Two of the hundreds of climbers who returned from the summit of Everest yesterday did not make it back down to Base Camp. Arun Kumar Tiwari and Sandeep Are, both from India and outfitted by Pioneer Adventures, died due to health issues that they developed near the summit. At least one other climber is being helped down, and two British citizens were evacuated by helicopter today.
Summit fever
One of the deceased climbers died next to the Hillary Step, barely meters away from the top he had just reached. According to Pioneer Adventure’s director, Nivesh Karki, Tiwari came down with HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) and was being assisted by four Sherpas when he passed away. It is unknown when he first felt sick or why he didn’t turn around.
Sandeep Are had summited on May 20, but as he started down the summit ridge, he was suffering from snowblindness. An SOS call brought five Sherpas to the South Summit. They slowly carried Are down for 48 hours, until he died earlier today, shortly after reaching Camp 2.
Deadly factors
Local paper Everest Chronicle mentions that the high number of climbers on the route these days “contributed to severe congestion on the route and complicated rescue efforts.” It is also worth noting that both climbers continued to the summit despite how they were feeling, only to collapse shortly after starting down.
Apparently, the deaths are being investigated while efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies. The tragedies again raise the issue about crowds and the consequences of summit fever.
Wednesday and Thursday were the busiest days on Everest this season, with 270 summits registered on Wednesday, May 20, and 154 on Thursday. On May 19, several people on the mountain filmed lines of climbers stretching five kilometers between Camp 2 and Camp 4.
A line of climbers heads to Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face today. Photo: Pasang Rinzee
More rescues
Karki told the media that one more climber from India, whose name was not revealed, is currently being carried down from the South Col.
Deaf British mountaineer and BBC Sign Language presenter Michael Joseph Woods also got in trouble yesterday shortly after summiting Everest. A rescue team was mobilized to help him, Lakpa Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told The Tourism Times.
“Another Sherpa climber who was in trouble just below the summit has also been taken to Camp 3 safely,” Lakpa Sherpa said.
Still crowded
Meanwhile, no-O2 climbers are biding their time. Saulius Damulevicius of Lithuania needed nine hours to reach Camp 2 yesterday and will not move further up until tomorrow.
“I will spend the whole day resting here and repacking equipment to be as light as possible on the climb,” he wrote. “There are still many people on the mountain.”
There are no summit figures yet about today, but the upper area of Everest is still far from quiet. Furtenbach Adventures alone put 42 members on the top today.
UK guide Kenton Cool has broken his own record as the non-Sherpa with the most Everest summits: 20 as of this morning.
