The accident occurred around noon on Monday, at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres at Laila Peak, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said on Tuesday.

Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner when she was struck by a sudden rockfall in the Hushe Valley, part of the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Poor weather conditions prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching the site.

Two teams of expert climbers from Germany and the United States deployed to search for her confirmed that she had died, regional government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said.

“Laura Dahlmeier died on 28 July in a mountain accident on Laila Peak (6,069 metres) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range,” her management said in a statement.

“A recovery operation was launched but ultimately called off on the evening of 29 July.”

Her representatives added that Dahlmeier most likely died instantly, while her mountaineering partner was unharmed.

“It was Laura Dahlmeier’s express and written will that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to recover her,” they said.

“It was her wish to leave her body behind on the mountain in this case. This is also in line with the wishes of her relatives.”

Faraq said the regional authorities would respect any decision by her family.

The provincial government spokesperson also identified the climbing partner as Marina Eva Krauss.

Krauss successfully descended to base camp and is reported to be in good health, he added.

The 31-year-old Dahlmeier retired from biathlon in 2019, aged 25, a year after becoming the first female biathlete to achieve a sprint and pursuit double at the same Olympics.