Dr. John Mislow, 39, and Dr. Andrew Swanson,36, had been mountain climbing partners for life. Both were experienced climbers, awarded in 2000 by the Park Service for being safety conscious and helping other climbers in distress.

“The two were roped together and plummeted at least 2,000 feet to their deaths Thursday while on the Messner Couloir” according to the National Park Service.

While the two were using a route not typically used to get to the summit, it was still unclear as to how the accident happened.

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