According to the relatives of the climber, the family sincerely thanks everyone who has already provided financial assistance and moral support. Thanks to donations, it was possible to organize Bilzens's return from the USA to Latvia. "We are grateful for every donation and every word of support that helped Mārtiņš return home. Special thanks to the doctors who did everything possible for his recovery," the family stated in their appeal. ### Doctors Approved the Flight Home According to close ones, Mārtiņš's condition has significantly improved over the past two months. American doctors allowed him to take a long flight from Anchorage to Riga on a regular passenger flight accompanied by a medical worker. After a critical period and the first weeks in the intensive care unit, Bilzens gradually restored vital functions. He is now able to communicate freely, move independently, and continues to regain his walking skills. Doctors in the USA assess the recovery process as successful. However, the climber faces a long and costly course of treatment and rehabilitation in Latvia, which will be conducted under the supervision of specialists. ### How to Help You can support Mārtiņš Bilzens by making a donation through the Ziedot.lv portal using online banking or a credit card. Funds can also be transferred directly to the Ziedot.lv fund account, specifying in the payment purpose: **"Palīdzēsim Mārtiņam Bilzēnam"** ("Let's Help Mārtiņš Bilzens"). ### The Only One Who Managed to Survive As previously reported, Bilzens returned to Latvia from Alaska on Tuesday evening. He became the only one of the four expedition members who managed to survive after falling from a height of about 300 meters on the Denali slope. The tragedy occurred in late May. During the ascent, three Latvian climbers — Inese Pučeka, Viya Olte, and Renars Kuniģs-Salaks — lost their lives. Bilzens himself was taken to an Anchorage hospital in extremely critical condition. The other three expedition members — Valdis Purinš, Edgars Madžulis, and Guntis Svarinš — were evacuated from the mountain by rescuers. Two of them were diagnosed with frostbite. According to the Latvian Embassy in the USA, the bodies of the three deceased were delivered from Denali to the foot of the mountain on the night of June 4. ### How the Tragedy Happened According to the National Park Service of the USA, the accident occurred on a section of the route between the upper camp High Camp and Denali Pass. Four climbers from the seven-member Latvian group fell from the slope near the pass at an altitude of about **5545 meters**. Three of their companions, after attempting to help the injured, managed to return to the upper camp and call for rescuers. ### About the Expedition The expedition of Latvian climbers took place from May 10 to June 11. Its goal was to ascend Denali — the highest peak in North America at **6190 meters**. Denali is considered one of the most challenging mountains to climb. It is located just 390 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, and the route begins on the Kahiltna Glacier at an altitude of about **2200 meters**. The base camp can only be reached by a plane that lands directly on the ice. The climbers had previously noted that the main difficulty of the expedition was not so much the height as the extreme cold. They had to endure temperatures as low as **–30 degrees**, snowstorms, and spend more than three weeks in tents on the snow, carrying backpacks weighing about 25 kilograms and towing sleds with the same load. During the route, participants had to overcome nearly **4000 meters of elevation gain** and cover about **100 kilometers**, with many sections needing to be traversed multiple times to transport equipment and food supplies to the summit. Before this expedition, Valdis Purinš, Edgars Madžulis, and Inese Pučeka had already participated in challenging high-altitude climbs, conquering the peaks of Avicenna (7134 m), Ozodi (7105 m), and Somoni (7495 m), as well as making the first ascent of an almost six-thousand-meter peak in the Minjar Valley in the Pamirs. The expedition organizers noted that the other participants — Viya Olte, Renars Kuniģs-Salaks, Mārtiņš Bilzens, Zeimuls, and Guntis Svarinš — also had the necessary experience in high-altitude climbs. Mārtiņš Bilzens's return to Latvia marked an important stage in his recovery after one of the most tragic climbing expeditions in recent years. However, he faces prolonged treatment and rehabilitation, for which his family needs the help of caring individuals.
