Gigi Wu, Taiwanese ‘Bikini Hiker’ freezes to death after falling into ravine during a solo climb

Tagged as Taiwan’s ‘selfie queen’, Gigi Wu has met her untimely death after falling in a ravine and eventually dying from hypothermia on January 21, Monday.

Having climbed more than 100 peaks in the last four years and sharing picturesque mountaintop views while in a bikini, Ms. Wu has been dubbed as the “Bikini Hiker”. The idea came from a bet with a friend which she lost. Although, she still takes proper precautions during her hiking trips and only changes into her trademark outfit once she reaches the top. According to Ms. Wu, “I put on a bikini in each one of the 100 mountains. I only have around 97 bikinis so I accidentally repeated some.” She said during her interview last year with local channel FTV, that she does what she does because “It just looks so beautiful, what’s not to like?”

The experienced climber started her last solo hiking tour on January 11 of Taiwan’s mountain range in Yushan National Park. On January 19, friends received a distress call from Ms. Wu who informed them that she has fallen some 20-30 metres (65-100 feet) down into a ravine and that she has lost control of her lower body due to her injuries; but she was able to inform them of her location coordinates.

The National Airborne Service Corps sent a search party via helicopters three times to her location but due to horrible weather, they were not successful and had to land. From there, two search parties were sent off on foot and after 28 hours, her body was found but it was too late. The cause of death was hypothermia.

With more than 18,000 followers in her Facebook profile, the international online community is paying its respects to Ms. Wu, with many expressing how she has been an inspiration to the hiking community.

However, there are also those who see this whole endeavour to be a stupid means to acquire fame.