Babel

[Click on the pictures to see larger versions with captions.]

Everything is going according to plan for the two Himex teams as they move up today to Camps 2 and 3 in good weather. However, Mogens radioed down at about 2:30 p.m. to consult with our doctor, Monica, about experiencing restrictive breathing on the way to Camp 2.

I scoped a pair of American skiers carrying skis to the summit, then carry the skis back down to near the Third Step, put them on, make a couple of kick turns then turn around and climb back to the route and head on down.

An emergency erupted last night when a loosely knit four-person Italian group with Cho Oyu Trekking raised the alarm from 27,000 feet (8,300 meters). Russell and two other large commercial operations (one Swiss-owned, by Cary Kobler; one Russian-owned, called Seven Summits) quickly got involved. The state of play is confusing to everyone, especially with the multilingual communications.

It appears that four Italians, at least one climbing without oxygen and all without Sherpa support (and possibly without radios), became separated on their way to the summit. One climber accelerated past his team members, tagged the summit then headed back down past them. The rest continued up, apparently reaching the summit but falling into disarray during the descent.

Details are scant, but one Italian, Marco, collapsed that night in a tent at Camp 4. Lacking a radio, his companions used their satellite phone to call Italy and a frantic call was patched through to ABC saying that some of the team was missing and that one person was dying at Camp 4.

According to Russell, while he and other team leaders tried to make sense of where the Italians were, one of the allegedly missing walked into ABC unscathed. He had little information on the rest of his team, other than that he'd continued past them. It appears that their connection to each other was so loose that they didn't know each others' full names, adding to the confusion.

The rest of last night and this morning the drama played out in various camps on the glacier. While I watched Russell and Cary orchestrate a solution to the problem by radio, the Italian who'd arrived last night sat on a rock, seemingly stunned and silent, while an Italian woman looked on in a state of distress.

It seems that the two Italians accompanying the stricken Marco, themselves exhausted, had left him at Camp 4, apparently in the care of Russian team leader Alex of Seven Summits, who was on his way up with clients. More radio talk revealed that Alex had his own problems and was dealing with several broken oxygen masks.

Russell offered Marco oxygen and high-altitude medicine from his stash at Camp 4. As the day went on, Sherpas arrived to assist, Marco plugged into oxygen, got to his feet and he, along with the other two Italians, continued down toward safety.

Unless anything else goes wrong, what began as a verge-of-death situation will likely end up as another near-miss on Everest. Cary Kobler, a bear-sized man who often works closely with Russell in such situations, modestly brushed off the team effort, saying that all they'd done was make a few radio calls and contribute some oxygen. But if they hadn't been there to put all those pieces together, would this ill-prepared team of Italians be coming home alive?

Signing off,
Greg Child

Comments

[Curtis Reese]

How is Fred Ziel doing on the climb? What camp is he at? curtis.d.reese@pfizer.com

[matt hardy]

oh dear thats bad news to hear more people tryin to climb everest with cheap firms and no clue in how to climb and very little organisation its so bad that they dont even reli know each others names how can someone organise a trip to the top of the world and have no information and little equipment its unreal to think hope better news come your way soon keep safe and keep pushing himex team

[Pontus Kjällman]

Yes, now it starts again, doesn't it? If a team, like Himex, have prepared themselves well then suddenly they are supposed to have the responsibility to help everyone who haven't. It is of course a natural thing to help but this "system" at Everest isn't sustainable, is it?! Of course everyone has the right to climb with whatever kind of minimal safety-net they wish but then don't come and ask for assistance when a rather likely problem arises. But of course people will and Himex and a few other groups will be dragged into their mess over and over again. That kind of persons should wake up and realize that Himex isn't a state-financed rescue group and if they want safety they have to pay for it themselves, in advance. That is how all insurance works...

[mjb]

Does anybody know if David Tait and Phurba Tashi filmed their ascent and decent with a helmet cam? If so could be spectacular, especially South side decent!

[Linda and Froggie]

Give it heaps Deano, Woody and Whetu. Big squidgey hugs from everyone in QT. Linda and Froggie x

[Dr. Glenn]

I wonder how many more people would be dying on Everest if it weren't for Russel Brice saving their lives.

[Mike G]

After watching these incredibly irritating previews for weeks now, I can safely say that I hate all these people and I hope this show ends in a mass funeral.

This is another example of a bunch of winers going where they shouldn't and crying into the camera on how brave they are! PLEASE LET THERE BE A HUNGRY YETI!

[Lori Falk]

I have just returned from a trek to the Everest Base Camp from the Nepal side. I am sickened to read the blogs and comments from various mountaineers and trekkers that do not mention why ANYONE gets to the summit--and it's because of the Sherpas and native Himalayan people who risk their lives for very little money to indulge our egos. We revel in ridiculous tales of climbers in shorts and criminal amounts of technological equipment portered and ignore the reality that the staff of the climbs and expeditions are risking their lives to feed their families.

Would that all of us who have had the incredible opportunity to trek this area and meet the wonderful people take out our checkbooks and pay for a school uniform, a families' meals, clothes and medication... Shame on us for using this place on planet Earth to fan our sense of how cool we are and how fit we are. We must reexamine the influence of wealthy people, and that means anyone who has the money to get to this area, and decide what we can do to help.

The United States is particularly culpable--we have the most money and power on the planet...our influence is felt globally. Yet our citizens hunker down with false fears of terrorism--we have stopped traveling because of our fears, we disaprove of foreign investment and immigration. Let's all reach out and recognize that we DO NOT have the answers to life's biggest questions.

All of us trekkers and climbers should spread the word: The Himalayas and the people of the moutain countries have much to teach us.

[coloradoan2002]

Repeatedly, throughout the series, I am reminded how selfish are so many of the climbers I have met from Southern California. I suspect that never once did Tim consider the well being of his climbing team following his hand injury. No thought of risk to those involved with assisting him back to safety. Just single-minded obsession to summit. Did Discovery include him on the team just to raise the probability of someone dying this season? Fortunately, no deaths on his expedition, but forever my motto shall be, “Just say no to selfish climbing partners.”

[Beth]

I agree with Lori. I was sickened to see Tim nearly glorified as a hero on "Everest After the Climb." Those individuals who may summit Everest but come down on their behinds or on a Sherpa's back should not be allowed to claim that they belong to such an exclusive club.

[Cheryl from Rhode Island]

What saddens me is that Mt. Everest is quickly becoming the world's tallest garbage dump. It's depressing to see film from the summit that shows tanks and other debris just thrown all over. I understand how physically grueling it is - but the people who summit seem to forget that one of the reasons they are climbing is for the beauty of the mountain.

Congratulations Russell on keeping your entire team safe again this year!

[Rick A.]

I am impressed with Russell's ability to get people that aren't able to get to the top on their ability actually get there. I am saddened to see people like Tim put others at risk by continuing to climb with a broken hand to feed his ego. He is not a team player, just a selfish person with money to spend. I am thankful that no one was hurt because of his acts.

[Zac]

Everest is so cool!

[fall flags]

Thanks for the useful information

Thanks
fall flags

[jack@jack]

thanks for the post