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Missing Queens Climber Found Dead in Andes

Queens-born Gil Weiss on San Gorgonio Mountain in 2006. Weiss, 29, died on July 28, 2012 alongside a friend in the Andes.
Queens-born Gil Weiss on San Gorgonio Mountain in 2006. Weiss, 29, died on July 28, 2012 alongside a friend in the Andes.
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Facebook/gil.weiss2

QUEENS — A Queens man and his friend who went missing earlier this month have been found dead in Peru's Andes mountain range, according to reports.

Gil Weiss, 29, and his friend Ben Horne, 32, from Virginia, were climbing the Palcaraju mountain when they fell almost 1,000 feet to their deaths, a rescue coordinator told the Associated Press.

"They did summit and they got into trouble on the way down," the coordinator, Ted Alexander, told the AP. "What led to the fall, I cannot tell you now."

The two experienced climbers set out for Palcaraju on July 11 for a seven-to-10-day trip. Family members contacted Alexander after they hadn't heard from the men in 13 days, according to reports.

Palcaraju Mountain, in Peru.
Palcaraju Mountain, in Peru.
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Flickr/wanderflechten

Alexander told the AP that he would examine photos taken by on-scene rescuers to get a better idea of how the men died.

Weiss, who was born in Queens but lived in Colorado, was the founder of a company called Beyond Adventure Productions which, according to the company's website, is "a team of professional guides, photographers and logistics experts who make your dream adventure come true." 

One day before leaving for Palcaraju, Weiss blogged for the website pullharder.org about a friend who died in a similar fashion.

"I sit here in a coffee shop in Huaraz, Peru, planning another foray into the Cordillera Blanca, where the sense that one’s life is in the hands of the mountains can be as blinding as the endless white glaciers, and a thirst for glory can darken our better judgment more than the blackness of night," Weiss blogged.

"Michael climbed in these mountains as well, and no doubt came away from his experience with far more than met his eyes or chilled his bones."