A 29-year-old English teacher from Virginia has been found dead nearly a month after he set out to climb Nevado Ausangate, Peru’s fifth-highest mountain.
Ian Thomas Treger was an experienced and passionate hiker who had taken on challenging routes in destinations around the world.
His mother, Michelle Ludwig, told the Daily Mail that Treger left his Airbnb on May 13. After almost two weeks passed without any word from him, she contacted local authorities for help.
Speaking emotionally to the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Ludwig said her son’s remains were discovered not far from the trail he had intended to hike.
“A shepherd who works the fields with his alpacas found my son yesterday,” Ludwig said.
“The police told us it was a hiking accident and that he was by himself. I don’t understand how this could’ve happened. He was a very capable hiker and is used to high-altitude trails,” she added.
Peru’s High Mountain Police said a body in an advanced state of decomposition, with blond hair and clothing resembling items belonging to Treger, was discovered beside a small stream on June 30.
Officials said the remains were located just north of the trail, within the Pitumarca district in Canchis province, in the Cusco region.
Family members said Iam Treger’s remains were found not too far off the trail that he had planned to climb at Nevado Ausangate, the fifth highest mountain in Peru
Michelle Ludwig, Treger’s mom, told Daily Mail her son was an avid hiker and had hiked difficult trails all over the world
The Choquequirao trail in Peru, South America. Peruvian law enforcement authorities said Treger’s remains were found near a stream north of the trail where the 29-year-old had planned his hike
Ludwig flew to Peru and had been closely tracking the search for her son for the past two weeks.
She said she had hoped for better news but police said they will continue to investigate what exactly happened to her son.
‘They have ruled out foul play,’ she told the Daily Mail. ‘His things were found near him and nothing seemed to be missing.’
Ludwig said her son’s backpack was found near the remains, including his expensive camera gear, film, wallet, iPhone and other hiking items.
‘They have no conclusion about it yet,’ an emotional Ludwig said. ‘They are investigating, but this is the kind of hike he’s done many times before. He’s done it in Tasmania and drove across the Australian outback.
‘He was just at the high altitude when he was at the [Josè Rivas Refuge on the Cotopaxi Volcano] in Ecuador, which is 15,000 feet. I’m in shock but we still don’t know what happened.’
Peruvian authorities sent out a missing persons alert for Treger on June 11, but his mother told the Daily Mail that she told police she had not heard from her son since May 26
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Treger grew up in Effinger, Virginia, where he was a Boy Scout and eventually became an Eagle Scout, his mother said
The area where authorities searched for the young hiker
Ludwig and Treger’s father, Neil, released a statement to the media thanking local authorities for searching for their son:
‘It is with profound sadness that we share that Ian’s body has been found in Peru. Our hearts are broken, and we are still absorbing this devastating loss. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the U.S. and Peruvian authorities who worked tirelessly on this search, as well as to the volunteers who gave their time, energy, and compassion in the effort to bring Ian home.
‘We are also deeply grateful to everyone who held Ian and our family in their prayers throughout this ordeal. Your faith, support, and kindness have meant more to us than words can express. Ian had a deep curiosity about the world and he loved learning new cultures and history, whether it was immersing himself with his beloved German host family, hiking across the world, or seeking out a museum in a new city.’
Treger grew up in Effinger, Virginia, where he was a Boy Scout and eventually became an Eagle Scout.
He obtained a Wilderness First Aid certification while attending Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.
Treger was very well-traveled and posted his adventures all over the world on social media
Michelle Ludwig said she spent the last two weeks in Peru as she joined the search for her beloved son
During his senior year, he led one of the school’s Appalachian Adventure trips before graduating in 2020.
According to his Instagram profile, Treger was very well-traveled, with his last post showing him in Ecuador on April 16.
When asked where her son’s passion for adventure came from, the doting mother said: ‘I think it was genetic from my mother. She would say we aren’t lost, we are on a new adventure.’
Ludwig said her son traveled to Peru after wrapping up his teaching year at Ecuador’s Galápagos Language Academy.
She said her son wanted to experience Jubilee Month, a month-long celebration in Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes.
‘Ian loved discovering new countries through their songs and traditions as much as their landscapes,’ the family said in their statement. ‘Through all of it, he kept the same quick wit and easy smile that could turn any moment lighter, and that made him so loved by everyone who knew him.
‘We cannot imagine our world without Ian in it.’
The family is now making arrangements to bring Treger’s remains back to the US.
