Everest 2012: 2nd Sherpa Death, Time for Patience – Update

Yak

As expected the reports are slowing down as our climbers are all over the mountain today. Those back in base camp are resting up, taking showers and reflecting on their first trip into the Western Cwm. And those still up there? Well let’s just say they are busy creating red blood cells that will be useful later!

A 2nd Sherpa dies this week

I have been notified that reportedly a second Sherpa has died on Everest. I am sure the team will release his name and details. I understand he fell into a crevasse just below C1 at around 10 am Nepal time Saturday April 21st and that his body has been recovered and brought to C1 waiting for helicopter. He had summited Mt.Everest twice.

There are multiple crevasses surrounding Camp 1 as it marks an area at the end of the Western Cwm and the beginning of the Khumbu Icefall. There is a fixed rope and ladders in the area. But it is not uncommon for climbers to walk around the immediate C1 area unroped. Once again, my deep condolences to his family and team as with the second Sherpa death this season it is sure to shock every person.

Update: The Sherpa who died was Peak Freaks’ Namgyal Tshering Sherpa fell from a ladder into a crevasse near C1. The new father had summited Everest several times and reportedly was not clipped into the fixed lines which provide support in event of a fall.

A Trusted Source

Good to finally see a report from Dave Hahn. He always get to the point and tells it like it is on Everest. He reports on the upper mountain from direct observation:

It is a big season on Mount Everest with perhaps 40 other teams encamped around us at the base of the mountain.  We’ve each been happy to bump into friends and fellow climbing guides around camp and plans are being laid for communal meals and gaming sessions to fill the downtime.  The weather has been “normal” enough with each day starting cold and sparkling clear, but then clouding up by noon and dropping a little snow by late afternoon or early evening.  Our views of Everest’s summit pyramid have revealed a dry and increasingly rocky profile to the upper mountain.  Either the winter didn’t produce significant volumes of snow up high, or -as is more likely- the jet stream winds have been working overtime to scour the peak.

Eco Everest International

I often mention the teams but not their actual make-up. I noted this from the Eco Everest Team of Asian Trekking and their international makeup:

Eco Everest Expedition is a program organized in 2008 as a platform to attract maximum global attention. The main objective of this expedition is to raise awareness about the impact of climate change and glacier melting in the mountain leading to high risk of GLOF affecting the lives of the local people. The expedition organized by Asian Trekking focuses on climbing in an eco-sensitive manner and field testing different eco-sensitive methods to be adopted while climbing in the Himalaya.

As in previous year this year also Eco Everest Expedition will continue its initiative. There are·15 Climbing Members consisting of·3 Americans, 6 Indians,·2 German, 1 Denish, 1 Czech, 1 Canadian and 1 Georgian. Eco Everest Expedition’s advance team·staffs are already at Base Camp building platform sites for tents. Also most of the climbing members arrived Base Camp.

The Everest Game

Of all the skills needed to climb Everest, you might guess it would be around strength, technical skills or a genetically blessed cardiovascular system. Yes, all that is helpful 🙂 but in my mind it is all about patience. Climbers have now been gone from their homes for about one month – that is a long time. They are settled into their tents and know the meal routine well. They have discovered which teammates they want to spend time with and; well you know storming, forming, norming – team dynamics is huge on an 8 week expedition.

It was with a smile I read Bud Allen’s post today with a loving note to his wife. This is the truly hard part of expedition climbing. It is the Blog of the Day:

I hope you will extend to me a point of personal privilege to deviate slightly from the climbing blog as today is a very special day for me. It is a rare confluence of circumstances that allow one to even attempt a mountain like Everest. You have to have the financial resources, good health, time away, and most importantly the support of your family. When I read the stories of Perry, Scott, Amundsen, Mallory and the other great adventures I never thought much about the families that were left behind to carry the load while they made those men made history. Those families, especially the wives, were every much a part of the success of those men as their own efforts and determination. The wives especially were made of tough stuff.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

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One thought on “Everest 2012: 2nd Sherpa Death, Time for Patience – Update

  1. I find it rather surprising that two well experienced shepas have died so early in the expedition time-table, do you?They had both done summits and knew the drill well. I suppose it just highlights that no one can afford to ” take their eye off the ball”I send my sincere condolences to their families and friends.Meanwhile you have sent another thought provoking blog. I have so many teams to catch up with that there won’t be any housework done today! I love your visual maps for both north and south, I go up and down them everyday.

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