Overview

• Laura Dahlmeier died after a rockfall on Laila Peak in late July and had stipulated in writing that her body stay on the mountain if recovery endangered others.
• Helicopter and ground teams have repeatedly aborted recovery efforts because of ongoing rockfall, unpredictable weather and extremely technical terrain.
• Gilgit-Baltistan officials and Dahlmeier’s family have confirmed her remains will stay on the peak until conditions improve or the next climbing season.
• High-altitude body recoveries demand four to five porters per frozen corpse and can cost up to $100,000, underscoring why many Himalayan fatalities go unrecovered.
• The decision highlights a stark contrast with Bavarian law, which requires prompt retrieval of all alpine fatalities unless rescuers face immediate risk.