Why do people die on Everest? Everest is a death zone! The scary truth about the highest point in the world

It is estimated that more than 200 people died trying to reach the summit of Everest. The reasons for their death are as varied as the weather at the top. Climbers face various dangers - falling off a cliff, falling into a crevice, suffocation due to low oxygen levels in the high altitude, avalanches, rockfalls and weather that can change radically within minutes. Winds at the summit can reach hurricane force, literally blowing climbers off the mountain. Low oxygen levels cause climbers to suffocate, while oxygen-deprived brains leave them unable to make rational decisions. Some climbers who stop for a short rest fall into a deep sleep, never to wake up. But ask any climber who has conquered the mountain and reached the 29,000-foot summit, and they will tell you that apart from all these dangers, the most memorable and most disturbing part of the climb was the many perfectly preserved bodies of those who died on the way to the summit. .

Apart from the seven-day trek to Base Camp and the two-week acclimatization period there, the ascent to Everest itself lasts 4 days. Climbers begin their four-day climb to Everest at Base Camp, located at the foot of the mountain. Climbers leave Base Camp (located at 17,700 feet), which demarcates Tibet and Nadas, and ascend to Camp No. 1, located at 20,000 feet. After a night of rest at Camp 1, they then go to Camp 2, also known as Advanced Base Camp (ABC). From Advanced Base Camp they climb to Camp 3, where, at 24,500 feet, oxygen levels are so low that they must wear oxygen masks. From Camp 3, climbers 3 attempt to reach either the South Col or Camp 4. Having reached Camp No. 4, climbers reach the border of the “death zone” and must decide whether to continue climbing, then stop and rest a little longer, or return back. Those who decide to continue climbing face the most difficult part of the journey. At 26,000 feet, in the “death zone,” necrosis begins and their bodies begin to die. During the climb, climbers are literally in a race against death, they must reach the top and return before their bodies shut down and they die. If they fail, their bodies will become part of the mountain landscape.

Corpses are perfectly preserved in such a low-temperature environment. Considering that a person can die literally in two minutes, many dead are not recognized as such for some time after death. In an environment where every step of the climber is a struggle, rescuing the dead or dying is practically impossible, as is the evacuation of corpses. The bodies become part of the landscape, and many of them become "landmarks", later climbers using them as "markers" during their ascent. There are approximately 200 bodies lying at the summit of Everest.

Some of them:

David Sharp's body still sits near the summit of Everest, in a cave known as Green Shoe Cave. David was climbing in 2006 and near the top he stopped in this cave to rest. Ultimately, he became so cold that he could no longer get out of it.

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 areas without using a railing, 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.”

A group of 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.

His body still sits in the cave and is used as a guide for other climbers climbing to the top

The body of “Green Shoes” (an Indian climber who died in 1996) is located near the cave, past which all climbers ascending the peak pass. The "Green Shoes" now serve as a marker that climbers use to determine the distance to the summit. In 1996, Green Shoes broke away from his group and found this rock overhang (actually a small, open cave) to use as protection from the elements. He sat there, shivering with cold, until he died. The wind has since blown his body out of the cave.

The bodies of those who died at the Advanced Base Camp are also left to lie where they froze.

George Mallory died in 1924, the first person to attempt to reach the top of the world's tallest mountain. His corpse, still perfectly preserved, was identified in 1999.

Details: 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.

Climbers often place rock debris and compacted snow around their bodies to protect them from the elements. Nobody knows why this body was skeletonized.

The bodies lie on the mountain, frozen in the position in which death found them. Here a man fell off the path and, not having the strength to get up, died where he fell.

The man is supposed to have died sitting, leaning on a snowdrift, which has since disappeared, leaving the body in this strange elevated position.

Some die falling from cliffs, their bodies left in places where they can be seen but cannot be reached. Bodies lying on small ledges often roll down, out of sight of other climbers, only to be later buried under fallen snow.

American Francis Arsenyeva, who was descending with a group (which included her husband), fell and begged passing climbers to save her. While walking down a steep slope, her husband noticed her absence. Knowing that he did not have enough oxygen to reach her and return to base camp, he nevertheless decided to return to find his wife. He fell and died while trying to go down and get to his dying wife. Two other climbers successfully descended to her, but they knew that they could not carry her off the mountain. They consoled her for a while before leaving her to die.

Details: 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 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, three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two of 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. Kathy and I promised each other that we would return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare a new expedition. I wrapped Frances in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into a cliff, away from the eyes of the other climbers. Now she rests in peace. Finally, I was able to do something for her." - Ian Woodhall.

Unfortunately, even with modern mountaineering technology, the list of climbers who have died on Everest is growing. In 2012, the following climbers died while attempting to climb Everest: Doa Tenzing (collapsed due to thin air), Karsang Namgyal (collapsed), Ramesh Gulve (collapsed), Namgyal Tshering (fell into a glacier crevasse), Shah -Klorfine Shriya (loss of strength), Eberhard Schaaf (cerebral swelling), Song Won-bin (fall), Ha Wenyi (loss of strength), Juan Jose Polo Carbayo (loss of strength) and Ralph D. Arnold (broken leg led to loss of strength ).

Deaths continued in 2013; The following climbers met their tragic end: Mingma Sherpa (fell into a crevasse in a glacier), DaRita Sherpa (loss of strength), Sergey Ponomarev (loss of strength), Lobsang Sherpa (fall), Alexey Bolotov (fall), Namgyal Sherpa (cause of death unknown) , Seo Sung-Ho (cause of death unknown), Mohammed Hossain (cause of death unknown), and one unknown person (died on descent).

In 2014, a group of approximately 50 climbers preparing for the season was caught in an avalanche at an altitude of over 20,000 feet (just above base camp on the Khumbu Ice Cascade). 16 people died (three of them were never found).

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 is this possible?

based on the materials of the article.

Tsewang Paljor, an Indian citizen, died while climbing the world's highest peak, Everest, in 1996. Since then, for more than 20 years, his body has been lying on the northern slope of the mountain at an altitude of 8500 meters. The climber's bright green boots became a reference point for other climbing groups. If you come across “Mr. Green Shoes,” then you are on the right path.

Using a corpse as a signpost? This is cynical. But they haven’t been able to take him out of there for many years, because any attempt to do so would result in a risk to life. A helicopter or plane will also not rise to such a height. Therefore, at the top of the world, the corpses of former colleagues lying along the route are an ordinary thing.

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If it is not possible to lower the bodies down, then you need to at least cover them, scientifically speaking, encapsulate them so that they rest on mountain peak as humanly as possible. The initiator of the dangerous ascent into the death zone was the Russian climber, extreme traveler Oleg Savchenko, who told MK all the details of the operation.

perevodika

American Frances Arsenyeva fell and begged passing climbers to save her. While walking down a steep slope, her husband noticed Frances's absence. Knowing that he did not have enough oxygen to reach her, he nevertheless made the decision to return to find his wife. He fell and died while trying to go down and get to his dying wife. Two other climbers successfully descended to her, but they did not know how to help the girl. She ended up dying two days later. The climbers covered it with an American flag as a sign of remembrance.

perevodika

Our operation is called “Everest. 8300. Point of no return." On the northern slope of the peak, on the Tibetan side, we intend to encapsulate 10-15 corpses of climbers who died for various reasons in order to pay tribute to them.

They say that in total there are about 250 corpses lying on the mountain in different places, and new conquerors of the peak each time pass by dozens of mummies of the dead: Thomas Weber from United Arab Emirates, Irishman George Delaney, Marko Litenecker from Slovenia, Russians Nikolai Shevchenko and Ivan Plotnikov. Someone is frozen into the ice, there are completely naked corpses - maddened by oxygen starvation in the terrible cold, people sometimes begin to frantically throw off their clothes.

Climbers tell incredible story Briton David Sharp, who died on the northern slope of Everest in May 2006 at an altitude of more than 8500 meters. The mountain conqueror's oxygen equipment failed. 40 (!) extreme travelers walked past the dying man; journalists from the Discovery Channel even interviewed the freezing man. But helping David would mean giving up the climb. No one sacrificed their dreams and lives. It turns out that this is normal at this altitude.

You see, it is almost impossible to evacuate bodies from an altitude of more than 8300 meters. The cost of descent can reach fantastic amounts, and even this does not guarantee a positive result, since on the way death can overtake both the person being rescued and the rescuers. Somehow in South America, where I was climbing the seven-thousander Aconcagua, my partner fell ill with mountain sickness and... began to take off his clothes at -35 degrees, shouting: “I’m hot!” It took me a lot of effort to stop him, and then drag him down without ever reaching the top. When we came down, the rescue rangers reprimanded me that I had done wrong. “Only crazy Russians can do this,” I heard them say. There is a rule in the mountains: if someone leaves the race, you must leave him, if possible, inform the rescuers, and continue on your way, otherwise instead of one corpse there may be two. After all, at best, we could be left without limbs, like one Japanese man who was climbing at about the same time as us and decided to spend the night on the slope before reaching the intermediate camp. But I absolutely do not regret that action, especially since two years later I finally reached that peak. And the guy I saved still calls me every holiday, congratulates me and thanks me.

So this time, having heard from the group’s guide, USSR champion in mountaineering, master of sports Alexander Abramov about the terrible “signposts” on Everest, Savchenko decided to do everything humanely - encapsulate the bodies of the dead. A group that includes six of the most experienced climbers, including Lyudmila Korobeshko, the only Russian woman to have summited seven highest peaks world, will begin climbing the northern, relatively safer slope on Tuesday, April 18. The journey, according to Savchenko, can take from 40 days to two months.

Despite the fact that each of us is an experienced climber, no one can give a 100% guarantee that everything will go well at altitude. No doctor can predict behavior in such extreme conditions, when the reaction can be unpredictable. The physical characteristics of a real climb are mixed with fatigue, doom, and fear.

To wrap the bodies of the dead, we will use a perpetual non-woven fabric made using the most modern technologies. It can withstand from -80 to +80 degrees, is not destroyed, and is not subject to decay. At least, as the manufacturers assured us, the bodies of climbers will lie in such shrouds for up to 100-200 years. And to prevent the fabric from being torn apart by the wind, we will secure it with a special climbing fastening - ice screws. There will be no name signs. We are not going to organize a cemetery on Everest, we will just protect the bodies from the wind. Maybe someday in the future, when technologies for safer descent from the mountains appear, their descendants will take them away from there.

Everest is the highest point on the planet. Height 8848 meters. Being here for a person is like going into outer space. You can't breathe without an oxygen tank. Temperature - minus 40 degrees and below. After 8300 meters the death zone begins. People die from frostbite, lack of oxygen or pulmonary edema.
The cost of climbing is up to 85 thousand dollars, and the climbing permit alone, issued by the Nepalese government, costs 10 thousand dollars.
Before the first ascent to the summit, which took place in 1953, about 50 expeditions were carried out. Their participants managed to conquer several seven-thousand-meter peaks in these mountainous regions, but not a single attempt to storm the eight-thousand-meter peaks was successful.

All the media in the world covered the selfie taken on the top of Everest itself! Canadian climber Dean Carrere captured himself on the “roof of the world” - against the backdrop of rocks, clouds and piles of garbage brought by his predecessors...

But the slopes of the majestic Everest (or Chomolungma) are strewn not only with waste, but also with the bodies of those for whom the ascent turned out to be their last. The extreme conditions at the top of the world's tallest mountain make it a literal mountain of death. And everyone who goes on an assault remembers that they may not come back.

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 is felt by the human body as 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, "Corpses on the route - 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.”

Locals- 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 the rescue, money is needed. If the Sherpas work for those who cannot pay, they themselves will find themselves in dire straits.

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 $35,000 to $100,000. Those who are trying 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...

In 1924, the Mallory-Irving team began an assault on 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.

High-quality dry bags from the manufacturer

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 was one of the few to admit that Sharpe had actually been 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.

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.

Often, many of those who die 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. Frances fell exhausted 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.

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 there are three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two from South Africa, a total of 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 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."

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.

The summit of Everest is the highest point on our planet. Hundreds of brave men try to conquer this mountain every year. Over time, this place became not only a mecca for all climbers, but also one big cemetery for many people. Some of them remained there forever. In this article you will learn about some of the victims of Everest who became prisoners of this giant.

People who have never been interested in mountaineering probably haven’t thought about what happens when climbing a mountain. The weather can instantly change the situation for the worse and can easily take the life of an unprepared climber. One rash act can lead to death. At such a height, people who managed to maintain their sanity remain alive. It is a fact that most people die more often on the way down the mountain than on the way up. After conquering the peak, you immediately feel that everything is behind you. It is this false feeling that fails novice climbers. Others are destroyed by their stubbornness. Often, having climbed to an altitude above 7500 meters, which is called the “death zone,” many believe that they are obliged to reach the summit soon and do not listen to the warnings of their guides. This often becomes their last thoughtless act. Everest victims say goodbye to life in different ways, but the outcome, unfortunately, is the same for everyone.

Everest victim photo

According to official data in 2017, 292 people died on Chomolungma. Many remain lying on the Himalayan slopes like decorations on a Christmas tree. Due to the low temperature, bodies do not decompose and become mummified, so the corpses appear untouched. Retrieving bodies from great heights is very labor-intensive and costs a lot of money. There have already been expeditions, the purpose of which was to collect the dead and remove the garbage left by the climbers, but finding everyone is still an unrealistic task. At high altitudes, routine cleaning becomes a very risky endeavor, not to mention the heavy weight of the bodies. And such events are very rarely funded, so most often people are buried right on the spot. Some are draped in the flag of their home country.

The body of Frances Arsentieva. Everest victim

The famous American Frances Arsentieva became a victim of Everest back in 1998. She and her husband Sergei Arsentiev were in the same group and reached the top of Chomolungma in May. She was the first woman to conquer the most high mountain without additional sources of oxygen. During the descent, Frances became separated from the rest of the expedition. The entire group successfully reached the camp without her, and only there they noticed the climber’s absence. Sergei went in search of her and, unfortunately, also died. His body was found much later. Members of the South African and Uzbek expedition met Frances and spent some time with her, handing over their oxygen tanks and caring for her. Later, the British from her group returned and also helped her recover, but she was in critical condition. They failed to save her. All information about the incident is not supported by facts, and there were many people who saw Frances - there are so many versions. According to the Chinese liaison officer, the climber died in the arms of the Sherpas, but due to the language barrier between the group and the liaison officer, some of the information may have been misunderstood. Until now, no official witnesses to her death have been found, and there are inconsistencies in people’s stories.

Nine years later, one of the group members, Briton Ian Woodall, could not forgive himself for this incident and, having raised funds for a new expedition, went to Everest to bury Frances. He wrapped her in an American flag, included a note from his son, and threw her body into the abyss.

Everest victims photo. Sergei and Francis Arsentiev

“We threw her body into a cliff. She rests in peace. I was finally able to do something for her." – Ian Woodell.

Everest's first victims

On June 7, 1922, 7 people died at once. This is considered the first officially documented death while attempting to climb Chomolungma. A total of three ascents were carried out under the command of Charles Granville Bruce. The first two were unsuccessful, and the third turned into a tragedy. The expedition doctor believed that the last attempt was impossible, since the entire group had already lost strength, but other team members decided that the risks were small and moved on. George Mallory led part of the group through the icy slopes, but one of the snow accumulations turned out to be quite unstable. As a result, a collapse occurred and an avalanche formed, part of which covered the first group. It contained Howard Somervell, Colin Crawford and George Mallory himself. They were lucky to get out of the snow, but the next group was carried away by tons of snow flying from above. Nine porters were covered. Only two Sherpas managed to escape, and the rest died. Another participant was not found and was also presumed dead. Their names: Norbu ( Norbu), Temba ( Temba), Pasang ( Pasang), Dorodje ( Dorje), Sange ( Sange), Tupac ( Tupac) and Pema ( Pema). This tragedy opened the official list of Everest casualties and also marked the end of the 1922 expedition. The remaining group stopped climbing and left the mountain on August 2.

The first climbers to Everest. Standing from left are Andrew Irvine and George Mallory.

George Mallory made two more attempts to climb, unfortunately, the third time turned out to be tragic again. On June 8, 1924, two young and confident climbers left the high-altitude camp heading towards the summit. George Mallory and Andrew Irwin were last seen at approximately 1 p.m. Just below the Second Stage (8610 meters), Noel Odell, another member of the expedition, saw two black dots that slowly disappeared into the haze. After this, Mallory and Irwin were not seen again. Odell waited for them for a long time a little above the last camp at an altitude of 8170 meters, after which he went down to their place for the night and folded two sleeping bags in the tent in the letter “T”, this was a sign for people from the base camp, which meant: “No traces found , I can only hope, I’m waiting for instructions.”

George Mallory's body was found 75 years later at an altitude of 8155 meters. His corpse was entangled in the remains of a safety rope, which was broken in some places. This indicated a possible failure of the climber. Andrew Irwin's ice ax was also found nearby, but he himself has still not been found. Mallory was missing a photo of his wife and a British flag, which were the things he intended to leave at the summit. Two climbers became victims of Everest, and like hundreds of others, they remained legends for centuries for everyone who tries to climb to the top of this mountain.

Everest 2015 victims. Dozens of dead

On April 25-26, an avalanche occurred on Chomolungma due to an earthquake, which took the lives of many people. This was the biggest incident of all time. This year, a record number of people gathered on the slopes of Everest, because due to last year’s avalanche, which in turn took 16 human lives, many abandoned the climb and returned in the new year to try to conquer the peak again.

Everest victims photos

An evacuation was carried out, as a result of which 61 people were taken to safety and 19 were found dead. These days, many professional climbers have left the world and simply good people. Among them was Daniel Fredinburg, an employee of Google. He was here to carry out mapping of the area for one of the projects, like " Google Earth" A large number of people who were at the base camp during the avalanche were injured. Most of the victims died there. The climbers who were in higher altitude camps were not injured, but were cut off from civilization for some time.

Everest victims instead of navigation

Some of the bodies remain lying next to the ascent paths. Hundreds of people pass by these mummies every season. Some of the dead have already become a local landmark. For example, the well-known “Mr. Green Shoes Everest”, which lies at an altitude of 8500 meters. This is one of the members of the Indian group that disappeared in 1996. A group of 6 people climbed to the top, three decided to stop climbing and return, and the rest said that they would continue climbing. The climbers who went up later radioed and reported that they had reached the summit. After that they were never seen again. The man in bright green boots lying on the slope was most likely once one of the climbers of the Indian group, presumably it was Tsewang Paljor. He was seen before the tragedy in the camp, wearing green boots. It lay on the mountain for more than 15 years and was a reference point for many conquerors of Chomolungma. Another climber who visited the summit in 2014 said that most of the corpses were missing. Most likely, someone moved them or buried them.

In 2006, for ridiculous reasons, David Sharp became a victim of Everest. He died long and painfully, but other climbers who passed by did not even stop to help. This is because he was wearing green boots, and most people thought that he was the famous Indian climber who died in 1996.

One of the last victims of Everest was the Swiss Ueli Steck. He left this world on April 30, 2017, trying to follow a route that had not yet been tested by anyone. Having fallen, he fell from a height of more than 1000 m and died.

Quite a large number of tragedies occurred at the “Third Pole”. Most people have gone missing and it is still unclear for what reasons. Every climb to the top is an incredible risk. The chances of staying on the slopes of this mountain forever and immortalizing yourself in history are quite high. Many people cannot understand why people do this and why they risk their lives. Even an experienced climber with extensive experience can become a victim of Everest, but this fact will never stop real adventurers. George Mallory was once asked: “Why are you going to Everest?”. His answer was the phrase: “Because he exists!”

Everest victims video

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.

“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 , risking his 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.

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

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.

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 in good weather. 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 - minimal loss in such 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 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 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.

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 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."

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.

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 - City of dead? Well, if we return from horror to beauty, then look at the Lonely Peak of Mont Aiguille...

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