After Sajid Sadpara was evacuated from the Khumbu on Wednesday amid much speculation, we asked expedition leader Marc Batard to help us separate the truth from the rumors. The French climber has eventually answered from Gorak Shep but does not shed much light on what happened.
“Sajid fell ill in Dengboche and he was first accompanied by my son Alan and then by Pasang Nuru Sherpa to Namche Bazaar, from where he was airlifted in a helicopter to hospital in Kathmandu,” Batard told ExplorersWeb.
Sajid Sadpara last posted on social media on November 11, near Namche Bazaar. Photo: Sajid Sadpara
“We have done everything to get him to hospital as fast as possible, where he is now in good hands,” Batard said. He also reported briefly about the situation in a video just posted on social media.
Team members during a break in the rope fixing. Photo: Jean-Marc Demoz
Batard has established Base Camp in Gorak Shep, from which they hope to open a new route to Camp 1 on Everest. The rest of the team is busy fixing the new route that they have scouted. They will return to France by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, team member Jean-Marc Demoz has shared some images of their rope-fixing work on the new route.
On the lower part of the planned new route to Everest Camp 1. Photo: Jean-Marc Demoz
