Climbers back on Everest after disaster

Two foreign climbers return to world’s highest peak weeks after deaths of several local Nepali guides in avalanche.

The disaster sparked a labour dispute between the 600-strong Sherpa guides and the government [File - AP]

Two foreign mountaineers have returned to Everest after a deadly avalanche effectively ended the climbing season, official have said.

The female climbers, from the United States and China, took the rare step of hiring a helicopter that flew them above the Khumbu Icefall, where the worst accident in the mountain’s history killed 16 Sherpa guides, the air charter company said on Tuesday.

“Two climbers are heading up from Camp 2,” tourism ministry official Dipendra Poudel told AFP news agency on Tuesday.

The climbers, thought to be the first back on the mountain since expeditions left in controversy over the April 18 disaster, flew from Everest base camp to Camp 2, skipping the section where the avalanche hit.

The Chinese climber, accompanied by six Sherpas, is attempting to scale Everest while the US mountaineer is heading alone for neighbouring Lhotse peak.

Lhotse and Everest share the same route as far as Camp 3.

“This is the first time we’ve taken climbers up to Camp 2. Earlier we made such flights to transport only equipment or in cases of emergencies,” said Ramesh Shiwakoti from Fishtail Air, which flew the climbers.

Anger among Sherpas

Most climbers abandoned plans to ascend Everest from the Nepalese side – the easiest and most popular route up the world’s highest peak – after the avalanche.

The disaster sparked a labour dispute between the 600-strong Sherpa guides and the government, and a boycott by most Sherpas that left foreign expeditions with no choice but to abandon plans for the season.

“We decided not to climb out of respect for our friends who lost their lives at the mountain,” said Tashi Sherpa, whose expedition team lost three guides in the avalanche.

“It is not good that they are climbing. It does not reflect well on them or the mountaineering community here,” Sherpa told AFP news agency.

Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association, said the government should investigate “how the two women chartered a helicopter and went off without informing anyone”.

The government has stressed that the mountain is still open for business despite the effective closure of the season, which is normally a key revenue earner for the impoverished country.

Source: AFP