It’s been reported today that Sherpas have decided that no climbing will take place on Everest this season, following the serac fall on the 18th April that left 13 Sherpas dead and a further three missing, presumed dead. A deadline of 28th April had been set for Sherpa demands from the Nepalese government to be met, but it appears now that irrespective of the outcome of these talks, Sherpas do not want to continue working on the mountain following the tragic events of last week.
A report on the Guardian’s website gives the following details: “Nepalese guides on Mount Everest have decided to abandon this year’s climbing season, to honour 16 colleagues killed in an avalanche last week. The decision throws the plans of hundreds of foreign mountaineers into chaos, with many of them waiting in base camp after paying tens of thousands of dollars to scale the world’s highest peak. The Sherpas perform essential tasks on the 8,848-metre (29,029ft) mountain, carrying equipment and food, as well as repairing ladders and fixing ropes to reduce risks for their clients.
“We had a long meeting this afternoon and we decided to stop our climbing this year to honour our fallen brothers. All Sherpas are united in this,” one local guide, Tulsi Gurung, told AFP from base camp. “Some guides have already left and others will take about a week to pack up everything and go,” said Gurung, whose brother is among those missing after an avalanche last Friday killed 13 Sherpas and left three missing, presumed dead.
Another guide, Pasang Sherpa, said: “Sixteen people have died on this mountain on the first day of our climb. How can we step on it now?”
RELATED LINKS
www.theguardian.com
www.alanarnette.com