Frozen Bodies to be Retrieved from Everest

[spindrift]

A team of Sherpas are determined to clean up the slopes of Everest above the death zone. The 'death zone' is above 8,000metres. Living bodies slowly start to shut down at this fierce altitude even if they've spent months becoming acclimatized. Typically, only the Sherpas can do the job because they have been born at high altitude (say 9,000ft or more) and their lungs have adapted to the thin air.

It is estimated that about 150 bodies need to be brought down and cremated at lower altitudes. This team of Sherpas also aim to carry rubbish, such as heavy air canisters, that climbing teams have thrown here, there and everywhere. Even human faeces needs to be bagged up and carted down.

Here is a link to Sky News today on the subject ~

news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Everest-Climbers-Bodies-Sherpas-Launch-Mission-To-Retrieve-Frozen-Corpses-From-Mountainside/Article/201004315609883?f=rss

[Deleted]

Those 150 bodies, are they all bodies of climbers who didn't make it in the past? You have to be brave to attempt that kind of climb. A real challenge for those that need it though.

[Deleted]

I'm waiting for the sherpas to build a nice little cog railway to the top before I go.

[ilbonito]

Ewwww. Gross.

[spindrift]

Yes, Deyana, the bodies are those of climbers who died above the 'death zone'.

Kerouac - nothing like that will ever happen. Apart from other dangerous factors it is high altitude that kills and kills quickly. Healthy people who fly into Lukla at 9,000ft and then disregard advice to 'sleep low' for two nights (i.e. not climb up to 12,000ft without spending two nights 'down') can die. They have been found dead in bed after their first night at 12,000ft. It's no big deal to spend extra hours climbing from Luckla to Namche but their body systems simply cannot cope with the altitude and their lungs and brains fill with water, ending their lives. So it follows that (imaginary) people arriving (unacclimatized) at the top of Everest (over 29,000ft) would die within a few minutes.

[spindrift]

Ilbonito ~ Why do you say it's 'gross'?

[ilbonito]

Carrying 15o frozen bodies down a mountain isn't gross?

[onlymark]

The thought I have is that by the time they get to the bottom - they wont be frozen, will they?

[Deleted]

That's even worse. Defrosted bodies. I can see why they do it, but it seems kinder in some ways to just bury them up on the mountain tops. Although that way they will stay frozen for ever I guess...

I'm just wondering who pays for these bodies to be brought back? Would it be the family members of the deceased?

[spindrift]

Some would think it is respectful to carry the dead down the mountain to be cremated. To my way of thinking this is not gross. A Swiss family has requested that their loved one be brought down. On the other hand if I were one of those who were frozen up near the top, I think I'd prefer to be left there. Not long ago Mallory was found. I think he was buried under stones up there. Not sure.

I am not at all squeamish about death and cremations....please see my interesting thread on the subject on the Asia branch - Cremations in Kathmandu

[spindrift]

Deyana - you can't dig holes high up on Everest, it's all rock and ice....the most that can be done, if the body is left in situis to cover it with small rocks. There are no animals and birds up there to peck at it.

Quite possibly these frozen bodies will be moved because a lot of them have fallen by the wayside on the main paths up and down the mountain. This means that every climber going up will pass them and possibly be disturbed by the sight. There are people lying all over the place. Recently there have been scandals because the majority of climbers and their teams will pass by the dying without stopping to help them.

Here's the link for one of my favourite websites.

www.everestnews.com/

[Deleted]

They'll pass by the dying without helping them? That's really bad. It must be really tough up there. Yes, I can see how the birds would try and get at them. I never realized that so many bodies are just lying around up there, kind of sad, but I guess that's a risk they take when they venture on such a project.

*reminds myself to tell my boys never to try and climb Mount Everest*

Not that'd pay any mind to that bit of advice...

[spindrift]

Yes, the dying have been ignored by most climbers. Near the top of Everest there is an overhanging ice cliff called the Hilary Steps....if someone is dying above the Steps there really is no way to get them down. The altitude up there must be in the region of 28,000ft. It's all anyone can do just to move slowly. Some unfortunates just lie down and die.

[spindrift]

* I have to laugh....the advertisement at the top of this thread is: Make a Living Will *

[fumobici]

I figure the people that climb Everest have considered the real possibility they would die trying and either found that possibility attractive or at the least weren't too bothered by it.

[spindrift]

fumubici - you are SO right....that's the attitude in which I would approach Everest as a climber - if only I could.

[spindrift]

In case anyone's interested, here's another excellent link for Explorers/Climbers

www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/

[Deleted]

That's interesting, thanks for the link.

[spindrift]

A few weeks ago another climber, Peter Kinloch, died in the death zone on Mount Everest. He made it to the summit but on the way down he became blind. Three climbers risked their lives to help him but he wasn't able to continue to move down the mountain and so he died in an area so high that his body won't be brought down.

www.everestnews.com/everest2010/summitclimbeverestnorth06012010.htm

[Deleted]

The ad at the top of my page says "Découvrez un monde caché." (discover a hidden world)

[spindrift]

Mine says 'Everest Base Camp Trek' ....why not....I should go all the way this time, not half way like last time.

[rikita]

ah, i am right now reading that book about those everest-tourists all dying by jon krakauer... i love mountains and would really like to learn to do mountaineering... but i think even if i was really good at it, everest would be a bit too much for my taste. i do like a good chance of survival and all that... though i would like a base camp trek at some point.

[spindrift]

Rikita - would you prefer to trek to Everest base camp on Nepal side? or Everest base camp on Tibet side? Actually it's not much of a trek on the Tibet side. One can take a 4WD nearly all the way. Although there are chinese guards here and there and commercialization has taken over, I would still like to stay for several days on the north side of Everest and ride a yak up to the glacier.