Avalanche on Everest
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DougPaul
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The Khumbu Ice Fall is one of the most (if not the most) dangerous parts of the mountain. The Sherpas were most likely setting the route (a slow and laborious task) through the ice fall when the accident occurred--serac (large ice block) collapses are quite common in that area. (I don't know the details of this particular accident, just that serac collapses are a common cause of avalanche accidents here.)
The Sherpas spend a lot of time in the ice fall building and maintaining the route and carrying supplies and are therefore at higher risk than the climbers who typically spend far less time in the ice fall.
Doug
The Sherpas spend a lot of time in the ice fall building and maintaining the route and carrying supplies and are therefore at higher risk than the climbers who typically spend far less time in the ice fall.
Doug
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DayTrip
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That is scary business in there. I've seen a few documentaries about some of the top guide groups who lead expeditions there and they've captured some of these avalanches on camera. The last one I watched had an avalanche that killed 5 guys in their actual group. Anxious moments when the group passes through that section.
DougPaul
Well-known member
According to one (of the perhaps more knowledgeable) reports, the avalanche came down from a hanging glacier on the West Shoulder hitting the climbers in the "popcorn field" (upper Khumbu Icefall). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140418-everest-avalanche-sherpa-killed-mountain/
If you want to take a look at the icefall (in as much detail as you can stand...), try http://more.glacierworks.org/the-glaciers/pumori-spring-2012/.
In the initial picture, the Khumbu Icefall is the white cascade of ice in the main glacier in the dead center of the image. The valley behind (mostly not visible) is the Western Cwm. The West Shoulder is the peak (with hanging glaciers...) immediately to the upper left of the icefall. Everest is the peak on the skyline immediately behind the West Shoulder. Lhotse and Nuptse are on the skyline to the right of Everest. Lhotse also has a broken ice slope (Lhotse Face) leading down to the head of the Western Cwm. The route goes up the icefall, up the Cwm, up Lhotse Face just to the left of the broken ice, and to the South Col (between Lhotse and Everest). The route then follows the mostly hidden ridge to Everest summit.
Doug
If you want to take a look at the icefall (in as much detail as you can stand...), try http://more.glacierworks.org/the-glaciers/pumori-spring-2012/.
In the initial picture, the Khumbu Icefall is the white cascade of ice in the main glacier in the dead center of the image. The valley behind (mostly not visible) is the Western Cwm. The West Shoulder is the peak (with hanging glaciers...) immediately to the upper left of the icefall. Everest is the peak on the skyline immediately behind the West Shoulder. Lhotse and Nuptse are on the skyline to the right of Everest. Lhotse also has a broken ice slope (Lhotse Face) leading down to the head of the Western Cwm. The route goes up the icefall, up the Cwm, up Lhotse Face just to the left of the broken ice, and to the South Col (between Lhotse and Everest). The route then follows the mostly hidden ridge to Everest summit.
Doug
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erugs
New member
And now, the Sherpa who work on the mountain are hoping this tragedy will leverage some of their requests for "social security" in the case of accidental death or injury and more. Maybe there will be a climbing season this year, maybe not. My friend Namgya Sherpa was at Base Camp and accompanied his cousin's body back to Kathmandu for cremation. Sad event. Much easier to picture in my mind after having been there last fall, and feeling so much sadder after having met so many smiling faces there.
erugs
New member
From a story in the Himalayian Times:
What they want • Increment of immediate relief announced for avalanche victims • Provide Rs 1 million* each to families of deceased • Set up a memorial park in the name of the deceased in Kathmandu • Cover all expenses for treatment of the injured • Provide Rs 1 million* to critically hurt who cannot rejoin mountaineering activities • Set up mountaineering relief fund with 30 per cent of royalty collected from issuing permits to different mountains • Double the insurance amount to the mountaineering workers • Provide additional chopper rescue to mountaineering support staff if insurance fails to cover the cost • Provide perks and salaries, except summit bonus, through concerned agencies to Sherpas if they want to call off climbing this season • Manage chopper to bring logistics and equipment from different camps if mountaineers decide to abandon climbing this season • Don’t take action against SPCC icefall doctors if they refuse to fix ropes and ladders on the route this season • Let the expedition members to call off this season’s climbing if they wish so.
Rs is Rupees, the exchange rate is about $1 equalling almost-100 Nepal rupee, or more precisely today, 1 USD = 96.9308 NPR.
What they want • Increment of immediate relief announced for avalanche victims • Provide Rs 1 million* each to families of deceased • Set up a memorial park in the name of the deceased in Kathmandu • Cover all expenses for treatment of the injured • Provide Rs 1 million* to critically hurt who cannot rejoin mountaineering activities • Set up mountaineering relief fund with 30 per cent of royalty collected from issuing permits to different mountains • Double the insurance amount to the mountaineering workers • Provide additional chopper rescue to mountaineering support staff if insurance fails to cover the cost • Provide perks and salaries, except summit bonus, through concerned agencies to Sherpas if they want to call off climbing this season • Manage chopper to bring logistics and equipment from different camps if mountaineers decide to abandon climbing this season • Don’t take action against SPCC icefall doctors if they refuse to fix ropes and ladders on the route this season • Let the expedition members to call off this season’s climbing if they wish so.
Rs is Rupees, the exchange rate is about $1 equalling almost-100 Nepal rupee, or more precisely today, 1 USD = 96.9308 NPR.
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For those interested, the 2nd hour of OnPoint with Tom Ashbrook tomorrow (Thursday, 4/24/14) will be on climbing Everest. 11am (and 8pm) on 90.9FM in the Boston area.
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/04/24/nepal-everest-sherpa-avalanche
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/04/24/nepal-everest-sherpa-avalanche
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