Everest miracle-man Hillary Dawa Sherpa, 57, is out of the hospital and recovering at home with his family, as Nepal authorities prepare to finish their investigation into the near-tragedy.
Hired as a cook
As soon as he could speak again, Dawa, known as “Hillary”, confirmed that he had been hired as a cook for Everest Camp 2. Eventually, he was pressured to carry loads to the South Col and support clients all the way to the summit, with the promise of earning a lot of extra money: 10,000 rupees ($65).
Client Mariusz Chmielewski told ExplorersWeb that Hillary Dawa was presented as a summit guide after another Sherpa working for the low-cost company, Himalayan Traverse Adventure, had to go home.
Hillary Dawa Sherpa on Everest. Photo: Mariusz Chmielewski
Dawa had no time to rest before the final push and had to climb with an excess of weight in his backpack.
Abandonment and survival
As we reported previously, on May 29, Dawa was left behind on the way down when he stopped for a break. By the time he reached Camp 2, there was no one left there. As he slowly descended through the Icefall, he fell into a crevasse where he spent two days.
He had lost all hope when an avalanche came down and filled the crevasse with snow. It nearly crushed him, but also saved his life, as he managed to crawl out of the crack over the fresh snow and back to the fixed ropes.
Staff retrieving garbage from Base Camp found him alive. He had survived on the mountain for a week. They gave him water and food and called for an emergency evacuation. In the hospital, he learned that his wife and daughter had organized his funeral for that morning.
Hillary Dawa being helped across the Khumbu Glacier near Everest Base Camp. Photo: SPCC
It is a story of astonishing survival, but also of unacceptable working conditions, irresponsible company planning, negligence, and the Sherpas’ need to make a living on the mountain. During the descent, completely alone on the mountain, he refused to leave the oxygen canisters behind, fearing he would have to pay $250 for every bottle he lost. He also left a lot of equipment behind, thinking someone else would go up to retrieve it, but it is still on the mountain.
The investigation
As he admitted to Everest Live, Dawa was not interested in big mountains and preferred to work on lesser peaks. There will be no other mountains for him, even if he eventually recovers well enough. Ironically, his best luck was the international response to his survival: Hundreds donated to him and his family.
Afterward, mountain guiding associations in Nepal demanded an independent investigation, which is now ongoing. The outcome was expected this week, but the final result will have to wait until the court gathers all the necessary testimonies, Everest Chronicle reported. Last week, a key witness was still on his way from the Khumbu to testify.
