Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at just over 29,000 feet, has claimed four lives and potentially two more in just four days.
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Three climbers died in three days on Mount Everest, including a Sherpa and two Westerners.
The Sherpas will be given a cash award of Rs 50,000 each along with certificates of appreciation by the Prime Minister, said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).
Before this month, Everest had not been scaled for two years after 16 guides died in an avalanche in 2014, followed by an natural disaster killing 18 last year.
“There are mixed feelings with the recent deaths, frostbite and rescues as it brings into focus the danger of climbing Everest”, said veteran mountaineer Alan Arnette.
Dutch climber Eric Arnold, 35, died on Friday after reaching the summit.
On Saturday, an Australian woman who was also traveling with the Seven Summit Treks started suffering altitude sickness.
Shrestha said two more Indian climbers – Paresh Nath, 58, and Goutam Ghosh, 50 – have been missing since Saturday.
The sherpas who were attempting to carry the bodies were struggling because of the weather conditions on the slopes of Everest.
“They died due to lack of oxygen. due to lack of proper planning”, he said.
“Teams are hiring raw guides that have no knowledge of responding to situations of emergency”, he said.
The lecturer who had worked at Monash University prior to her death, is reported to have made a decision to turned back from her attempt to reach the summit of the mountain and had been assisted down to the South Col by her husband.
Then, “a lot of people tried to go on the same weather window”, the 30-year-old from Deldermond said after returning to Kathmandu.
Since Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary first conquered Everest in 1953, 4,000 climbers managed to do the same.
Favourable weather has allowed almost 400 climbers to reach the summit from Nepal since May 11, but the altitude, weather and harsh terrain can cause problems at any time.
Two expert Americans, Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards, expected to summit Monday, are using live Snapchats to show the world the extremes climbers endure.
On Sunday, Trekking Camp Nepal spokesman Wangchu Sherpa confirmed Subash Paul died at Base Camp II.
The bodies of two more Indian climbers were found Monday, CBS News reported, taking the toll to six. This was not the first case when a climber died since Everest opened up this year for climbing. The devastating natural disaster previous year caused the season to be canceled, and climbing attempts were largely abandoned in 2014 after an avalanche above the base camp killed 16 Sherpa guides. Age restrictions introduced since that mean that climbers must be at least 16-years-old.
Before that, the worst disaster had been caused by a fierce blizzard in 1996 that killed eight climbers and was memorialized by Jon Krakauer in the book “Into Thin Air”.
Now Nepal tourism officials will have to re-evaluate the climbing season as they wait and see how the latest deaths on Mount Everest affect future business. Satellite communication equipment and better medical facilities have also helped prevent tragedy. It was once an environment where only skilled and experienced climbers dared to tread.
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There are no regulations to require climbers to have any past experience before trying Everest.
