In 1970 , a group of mountain climbers together with Heckel planned to visit Alaska . Their intention was thwarted by the Czechoslovak communist regime . Following the suppression of the Prague Spring in 1968 , it was almost impossible to travel to Western countries . The group changed their plan and decided to climb the peaks in the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca . Heckel and several of his colleagues planned to leave the expedition and focus more on studying and documenting of Peruvian culture . However , after the death of one of the leaders of the expedition , climber Ivan Bortel , they were forced to stay in the camp with the rest of the expedition . On 1 June 1970 , Heckel and his colleagues intended to separate from the rest of the group . Coincidentally , the avalanche caused by Great Peruvian earthquake buried their camp under Huascarán on 31 May 1970 , the day before their departure . All of the members of the expedition died
Great Peruvian earthquake
1970 Ancash earthquake
Vilém Heckel