Climbers who died on Everest. How many corpses are there on Everest? Chomolungma dead

According to climbers, Everest can be called the mountain of death. About 200 people died trying to climb it. The bodies of some were never found, the frozen corpses of others still remain on mountain paths, in rock crevices as a reminder that luck is capricious, and any mistake in the mountains can be fatal.

There are quite a few reasons for the death of climbers - from the possibility of falling off a cliff, getting caught in a rockfall, an avalanche, to suffocation and fatal changes in the body in the form of cerebral edema that occurs due to very rarefied air. The weather at altitude is also unpredictable and can change in a matter of minutes. Gusts of strong wind literally blow climbers off the mountain. In addition, lack of oxygen causes people to do strange things that can lead to death: climbers feel very tired and lie down to rest, never to wake up again, or strip down to their underwear, feeling unprecedented heat, while the temperature during the climb can drop to - 65 degrees Celsius.

The route to Everest has long been studied. The climb to the mountain itself takes about 4 days. However, in reality, this takes much more time, considering mandatory acclimatization to local conditions. First, climbers get to Base Camp - on average, this transition takes about 7 days. It is located at the foot of the mountain on the border of Tibet and Nadas. After Base Camp, climbers climb to Camp No. 1, where, as a rule, they rest at night. In the morning they go to Camp No. 2 or Advanced Base Camp. The next altitude is Camp No. 3. Oxygen levels are very low here, and you need to use oxygen tanks with masks to sleep.
From Camp No. 4, climbers decide whether to continue climbing or turn back. This is the height of the so-called “death zone”, in which it is very difficult to survive without excellent physical fitness and an oxygen mask. Along this route there are mummified remains of the dead here and there. The bodies become part of the local landscape. Thus, part of the Northern route is called “Rainbow” because of the colorful clothes of the victims. Those climbers who are not climbing Everest for the first time use them as unique markers and landmarks for the ascent.

Francis Astentiev

American, wife of Russian climber Sergei Arsentiev. A married couple of climbers summited the mountain on May 22, 1998, without the use of oxygen. The woman became the first American woman to conquer Everest without using an oxygen mask. Climbers died during the descent. Frances' body is on the southern slope of Everest. It is now covered with the national flag. Sergei's body was found from a crevice, where he was blown away by a strong wind while trying to get to the freezing Frances.

George Mallory

George Mallory died in 1924 from a head injury caused by a fall. He was the first to attempt to reach the summit of Everest, and many researchers believe that he achieved his goal. His corpse, still perfectly preserved, was identified in 1999.

Hannelore Schmatz

For a long time, the mummified corpse of this climber was located just above Camp No. 4, and she could be seen by all climbers ascending the Southern slope. The German climber died in 1979. After a while, strong winds scattered her remains near Mount Kangshung.

Tsewang Paljor

The corpse of this climber was located on the northeastern route and served as one of the noticeable landmarks for the climbers. Climbers called it "Green Boots". The man's cause of death was hypothermia. This body even gave its name to a spot on the Northern Route called "Green Boots". Radio messages from the group to the camp that the climbers had passed the Green Shoes point was a good sign. This meant that the group was going correctly, and there were only 348 vertical meters left to the top.
In 2014, Green Shoes was lost from sight. Irish climber Noel Hannah, who visited Everest at that time, noted that most of the bodies from the northern slope disappeared without a trace, some of them were moved by the wind over a considerable distance. Khanna reported that he was sure that “he (Paljor) was moved or buried under stones.”

David Sharp

British climber who froze to death near Mr Green Boots. Sharpe was not a wealthy climber, and attempted the ascent of Everest without funds for a guide and without using oxygen. He stopped to rest and froze to death without reaching the cherished peak. Sharpe's body was discovered at an altitude of 8,500 meters.

Marko Lihteneker

A Slovenian climber died while descending Everest in 2005. The body was found just 48 meters from the summit. Cause of death: hypothermia and oxygen deprivation due to problems with oxygen equipment.

Shriya Shah-Klorfine

Canadian climber Shriya Shah-Klorfine climbed Everest in 2012 and died during the descent. The climber's body rests 300 m from the summit of Everest.

In addition to identified bodies, corpses of unknown climbers are encountered during the ascent or descent of Everest.

Bodies that roll down the mountain are often covered with snow and become invisible.
Snow and wind turn clothes into rags

Many corpses lie in crevices between the rocks, which are difficult to reach.
The corpse of an unknown climber in the Advanced Base Camp

Evacuation of corpses is associated with significant financial, time and physical costs, and therefore is beyond the means of most relatives of the deceased. Many climbers are considered missing. The bodies of some were never found. Despite these facts, known to everyone trying to climb the mountain, hundreds of climbers from all over the world arrive at Base Camp every year to try again and again to reach their height.

Everest is the highest point on planet Earth. Because of this unique distinction, people have climbed it continuously since Sir Edmund Hillary's first successful ascent in 1953. Everest Peak is located in Nepal and rises 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level. The mountain itself shares a border with both Nepal and Tibet. Due to harsh weather conditions on the slopes, climbers rarely attempt to complete the trek in May-June. Even then, the weather is quite inhospitable. The average temperature is minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 27 degrees Celsius), with winds of 51 miles (81 km) per hour.
The rest of the year, the cumulative air flow passes directly onto the slopes and winds can blow at hurricane force levels of 118 miles (189 km) per hour and temperatures can drop to minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 73 Celsius). Add to this the fact that there is less than one-third the amount of oxygen in the air compared to sea level and you can understand why Everest easily takes the lives of adventurers.
However, this does not diminish the adventurous spirit. It is estimated that more than 2,000 people successfully reached the summit of Everest, while 189 died. If you're one of the 150 or so people attempting to scale Everest this year, be prepared to see dead bodies along the way.

Of the 189 people who died in their attempts, it is estimated that about 120 of them remain there today. It's a terrible reminder for those trying to get to the top just how dangerous it can be. The bodies of dead climbers are scattered across Mount Everest and are too dangerous and difficult to remove. Reaching the top of Everest is a physical challenge unlike any other point on Earth. This makes rescue efforts almost suicidal.
Most of the bodies are in the "Death Zone" above the base camp parking lot at 26,000 feet (8,000 meters) in altitude. No one has ever studied the cause of death, but fatigue certainly plays a major role. Many bodies were frozen in moments of ascent, with a rope around their waist. Others lie in various stages of decay. Because of this, in recent years some experienced Everest climbers have made efforts to bury some of the more accessible organs on the mountain. A climbing team from China will lead an expedition to clear up some of the scattered 120 tonnes of rubbish left behind every year. During these cleanups, the plan is to remove any remains from the mountain that can be safely reached and carried down.
In 2007, Ian, a British climber, returned to Everest to bury the bodies of three climbers he met on his way to the summit. One of the climbers, a woman named Frances Arsentieva, was still alive when Woodall reached her on his first ascent. Her first words were “don’t leave me.” The harsh reality, however, is that Woodall couldn't do anything for her without endangering his own life or the lives of his team members. He was forced to leave her to die alone.
Climbing Mount Everest has become much safer over the past decade, thanks to advances in technology and climbing equipment. Satellite phones allow the climber to remain in contact with base camp to receive constant updates from weather systems in the area. A better understanding of what was happening around them also caused the death toll to plummet. In 1996, there were 15 fatalities and a total of 98 successful summit encounters. Just 10 years later, in 2006, there were only 11 deaths and about 400 summits. The overall mortality rate over the past 56 years is nine percent, but this percentage has now dropped to 4.4 percent.

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 to readers with STRONG NERVES You can see what the cemetery looks like on 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.

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.

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 not has nothing to do with mountaineering, but has 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, media around the world 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 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. A cloudless sky inspires anyone, regardless of their technical equipment and physical capabilities, but 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 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 routes on the north side of Everest in 1984), the Englishman did not have a famous name and a support group .

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 rescue. 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:

The question immediately arises, how does this happen:

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This article was written not to intimidate beginners to climb mountains, but so that climbers of any qualification know and remember that any climb in the mountains is dangerous, and climbing the most difficult mountains in the world is deadly. Let's consider one example: climbing the highest Peak of the world, and the most desirable for many climbers - (Chomolungma), 8844 m.

Chomolungma(Tib. Everest, or Sagarmatha(from Nepali - the highest peak of the globe, with a height according to various sources from 8844 to 8852 meters, is located in the Himalayas. It is located on the border of Nepal and China (Tibet Autonomous Region), the peak itself lies on the territory of China. It has the shape of a pyramid; the southern slope is steeper. With of the massif, glaciers flow in all directions, ending at an altitude of about 5 thousand m. On the southern slope and edges of the pyramid, snow and firn are not retained, as a result of which they are exposed. Partially included in the Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal).

This mountain does not forgive pride and vanity. She kills those who underestimated or overestimated their strength. The mountain has no sense of pity or justice, it kills according to the principle - surrender - die, fight - survive. According to statistics, about 1,500 people have climbed Everest. From 120 to 200 remained there (according to various sources). 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.

WHO FIRST CONQUERED EVEREST?

The message that spread around the world in early May 1999 left none of the climbers indifferent. According to ITAR-TASS, the body of Mallory, the leader of the English expedition of 1924, was found 70 meters from the summit of Everest. In accordance with this information, the Russian press, based on comments from specialists, including mine, clearly concluded that Mallory had reached the summit. And therefore it is necessary to rewrite the history of the conquest of the highest mountain on Earth. (Until now, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Norgay Tenzing, who climbed Everest on May 29, 1953, were considered the first climbers). However, as it turned out later, the body was found much lower - at an altitude of 8230 m; It is not clear where ITAR-TASS received other information.

“Yes, in the mountains there lie hundreds of corpses frozen from cold and exhaustion, who fell into the abyss.” Valery Kuzin.
“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. Found among them. He lay face down, spread out, as if hugging a mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.
The climber's tibia and fibula were 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.”
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.

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.

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentiev, having spent three nights at 8,200 m (!), set out to climb and reached the summit on 05/22/2008 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 is not.
The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the top 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...
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, 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 quickly 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 the body of Frances, she was lying exactly as we had left her, perfectly preserved under the influence of low 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 bowing position, lying just beyond Jochen's "subtle rib" in the Mallory area at approximately 27,150 feet. 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. 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.

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

The mountain kills in different ways, sometimes sophisticated, but every year an increasing number of climbers travel to its foot to test their fate and their strength.

Common causes of death at such altitudes:

– cerebral edema (paralysis, coma, death) due to lack of oxygen,
– pulmonary edema (inflammation, bronchitis, rib fractures) due to lack of oxygen and low temperatures,
– heart attacks due to lack of oxygen and high stress,
– snow blindness,
– frostbite, the temperature at such altitudes drops to -75,
– but the most common thing is exhaustion from exertion, because... At such an altitude, the human digestive system almost does not work; the body eats itself, its muscle tissue.

Frostbite:

Tina Sjogren

Climber Beck Withers was twice left on the side of a mountain, thinking he was frozen to death, but he survived, remained disabled and wrote the book Left for Dead (2000).

As early as 1924, Everest climbers noted that after nine weeks spent at intermediate altitudes, a person can rise to 8530 m and sleep two or three nights at an altitude of up to 8230 m. Ascents in free balloons were first shown in the seventies of the last century An unacclimatized aeronaut, having risen to such heights, quickly lost consciousness and died. If people are exposed to reduced pressure in a pressure chamber at sea level, then at a pressure corresponding to an altitude of 7620 m, they lose consciousness after 10 minutes, and at a pressure corresponding to an altitude of 8230 m, after 3 minutes.

The highest known altitude at which there is a permanent population is 5335 m. In the Andes at this altitude there is a mine village called Aconquilcha. They say that the miners prefer to rise from this height to 455 m every day and not live in a special camp built for them by the mine administration at an altitude of 5790 m.

Everest climbers also noted that during the process of acclimatization, their physical condition improved up to a height of 7000 m. Above that, rapid and serious exhaustion of the body occurred, manifested in progressive weakness, drowsiness, the inability to restore lost strength and gradual muscle atrophy.

At altitudes of 6500-7000 m there is a slow depletion of the body, but this is smoothed out by the process of acclimatization, so that headaches and other symptoms of mountain sickness disappear, and for some time the climber’s health improves. But over time, appetite disappears, tissues begin to deplete, energy and performance decrease. The table below shows the longest stays of climbers on Everest at various altitudes:

Climbing to a height of more than 8000 m requires such colossal stress that it is unlikely that anyone is able to repeat it during the same expedition. Full recovery after such an ordeal takes many weeks.

Many ordinary people ask the question with horror: “Why aren’t the corpses removed from the mountain and buried?” But how can you explain to a person who has not been there what kind of mountain it is? That from a height of more than 8,000 thousand there are not many chances to descend on your own, and to remove a corpse you need to organize an entire expedition, which will cost a lot of money. But the main problem is that the whereabouts of most of these corpses are unknown.

Rescue work on Everest

Camp after the storm:

Many books have been written on the topic of Everest, many films have been shown. And yet, NS statistics do not decrease every year.

In 2006, there were 11 fatal accidents out of 450 successful ascents (2.4% mortality), and the overall (1922-2006) mortality rate is 6.74%.

Division by year:

1922-1989; 285/106 (37.19%)
1990-1999; 882/59 (6.69%)
2000-2005; 1393/27 (1.94%)
1922-2006; 3010/203 (6.74%)

Despite such chronological data, there were quite a lot of successful expeditions to Everest. Thus, the first successful ascent of a group of two people took place on May 5, 1982. The leader of the expedition, Evgeny Tamm, identified the first assault group consisting of V. Balyberdin and E. Myslovsky. Phenomenally resilient and resistant to oxygen starvation, Balyberdin led a relatively weak participant. Myslovsky’s ascent was difficult: to some extent, the doctors’ conclusions were justified. He dropped his oxygen equipment, suffered severely from the cold, and was suffocating. His partner gave him his oxygen mask and supported him psychologically in a dramatic moment. The assault on the top of the world by this first group was successful.

Somewhat later, nine members of the expedition climbed Everest. And their rise was dramatic. Very serious help had to be provided to the climber V. Onishchenko: at an altitude of 7500 meters he had an attack of acute mountain sickness with a sharp drop in blood pressure. He needed resuscitation. Myslovsky with frostbite on his fingers and toes, and V. Khreshchaty, who made a night climb to the summit with frostbitten feet, had to be urgently taken out of the base camp by helicopter. Climber Moskaltsev fell into a crack and received a traumatic brain injury. Everest was reluctantly conquered by athletes. Nevertheless, this mass ascent took place.

The 1982 expedition was an outstanding achievement in world mountaineering. The participants were awarded government awards. Balyberdin and Myslovsky received the Order of Lenin. But, unfortunately, later the record-breaking conquest of Everest was completely forgotten.

Summit 8844 m

And despite everything, Everest remains one of the most beautiful eight-thousanders in the world. But we must always remember that we cannot conquer the mountain, it can either let us in or not. And we can conquer our weakness and cowardice. And I immediately remembered the words from V. Vysotsky’s song...

If a friend suddenly turns out to be
And neither friend nor enemy, but so...
If you don't understand right away,
Whether he is good or bad,
Pull the guy to the mountains - take a risk,
Don't leave him alone
Let him be in conjunction with you -
There you will understand who he is.

If a guy is in the mountains - no,
If you immediately become limp - and down,
Stepped onto the glacier - and wilted,
I stumbled and screamed
This means there is a stranger next to you,
Don't scold him, drive him away:
They don’t take people like that up here either
They don't sing about people like that.

If he didn’t whine, didn’t whine,
Even though he was gloomy and angry, he walked
And when you fell off the cliffs,
He moaned, but held on
If I followed you as if into battle,
Standing at the top, drunk,
So, as for yourself,
Rely on him.

The editors of "ALP" obviously apologize if they used other people's photo materials. Due to the fact that 50% of the photos were taken from Google Image, the authors are unknown. Therefore, please, if the actual author recognizes his photo work in this material, please contact us, we will definitely indicate the copyright or remove it at the request of the owner.

If you can't go to Everest, don't go...

Everest has long been turned into a cemetery. There are countless corpses on it and no one is in a hurry to take them down. It cannot be that people are left to lie where death overtook them. But at an altitude of 8000 meters the rules are slightly different. 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.

Many people know that conquering peaks is deadly. And those who rise 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 take them down.

In the mountains the rules are slightly different. Whether they are good or bad is not for me or from home to judge. Sometimes it seems to me that there is very little humanity in them, but even being five and a half kilometers away, I didn’t feel too good to, for example, drag something weighing about fifty kilograms on myself. What can we say about people in the Death Zone - an altitude of eight kilometers and above.

Everest is a modern Golgotha. Anyone who goes there knows that he has a chance not to return. Roulette with Mountain. Whether you're lucky or unlucky. Not everything depends on you. Hurricane winds, frozen valve on an oxygen tank, incorrect timing, 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.

Remained there (according to various sources) from 120 to 200. Can you imagine? Here are very revealing statistics up to 2002 about people who died on the mountain (name, nationality, date of death, place of death, cause of death, whether they 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...

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.

“Why are you going to Everest?” asked George Mallory, the first conqueror of the ill-fated peak. “Because he is!”

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.

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.

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentieva, 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 completed 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 is not.

The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the top 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. 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.

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 quickly 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 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.

“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.

Read

Climbers who died on Everest. How many corpses are there on Everest? Chomolungma dead

Frostbite:

Camp after the storm:

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