Bad news on Annapurna: An avalanche struck Rima Rinje Sherpa and Ngima Tashi Sherpa this morning as they worked between Camp 2 and Camp 3, the most dangerous section of the mountain. The two Sherpas are missing. A search-and-rescue helicopter flew to the mountain, and some staff are on their way up from Base Camp to assist in the search.
The missing men were born in the Khumbu Valley and work for Seven Summit Treks. The Kathmandu-based outfitter reported the team’s summits in the morning but made no mention of the accident at the time. Late in the evening, the Annapurna expedition leader Chhang Dawa Sherpa shared some details and a video of the avalanche, shot by Brazil’s Roman Romancini. Luckily, Romancini was further down the mountain when the avalanche struck.
Search unsuccessful
The avalanche took place at 5,600m at noon, when the Sherpas were carrying oxygen cylinders up for the summit climbers.
“Ngima Tashi and Rima Rinje were swept away,” said Chhang Dawa. “Pemba Thenduk, who was also caught in the avalanche, managed to hold himself and immediately began searching for them.”
At least four other Sherpas in the area immediately ran to the spot and searched for the missing pair, without success.
Part of the Sherpa team working with Seven Summit Treks at Annapurna Base Camp. Photo: Seven Summit Treks
Chhang Dawa also reported that the helicopter searched for Ngima and Rima until nightfall, without success. He has ordered another helicopter with a search team on board to return tomorrow. Although the odds against finding the pair alive are poor, “I am not losing hope,” said Chhang Dawa.
Romancini, who climbed with Seven Summit Treks, turned around some hours after setting off with the rest of the team from Camp 3 yesterday. He returned to Camp 3 for the night and descended lower down early today. It was sheer luck that he climbed past the dangerous section between Camp 3 and Camp 2 before the avalanche struck. He spoke in Portuguese about the traumatic experience when he returned to Base Camp and heard about the tragedy:
A long descent ahead
The accident has caused additional problems for the large number of climbers still high up on the mountain.
“The route between Camp 2 and Camp 3 is hugely disrupted by this avalanche,” Chhang Dawa admitted. “We’ll do our best to fix the line by tomorrow.”
Camp 2 on Annapurna. Photo: Roman Romancini
There is little information on the whereabouts of the rest of the climbers who summited earlier this morning, although Lakpa Sherpa of 8K Expeditions has confirmed that its team is back in Camp 3 for the night. Lakpa told ExplorersWeb he felt confident they would be able to continue to Base Camp tomorrow.
Updates are expected tomorrow by the teams with climbers on the mountain. The climbers themselves will add details once they’re back in Base Camp.
Goodbye to Annapurna
Mingma G succeeded in putting his team on top but said goodbye to the mountain forever. The veteran Himalayan guide had been fearing a deadly avalanche between Camp 2 and Camp 3, and now another one has struck that dangerous area.
“This year was the most difficult on Annapurna compared to my previous expeditions [because of] dry conditions, more crevasses, and hanging seracs,” he wrote.
It was enough for him. “Today I made my final goodbye to this beautiful mountain,” he wrote. “I won’t be leading any expeditions here in the future. This mountain is just too risky. Annapurna’s beauty always attracted me, but I can’t risk my life here anymore.”
Imagine Nepal client Zhao YiYi on the summit of Annapurna yesterday. Photo: Mingma G
