A member of a city mountaineering club fell to his death from Haba Snow Mountain in Yunnan Province on Wednesday.

The Shanghai Whitewave Outdoor Club said yesterday it was still dealing with the aftermath of the death, but refused to provide any information about the victim.

Two club officials as well as relatives of the unidentified victim arrived in Lijiang, Yunnan yesterday afternoon, according to a club employee who did not give his name.

The Yunnan Daily reported yesterday a mountaineering team made up of six Shanghai men including the victim started climbing the mountain on Monday morning. The team was about 5,300 meters above sea level at 2:30pm on Wednesday when one member ran into trouble.

Neither the six team members nor their tour guide was familiar with the mountain, which led to the tragedy, the newspaper stated.

Haba Snow Mountain boasts glaciers, lakes and waterfalls, and contains a beautifully preserved nature reserve. The main peak of the mountain is 5,396 meters above sea level and is capped with snow all year round. In recent years the mountain has gained an increasing popularity among domestic and overseas hikers as its altitude is comparatively low and the terrain is not too difficult to access. Many climbers view the mountain as preparation for bigger climbs.

Luo Shicheng, a resident of Haba village, told the newspaper that the mishap would not have happened if the team had hired a native tour guide.

"They reached the village on Sunday and spent the night at a hostel run by a villager. However, the team set off the next morning without taking a native resident. Instead they used a tour guide they hired at Tiger Leaping George," he said.

"For years we have served as guides for mountaineers to the Haba Snow Mountain and there has never been a single accident."

(Shanghai Dialy December 6, 2006)