Why aren't climbers buried? Remained on top: What happens to those who died on Everest. Corpses at Advanced Base Camp

When Prince Siddhartha was born, it was prophesied that he would give up his entire vast inheritance and become a great teacher.
Fearing that the prophecy would come true, his father, the Raja of one of the Indian principalities, surrounded his son with care and comfort.
One of the raja's commands was to clear the city streets of sick and infirm people, the sight and conversations with whom could force Siddhartha to leave the fate of the heir to the principality.

But nevertheless, the prince was concerned about the problems of the commoners.
One day, in the thirtieth year of his life, Siddhartha, accompanied by the charioteer Channa, got out of the palace. There he saw “four sights” that changed his entire subsequent life: an old beggar, a sick man, a decomposing corpse and a hermit.
Then he realized the harsh reality of life - that illness, suffering, aging and death are inevitable and neither wealth nor nobility can protect against them, and that the path of self-knowledge is the only way to understand the causes of suffering.

This prompted him, in his thirtieth year, to leave his home, family and property and go in search of a way to get rid of suffering.

Today we know this great man by the name of Buddha.

At the core of his teaching was the concept of impermanence, that we should live our lives as productively as possible and not fear death.

Buddhists usually face death soberly. Many of them also treat corpses calmly. They make a distinction between a person's body, a temporary shelter, and his soul - an immortal essence destined for eternal real life.

Perhaps because we foreigners lead a much more mundane lifestyle, we are very uncomfortable being around dead bodies. As a rule, they make either a disgusted or disgusting impression on us. We are unable to distinguish between the earthly body and eternal life.
Many of us are afraid of dead bodies, but oddly enough, if the corpse becomes increasingly difficult to identify, then the horror that arose towards it is erased.
We are horrified when we see how a pathologist works with recently deceased people, but at the same time we can quite calmly observe the work of an archaeologist who has dug up the skeleton of a person from the distant past.

One of the things that shocks and surprises people to whom I tell about my climb to Everest is that they think that I climb to the top by stepping over a huge number of corpses.
But why weren’t these bodies brought down and buried according to the canons of the Buddhist religion? they ask me.

But before I answer this question, I'm going to debunk the popular media myth that Everest is literally littered with the bodies of dead climbers.
Debunking this myth is very important because it is what proves that climbing Everest is inherently unethical. Believe it or not, many people even hold a grudge against climbers who climb Everest, believing that they are completely devoid of conscience, that they will stop at nothing to reach the top of Everest, and that climbers are ready to walk to the top even over the corpses of their comrades.

Returning to the theme of the myth, we can say with confidence that Everest is littered with the bodies of dead climbers just as much as Antarctica is littered with the bodies of dead pioneers of Shackleton’s era.

Yes, it is true that more than 200 people died on Everest during their ascents, and that the bodies of the vast majority of them are still on the mountain.
But on the other hand, Everest is a huge territory, and most of the bodies of the dead are hidden in the depths North wall, walls of Kangshung and Khumbu glacier. These "burials" are as inaccessible as if the bodies were buried several hundred meters underground. And even more so, not a single climber will stumble or step over them when climbing to the top.

Perhaps the best example of this is on the Northeast ridge of Everest in 1924.
Some people believe that if climbers can find Irwin's body, he will also have a camera with him that could reveal the century-old secret of Everest: whether Irvine and Mallory were on its summit in 1924.

However, for almost 100 years now, climbers have been searching for Irwin’s body on the North Slope... For this, both the visual method and aerial photographs and satellite images are used. But all searches turn out to be in vain, and apparently Irwin’s body will never be found.

There are many more corpses in our city cemetery, and they lie much denser.... Of course, not all are hidden from view, but at the same time, every tombstone marks these bodies, but there are also places where there are no tombstones.... and this means that when I walk with the graves of my relatives, I unwittingly step over or even step on the graves of other people who have been buried for a long time.

So let's stop reacting to tabloid headlines. Everest is not littered with corpses!
Over the past 100 years, less than 300 people have died in this mountain range. There are hundreds of other places on Earth that have had much greater casualties.
But what shocks people so much when we talk about corpses on Everest? Perhaps the fact is that these bodies remain on the mountainside and are not taken to the valleys where they could be buried in the ground.
So why is this happening?

A simple answer to this question is the fact that in most cases it is simply impossible to carry out such an operation.
Helicopters cannot operate at high altitudes due to the thin atmosphere, and on the Tibetan side, their flights in the highlands are generally prohibited by the Chinese government!

Even if a person died in the arms of his comrades, lowering the body from a great height will take all the climbers and sherpas of the expedition, and in the pre-summit zone, even the well-coordinated work of the entire team may not help in the descent.
Most climbers, when stepping above the "death zone", are aware of this fine line between life and death. And they consider their safety as their first priority and not reaching the top at any cost.
In addition, a special operation to remove the body of the deceased from the mountain to the valley will cost tens of thousands of dollars to the family of the deceased, and will also endanger the lives of other climbers taking part in this operation.
Climbers' insurance typically covers search and rescue, but these policies do not cover the recovery of a deceased person.

The bodies of those climbers who died after falling off the route are often unattainable for the rescue team, and in such harsh conditions, these bodies very quickly freeze into ice.

The bodies of those climbers who died from exhaustion, located near the ascent route, are often at the edge of the field of view, or after some time, end up on the slopes of the South-West Face or on Kangshung from the Tibetan side.
A similar thing happened to David Sharp, a British climber who died on the northeast ridge in 2006. His body was removed from the climbing route at the request of his family.
A similar thing happened to the Indian climber Tsevan Paljor, who died in 1996, but his body remained in plain sight in a niche on the north-eastern part of the ridge for almost 20 years: but now it is not there... apparently it was removed from the route.

Yet every year people die on Everest, and in most cases their bodies remain on the mountain. If you attempt to climb to the top and climb to it, you will probably notice several bodies of the dead along the way.

I also walked near the bodies of the dead, but I did not dwell on them. I understood that these few bodies were only a small fraction of those killed who remained here forever over the past decades.
I saw that some bodies were lying along the route, they died from exhaustion, and I could understand how they died, I knew how they suffered and understood that I could not afford to leave my family and friends with such grief.

Please pay attention to this photo. It shows a view of the Everest route from the third stage. The photo was taken from a height of 8600 meters. If you study it in detail, you can see four corpses on the slope of Everest.
Two bodies lying close to the route most likely died from exhaustion. One body is 50 meters below, partially covered in snow, and another is hanging over the edge of a rocky area. These bodies were carried by climbers away from the trail, which was essentially the equivalent of a burial.

In general, in this section, near the third step, there is a large number of bodies of the dead, this is due to the fact that from here, the top of Everest seems to be at arm's length, and this deceptive fact forces climbers to move to the top despite their condition, when the right decision was would turn down.

Let me remind you once again that this photo was taken at around 8600 meters and only about 100 people a year pass this section, and those who found the strength to reach such a height are already having difficulty finding the strength to fight for their own survival.
Only in this photograph did I discover the bodies of two more dead climbers, because in fact, with my own eyes I saw only two on this step...
But as paradoxical as it sounds, these two bodies helped me survive the ascent

I have since removed this photo from my blog to prevent inappropriate comments and conversations.
I have left here only a low-resolution version of the photo, which would make it very difficult to distinguish the bodies of the dead.

Some people who hear about bodies lying on Everest say that the mountain should be closed to climbers in memory of those who remained there forever.
I don’t quite understand this approach, but I think that this opinion arises when people do not know at all what mountaineering is, what climbing to the tops of mountains is.
Climbers who go to Everest understand and know about the risks, they themselves decided to take this risk, because mountaineering and victories enrich their lives.

Of course, not everyone believes that such a risk is worth the reward, but this is the choice of every climber. Mountaineering and mountains are not a place where it is wise to interfere with the choices of others.
I don’t know a single climber who would like the mountain to be closed for climbing in memory of those who died, of those who took risks and their risk was higher than they could overcome.

Perhaps it would be easier if people saw climbing Everest as a metaphor for life. And if you want to live life - you must accept that from time to time you will see corpses, because the dead are part of real life.
Perhaps this look will help to more soberly assess the situation with Everest and understand what the corpses on the mountainside mean.
Every death is a tragedy for the loved ones of the deceased, but death is an unchangeable part of our existence. Death accompanies us all throughout our lives. And when someone dies, we can learn to be more merciful and become a better person.

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Mira stores not only piles of garbage, but also the remains of its conquerors. For many decades now, the corpses of losers have been decorating the highest point of the planet, and no one intends to remove them from there. Most likely, the number of unburied bodies will only increase.

Attention, impressionable people, pass by!

In 2013, the media obtained photos from the very top of Everest. Dean Carrere, a famous climber from Canada, took a selfie against the background of the sky, rocks and heaps of garbage brought earlier by his predecessors.

At the same time, on the slopes of the mountain you can see not only various garbage, but also unburied bodies of people who remained there forever. The summit of Everest is known for its extreme conditions, which literally turn it into a mountain of death. Everyone who conquers Chomolungma must understand that conquering this peak may be the last.

Night temperatures here drop to minus 60 degrees! Closer to the top, hurricane winds blow at speeds of up to 50 m/s: at such moments the frost can be felt human body like minus 100! Plus, the extremely rarefied atmosphere at such an altitude contains extremely little oxygen, literally on the border of deadly limits. Under such loads, even the most resilient people’s hearts suddenly stop, and equipment often fails—for example, the valve of an oxygen cylinder may freeze. The slightest mistake is enough to lose consciousness and, having fallen, never rise again...

At the same time, you can hardly expect that someone will come to your rescue. The climb to the legendary peak is fantastically difficult, and only true fanatics meet here. As one of the participants in the Russian Himalayan expedition, Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering, Alexander Abramov, put it:

“The corpses on the route are a good example and a reminder to be more careful on the mountain. But every year there are more and more climbers, and according to statistics, the number of corpses will increase every year. What is unacceptable in normal life is considered normal at high altitudes.”

There are terrible stories among those who have been there...

Local residents - Sherpas, naturally adapted to life in these harsh conditions, are hired as guides and porters for climbers. Their services are simply irreplaceable - they provide fixed ropes, delivery of equipment, and, of course, rescue. But in order for them to come to
help needs money...

Sherpas at work.

These people risk themselves every day so that even moneybags unprepared for difficulties can get their share of the experiences they want to get for their money.

Climbing Everest is a very expensive pleasure, costing from $25,000 to $60,000. Those who try to save money sometimes have to pay extra on this bill with their very lives... There are no official statistics, but according to those who returned, not less than 150 people, and perhaps as many as 200...

Groups of climbers pass by the frozen bodies of their predecessors: at least eight unburied corpses lie near the common trails on the northern route, ten more on the southern route, recalling the serious danger that befalls a person in these places. Some of the unfortunate people were just as eager to reach the top, but fell and crashed, someone froze to death, someone lost consciousness from lack of oxygen... And it is highly not recommended to deviate from the trodden routes - you will stumble, and no one will come to your rescue , taking risks own life. Death Mountain does not forgive mistakes, and people here are as indifferent to misfortune as rocks.

Below is the supposed corpse of the very first climber to conquer Everest, George Mallory, who died on the descent.

“Why are you going to Everest?” - Mallory was asked. - “Because he exists!”

In 1924, the Mallory-Irving team began an assault on the great mountain. The last time they were seen was only 150 meters from the top, seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds... They did not return back, and the fate of the first Europeans who climbed so high remained a mystery for many decades.

One of the climbers in 1975 claimed that he saw someone's frozen body to the side, but did not have the strength to reach it. And only in 1999, one of the expeditions came across a cluster of bodies of dead climbers on a slope to the west of the main route. There they found Mallory lying on his stomach, as if hugging a mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.

His partner Irving was never found, although the bandage on Mallory's body suggests that the pair were with each other until the very end. The rope was cut with a knife. Probably, Irving could move longer and, leaving his comrade, died somewhere lower down the slope.

The bodies of the dead climbers remain here forever; no one is going to evacuate them. Helicopters cannot reach such a height, and few people are capable of carrying the considerable weight of a dead body...

The unfortunate are left lying without burial on the slopes. The icy wind gnaws the bodies to the bones, leaving an absolutely terrible sight...

As the history of recent decades has shown, extreme sports enthusiasts obsessed with records will calmly pass by not only corpses, but on the icy slope there is a real “law of the jungle”: those who are still alive are left without help.

So in 1996, a group of climbers from a Japanese university did not interrupt their climb to Everest because their Indian colleagues were injured in a snow storm. No matter how they begged for help, the Japanese passed by. On the descent they found those Indians already frozen to death...

In May 2006, another amazing incident occurred: 42 climbers passed by the freezing Briton one after another, including a Discovery Channel film crew... and no one helped him, everyone was in a hurry to accomplish their own “feat” of conquering Everest!

Briton David Sharp, who climbed the mountain on his own, died due to the fact that his oxygen tank failed at an altitude of 8500 meters. Sharpe was no stranger to the mountains, but suddenly left without oxygen, he felt ill and fell on the rocks in the middle of the northern ridge. Some of those who passed by claim that it seemed to them that he was simply resting.

But the media around the world glorified New Zealander Mark Inglis, who that day climbed to the roof of the world on prosthetics made of hydrocarbon fiber. He became one of the few who admitted that Sharpe was indeed left to die on the slope:

“At least our expedition was the only one that did something for him: our Sherpas gave him oxygen. About 40 climbers passed by him that day, and no one did anything.”

David Sharp didn't have much money, so he went to the summit without the help of Sherpas, and he had no one to call for help. Probably, if he were richer, this story would have had a happier ending.

Climbing Everest.

David Sharp shouldn't have died. It would be enough if the commercial and non-commercial expeditions that went to the summit agreed to save the Englishman. If this did not happen, it was only because there was no money or equipment. If he had someone left at the base camp who could order and pay for evacuation, the Briton would have survived. But his funds were only enough to hire a cook and a tent at the base camp.

At the same time, commercial expeditions are regularly organized to Everest, allowing completely unprepared “tourists”, very old people, the blind, people with severe disabilities and other owners of deep wallets to reach the summit.

Still alive, David Sharp spent a terrible night at an altitude of 8500 meters in the company of “Mr. Yellow Boots”... This is the corpse of an Indian climber in bright boots, lying for many years on a ridge in the middle of the road to the summit.

A little later, guide Harry Kikstra was assigned to lead a group that included Thomas Weber, who had vision problems, a second client, Lincoln Hall, and five Sherpas. They left the third camp at night under good climatic conditions. Gulping oxygen, two hours later they came across the body of David Sharp, walked around him with disgust and continued on their way to the top.

Everything went according to plan, Weber climbed on his own using the railing, Lincoln Hall moved forward with two Sherpas. Suddenly, Weber's vision dropped sharply, and just 50 meters from the top, the guide decided to end the climb and headed back with his Sherpa and Weber. They slowly descended... and suddenly Weber became weak, lost coordination, and died, falling into the hands of the guide in the middle of the ridge.

Hall, who was returning from the summit, also radioed to Kikstra that he was not feeling well, and Sherpas were sent to help him. However, Hall collapsed at a height and could not be revived for nine hours. It was beginning to get dark, and the Sherpas were ordered to take care of their own salvation and descend.

Rescue operation.

Seven hours later, another guide, Dan Mazur, who was traveling with clients to the summit, came across Hall, who, to his surprise, was alive. After he was given tea, oxygen and medicine, the climber found enough strength to talk on the radio to his group at the base.

Rescue work on Everest.

Since Lincoln Hall is one of the most famous “Himalayans” of Australia, a member of the expedition that opened one of the paths on the northern side of Everest in 1984, he was not left without help. All the expeditions located on the northern side agreed among themselves and sent ten Sherpas after him. He escaped with frostbitten hands - a minimal loss in such a situation. But David Sharp, abandoned on the trail, had neither a big name nor a support group.

Transportation.

But the Dutch expedition left a climber from India to die - just five meters from their tent, leaving him while he was still whispering something and waving his hand...

But often many of those who died are themselves to blame. A well-known tragedy that shocked many occurred in 1998. Then a married couple died - Russian Sergei Arsentiev and American Frances Distefano.

They reached the summit on May 22, using absolutely no oxygen. Thus, Frances became the first American woman and only the second woman in history to conquer Everest without oxygen. During the descent, the couple lost each other. For the sake of this record, Francis already lay exhausted for two days on the descent on the southern slope of Everest. Climbers from different countries. Some offered her oxygen, which she refused at first, not wanting to spoil her record, others poured several sips of hot tea.

Sergei Arsentyev, without waiting for Francis in the camp, went in search. The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the summit past Frances - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but to do this they would have to give up the climb. Although one of their comrades has already climbed the peak, and in this case the expedition is already considered successful.

On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Frances. He took oxygen cylinders - and did not return; most likely, he was blown away by a strong wind into a two-kilometer abyss.

The next day, three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two of South Africa, only 8 people! They approach her lying down - she has already spent the second cold night, but she is still alive! And again everyone passes by, to the top.

British climber Ian Woodhall recalls:

“My heart sank when I realized that this man in the red and black suit was alive, but completely alone at an altitude of 8.5 km, just 350 meters from the top. Katie and I, without thinking, turned off the route and tried to do everything possible to save the dying woman. Thus ended our expedition, which we had been preparing for years, begging money from sponsors... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it was close. Moving at such a height is the same as running under water...

Having discovered her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and kept muttering: “I am an American. Please don’t leave me”... We dressed her for two hours,” Woodhall continues his story. “I realized: Katie is about to freeze to death herself.” We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to pick Frances up and carry her, but it was no use. My futile attempts to save her put Katie at risk. There was nothing we could do.

Not a day went by that I didn't think about Frances. A year later, in 1999, Katie and I decided to try again to reach the top. We succeeded, but on the way back we were horrified to notice Frances' body, lying exactly as we had left her, perfectly preserved by the cold temperatures.
No one deserves such an end. Katie and I promised each other that we would return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare the new expedition. I wrapped Frances in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into the cliff, away from the eyes of other climbers. Now she rests in peace. Finally I was able to do something for her."

A year later, the body of Sergei Arsenyev was found:

“We definitely saw him - I remember the purple puffer suit. He was in a sort of bowing position, lying...in the Mallory area at approximately 27,150 feet (8,254 m). I think this is him,” writes Jake Norton, a member of the 1999 expedition.

But in the same 1999 there was a case when people remained people. A member of the Ukrainian expedition spent a cold night almost in the same place as the American. His team brought him down to the base camp, and then more than 40 people from other expeditions helped. As a result, he got off lightly with the loss of four fingers.

Japanese Miko Imai, veteran of Himalayan expeditions:

“In such extreme situations, everyone has the right to decide: to save or not to save a partner... Above 8000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself and it is quite natural that you do not help another, since you have no extra strength.”

Alexander Abramov, Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering:

“You can’t continue climbing, maneuvering between corpses, and pretend that this is in the order of things!”

The question immediately arises: did this remind anyone of Varanasi - the city of the dead? Well, if we return from horror to beauty, then look at the Lonely Peak of Mont Aiguille...

Be interesting with

Do you remember we discussed a BEAUTIFUL POST ABOUT THE TOP OF THE WORLD?
You probably noticed the information that Everest is, in the full sense of the word, a mountain of death. Storming this height, the climber knows that he has a chance not to return. Death can be caused by lack of oxygen, heart failure, frostbite or injury. Fatal accidents, such as a frozen oxygen cylinder valve, also lead to death. Moreover: the path to the top is so difficult that, as one of the participants in the Russian Himalayan expedition, Alexander Abramov, said, “at an altitude of more than 8,000 meters you cannot afford the luxury of morality. Above 8,000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself, and in such extreme conditions you do not have extra strength to help your comrade.” There will be a video on this topic at the end of the post.

The tragedy that happened on Everest in May 2006 shocked the whole world: 42 climbers passed by the slowly freezing Englishman David Sharp, but no one helped him. One of them were television crews from the Discovery Channel, who tried to interview the dying man and, after photographing him, left him alone...

And now readers WITH STRONG NERVES can see what a cemetery looks like at the top of the world.

On Everest, groups of climbers pass by unburied corpses scattered here and there; these are the same climbers, only they were unlucky. Some of them fell and broke their bones, others froze or were simply weak and still froze.
What morality can exist at an altitude of 8000 meters above sea level? Here it’s every man for himself, just to survive.
If you really want to prove to yourself that you are mortal, then you should try to visit Everest.

Most likely, all these people who remained lying there thought that this was not about them. And now they are like a reminder that not everything is in the hands of man.

No one keeps statistics on defectors there, because they climb mainly as savages and in small groups of three to five people. And the price of such an ascent ranges from $25t to $60t. Sometimes they pay extra with their lives if they save on small things. So, about 150 people, and maybe 200, remained there on eternal guard. And many who have been there say that they feel the gaze of a black climber resting on their back, because right on the northern route there are eight openly lying bodies. Among them are two Russians. From the south there are about ten. But climbers are already afraid to deviate from the paved path; they may not get out of there, and no one will try to save them.

Terrible tales circulate among climbers who have been to that peak, because it does not forgive mistakes and human indifference. In 1996, a group of climbers from the Japanese University of Fukuoka climbed Everest. Very close to their route were three climbers from India in distress - exhausted, frozen people asked for help, they survived a high-altitude storm. The Japanese passed by. When the Japanese group descended, there was no one to save; the Indians were frozen.

This is the supposed corpse of the very first climber to conquer Everest, who died on the descent.
It is believed that Mallory was the first to reach the summit and died on the descent. In 1924, Mallory and his partner Irving began the climb. They were last seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds just 150 meters from the summit. Then the clouds moved in and the climbers disappeared.
They did not return back, only in 1999, at an altitude of 8290 m, the next conquerors of the peak came across many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. Mallory was found among them. He lay on his stomach, as if trying to hug the mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.
Irving's partner was never found, although the bandage on Mallory's body suggests that the pair were with each other until the very end. The rope was cut with a knife and, perhaps, Irving could move and, leaving his comrade, died somewhere lower down the slope.

Wind and snow do their job; those places on the body that are not covered by clothing are gnawed down to the bones by the snowy wind, and the older the corpse, the less flesh remains on it. No one is going to evacuate dead climbers, a helicopter cannot rise to such a height, and there are no altruists to carry a carcass of 50 to 100 kilograms. So unburied climbers lie on the slopes.

Well, not all climbers are such selfish people; after all, they save and do not abandon their own in trouble. Only many who died are themselves to blame.
In order to set a personal record for oxygen-free ascent, American Frances Arsentieva, already on the descent, lay exhausted for two days on the southern slope of Everest. Climbers from different countries passed by the frozen but still alive woman. Some offered her oxygen (which she refused at first, not wanting to spoil her record), others poured a few sips of hot tea, there was even a married couple who tried to gather people to drag her to the camp, but they soon left because put their own lives at risk.
The American woman’s husband, Russian climber Sergei Arsentiev, with whom she got lost on the descent, did not wait for her at the camp, and went in search of her, during which he also died.

In the spring of 2006, eleven people died on Everest - nothing new, it would seem, if one of them, Briton David Sharp, was not left in a state of agony by a passing group of about 40 climbers. Sharpe was not a rich man and made the ascent without guides or Sherpas. The drama is that if he had enough money, his salvation would be possible. He would still be alive today.
Every spring, on the slopes of Everest, on both the Nepalese and Tibetan sides, countless tents grow up, in which the same dream is cherished - to climb to the roof of the world. Perhaps due to the colorful variety of tents resembling giant tents, or due to the fact that anomalous phenomena have been occurring on this mountain for some time, the scene has been dubbed the “Circus on Everest.”
Society with wise calm looked at this house of clowns, as a place of entertainment, a little magical, a little absurd, but harmless. Everest has become an arena for circus performances, absurd and funny things happen here: children come hunting for early records, old people make ascents without outside help, eccentric millionaires appear who have not even seen a cat in a photograph, helicopters land on the top... The list is endless. and has nothing to do with mountaineering, but a lot to do with money, which, if it doesn’t move mountains, then makes them lower. However, in the spring of 2006, the “circus” turned into a theater of horrors, forever erasing the image of innocence that was usually associated with the pilgrimage to the roof of the world.
On Everest in the spring of 2006, about forty climbers left Englishman David Sharpe alone to die in the middle of the northern slope; Faced with the choice of providing assistance or continuing to climb to the top, they chose the second, since reaching the highest peak in the world for them meant accomplishing a feat.
On the very day that David Sharp died surrounded by this pretty company and in utter disdain, the world's media sang the praises of Mark Inglis, the New Zealand guide who, without legs amputated after a professional injury, climbed to the top of Everest using hydrocarbon prosthetics. artificial fiber with cats attached to them.
The news, presented by the media as a super-deed, as proof that dreams can change reality, hid tons of garbage and dirt, so Inglis himself began to say: no one helped the British David Sharp in his suffering. The American web page mounteverest.net picked up the news and started pulling the string. At the end of it is a story of human degradation that is difficult to understand, a horror that would have been hidden if not for the media that undertook to investigate what happened.
David Sharp, who was climbing the mountain on his own as part of a climb organized by Asia Trekking, died when his oxygen tank failed at an altitude of 8,500 metres. This happened on May 16th. Sharpe was no stranger to the mountains. At the age of 34, he had already climbed the eight-thousander Cho Oyu, passing the most difficult sections without the use of fixed ropes, which may not be a heroic act, but at least shows his character. Suddenly left without oxygen, Sharpe immediately felt ill and immediately collapsed on the rocks at an altitude of 8500 meters in the middle of the northern ridge. Some of those who preceded him claim that they thought he was resting. Several Sherpas inquired about his condition, asking who he was and who he was traveling with. He replied: “My name is David Sharp, I’m here with Asia Trekking and I just want to sleep.”

North Ridge of Everest.

New Zealander Mark Inglis, a double leg amputee, stepped with his hydrocarbon prosthetics over the body of David Sharp to reach the top; he was one of the few to admit that Sharpe had indeed been left for dead. “At least our expedition was the only one that did something for him: our Sherpas gave him oxygen. About 40 climbers passed by him that day and no one did anything,” he said.

Climbing Everest.

The first person to be alarmed by Sharp's death was the Brazilian Vitor Negrete, who, in addition, stated that he had been robbed in a high-altitude camp. Vitor was unable to provide any further details, because he died two days later. Negrete reached the summit from the north ridge without the aid of artificial oxygen, but during the descent he began to feel ill and radioed for help from his Sherpa, who helped him reach Camp No. 3. He died in his tent, possibly due to swelling caused by staying at altitude.
Contrary to popular belief, most people die on Everest during good weather, not when the mountain is covered in clouds. Clear sky inspires anyone, regardless of their technical equipment and physical capabilities, this is where swelling and typical collapses caused by altitude await them. This spring, the roof of the world experienced a period of good weather, lasting for two weeks without wind or clouds, enough to break the record for ascents at this very time of year: 500.

Camp after the storm.

Under worse conditions, many would not have risen and would not have died...
David Sharp was still alive after spending a terrible night at 8,500 meters. During this time he had the phantasmagoric company of "Mr. Yellow Boots", the corpse of an Indian climber, dressed in old yellow plastic Koflach boots, there for years, lying on a ridge in the middle of the road and still in the fetal position.

The grotto where David Sharp died. For ethical reasons, the body is painted white.

David Sharp shouldn't have died. It would be enough if the commercial and non-commercial expeditions that went to the summit agreed to save the Englishman. If this did not happen, it was only because there was no money, no equipment, no one at base camp who could offer the Sherpas doing this kind of work a good amount of dollars in exchange for their lives. And, since there was no economic incentive, they resorted to a false elementary expression: “at the height you need to be independent.” If this principle were true, the elders, the blind, people with various amputees, the completely ignorant, the sick and other representatives of the fauna who meet at the foot of the “icon” of the Himalayas would not have set foot on the top of Everest, knowing full well that what cannot Their competence and experience will allow their thick checkbook to do so.
Three days after the death of David Sharp, Peace Project director Jamie Mac Guinness and ten of his Sherpas rescued one of his clients who had gone into a tailspin shortly after reaching the summit. It took 36 hours, but he was evacuated from the top on a makeshift stretcher and carried to the base camp. Is it possible or impossible to save a dying person? He, of course, paid a lot, and it saved his life. David Sharp paid only to have a cook and a tent at base camp.

Rescue work on Everest.

A few days later, two members of one expedition from Castile-La Mancha were enough to evacuate one half-dead Canadian named Vince from the North Col (at an altitude of 7,000 meters) under the indifferent gaze of many of those who passed there.

Transportation.

A little later there was one episode that would finally resolve the debate about whether or not it is possible to provide assistance to a dying person on Everest. Guide Harry Kikstra was assigned to lead one group, in which among his clients was Thomas Weber, who had vision problems due to the removal of a brain tumor in the past. On the day of the ascent to the summit of Kikstra, Weber, five Sherpas and a second client, Lincoln Hall, left Camp Three together at night under good climatic conditions.
Gulping heavily on oxygen, a little more than two hours later they came across the body of David Sharp, walked around him with disgust and continued on their way to the top. Despite his vision problems, which the altitude would have exacerbated, Weber climbed on his own using a handrail. Everything happened as planned. Lincoln Hall advanced with his two Sherpas, but at this time Weber's eyesight became seriously impaired. 50 meters from the summit, Kikstra decided to finish the climb and headed back with his Sherpa and Weber. Little by little, the group began to descend from the third stage, then from the second... until suddenly Weber, who seemed exhausted and lost coordination, cast a panicked glance at Kikstra and stunned him: “I’m dying.” And he died, falling into his arms in the middle of the ridge. Nobody could revive him.
Moreover, Lincoln Hall, returning from the top, began to feel ill. Warned by radio, Kikstra, still in a state of shock from Weber's death, sent one of his Sherpas to meet Hall, but the latter collapsed at 8,700 meters and, despite the help of the Sherpas who tried to revive him for nine hours, was unable to rise. At seven o'clock they reported that he was dead. The expedition leaders advised the Sherpas, worried about the onset of darkness, to leave Lincoln Hall and save their lives, which they did.

The slopes of Everest.

That same morning, seven hours later, guide Dan Mazur, who was walking with clients along the road to the top, came across Hall, who, surprisingly, was alive. After he was given tea, oxygen and medication, Hall was able to talk on the radio himself to his team at the base. Immediately, all the expeditions located on the northern side agreed among themselves and sent a detachment of ten Sherpas to help him. Together they removed him from the ridge and brought him back to life.

Frostbite.

He got frostbite on his hands - a minimal loss in this situation. The same should have been done with David Sharp, but unlike Hall (one of the most famous Himalayans from Australia, a member of the expedition that opened one of the paths on the northern side of Everest in 1984), the Englishman did not have famous name and support groups.

The Sharp case is not news, no matter how scandalous it may seem. The Dutch expedition left one Indian climber to die on the South Col, leaving him only five meters from his tent, leaving him while he was still whispering something and waving his hand.

A well-known tragedy that shocked many occurred in May 1998. Then a married couple, Sergei Arsentiev and Francis Distefano, died.

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentiev, having spent three nights at 8,200 m (!), set out to climb and reached the summit on 05/22/1998 at 18:15. The ascent was made without the use of oxygen. Thus, Frances became the first American woman and only the second woman in history to climb without oxygen.
During the descent, the couple lost each other. He went down to the camp. She doesn't.
The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the summit past Frances - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but to do this they would have to give up the climb. Although one of their comrades has already ascended, and in this case the expedition is already considered successful.
On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Frances. He took the oxygen cylinders and left. But he disappeared. Probably blown by a strong wind into a two-kilometer abyss.
The next day there are three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two from South Africa - 8 people! They approach her - she has already spent the second cold night, but is still alive! Again everyone passes by - to the top.
“My heart sank when I realized that this man in the red and black suit was alive, but completely alone at an altitude of 8.5 km, just 350 meters from the summit,” recalls the British climber. “Katie and I, without thinking, turned off the route and tried to do everything possible to save the dying woman. Thus ended our expedition, which we had been preparing for years, begging money from sponsors... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it was close. Moving at such a height is the same as running under water...
When we discovered her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and kept muttering: “I’m an American.” Please, do not leave me"...
We dressed her for two hours. “My concentration was lost due to the bone-piercing rattling sound that broke the ominous silence,” Woodhall continues his story. “I realized: Katie is about to freeze to death herself.” We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to pick Frances up and carry her, but it was no use. My futile attempts to save her put Katie at risk. There was nothing we could do."
Not a day went by that I didn't think about Frances. A year later, in 1999, Katie and I decided to try again to reach the top. We succeeded, but on the way back we were horrified to notice Frances' body, lying exactly as we had left her, perfectly preserved by the cold temperatures.

No one deserves such an end. Katie and I promised each other that we would return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare the new expedition. I wrapped Frances in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into the cliff, away from the eyes of other climbers. Now she rests in peace. Finally, I was able to do something for her." Ian Woodhall.
A year later, the body of Sergei Arsenyev was found: “I apologize for the delay with photographs of Sergei. We definitely saw it - I remember the purple puffer suit. He was in a kind of bowing position, lying immediately behind Jochen Hemmleb’s “implicit edge” in the Mallory area at approximately 27,150 feet (8,254 m). I think this is him.” Jake Norton, member of the 1999 expedition.
But in the same year there was a case when people remained people. On the Ukrainian expedition, the guy spent a cold night almost in the same place as the American woman. His team brought him down to the base camp, and then more than 40 people from other expeditions helped. He got off easy - four fingers were removed.
“In such extreme situations, everyone has the right to decide: to save or not to save a partner... Above 8000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself and it is quite natural that you do not help another, since you have no extra strength.” Miko Imai.

On Everest, the Sherpas act like fine supporting actors in a film made to glorify unpaid actors who silently perform their roles.

Sherpas at work.

But the Sherpas, who provide their services for money, are the main ones in this matter. Without them, there are no fixed ropes, no many climbs, and, of course, no salvation. And in order for them to provide help, they need to be paid money: the Sherpas have been taught to sell themselves for money, and they use the tariff in any circumstances encountered. Just like a poor climber who cannot pay, the Sherpa himself may find himself in dire straits, so for the same reason he is cannon fodder.

The position of the Sherpas is very difficult, since they take upon themselves, first of all, the risk of organizing a “performance” so that even the least qualified can snatch a piece of what they paid for.

Frostbitten Sherpa.

“The corpses on the route are a good example and a reminder to be more careful on the mountain. But every year there are more and more climbers, and according to statistics, the number of corpses will increase every year. What is unacceptable in normal life is considered normal at high altitudes.” Alexander Abramov, Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering.

“You can’t continue to make ascents, maneuvering between corpses, and pretend that this is in the order of things.” Alexander Abramov.

“Why are you going to Everest?” asked George Mallory.
“Because he is!”

Mallory was the first to reach the summit and died on the descent. In 1924, the Mallory-Irving team launched an assault. They were last seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds just 150 meters from the summit. Then the clouds moved in and the climbers disappeared.
The mystery of their disappearance, the first Europeans remaining on Sagarmatha, worried many. But it took many years to find out what happened to the climber.
In 1975, one of the conquerors claimed that he saw some body off to the side of the main path, but did not approach so as not to lose strength. It took another twenty years until in 1999, while traversing the slope from high-altitude camp 6 (8290 m) to the west, the expedition came across many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. Mallory was found among them. He lay on his stomach, spread out, as if hugging a mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.

“They turned it over - the eyes were closed. This means that he did not die suddenly: when they break, many of them remain open. They didn’t let me down - they buried me there.”

Irving was never found, although the bandage on Mallory's body suggests that the couple were with each other until the very end. The rope was cut with a knife and, perhaps, Irving could move and, leaving his comrade, died somewhere lower down the slope.

Scary footage from the Discovery Channel in the series “Everest - Beyond the Possible.” When the group finds a freezing man, they film him, but are only interested in his name, leaving him to die alone in an ice cave:

Why are the corpses of dead climbers not removed from Everest? Because it is incredibly difficult (and sometimes even impossible) technically. After 8,000 meters above sea level, the so-called “death zone” begins, to overcome which additional supplies of oxygen are required, since its content in the air there is only one third of what is normal and familiar to humans. Every climber who decides to reach the top of Everest knows that a helicopter will not rise to such a height behind him and signs the appropriate document in case of an unsuccessful outcome - his corpse will be removed later, or left on the mountain. This service costs $30,000; local residents, the Sherpas, are involved in the search and removal of bodies. But even they cannot always complete the task; some corpses are “buried” by other climbers, simply throwing them into crevices. last years The government of Nepal is concerned about the condition of Everest; its plans include obliging all climbers to not only take all their own garbage with them ( tourist routes the mountains are extremely cluttered), but also take with you up to eight kilograms of other people's garbage, as well as, if possible, corpses (in this very context). But most of the returning summit conquerors are so exhausted and physically exhausted that they are simply not able to drag the bodies of the dead. That is why there are so many corpses on the slopes of the highest mountain in the world. On the most popular route alone there are eight such bodies. No one will be collecting the bodies of dead climbers from the slopes of the highest mountain in the near future. Expeditions to remove corpses from Everest are extremely difficult and expensive. Why a natural masterpiece turned into a cemetery for climbers, the correspondent found out Infox.ru Since the beginning of the last century, Everest has been the last refuge of non-surviving climbers. According to various sources, the bodies of about 300 climbers remained forever on the slopes of the mountain. Numerous expeditions to remove corpses from the peak end unsuccessfully. Everest will remain a cemetery. This mountain has three names - the Tibetan “Qomolungma”, the Nepalese “Sagarmatha” and the English “Everest”. Back in 1852 it became known that this was the most high point on the planet. Indian mathematician and topographer Radhanath Sikdar used mathematical calculations to measure the height of this mountain. And the first ascent in 1924 was made by the Englishmen George Mallory and Andrew Irwin, and they started a deadly tradition for the conquerors of this peak. Both climbers died during the descent. Since then, Everest is visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world; according to environmentalists, about 120 thousand tons of garbage accumulate on the slopes of the mountain every year; in addition, hundreds of corpses of dead climbers remain unidentified and unburied. “The people who go there, themselves - then they are far from 100 percent controlled, and to take someone out of there is not even a question of that. But nevertheless, such attempts are made, and some of the dead still manage to be brought down. I know that there are attempts to organize expeditions to remove corpses, but not all of them end successfully. Because the physical capabilities of a person at such a height are very limited, and technology will not work there,” she told the correspondent Infox.ru Executive Secretary of the Russian Mountaineering Federation (FAR) Elena Kuznetsova. Mostly tourists die in the mountains. Not only a professional climber, but also a person who has saved a decent amount of money can see the highest peak of the world with his own eyes. In order to go to conquer Everest, you need to pay from €30 thousand to €65 thousand. A group of 10-15 people, led by an experienced climber, goes to the mountains. The problem is that you can't become a professional in just a few days of instruction. Tourists often do not count on their strength, from low blood pressure and many hearts cannot stand the rarefied air. “The main thing is to turn back in time. Those who have the intelligence to do this, although not so much intelligence as psychological endurance... There is a condition there when an inexperienced person, due to lack of oxygen, ceases to control himself. A false euphoria appears when a person thinks that he can do anything, but if he overcomes this feeling, really evaluates his condition, there is a chance to return alive. Well, there are those who go to the end and die,” said Kuznetsova. According to the Russian Mountaineering Federation, in the near future no expeditions are expected from the Russian side to lower the bodies of the dead from the slopes of Everest. This is associated with increased danger and high financial costs.

Many people know that conquering peaks is deadly and those who climb do not always come down. Both beginners and experienced climbers die on the Mountain. But to my surprise, not many people know that the dead remain where their fate overtook them. For us, people of civilization, the Internet and the city, it is at least strange to hear that Everest has long been turned into a cemetery. There are countless corpses on it and no one is in a hurry to lower them down - it is too dangerous to take on additional load.

Everest is a modern Golgotha. Anyone who goes there knows that he has a chance not to return. Roulette with the Mountain, lucky or unlucky. Not everything depends on you: a hurricane wind, a frozen valve on an oxygen tank, incorrect timing, an avalanche, exhaustion, etc. Everest often proves to people that they are mortal. At least because when you rise you see the bodies of those who are never destined to come down again.

According to statistics, about 1,500 people climbed the mountain. Stayed there (by different sources) from 120 to 200. Can you imagine? Here are very revealing statistics up to 2002 about dead people on the mountain (name, nationality, date of death, place of death, cause of death, whether you made it to the top).

Among these 200 people there are those who will always meet new conquerors. According to various sources, there are eight openly lying bodies on the northern route. Among them are two Russians. From the south there are about ten. And if you move left or right...

I’ll tell you only about the most famous losses:

“Why are you going to Everest?” asked George Mallory.

“Because he is!”

I am one of those who believe that Mallory was the first to reach the summit and died on the descent. In 1924, the Mallory-Irving team launched an assault. They were last seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds just 150 meters from the summit. Then the clouds moved in and the climbers disappeared.

The mystery of their disappearance, the first Europeans remaining on Sagarmatha, worried many. But it took many years to find out what happened to the climber.

In 1975, one of the conquerors claimed that he saw some body off to the side of the main path, but did not approach so as not to lose strength. It took another twenty years until in 1999, while traversing the slope from high-altitude camp 6 (8290 m) to the west, the expedition came across many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. Mallory was found among them. He lay on his stomach, spread out, as if hugging a mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.

On video it is clearly visible that the climber’s tibia and fibula are broken. With such an injury, he was no longer able to continue his journey.

“They turned it over - the eyes were closed. This means that he did not die suddenly: when they break, many of them remain open. They didn’t let me down - they buried me there.”

In 1934, the Englishman Wilson made his way to Everest, disguised as a Tibetan monk, and decided to use his prayers to cultivate willpower sufficient to climb to the top. After unsuccessful attempts to reach the North Col, abandoned by the Sherpas accompanying him, Wilson died of cold and exhaustion. His body, as well as the diary he wrote, were found by an expedition in 1935.

A well-known tragedy that shocked many occurred in May 1998. Then a married couple, Sergei Arsentiev and Francis Distefano, died.

During the descent, the couple lost each other. He went down to the camp. She doesn't.

The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the summit past Frances - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but to do this they would have to give up the climb. Although one of their comrades has already ascended, and in this case the expedition is already considered successful.

On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Frances. He took the oxygen cylinders and left. But he disappeared. Probably blown by a strong wind into a two-kilometer abyss.

The next day there are three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two from South Africa - 8 people! They approach her - she has already spent the second cold night, but is still alive! Again everyone passes by - to the top.

“My heart sank when I realized that this man in the red and black suit was alive, but completely alone at an altitude of 8.5 km, just 350 meters from the summit,” recalls the British climber. “Katie and I, without thinking, turned off the route and tried to do everything possible to save the dying woman. Thus ended our expedition, which we had been preparing for years, begging money from sponsors... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it was close. Moving at such a height is the same as running under water...

When we discovered her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and kept muttering: “I’m an American.” Please, do not leave me"...

We dressed her for two hours. “My concentration was lost due to the bone-piercing rattling sound that broke the ominous silence,” Woodhall continues his story. “I realized: Katie is about to freeze to death herself.” We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to pick Frances up and carry her, but it was no use. My futile attempts to save her put Katie at risk. There was nothing we could do."

Not a day went by that I didn't think about Frances. A year later, in 1999, Katie and I decided to try again to reach the top. We succeeded, but on the way back we were horrified to notice Frances' body, she lay exactly as we left it, perfectly preserved under the influence of low temperatures.

A year later, the body of Sergei Arsenyev was found: “I apologize for the delay with Sergei’s photographs. We definitely saw it - I remember the purple puffer suit. He was in a sort of bowing position, lying immediately behind the Jochen Hemmleb (expedition historian - S.K.) “implicit edge” in the Mallory area at approximately 27,150 feet (8,254 m). I think it's him." Jake Norton, member of the 1999 expedition.

But in the same year there was a case when people remained people. On the Ukrainian expedition, the guy spent a cold night almost in the same place as the American woman. His team brought him down to the base camp, and then more than 40 people from other expeditions helped. He got off easy - four fingers were removed.

“In such extreme situations, everyone has the right to decide: to save or not to save a partner... Above 8000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself and it is quite natural that you do not help another, since you have no extra strength”. Miko Imai.

“It is impossible to afford the luxury of morality at an altitude of more than 8,000 meters”

In 1996, a group of climbers from the Japanese University of Fukuoka climbed Everest. Very close to their route were three climbers from India in distress - exhausted, sick people caught in a high-altitude storm. The Japanese passed by. A few hours later, all three died.

I highly recommend reading the article by a participant in the Everest expedition from GEO magazine “Nadina with Death”. About the greatest disaster of the decade on the Mountain. About how, due to a bunch of circumstances, 8 people died, including two group commanders. Later, the film “Death on Everest” was made based on the author’s book.