Climbers Suffered Altitude-Related Sickness
Another tragedy struck Mount Everest as four climbers including a Sherpa guide died in a span of four days. Three climbers died due to altitude-related sickness and one died due to a tragic fall.
The climbing season resumed in April after two years of hiatus since a series of disasters struck the highest peak. One deadly disaster hit Nepal in 2015 and a deadly avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas in one day in 2014.
But tragedy struck again on Everest in the past week, sending a strong message of alarm on the perils of scaling the highest peak in the world.
One Sherpa Fell on Thursday
Crew member Phurba Sherpa, 25, fell to his death on Thursday. The guide was working to fix a route about 150 meters close to the summit when he fell.
Dutch Climber Died on Friday
Dutch climber Eric Arnold, 36, died in his sleep after a successful summit on Everest on Friday night. Many say he died from a heart attack. Climbing officials ruled out that the triathlete Dutchman may have suffered from altitude sickness after descending the famous mountain.
Australian Woman Climber Dies on Saturday
An Australian adventurer, Maria Strydom, died on Saturday. At the high altitude, the Australian climber suffered from altitude sickness after reaching final camp before the summit. A rescue attempt was launched to reach her but failed in the long run. The finance professor at Monash Business School in Australia died Saturday before she could reach Camp III.
Strydom’s husband and fellow climber, Robert Gropel, also became ill on his way down after scaling Everest. He suffered from high-altitude pulmonary oedema.
Altitude Sickness Kills Indian Climber on Sunday
Altitude sickness also caused the sudden death of Subash Paul, 44, when he reached Base Camp II. Paul was part of a team consisting of four Indian climbers and four Sherpas. Two of his teammates were reported missing on Saturday.
The Nepal Tourism officials blamed the deteriorating weather to be one of the factors that caused climbers to disband and lose direction.
Two Indian Climbers Missing
Two climbers, Paresh Chandra Nath and Goutam Ghosh, were reported missing Saturday night. A search and rescue operation including helicopter search is not possible at this time because they were too high up the mountain. The effort can be dangerous as well for the rescue team.
The Dangers of Scaling Everest
Some adventurers dream of scaling Mount Everest. But the famous mountain is one of the dangerous places to conquer.
The temperature could drop low as 60 degrees C below, making it harsh to endure. The climb can be very risky too. Avalanches are unpredictable and fierce storms may blow up unexpectedly. Also, lack of oxygen is one of the major dangers posed by Everest.
Humans cannot survive long in Everest’s death zone, an elevation above 26,000 feet (8000 m). At this extremely high altitude, oxygen is low and the human body begins to deteriorate.
Amid the dangers of conquering the famous mountain, many adventurers find fulfillment when they reach the top of the world’s highest peak. They say it is a test of endurance and strength to overcome the perils of scaling Everest.
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