciers over the last six decades.

Stampfl’s discovery marks the third fatality on Huascaran this year alone, following the deaths of an Israeli man in May and an Italian climber in June.

The shrinking glaciers and increasing hazards underscore the effects of the climate crisis on mountainous regions worldwide.

Scientists have documented the disappearance of 175 glaciers in Peru between 2016 and 2020, highlighting the rapid environmental changes occurring in the area. The past decade has been the hottest on record globally, as the World Meteorological Organization reported.