Polish extreme skier Andrzej Bargiel has abandoned his attempt to hurtle down Everest on planks due to an unstable serac looming ominously above the Khumbu Icefall. In 2014, a similar serac broke off the west shoulder and killed 16 Sherpas, and several of this fall’s Everest expeditions, including Bargiel’s, had that tragedy in mind when they eventually decided to abort.
Earlier last week, the Mountain Hardware team and the Polish Lhotse group abandoned due to the risk presented by the delicately poised ice block. Only the three-strong Madison Mountaineering team and Spanish ultrarunner Kilian Jornet remain on the mountain.
The 60-100m tall serac looms 1,000m above the icefall. Photo: Tim Emmett
