As funerals are held of Sherpas killed in the serac fall on Everest last Friday, those on the mountain are taking stock while in Kathmandu the political fall-out has already started, raising questions about the future of climbing on the world’s highest mountain. Ed Douglas reports from Kathmandu.

The pictures said it all. Newspaper images of grieving relatives in Boudha, the Buddhist enclave in east Kathmandu, and the drawn faces of Sherpas who narrowly escaped the hundreds of tons of ice that fell off the west shoulder of Everest, spoke eloquently of the emotional impact of the worst single accident in the mountain’s history.

The sight of 12 bodies being ferried from the mountain on long lines from helicopters must have been harrowing for survivors, and the implications for all the families in a poor country that can offer little in the way of financial support are obvious.

The case of Asman Tamang is a good example. As an expedition cook for Himalayan Ecstasy, he was on his way to take up his duties at Camp 2 when he got caught in the serac fall. The families of climbing Sherpas who died will get $10,000 from their insurance cover. Yet because he was a cook, the mother of Asman’s nine-month-old daughter will only get $5,000; this will have to be split somehow between his common-law wife and his family in Solu Khumbu.

Also among the dead was Dorje Khatri, a noted campaigner for Sherpa rights who had previously carried the flag of a porter’s union to the summit and was working for Himalayan Guides. With the working conditions of high-altitude workers in the forefront of the public’s mind, organisations representing them have been quick to add to the pressure on the government.

Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summits Treks warned that there would be no Sherpa involvement in mountaineering in the future if their social security concerns were ignored. “Sherpas are the backbone of Mount Everest expeditions but the government neglects them,” he told the Himalayan Times. “We the Sherpas strongly urge the government to immediately act to support the families of deceased Sherpas. A permanent mechanism at government level is required.”

This response to Everest’s worst climbing accident is not only a powerful indicator of how important and how competitive the industry has become, but also how politicised it has become. Those working on the mountains point out that the 334 climbers so far registered to climb the mountain this season will bring $3.3m to the treasury. They believe they should have a fairer share of that money.

Nepali climbing and trekking industry organisations have also used the accident to push their agenda. On the morning of the funerals on Monday, the Nepal Mountaineering Association was planning to march the bodies of dead Sherpas past the prime minister’s house to push the case for better working conditions for those working on the mountain.

Meanwhile, on Everest itself, a four-day moratorium on climbing is in effect while climbers take stock and many Sherpas leave the mountain for a break.

One climber explained what Basecamp felt like right now:

“The mood at Basecamp is one of great sadness and mourning. It's very sombre. In some cases there are teams with nearly all their Sherpas out of action from death or resulting injury. Several Sherpas have left basecamp to spend time with their families down in the Khumbu, as expected and supported by all teams. Will they come back for this season? Who knows, it’s their decision.

There is going to be no climbing on the mountain until the Sherpas give their blessing to continue, if they do. This could be four days or more. No formal date has been set. There are a lot of meetings going on at the moment: groups of Sherpas, western leaders, Sherpa leaders.

I guess people are just making up their mind about how they feel and what’s going to happen. Certainly there are people who want to shut down climbing this season whilst others, including Sherpas and Sirdars do not. Is the icefall exceptionally dangerous? No, it was just a terrible accident. Will the route in the icefall be changed? I don’t know yet, but possibly.

For now, we’re lying low, just providing any support we can to the Sherpas.”

Heavy snowfall would have limited climbing anyway during this period of reflection. At least one expedition organiser told his Sherpa team that they could decide for themselves whether they want to go back. For many, the allure of a good wage may overcome the dangers of the Icefall.

The future of this year’s Everest season is not yet known. Many clients were away from the mountain acclimatising on other peaks so they at least could avoid the dangers of the Icefall. One Sherpa told me that if Russell Brice’s Himex and IMG, which between them have over a hundred Sherpas working on the mountain, now pull out then some of the smaller companies would follow suit.

For one climber at least it will be business as usual. Alyssa Azar from Australia is aiming to become the youngest non-Sherpa woman to climb the mountain.

She told the Sydney Morning Herald: “I'm 100 per cent committed to going forward. I understand the risks, but it's been my lifelong dream to climb Everest and I've been working towards this for the last 10 years. I don't want to say too much out of respect for the Sherpas who died, but I'm going to go on.”

About the accident

The accident happened on April 17, at about 6:30 a.m. local time. An avalanche swept down off the west shoulder of Everest and killed 16 climbers – all Sherpas. Twelve bodies were initially recovered and on Saturday a thirteenth was discovered but it's unlikely the other three will ever be found.

Read more

Article by Ed Douglas in the Guardian

Alan Arnette's blog
 

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