The bodies of two Russian climbers who had been missing for more than a year have been discovered on a mountain in Southwest China's Sichuan province, Xinhua reported Monday.

A joint China-Russian search team found the two at an elevation of 5,350 meters on the Siguniang Mountain (Four Girls Mountain) in Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous county on Jan 13, 2011.

They disappeared on Oct 28, 2009 after an avalanche struck. The man and woman were discovered buried in heavy snow. They had climbed the mountain without applying for permits.

Rescuers had failed to find their bodies in 2009 despite searching for more than 100 hours. A joint search team from China and Russian returned to the area in January this year in a fresh bid to find their remains.

"They were clinging together when they were found, with half of their bodies still burying in the snow,” said one of the rescuers.

Sichuan has more than 200 mountains between 4,000 and 7,000 meters above sea level. The magnificent views are a draw for climbers, but the complicated geological structures and weather conditions make it challenging terrain.