One of the world's foremost alpinists, Slovenian Pavle Kozjek, is missing, presumed dead, in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan.

Kozjek, with fellow countrymen, Grega Kresel and Dejan Miskovic, was planning an alpine style ascent of the impressive, virgin North East Face of the rarely climbed Muztagh Tower (7,284m).

This 2,200m seldom-seen wall rising out of the Younghusband Glacier was the goal in 2005 of a multi-national expedition, which never set foot on the face but identified two possible lines; the poorly-defined North East Spur falling directly from the summit, and, on the far left, an easier, predominantly snow/ice line leading to a marked col on the South East Ridge between the main summit and a distinctive sharp top named the Black Tooth (6,719m). They also noted the South East Ridge, the line of the unrepeated 1956 French Route, to be enormously corniced.

Although full details have not yet been confirmed, it appears that after Kresel was forced to abandon the expedition (he was helicoptered out in mid August), the remaining two opted for the far left line and climbed it in a day (the 24th) to the col at over 6,300m. The pair seems to have found poor conditions and decided to bail the next day.

Early in the morning of the 25th, Kozjek emerged from the tent, fully equipped to descend, when the cornice beneath his feet collapsed and he fell down the North East Face. Miskovic, who was left with little gear but had fortunately retained the satellite phone, managed to contact friends in Slovenia. He then made a difficult descent of the French Route south west to reach the Upper Biange (aka Dre) Glacier but was unable to progress further due to the convoluted and highly crevassed terrain.

By now rescue plans were being formulated. Several young Slovenian climbers on an expedition to the nearby Charakusa Valley were transferred to the base of the mountain by helicopter and two others, including well-known Tomas Humar, were flown from Slovenia to Skardu to coordinate the operation. Miskovic waited alone on the glacier for two days until a break in the weather allowed a helicopter rescue. A search around the base of the North East Face discovered some of Kozjek's belongings but no sign of the climber.

Of Kozjek's many superb achievements two stand-out first ascents are the East Face of Cerro Torre and the Central Buttress on the South West Face of Xixabangma, the latter climbed unroped, alpine style with Andrej Stremfelj. Serious frostbite after the last ascent forced him to concentrate for a while on lower altitudes and he returned to South America to put up a remarkable series of hard new routes on some of the great peaks of the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash, several of them solo. He continued to climb there throughout his career but returned to the Himalaya in the late '90s where he became the first Slovenian to climb Everest without oxygen and more recently, on Cho Oyu, became the first person to climb a new route on an 8,000m peak solo, in a single push, and in a day. He was 49.

Photo provided by Montagnes Magazine

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