Gigi Wu, Social Media Star Known As The “Bikini Hiker,” Found Dead After Solo Hike

Taiwanese hiker Gigi Wu died Monday after falling during a solo hike in Taiwan’s Yushan National Park. Wu, otherwise known as the “bikini hiker,” had amassed an enormous Facebook following for her celebratory post-hike photos, in which she would pose in bikinis at the top of the mountains she had climbed.

The 36-year old woman was an experienced hiker, who first posted a bikini-clad photo after losing a bet with a friend, according to an interview she did with FTV News in July 2018. But after realizing her photos could gain traction online and promote a healthy lifestyle, Wu continued to post them. By the time of her death, Wu stated that she had hiked more than 100 peaks in four years, and her Facebook page had become a collage of Taiwan’s peaks and mountain ranges. Her most recent post showed an image of Wu atop a mountain near Yushan, wearing a bikini top and elaborate and colorful skirt.

Wu died after suffering a 65-foot fall into a ravine during her solo hike on Sunday. Although she survived the initial fall, Wu retained injuries that paralyzed the lower-half of her body. After the fall, Wu was able to contact friends and send out a distress call via a satellite phone, but rescuers had to set out on foot to due to weather conditions. By the time they reached her, 43 hours later, Wu was dead. She is believed to have died of hypothermia. According to the Chinese-language Apple Daily, Wu was on the tenth day of her 14-day hike through the Bantongguan Historic Trail. She was fully clothed at the time of her death.

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By Tuesday, Wu’s Facebook page had been turned into a memorial, with over 900 followers expressing their grief over her loss in comments.