Why climbers don't help each other. Climbers who died on Everest. Everest victims instead of navigation

If you can not go to Everest - do not go ...

Everest has long been turned into a cemetery. There are countless corpses on it and no one is in a hurry to lower them down. It cannot be that people are left to lie where death overtook them. But at an altitude of 8000 meters, the rules are somewhat different. On Everest, groups of climbers pass by unburied corpses scattered here and there, they are the same climbers, only they were not lucky. Some of them fell off and broke their bones, some froze or simply weakened and still froze.

Many people know that conquering peaks is deadly. And those who go up don't always go down. Both beginners and experienced climbers die on the Mountain.

But to my surprise, not many people know that the dead remain where fate has caught them. It is at least strange for us, people of civilization, the Internet and the city, to hear that the same Everest has long turned into a cemetery. There are countless corpses on it and no one is in a hurry to lower them down.

In the mountains, the rules are somewhat different. Good or bad - not for me and not from home to judge. Sometimes it seems to me that there is very little human in them, but even being at five and a half kilometers, I did not feel too good to, for example, drag something weighing about fifty kilograms. What can we say about people in the Death Zone - an altitude of eight kilometers and above.

Everest is modern Golgotha. Anyone who goes there knows that he has a chance not to return. Roulette with Mountain. Lucky - no luck. Not everything depends on you. Hurricane wind, frozen valve on an oxygen tank, wrong timing, avalanche, exhaustion, etc.

Everest often proves to people that they are mortal. At least the fact that when you go up you see the bodies of those who are never destined to go down again.

According to statistics, about 1500 people climbed the mountain.

Remained there (according to various sources) from 120 to 200. Can you imagine? Here is a very revealing statistics until 2002 about the people who died on the mountain (name, nationality, date of death, place of death, cause of death, whether he reached 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 is about ten. And if you move left or right...

No one keeps statistics of defectors there, because they climb mostly as savages and in small groups of three to five people. And the price of such an ascent is from $25t to $60t. Sometimes they pay extra with their lives if they saved on little things.

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

It is believed that Mallory was the first to conquer the summit and died already on the descent. In 1924, Mallory and his partner Irving began their ascent. They were last seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds just 150 meters from the summit. Then the clouds converged and the climbers disappeared.

They did not return back, only in 1999, at an altitude of 8290 m, the next conquerors of the summit came across many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. Mallory was found among them. He was lying on his stomach, as if trying to hug the mountain, his head and hands frozen into the slope.

Irving's partner was never found, although the harness 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 around and left his comrade, died somewhere down the slope.

In 1934, the Englishman Wilson made his way to Everest, disguised as a Tibetan monk, who decided to prayerfully cultivate the willpower in himself 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 died - Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano.

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentiev, having spent three nights on 8,200 m (!), climbed and reached the summit on 22/05/1998 at 18:15. The ascent was made without the use of oxygen. Thus, Francis 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 went to the top past Francis - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but for this they refused to climb. Although one of their comrades has already ascended, 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, as put their own lives at risk.

On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Francis. He took oxygen tanks and went. But he disappeared. Probably 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 - 8 people! They approach her - she has already spent the second cold night, but she is still alive! Again, everyone passes by - to the top.

“My heart sank when I realized that this man in a 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. “Kathy 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 for money from sponsors ... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it lay close. Moving at such a height is the same as running underwater...

When we found her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and muttered all the time: “I am an American. Please, do not leave me"...

We dressed her for two hours. My concentration was lost due to a bone-piercing rattling sound that broke the ominous silence, Woodhall continues his story. “I realized that Katie was about to freeze to death herself. We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to lift Frances and carry her, but it was useless. My futile attempts to save her put Kathy at risk. We couldn't do anything."

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 get to the top. We succeeded, but on the way back, we were horrified to notice the body of Francis, she lay exactly as we left her, perfectly preserved under the influence of low temperatures.

Nobody deserves such an end. Cathy and I promised each other to return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare a new expedition. I wrapped Francis in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into a 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 Arseniev was found: “I apologize for the delay with the photographs of Sergei. We definitely saw him - I remember the purple down suit. He was in a kind of bow position, lying just behind Jochenovsky (Jochen Hemmleb - expedition historian - S.K.) "implicitly expressed rib" in the Mallory area at about 27150 feet (8254 m). I think it's him." Jake Norton, member of the 1999 expedition.

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

“It is impossible to afford the luxury of morality at an altitude of more than 8000 meters”

In 1996, a group of climbers from the Japanese University of Fukuoka climbed Mount Everest. Very close to their route were three distressed climbers from India - emaciated, ill people got into a high-altitude storm. The Japanese passed by. A few hours later, all three were dead.

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This article is not written 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. Consider one example: climbing the highest Peak in the world, and the most desirable for many climbers - (Chomolungma), 8844 m.

Chomolungma(Tib. Everest (Eng. Mount Everest), or Sagarmatha(from Nepalese - the highest peak of the globe, 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. glaciers flow down in all directions, ending at an altitude of about 5 thousand m. Snow and firn are not retained on the southern slope and ribs of the pyramid, as a result of which they are exposed. Partially part of 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 - surrendered-died, fought-survived. According to statistics, about 1500 people have climbed Everest. Remained there (according to various sources) from 120 to 200. 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 is about ten.

WHO CLIMBED EVEREST FIRST?

The message, which at the beginning of May 1999 spread around the world, did not leave any of the climbers indifferent. According to ITAR-TASS, the body of Mallory, the leader of the British expedition in 1924, was found 70 meters from the summit of Everest. In accordance with this information, the Russian press, based on the comments of experts, including mine, unambiguously concluded that Mallory had reached the summit. And so it is necessary to rewrite the history of the conquest of the highest mountain of the Earth. (Until now, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Norgay Tenzing, who climbed Everest on May 29, 1953, were considered pioneers). 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 obtained the other information.

“Yes, in the mountains there are hundreds of corpses frozen from cold and exhaustion, fallen into the abyss.” Valery Kuzin.
"Why are you going to Everest?" asked George Mallory.
"Because he is!"

I am among those who believe that Mallory was the first to conquer the summit and died already 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 converged and the climbers disappeared.
The mystery of their disappearance, the first Europeans who remained on Sagarmatha, worried many. But it took many years to find out what happened to the climber.
In 1975, one of the conquerors assured that he saw some body off the main path, but did not approach, so as not to lose strength. It took another twenty years for in 1999, when traversing the slope from the 6th high-altitude camp (8290 m) to the west, the expedition stumbled upon many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. found among them. He was lying face down, sprawled as if hugging a mountain, head and hands frozen into the slope.
The climber has a broken tibia and tibia. With such an injury, he was no longer able to continue the journey.
Turned over - eyes closed. This means that he did not die suddenly: when they break, for many they remain open. They didn’t lower it - they buried it there. ”
Irving was never found, although the harness 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 around and left his comrade, died somewhere down the slope.

In 1934, the Englishman Wilson made his way to Everest, disguised as a Tibetan monk, who decided to prayerfully cultivate the willpower in himself 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 died - Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano.

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentiev, having spent three nights on 8,200 m (!), climbed and reached the summit on 05/22/2008 at 18:15. The ascent was made without the use of oxygen. Thus, Francis 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 went to the top past Francis - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but for this they refused to climb. Although one of their comrades has already ascended, in this case the expedition is already considered successful.
On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Francis. He took oxygen tanks and went. But he disappeared. Probably 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 - 8 people! They approach her - she has already spent the second cold night, but she is still alive! Again, everyone passes by - to the top.

“My heart sank when I realized that this man in a 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. “Kathy 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 for money from sponsors ... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it lay close. Moving at such a height is the same as running under water ...
We found her, tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and muttered all the time: “I am an American. Please, do not leave me"…
We dressed her for two hours. My concentration was lost due to a bone-piercing rattling sound that broke the ominous silence, Woodhall continues his story. “I realized that Katie was about to freeze to death herself. We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to lift Frances and carry her, but it was useless. My futile attempts to save her put Kathy at risk. We couldn't do anything."

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 get to the top. We succeeded, but on the way back we were horrified to notice the body of Francis, she was lying exactly as we had left her, perfectly preserved under the influence of low temperatures. No one deserves such an ending. Kathy and I promised each other to return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare a new expedition. I wrapped Francis in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into a 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 Arseniev was found: “I apologize for the delay with the photographs of Sergei. We definitely saw him - I remember the purple down suit. He was in a kind of bow position, lying just behind Jochen's "implicit ridge" in the Mallory area at about 27,150 feet. I think it's him." Jake Norton, member of the 1999 expedition.

“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 8000 meters”
In 1996, a group of climbers from the Japanese University of Fukuoka climbed Mount Everest. Very close to their route were three distressed climbers from India - emaciated, ill people got into a high-altitude storm. The Japanese passed by. A few hours later, all three were dead.

“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 the statistics of corpses, it will increase every year. What is unacceptable in normal life is regarded as the norm at high altitudes.” Alexander Abramov.

“You can’t keep climbing between corpses and pretend that it’s in the order of things” . Alexander Abramov.

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

Common causes of death at these altitudes:

- cerebral edema (paralysis, coma, death) due to lack of oxygen,
- pulmonary edema (inflammation, bronchitis, broken ribs) due to lack of oxygen and low temperatures,
– heart attacks due to lack of oxygen and high loads,
- snow blindness
- frostbite, the temperature at such heights drops to -75,
- but the most common is exhaustion from exertion, because. at such a height, the human digestive system almost does not work, the body eats itself, its muscle tissue.

Frostbite:

Tina Sjögren

Climber Beck Withers was twice left on the side of the mountain, believing that he was cold, but he survived, remained disabled and wrote the book "Left for Dead" (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 for two or three nights at an altitude of up to 8230 m. As was first shown by free balloon ascents in the seventies of the last century an unacclimatized aeronaut, having risen to such heights, quickly lost consciousness and died. If people are subjected to reduced pressure in a pressure chamber at sea level, then at a pressure corresponding to a height of 7620 m, they lose consciousness after 10 minutes, and at a pressure corresponding to a height 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 village near a mine called Aconquilcha. It is said that the miners prefer to climb 455 m daily from this height and not live in a special camp built for them by the mine administration at an altitude of 5790 m.

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

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

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

Many inhabitants ask with horror the question: “Why don’t they remove the corpses from the mountain, don’t bury them?” 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 so many chances to go down yourself, but to remove the corpse, you need to organize an entire expedition, which will cost a lot of money. But the main problem is that most of these corpses are unknown whereabouts.

Rescue work on Everest

Camp after the storm:

Many books have been written on the theme of Everest, many films have been shown. And yet, every year the statistics of the National Assembly does not decrease.

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

Division by years:

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. So, the first successful ascent of a group of two people took place on May 5, 1982. The leader of the expedition, Yevgeny Tamm, determined the first assault group-bunch consisting of V. Balyberdin and E. Myslovsky. Phenomenally hardy and resistant to oxygen starvation, Balyberdin led a relatively weak participant. Myslovsky's ascent was difficult: to some extent, the conclusions of the doctors were justified. He dropped the oxygen equipment, suffered severely from the cold, and suffocated. The partner gave him his oxygen mask, psychologically supported him at a dramatic moment. The assault on the top of the world by this first group was successful.

A little later, nine members of the expedition climbed Everest. And their ascents were dramatic. Alpinist V. Onishchenko had to be given very serious help: 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 of fingers and toes, and V. Khreschaty, who made a night ascent 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 head injury. Everest was reluctant to submit to athletes. Nevertheless, this massive 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 on the record 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 immediately I remembered the words from the song of V. Vysotsky ...

If a friend was suddenly
Not a friend, not an enemy, but...
If you don't understand right away
Is he good or bad,
Pull the guy into the mountains - take a chance,
Don't leave him alone
Let him be in a bundle in one with you -
There you will understand who it is.

If the guy is in the mountains - not ah,
If you immediately become limp - and down,
Step stepped on the glacier - and wilted,
Stumbled - and in a cry,
So, next to you is a stranger,
You do not scold him - drive:
They don’t take them up here either
They don't sing about them.

If he did not whine, did not whine,
Let him be gloomy and angry, but he walked,
And when you fell off the rocks
He moaned, but held
If I followed you, as if into battle,
At the top stood, intoxicated,
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 not known. Therefore, please, if the real 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.

Everest is the highest point on planet Earth. Because of this unique distinction, people have climbed it constantly since Sir Edmund Hillary's first successful ascent in 1953. Everest Peak is located in Nepal and rises 29,035 feet (8850 meters) above sea level. The mountain itself shares a common border with both Nepal and Tibet. Due to the harsh weather conditions on the slopes, climbers rarely try to complete the hike in May-June. Even then, the weather is quite inhospitable. The average temperature is minus 17 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 27 degrees Celsius), the wind is 51 miles (81 km) per hour.
During the rest of the year, the cumulative jet of air flow passes directly on the slopes and winds can blow with hurricane force - 118 miles (189 km) per hour, and temperatures can drop to minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 73 Celsius). Add to that the fact that there is less than one third of the amount of oxygen in the air compared to sea level and you can see 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 have successfully reached the summit of Everest, while 189 have died. If you're one of about 150 people trying to storm Mount Everest this year, be prepared to see corpses along the way.

Of the 189 people who died in their attempts, it is estimated that about 120 of them are still there. This is a terrible reminder for those trying to get to the top of how dangerous it can be. The bodies of dead climbers are strewn across Mount Everest and it is too dangerous and difficult to remove them. Reaching the summit of Everest is a physical challenge unlike any other point on Earth. This makes the rescue effort almost suicidal.
Most of the bodies are in the "Death Zone" above the base camp site 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 are frozen in moments of ascent, with a rope around the waist. Others are 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 clean up some of the scattered 120 tons of rubbish left behind each year. During these cleanups, it is planned to remove any remains that can be safely reached from the mountain 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 Francis 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 have done 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 stay in touch with the base camp to receive constant updates from the weather systems in the area. A better understanding of what is happening around also caused a sharp drop in the death toll. In 1996, there were 15 deaths and a total of 98 successful summits. Just 10 years later, in 2006 there were only 11 deaths and about 400 summits. The overall death rate over the past 56 years is nine percent, but that percentage has now dropped to 4.4 percent.

Everest is, in the full sense of the word, the mountain of death. Storming this height, the climber knows that he has a chance of not returning. Death can be caused by a lack of oxygen, heart failure, frostbite or injury. Fatal accidents also lead to death, such as a frozen valve of an oxygen cylinder.

Moreover, the path to the summit is so difficult that, as Alexander Abramov, one of the participants in the Russian Himalayan expedition, said, “at an altitude of more than 8000 meters you cannot afford the luxury of morality. Above 8000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself, and in such extreme conditions you do not have extra strength to help a friend.

The tragedy that happened on Everest in May 2006 shocked the whole world: 42 climbers passed by the slowly freezing Englishman David Sharpe, but no one helped him. One of them was the television people of the Discovery channel, who tried to interview the dying man and, having photographed him, left him alone ...

On Everest, groups of climbers pass by unburied corpses scattered here and there, they are the same climbers, only they were not lucky. Some of them fell off and broke their bones, some froze or simply weakened and still froze.

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

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

This is the alleged corpse of the very first climber who conquered Everest, who died on the descent. It is believed that Mallory was the first to conquer the summit and died already on the descent. In 1924, Mallory and his partner Irving began their ascent. They were last seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds just 150 meters from the summit. Then the clouds converged and the climbers disappeared.

They did not return back, only in 1999, at an altitude of 8290 m, the next conquerors of the summit came across many bodies that had died over the past 5-10 years. Mallory was found among them. He was lying on his stomach, as if trying to hug the mountain, his head and hands frozen into the slope.

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

Well, not all climbers are such egoists, they still save and do not leave their own in trouble. Only many who died are to blame themselves.

For the sake of the personal record of an oxygen-free ascent, the American Francis Arsentieva, already on the descent, lay exhausted for two days on the southern slope of Everest. Climbers from different countries passed by a 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, as put their own lives at risk.

The husband of an American, Russian climber Sergei Arsentiev, with whom they got lost on the descent, did not wait for her in the camp, and went in search of her, during which he also died.

In the spring of 2006, eleven people died on Everest - not news, it would seem, if one of them, Briton David Sharp, was not left in agony by a group of about 40 climbers passing by. Sharp was not a rich man and climbed without guides and Sherpas. The drama lies in the fact that if he had enough money, his salvation would be possible. He would still be alive today.

Every spring, on the slopes of Everest, both on 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 because of the motley variety of tents resembling giant tents, or because anomalous phenomena have been occurring on this mountain for some time, the scene was dubbed the “Circus on Everest”.

Society looked with wise calmness 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, ridiculous and funny things happen here: children come to hunt for early records, old people climb without help, eccentric millionaires appear who have not even seen cats even in a photograph, helicopters land on the top ... The list is endless and not has nothing to do with mountaineering, but a lot to do with money, which, if not moving mountains, makes them lower. However, in the spring of 2006, the "circus" turned into a theater of horror, erasing forever the image of innocence that was usually associated with a pilgrimage to the roof of the world.

In the spring of 2006, on Everest, about forty climbers left the Englishman David Sharpe alone to die in the middle of the northern slope; faced with a choice, to help or continue climbing to the top, they chose the second, since reaching the highest peak in the world meant for them to accomplish a feat.

On the very day that David Sharp was dying surrounded by this pretty company and in utter contempt, the media around the world sang the praises of Mark Inglis, the New Zealand guide who, lacking legs to be amputated after an occupational injury, climbed to the top of Everest on prosthetics made of hydrocarbon artificial fiber with cats attached to them.

The news, presented by the media as a super act, as proof that dreams can change reality, hid tons of garbage and dirt, so that 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 began to pull the string. At the end of it is a story of human degradation, which is difficult to understand, a horror that would have been hidden if it were not for the media that undertook to investigate what happened.

David Sharp, who climbed the mountain on his own, participating in an ascent organized by Asia Trekking, died when his oxygen tank failed at an altitude of 8500 meters. It happened on May 16th. Sharpe was no stranger to the mountains. At the age of 34, he had already climbed the eight-thousand-meter Cho Oyu, passing the most difficult sections without the use of railings, which may not be a heroic deed, but at least shows his character. Suddenly left without oxygen, Sharp 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 with whom he traveled. He replied: "My name is David Sharp, I'm here with Asia Trekking and I just want to sleep."

New Zealander Mark Inglis, a double amputee, stepped his hydrocarbon prostheses over David Sharp's body to reach the summit; he was one of the few who admitted that Sharpe had indeed been left for dead. “At least our expedition was the only one that did anything for him: our Sherpas gave him oxygen. On that day, about 40 climbers passed by him, and no one did anything,” he said.

The first to be alarmed by Sharpe's death was the Brazilian Vitor Negrete, who, in addition, said that he had been robbed in a high-mountain camp. Vitor could not provide any more details, because he died two days later. Negrete made his way to the summit from the north ridge without the aid of artificial oxygen, but during the descent began to feel unwell and radioed for help from his Sherpa, who helped him get to Camp No. 3. He died in his tent, possibly due to swelling caused by being 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 his technical equipment and physical capabilities, and this is where the edema and typical collapses caused by altitude lie in wait for him. This spring, the roof of the world knew a period of good weather, lasting for two weeks without wind and clouds, enough to break the record of ascents at this very time of the year.

Under worse conditions, many would not rise and would not die ...

David Sharpe was still alive after a terrible night at 8500 meters. During this time, he had the phantasmagorical company of "Mr. Yellow Boots", the corpse of an Indian climber, dressed in old yellow plastic Koflach boots, lying there for years, lying on a ridge in the middle of the road and still in a fetal position.

David Sharp shouldn't have died. It would be enough for the commercial and non-commercial expeditions that went to the summit to agree to save the Englishman. If this did not happen, it was only because there was no money, no equipment, there was no one in the base camp who could offer the Sherpas doing such work a good amount of dollars in exchange for a life. And, since there was no economic incentive, they resorted to a false elementary expression: "you need to be independent at the height." If this principle were true, old people, the blind, people with various amputated limbs, completely ignorant, sick and other representatives of the fauna that meet at the foot of the "icon" of the Himalayas, knowing full well that something that cannot make their competence and experience, their thick checkbook will allow.

Three days after David Sharp's death, Peace Project leader Jamie McGuinness and ten of his Sherpas rescued one of his clients from a tailspin shortly after reaching the summit. It took 36 hours to do this, but he was evacuated from the summit on a makeshift stretcher, bringing him to the base camp. Can the dying person be saved or not? Of course, he paid a lot, and it saved his life. David Sharp only paid for having a cook and a tent at the base camp.

A few days later, two members of the same expedition from Castile-La Mancha were enough to evacuate one half-dead Canadian named Vince from the North Col (at an altitude of 7000 meters), under the indifferent looks of many of those who passed there.

A little later there was one episode that will finally resolve the debate about whether or not to help a dying man on Everest. The tour guide Harry Kikstra was assigned to lead a group in which Thomas Weber, who had vision problems due to the removal of a brain tumor in the past, appeared among his clients. On the day of the summit of Kikstra, Weber, five Sherpas and a second client, Lincoln Hall, set out together from Camp Three at night under good weather conditions.

Abundantly swallowing oxygen, a little more than two hours later they stumbled upon the corpse of David Sharp, with disgust walked around him and continued on to the top. Despite the vision problems that height should have exacerbated, Weber climbed on his own using a railing. Everything happened as planned. Lincoln Hall with his two Sherpas moved forward, but at this time Weber's eyesight was seriously impaired. At 50 meters from the summit, Kikstra decided to finish the ascent and headed back with his Sherpa and Weber. Little by little, the group began to descend from the third step, then from the second ... until suddenly Weber, who seemed exhausted and uncoordinated, threw a panicked look at Kikstra and dumbfounded 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 bad. 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 8700 meters and, despite the help of the Sherpas, who had been trying to revive him for nine hours, could not 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.

That same morning, seven hours later, guide Dan Mazur, who was following the road to the summit with clients, stumbled upon Hall, who, surprisingly, was alive. After being given tea, oxygen, and medicine, Hall was able to talk on the radio himself with his group at the base. Immediately, all the expeditions that were on the north side agreed among themselves and sent a detachment of ten Sherpas to help him. Together they removed him from the crest and brought him back to life.

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

Sharpe's 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 when he whispered something else and waved his hand.

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

Sergey Arsentiev and Francis Distefano-Arsentiev, having spent three nights (!) at 8,200 m, climbed and reached the summit on 05/22/1998 at 18:15. The ascent was made without the use of oxygen. Thus, Francis became the first American woman and only the second woman in history to climb without oxygen.

On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Francis. He took oxygen tanks and went. But he disappeared. Probably 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 - 8 people! They approach her - she has already spent the second cold night, but she is still alive! Again, everyone passes by - to the top.

When we found her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and muttered all the time: “I am an American. Please, do not leave me"…

We dressed her for two hours. My concentration was lost due to a bone-piercing rattling sound that broke the ominous silence, Woodhall continues his story. “I realized that Katie was about to freeze to death herself. We had to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried to lift Frances and carry her, but it was useless. My futile attempts to save her put Kathy at risk. We couldn't do anything."

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 get to the top. We succeeded, but on the way back, we were horrified to notice the body of Francis, she lay exactly as we left her, perfectly preserved under the influence of low temperatures.

Nobody deserves such an end. Cathy and I promised each other to return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare a new expedition. I wrapped Francis in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into a 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 Arseniev was found: “I apologize for the delay with the photographs of Sergei. We definitely saw him - I remember the purple puffy suit. He was in a sort of bowing position, lying just behind the Jochenovsky (Jochen Hemmleb - expedition historian - S.K.) "implicit rib" in the Mallory area at about 27150 feet (8254 m). I think it's him." Jake Norton, member of the 1999 expedition.

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 has become not only the mecca of all climbers, but also one big cemetery for many people. Some of them stayed there forever. In this article, you will learn about some of the victims of Everest, who became prisoners of this hulk.

People who have never been interested in mountaineering probably did not even think about what happens when climbing a mountain. Weather in a moment can change the situation for the worse and easily take the life of an unprepared climber. One thoughtless act can lead to death. At such a height, people who managed to maintain their sanity remain alive. The fact is that most people die most often when descending a mountain, and not during an ascent. After conquering the summit, there is immediately a feeling that everything is already behind. It is this false sense that fails novice climbers. Others are ruined by their obstinacy. Often, having risen to a height above 7500 meters, which is called the "death zone", many believe that they must climb to the top in the near future and do not listen to the warnings of their guides. This often becomes their last frivolous act. The victims of Everest 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 the Chomolungma. Many remain lying on the Himalayan slopes like decorations on a Christmas tree. Due to the low temperature, the bodies do not decompose and mummify, so the corpses appear untouched. Picking up bodies from a great height 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 clean up the garbage left by climbers, but finding everyone is still an unrealistic task. At high altitude, ordinary cleaning turns into a very risky business, not to mention the large weight of the bodies. Yes, and such events are financed very rarely, so most often people are buried right on the spot. Some are covered with the flag of their home country.

The body of Francis Arsentieva. Everest victim

The famous American Francis Arsentieva became a victim of Everest back in 1998. She and her husband Sergey Arsentiev were in the same group and reached the top of the Chomolungma in May. She was the first woman to scale the highest mountain without supplemental oxygen. During the descent, Frances fought off the rest of the expedition. The whole group successfully reached the camp without her, and only there they noticed the absence of the climber. Sergei went in search of her and, unfortunately, also died. His body was found much later. Members of the South African and Uzbek expeditions met Frances and spent some time with her, donating their oxygen tanks and caring for her. Later, the British from her group returned and also helped her to 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 Francis - so many versions. According to a Chinese communications officer, the climber died in the arms of the Sherpas, but due to the language barrier between the group and the signalman, some of the information could be misunderstood. So far, no official witnesses to her death have been found, and there are inconsistencies in people's stories.

After 9 years, one of the members of the group, Briton Ian Woodall could not forgive himself for this incident and, having raised funds for a new expedition, went to Everest to bury Francis. He wrapped her in an American flag, enclosed a note from his son, and threw the 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.

The first victims of Everest

On June 7, 1922, 7 people died at once. This is considered the first officially documented death while trying to climb Chomolungma. In total, three lifts 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 the other members of the team decided that the risks were small and went on. George Mallory led part of the group through the icy slopes, but one of the accumulations of snow turned out to be rather 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 blockages, but the next group was carried away by tons of snow flying from above. Nine porters covered. Only two Sherpas managed to get out, and the rest died. Another member was not found and was also presumed dead. Their names are: Norbu ( Norbu), Temba ( Temba), Pasang ( Pasang), Dorozhe ( Dorje), Sange ( Sange), Tupac ( Tupac) and Pema ( Pema). This tragedy opened the official list of Everest victims and also ended the 1922 expedition. The rest of the group stopped climbing and left the mountain on August 2.

The first climbers on Everest. On the 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 self-confident climbers left the high-altitude camp heading for the summit. George Mallory and Andrew Irwin were last seen around 1pm. Just below the Second Step (8610 meters), Noel Odell, another member of the expedition, saw two black dots that slowly disappeared into the haze. Mallory and Irwin were never seen again after that. 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 of lodging for the night and folded two sleeping bags in the tent with the letter "T", this was a sign for people from the base camp, which meant: "Found no traces I can only hope, I am waiting for instructions.

The body of George Mallory 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 breakdown of the climber. Also, Andrew Irwin's ice ax was found nearby, but he himself has not yet been found. Mallory did not have a photograph of his wife and the flag of Britain, and these are the things he intended to leave at the top. Two climbers became victims of Everest, and like hundreds of others, they have remained legends for centuries for everyone who tries to climb to the top of this mountain.

Everest victims 2015. Dozens of dead

On April 25-26, an avalanche descended on Chomolungma due to an earthquake, which claimed the lives of many people. It became the biggest incident of all time. This year, a record number of people have accumulated on the slopes of Everest, because due to last year's avalanche, which in turn took 16 human lives, many refused to climb and returned in the new year to try to conquer the summit again.

Everest victims photo

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 and just good people have left the world. Among them was Daniel Fredinburg, an employee of Google. He was here to do some mapping for a project like Google Earth. A large number of people who were in the base camp during the avalanche suffered. Most of the victims died there. The climbers who were in higher altitude camps did not suffer, but were cut off from civilization for some time.

Everest victims instead of navigation

Some of the bodies remain lying next to the climbing paths. Hundreds of people pass by these mummies every season. Some of the dead have already become local attractions. For example, the well-known "Mr. Green Shoes Everest", which lies at an altitude of 8500 meters. This is one of the members of an 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. A man in bright green boots lying on the slope, most likely, was once one of the climbers of the Indian group, presumably it was Tsewang Paljor. He was seen before the tragedy in the camp, in green boots. He lay on the mountain for more than 15 years and was a guide for many conquerors of Chomolungma. Another climber, who visited the summit in 2014, said that most of the corpses were gone. Most likely, someone moved them or buried them.

In 2006, for ridiculous reasons, David Sharp fell victim to 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 thought he was a well-known Indian climber who died in 1996.

One of the last victims of Everest was the Swiss Uli Steck. He left this world on April 30, 2017, trying to follow a route that no one has yet verified. Having broken, he fell from a height of more than 1000 m and crashed to death.

A fairly large number of tragedies occurred at the Third Pole. Most of the people went missing and it is still unclear for what reasons. Every climb to the top is an incredible risk. The chances of staying forever on the slopes of this mountain and immortalizing yourself in history are quite high. Many do not fit in the head, why people do this and why risk their lives. Even an experienced climber with great 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 response was: "Because he is!"

Everest victims video