Some operators’ drama never ends, especially on Everest. In a video posted on Sunday, May 27, the founder of Elite Exped claimed the fixed ropes had been cut, preventing his team from going to the summit. Meanwhile, another team, Pioneer Adventures, reported using the ropes to summit.
The leadership of Nepal’s climbing community had strong reactions, as reported by the Himalayan Times. Damber Parajuli, President of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, is quoted.
“Nims’ claims are baseless and it seems he chose this trick to garner people’s sympathy. Nims, who always wanted to be in the limelight for doing reckless things, had documented a video at the crampon point above Camp II, thinking he was the only team to head for the summit push yesterday. Fortunately, there were other climbers who exposed Nims’ wrongdoings, letting the cat out of the bag,”
He went on to describe Pioneer’s summit:
“Three climbers from Pioneer Adventure – Satyadeep Gupta from India, Pastemba Sherpa and Nima Ungdi Sherpa – made it to the summit of Everest at around 12:50 this morning. The climbers told us that the route and ropes are intact and no ropes were buried or cut down as claimed by Nims.”
Nepal’s Department of Tourism (DoT) reacted uncharacteristic fast to launch an investigation:
Here are a few more summit reports as the season wraps up:
- Dreamers Destinations: 3 Sherpas
- Pioneer Adventures: 1 client with 1 Sherpa – 1:1
- Kobler & Partener on May 23: 3 clients with 2 Sherpas – 1.5:1
We await an update from Alpenglow, the only team on the Tibet side. A typhoon made landfall and is moving over India and Bangladesh. It is not expected to impact Everest directly.
Death and Missing Totals
Everest–Seven Deaths
- May 23 – Nepali (not a Sherpa) Binod Babu Bastakoti, 37, died near the south Col after summiting and climbing with Yeti Adventure/Pioneer Adventure.
- May 22 – British Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, is missing and presumed dead near Hillary Step after summiting and climbing with 8K Expeditions.
- May 22 – Pastenji Sherpa, 23, is missing and presumed dead near Hillary Step after summiting with Paterson and climbing with 8K Expeditions.
- May 22 – Kenyan Cheruiyot Kirui, 40, died above the Hillary Step, climbing without Os with Seven Summits Treks.
- May 22 – Nawang Sherpa, 44, is missing and presumed dead above the Hillary Step, supporting Kirui and climbing with Seven Summits Treks.
- May 13 – Mongolian Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 53, died on the SE Ridge after summiting, climbing with 8K Expeditions.
- May 13 – Mongolian Prevsuren Lkhagvajav, 31, died on the SE Ridge after summiting, climbing with 8K Expeditions.
Lhotse–One Death
- May 21 – Romanian Gabriel Tabara, 48, was found dead inside his tent at C3 attempting Lhotse. Climbing with Makalu Adventure.
Nepal Permit Update
The Ministry of Tourism collected USD$5.1 million in royalties, with Everest accounting for USD$4.5 million. This is the 2024 tally for the 8000ers the MoT posted through May 22.:
8000er | Teams | Male Clients | Female Clients | Total |
Annapurna I | 3 | 14 | 11 | 25 |
Cho Oyu | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Dhaulagiri | 3 | 22 | 8 | 30 |
Everest | 45 | 345 | 76 | 421 |
Kanchenjunga | 5 | 21 | 14 | 35 |
Lhotse | 16 | 128 | 28 | 156 |
Makalu | 7 | 43 | 21 | 64 |
Manaslu | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
TOTALS | 80 | 574 | 158 | 732 |
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
Here’s the video podcast version of this weekend’s update:
You can listen to #everest2024 podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everest 2024 Season Coverage Posts
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update May 25: Season nears the End with Summits and Death
- Everest 2024: More Summits and Deaths as Season Winds Down
- Everest 2024: More Summits and More Missing Climbers
- Everest 2024: Alan Remembers His 2011 Summit
- Everest 2024: Summit Tsunamis and Puddles. An unconfirmed Death
- Everest 2024: Crowds, Wind and Summits
- Everest 2024: Summit WEEK!
- Everest 2024: Missing Everest Climbers Confirmed Dead, More Summits
- Everest 2024: Risky Decision Making
- Everest 2024: Everest Climbers Missing on Summit Push
- Everest 2024: More Summits, More Death
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update May 13: First Summits
- Everest 2024: Rope Team Summits Nepal Side–Game On!
- Everest 2024: Interview with Uphill Athlete’s Founder Steve House
- Everest 2024: First 8000er Death
- Everest 2024: First Everest Summits
- Everest 2024: Normal Season with More 8000er Summits
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update May 5: Winds Calm, Climbing Continues
- Everest 2024: Nepal Supreme Court Passes Climbing Rules
- Everest 2024: High Winds
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 28: Teams Into the Western Cwm
- Everest 2024: Icefall Misery
- Everest 2024: Climb Here, But Not There!
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 21: Route to C2, Permits Catch Up
- Everest 2024: Route to Camp 2 & April 18–A Day of Remembrance
- Everest 2024: Tibet Climbs in Peril
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 14: Icefall Woes, Fewer Climbers
- Everest 2024: Will Cockrell interview on his new book–Everest, Inc.
- Everest 2024: First Days at Base Camp & 1st 8000er summit
- Everest 2024: Leaving Grass and the Trekker’s Summit
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 7: Climbers on the Trek
- Everest 2024: Snag in the Icefall Route
- Everest 2024: Blessings on the Trek to Tengboche Monastery
- Everest 2024: The Namche Hill
- Everest 2024: The Trek to EBC Begins
- Everest 2024: Weekend Update April 1: Season Underway, Lost Legends
- Everest 2024: Leaving Nothing Unsaid
- Everest 2024: Climbers to Watch
- Everest 2024: Who’s Climbing This Year?
- Everest 2024: Icefall Doctors Mark Season Start
- Everest 2024: Nepal’s “GPS Chip” Plan Has Major Problems
- Everest 2024 Coverage: Are Luxury Operators Being Targeted by Nepal?
- Everest 2024: Interview with Garrett Madison on his “Aconcagua Ambush” and the Upcoming Everest Season
- Everest 2024 Coverage: WAG Bags Finally Required on Everest
- Everest 2024: Welcome to Everest 2024 Coverage
Everyday Everest
A 16-part podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season.
Based on my Fictional 2020 Virtual Everest series, I posted a twenty-minute updated episode a few times a week throughout this season. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story’s protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, “Honey, I’m going to climb Everest.”
You can listen to Everyday Everest on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Breaker, YouTube, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Just search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Previous Everyday Everest Episodes
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 16–Home and The End
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 15–Summit!!
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 14–Summit Push
- Everyday Everest Podcast Part 13–Climbing Above Camp 3
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 12–Summit Plan for the Team
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 11–First Summits
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 10–Climbing the Lhotse Face
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 9–Summit Date Planned
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 8–Suffering at Camp 2
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 7–Into the Cwm
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 6–Into the Icefall
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 5–Arrival At Base Camp
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 4–Blessing in the Khumbu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 2–Hello Kathmandu
- Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 1–Welcome and Part 1
Why this coverage?
I like to use these weekend updates to remind my readers that I’m just one guy who loves climbing. With 38 serious climbing expeditions, including four Everest trips under my belt and a summit in 2011, I use my site to share those experiences, demystify Everest each year and bring awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease. My mom, Ida Arnette, died from this disease in 2009, as have four of my aunts. It was a heartbreaking experience that I hope no other family will go through; thus, I asked for donations to non-profits, which 100% goes to them and nothing ever to me.
Preparing for Everest is more than Training
There are five Summit Coach clients on Everest in 2024
If you dream of climbing mountains but are unsure how to start or reach your next level, from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest, or even K2, we can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers worldwide achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 30 years of high-altitude mountain experience and 30 years as a business executive. Please see our prices and services on the Summit Coach website.
5 thoughts on “Everest 2024: Sabotage or Self-Promotion – Cut Ropes?”
I just watched a video of Nims showing video evidence on Instagram of the cut rope. But he says “they are calling me a liar”. Why would he say that before anyone called him one? Would they have climbed back up to show the lines? Can you tell if they are at a specific place on Everest in the video and when it was made?
The ropes were allegedly cut just below the South Summit
Only from what I have read, that people were stuck due to no rope and someone secured a new one to get the line moving again
Didn’t a rope break and a few people fell down the tibet side. I know they put a new rope on, but could this team have by accident picked up the broken one. And thank you Allen for another year of great coverage. I look forward to this every year. You are the best!
I had the impression that the people who fell down and were lost were not clipped in, whereas those who fell and were able to climb back up were clipped in. I hadn’t heard anything about a rope break, but perhaps I missed it. Alan, do you know?
Comments are closed.