[Photo] Courtesy of Mountain Madness
The ashes of accomplished high altitude mountaineer Christine Boskoff will be returned to her family in Wisconsin this week.
Her body was discovered July 3, 2007, on China’s Mt. Genyen (6204m), in the western Sichuan Province, nearly seven months after she and climbing partner Charlie Fowler were reported missing. But the recovery team was unable to remove the body due to significant rockfall danger. The team covered the body to protect it from the elements and finally were able to make the recovery last week. Fowler’s body was discovered December 27 at ca. 17,000 ft; Boskoff’s, with camera and passport nearby, at the same height. Several different teams of Chinese SAR climbers, coordinated by American Jon Otto, funded by both Boskoff’s company Mountain Madness and the Fowler-Boskoff Search Committee from Colorado were responsible for both body recoveries.
Boskoff’s body was moved to Genyen Monastary, the Buddhist retreat where she and Fowler were last seen alive, and her body was cremated in a Buddhist ceremony. The US Consulate took responsibility for her ashes and personal belongings; they arrived in Seattle this week and will be taken to her native Wisconsin, where her mother plans to inter them in the family plot in Sheboygan, next to her father.
Fowler’s sister, Ginny, intends to bring some of her brother’s ashes to Sheboygan as well, so the pair, who had been involved for some time, will remain together.
Boskoff formerly served as a board member of the non-profit organization, Room to Read, which supports Nepalese school children by establishing schools, libraries and scholarships for girls. A memorial fund for that organization has been founded in Boskoff’s name.
To support the Boskoff memorial fund, donations may be sent to: Room to Read–Mountain Madness Appeal, The Presidio, P.O. Box 29127, San Francisco, CA 94129.