Mount Everest Climbers

[Obliviax]

This earthquake on Everest is unreal. I've followed the climbers for several years after reading Krakaur's book "Into the Mist", which is one of the most compelling books I've ever read. And CNN is showing a video that is shocking.

Base Camp is just below one of the most dangerous parts of the climb, the ice fields. This is where balls of ice often break loose and hit climbers. The quake, apparently, did this times 100 and the result was an avalanche of ice and snow that buried much of base camp at the peak time of the climbing season.

What may be worse is now there are several climbers at camps I ~ IV with zero to no support. Some are said to be at IV, ~ 26,000 feet and in the "death zone" where even the best climbers have difficulty surviving without oxygen. In addition, nobody knows how the set "path" to ascent and descent has been affected. Almost certainly the guide ropes above the base camp are now gone. These guide ropes help with shear cliffs and guide around dangerous crevasses. Helicopters can't get that high as the air is too thin.

Quite a drama unfolding.

 

[lionville]

I've been following the spring climbs of Everest for a few years now myself, and the first thought that ran through my mind when I heard about the earthquake was the climbers and the support teams out on that mountain.

The earthquake could not have happened at a worse time.

 

[lattydaddy]

i just saw the base camp video. so scary. do you think there's any way people above the base camp survived? so sad.

 

[demlion]

This earthquake on Everest is unreal. I've followed the climbers for several years after reading Krakaur's book "Into the Mist", which is one of the most compelling books I've ever read. And CNN is showing a video that is shocking.

Base Camp is just below one of the most dangerous parts of the climb, the ice fields. This is where balls of ice often break loose and hit climbers. The quake, apparently, did this times 100 and the result was an avalanche of ice and snow that buried much of base camp at the peak time of the climbing season.

What may be worse is now there are several climbers at camps I ~ IV with zero to no support. Some are said to be at IV, ~ 26,000 feet and in the "death zone" where even the best climbers have difficulty surviving without oxygen. In addition, nobody knows how the set "path" to ascent and descent has been affected. Almost certainly the guide ropes above the base camp are now gone. These guide ropes help with shear cliffs and guide around dangerous crevasses. Helicopters can't get that high as the air is too thin.

Quite a drama unfolding.

That seems unlikely to end any way but one for the people high up, but it is still unclear what we have in that trough where the camps are located. Is it full of snow ice and rocks or is it relatively clear? Wow. Krakauer has another book awaiting him--but he may have nobody to tell him the story.

BTW if you are a Krakauer fan, his book about Rape on a college campus in Missoula Montana is amazing too. It is especially useful if you want to see the interplay between college officials, the police, prosecutors, the media and the feds in a rape scandal (involving adults) on a campus not named PSU. To his credit I did not see where he even mentioned PSU, which was a huge story right a the time these events unfolded at U Montana.

I especially like the way that he carefully explained the difference between beyond a reasonable doubt which applies only in criminal cases, and the civil standard which is sometimes 'Clear and convincing evidence, and sometimes a preponderance of the evidence. Your right to attend a college is not as precious as your right to liberty.

 

[dwiz]

i just saw the base camp video. so scary. do you think there's any way people above the base camp survived? so sad.

Some of the people at camp 2 were using sat phones to call and attempt to get help. They've moved down to camp 1 for a better chance at a chopper rescue. I was planning to be there for a base camp trek now, but a new house purchase derailed that. Thought the scariest part of the trip would have been Lukla airport, but it seems people doing the base camp treks have perished also.

 

[aro11]

From what I've read there were helicopters dropping in ropes and supplies at the lower camps. As mentioned, the issue is all the paths through the icefall are completely destroyed. So the climbers at the lower camps have to redefine the paths which isn't going to be easy. I really fear for those at camps 3 and 4. If their fixed lines are gone I'm not sure how much time they have without much needed supplies and at camp 4, oxygen. I've never been above 6000 meters in my mountaineering trips but I can't imagine being stuck at 8000 meters. Between the exposure and lack of supplies they will be losing a significant amount of strength. At some point they may have to make a very difficult decision to go down on their own. Possibly without the needed equipment. Scary indeed.

 

[psu00]

i just saw the base camp video. so scary. do you think there's any way people above the base camp survived? so sad.

I saw the Avalanche video that hit the base camp. Scary stuff. The wall of snow looked huge- so high it towered over the camp. I'm sure there will be incredible stories from any thatt get down the mountain and survive. Seeing the devastation in many mountain villages it's scary. New count is over 3,000 dead but some say it could hit 10,000 by the time it's all said and done.

 

[Ranger Dan]

I want them all to make it out alive, and this is sorta off topic.... but I really hate the fact that these climbers leave all of that junk (oxygen bottles, etc.) up there. Like I've always done myself... if you pack it in, you pack it out.

 

[psu00]

I want them all to make it out alive, and this is sorta off topic.... but I really hate the fact that these climbers leave all of that junk (oxygen bottles, etc.) up there. Like I've always done myself... if you pack it in, you pack it out.

Yeah I agree. You have to clean up after yourself at a place like that.

For anyone who wants to see it I'll attempt to link the Avalanche video here. Caution- lots of swearing (F bombs) right as it hits so be careful at work or around kids with the sound. .

 

[Chickenman Testa]

From what I've read there were helicopters dropping in ropes and supplies at the lower camps. As mentioned, the issue is all the paths through the icefall are completely destroyed. So the climbers at the lower camps have to redefine the paths which isn't going to be easy. I really fear for those at camps 3 and 4. If their fixed lines are gone I'm not sure how much time they have without much needed supplies and at camp 4, oxygen. I've never been above 6000 meters in my mountaineering trips but I can't imagine being stuck at 8000 meters. Between the exposure and lack of supplies they will be losing a significant amount of strength. At some point they may have to make a very difficult decision to go down on their own. Possibly without the needed equipment. Scary indeed.

Latest is choppers are able to get up to Camp 2, but can only evac 2 people at most at a time due to thin air. I just watched a Discovery Channel show about the 2014 Avalanche that killed 14 or so Sherpas.

On a side note, 658 people summited in 2013 - pictures on the Hillary Step that year evoked a conga line of sorts. It's a little silly when 80 year olds are essentially carried up there by Sherpas.

 

[dwiz]

I want them all to make it out alive, and this is sorta off topic.... but I really hate the fact that these climbers leave all of that junk (oxygen bottles, etc.) up there. Like I've always done myself... if you pack it in, you pack it out.

Thing is is that each climber has way more material on the mountain than they pack in. There are OZ bottles at each of the upper camps that sherpas put there for each climber. It's hard enough to get out alive, there's no way to get down with 4 OZ bottles somehow strapped to your body. The government charges ~$65,000 US just for the permit to climb the mountain. Instead of using that as profit, they should use it to pay sherpas to get bottles out of there.

 

[androcles]

...on the local news last night...

...several climbers on the mountain were from Muhlenberg College in Allentown...

...and for whatever reason they to go back to Katmandu just prior to the quake...!

...how fortunate is that...

 

[fairgambit]

When I was a younger man, I had dreams of climbing an 8,000 meter peak. After seriously reading about all 14, I settled on a climb of Cho Oyu. Like many dreams, it took a back seat to the realities of family life, financial resources, and time. I still climb vicariously via the internet, television, and reading, and my heart and prayers are with those still on the mountain.

 

[lattydaddy]

what's it going to be like for the folks closer to the top to try to get down? are their "ladders" and "bridges" likely to be wiped away and thus they would be trapped?

 

[fairgambit]

The focus has been on Everest, but I have to believe there were climbers on other nearby peaks as well. K-2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, etc. I have not heard any reports about the status of those expeditions and if anyone has, please post some information.

 

[Obliviax]

As I understand it, the issue is Everest, were the avalanche buried the base/support camp and any ropes/trails over the ice field. The climbers north of base camp are safe except for the lack of support/paths. It is the avalanche in the ice field that is the problem. Were there avalanches on the other mountains? Haven't heard but it would seem this is of much lower concern.

 

[fairgambit]

As I understand it, the issue is Everest, were the avalanche buried the base/support camp and any ropes/trails over the ice field. The climbers north of base camp are safe except for the lack of support/paths. It is the avalanche in the ice field that is the problem. Were there avalanches on the other mountains? Haven't heard but it would seem this is of much lower concern.

I don't know, but given the magnitude of the earthquake, and the proximity of other 8,000 meter peaks, I would think there had to be some issues. Hopefully, I'm wrong because certainly the Everest calamity is bad enough.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

The focus has been on Everest, but I have to believe there were climbers on other nearby peaks as well. K-2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, etc. I have not heard any reports about the status of those expeditions and if anyone has, please post some information.

Check UK sources like BBC, the Guardian and such. This morning they had running accounts from other expeditions in the area and ascending other Himalayan peaks.

 

[fairgambit]

Check UK sources like BBC, the Guardian and such. This morning they had running accounts from other expeditions in the area and ascending other Himalayan peaks.

Good idea. I'll do that.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

what's it going to be like for the folks closer to the top to try to get down? are their "ladders" and "bridges" likely to be wiped away and thus they would be trapped?

They seem to be descending to Camps 1&2 above the Icefield/slide area and then getting airlifted down to Base.

The Khumbu Icefall is already the hairiest part of the Nepalese route to the summit - now it's currently impassable.

 

[bkmtnittany1]

Those poor people...Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world...now they have an earthquake dumped on them. Why can't the man above send an earthquake to the Middle East? I would love to turn on CNN and watch how 20,000 ISIS soldiers were killed because of an 8.8 scale quake.

 

[PSU95alum]

I feel bad for the climbers on Everest...it truly sucks to be them. But they put themselves in a very dangerous spot to begin with.

You know who I really feel bad for? The potentially 10,000 people dead and 8 million people affected by the earthquake who were just going about their daily lives, not putting themselves in harms way. Just living life and then BOOM!!! A disaster hits them. On Everst, you know schit can go wrong in a hurry- you somewhat expect it. When you are sitting in your house on the other hand.....