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3w ago

American Mountaineer Alex Pancoe Dies During Fundraising Expedition on Mount Makalu

The 39-year-old cancer survivor and charity advocate passed away at Camp II after a suspected cardiac arrest; recovery efforts for his body are ongoing.

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Alex and Nina Pancoe pose at the peak of Mount Democrat in Colorado. Alex Pancoe died Sunday while climbing the fifth-highest mountain in the world. (Photo courtesy of Nina Pancoe)
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Overview

  • Alex Pancoe, a celebrated climber and cancer survivor, died on May 4, 2025, at Camp II on Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth-highest peak, during a fundraising expedition for pediatric cancer research.
  • The cause of death is suspected to be cardiac arrest, though confirmation awaits a postmortem examination, according to expedition organizers Himalayan Guides.
  • Pancoe aimed to raise $27,838 for Lurie Children’s Hospital, matching the height of Mount Makalu in feet, as part of his lifelong advocacy for cancer research and treatment.
  • The accomplished mountaineer completed the Explorers Grand Slam in 2019, becoming one of only 75 people globally to achieve the feat, while raising over $500,000 for charity.
  • Efforts are underway to retrieve Pancoe’s body from the remote high-altitude Camp II, with his family and the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu already informed of his passing.