Tragedy on Tocllaraju: Avalanche claims the lives of two foreign mountaineers in the Cordillera Blanca

A deep sadness grips the international mountaineering community. On June 17, 2026, a devastating avalanche on the Tocllaraju mountain (6,034 m) claimed the lives of Mexican citizen Daniel Navarro and Canadian citizen Sandra Covone, as they attempted to reach the summit of this colossus in the province of Huaraz.

The tragic incident occurred in the early morning hours, in the area known as data-path-to-node=”4″ data-index-in-node=”78″>”the shoulder” of the mountain, at an approximate altitude of 5,400 meters above sea level. A massive snowslab avalanche surprised and buried the climbing team.

A miraculous rescue amidst the pain

The expedition consisted of three people. While the two foreign mountaineers tragically died instantly from the impact, the renowned Peruvian mountain guide, Florentino Caldua, survived the accident.

After the alert was activated, a highly complex emergency operation was deployed, coordinated by:

• The Association of Mountain Guides of Peru (AGMP).

• The

  Air logistical support via a PNP helicopter.

  Rescuers located Florentino Caldua alive, who was evacuated to receive emergency medical attention for his injuries. Later, braving extreme weather conditions and the latent danger of further avalanches, rescue patrols managed to recover the victims’ bodies.

  Confirmation and Repatriation Protocols
  The Regional Emergency Operations Center (COER Áncash) officially confirmed the accident’s outcome. At the time of this writing, Peruvian authorities, in close collaboration with the Mexican and Canadian embassies, are already coordinating the legal procedures and the repatriation of the remains of both athletes.

  Global Mountain’s Reflection: Tocllaraju is one of the most beautiful and coveted peaks in the Cordillera Blanca, but its ridges and hanging ice demand absolute respect. Climate change and abrupt temperature variations are making snowpacks increasingly unstable in the high Andes.

  From Global Mountain, we send our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and mountaineering communities in Mexico and Canada. We also wish a speedy and full recovery to guide Florentino Caldua. May Daniel and Sandra rest in peace on the peaks they loved so much.