A contractor from Fresno, Kalem Peter Kazarian, age 52, passed away on Monday while hiking Mount Whitney, according to local news reports.
The Tulares County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death but indicated it actually occurred in Sequoias National Park, which is a significant distance away from the mountain itself.
Kazarian, who lived in Fowler—a small town near Fresno—worked as a contractor and had contributed to an HGTV pilot for “Go Big or Go Home” back in May 2019.
With three children, he was married to Jonelle Kazarian. She had shared photos on social media of their hiking adventures, including a recent trip to White Mountain, which is a challenging peak at 14,000 feet. Notably, the couple had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.
The coroner’s office has requested that inquiries regarding the cause of Kazarian’s death be revisited at a later date. As it stands, the specific location on the mountain where he was hiking remains unknown.
Mount Whitney is known for its difficulty, featuring two primary routes: the Mount Whitney Trail, a grueling 21.7-mile round trip with a staggering elevation gain of over 6,000 feet, and a more technical 9.4-mile route on the eastern face.
Considering factors like altitude sickness, falls, and harsh weather, especially in the colder months, hiking this peak is quite perilous. Early fall is generally regarded as the ideal season for such an adventure, and permits are necessary to hike the mountain.
Tragically, fatalities are not uncommon on Mount Whitney. For example, earlier this year, one hiker died after opting to continue alone while their partner turned back. Search and rescue later found the hiker deceased. Additionally, in December of the previous year, a 21-year-old hiker named Joseph Brambila was found dead nearly a month after he became missing during a solo ascent, believed to have suffered a significant fall.
