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This is pretty wild...
http://www.planetmountain.com/files/202.04.28.pdf
April 28th, 2013
MOUNT EVEREST, NEPAL.
At about 8am on 27th April 2013 Simone Moro (IT), Ueli Steck (CH), and Jonathan Griffith
(UK) left Camp 2 to reach a tent at around 7200m (lower Camp 3) on the Lhotse Face of
Mount Everest. A team of high altitude sherpas were 'fixing' the Lhotse face and the climbers
were asked to not touch the fixed ropes they were establishing. As such the trio climbed about
50m away and to the side of the Sherpa team to avoid disturbing them in their work. It should
be noted that all three climbers have extensive climbing experience all over the world and
were very aware of the work being carried out by the Sherpas and the respect given to them
for it.
When the three climbers reached the height of their already established tent, they traversed
across the snow and were forced to step over the lines of the Sherpas to reach their tent
about 20 meters to the side. The climbers chose to step across the lines at a belay stance
where 4 other sherpas were attached to the ice face whilst their lead climber continued to fix
the line above. Stepping over the lines does not interfere in any way with the work being
carried out. The climbers were soloing and not using ropes so there was no rope tangling
either. In addition by passing beneath the lead climber no ice or snow could be knocked down
on him.
Jonathan Griffith was in the lead at this point and after crossing the rope and traversing
another 15 meters on a snow ramp Ueli Steck followed. At the point where Ueli Steck stepped
over the rope the lead climber noticed the climbers below and began shouting and banging
the ice with his axe erratically. Still shouting down at the climbers, he fixed his rope and
abseiled down to the belay stance. As Ueli was soloing and therefore not attached to a rope it
was natural that he should hold his hands up to take the impact of the force arriving on him
form the lead climber abseiling right on to him. This prompted the lead climber to accuse Ueli
Steck of 'touching him'. In between hitting the ice with all his force and screaming at Ueli
Steck 'why you touch me' he said that they had kicked ice down on them and injured a Sherpa.
Seeing as the trio were climbing a completely independent line and entirely on snow this is
highly unlikely.
Ueli Steck tried to help calm the situation by offering to help fix the lines up to Camp 3 but this
only made matters worse. Simone Moro then joined the team and the lead climber turned on
him wielding his ice axe in his direction. Simone swore at the lead climber as is the natural
reaction when faced with this aggression. No amount of talking would calm the lead Sherpa down and as a final act of defiance he ordered his whole team of 17 Sherpas off the Lhotse
Face and back to Camp 2. There was no reason to descend off the mountain because of the
three climbers. They had not touched or interfered with the Sherpa's work. To help smooth
things over Ueli Steck fixed a further 260m of rope to Camp 3.
By the time the climbers descended back to Camp 2 some 100 Sherpas had grouped
together and attacked the three climbers. They became instantly aggressive and not only
punched and kicked the climbers, but threw many rocks as well. A small group of Westerners
acted as a buffer between the out of control mob and the climbers, and they owe their lives to
these brave and selfless people. Nevertheless all three climbers were attacked as well as
many of the Westerners who were trying to calm the situation down. The climbers were told
that by that night one of them would be dead and the other two they would see to later. After
about 50 minutes the crowd had calmed down and the climbers, who had been pushed away
and told to hide, had regrouped and were told that if they weren't gone in one hour that they
would all be killed.
The climbers packed the bare essentials and made a circuitous route back down to the base
of Mount Everest in heavily crevassed terrain with no rope on, feeling that given the current
situation this was the safest place to be.
The Sherpas said that the reason they attacked the climbers was because they had knocked
ice down on a Sherpa below. As it stands no Sherpa has come forward to show any injury.
Furthermore on an ice face getting hit by chunks of ice is a very natural occurrence. The
climbers believe that the lead Sherpa was tired and cold and felt that his pride had been
damaged as the three climbers were moving unroped and much faster to the side of him.
Whatever the reason may be, there is no reason to instigate vigilante rule and to try and kill
three visiting climbers.
The Nepalese authorities have taken the matter very seriously as have commercial teams on
the mountain. At the moment the 3 ring leaders have been taken off the mountain and the
Police, Ministry of Tourism and the head of the Sherpa Association are investigating.
The three climbers would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who saved their lives at
Camp 2 and to those who are now taking over the investigation.
http://www.planetmountain.com/files/202.04.28.pdf
April 28th, 2013
MOUNT EVEREST, NEPAL.
At about 8am on 27th April 2013 Simone Moro (IT), Ueli Steck (CH), and Jonathan Griffith
(UK) left Camp 2 to reach a tent at around 7200m (lower Camp 3) on the Lhotse Face of
Mount Everest. A team of high altitude sherpas were 'fixing' the Lhotse face and the climbers
were asked to not touch the fixed ropes they were establishing. As such the trio climbed about
50m away and to the side of the Sherpa team to avoid disturbing them in their work. It should
be noted that all three climbers have extensive climbing experience all over the world and
were very aware of the work being carried out by the Sherpas and the respect given to them
for it.
When the three climbers reached the height of their already established tent, they traversed
across the snow and were forced to step over the lines of the Sherpas to reach their tent
about 20 meters to the side. The climbers chose to step across the lines at a belay stance
where 4 other sherpas were attached to the ice face whilst their lead climber continued to fix
the line above. Stepping over the lines does not interfere in any way with the work being
carried out. The climbers were soloing and not using ropes so there was no rope tangling
either. In addition by passing beneath the lead climber no ice or snow could be knocked down
on him.
Jonathan Griffith was in the lead at this point and after crossing the rope and traversing
another 15 meters on a snow ramp Ueli Steck followed. At the point where Ueli Steck stepped
over the rope the lead climber noticed the climbers below and began shouting and banging
the ice with his axe erratically. Still shouting down at the climbers, he fixed his rope and
abseiled down to the belay stance. As Ueli was soloing and therefore not attached to a rope it
was natural that he should hold his hands up to take the impact of the force arriving on him
form the lead climber abseiling right on to him. This prompted the lead climber to accuse Ueli
Steck of 'touching him'. In between hitting the ice with all his force and screaming at Ueli
Steck 'why you touch me' he said that they had kicked ice down on them and injured a Sherpa.
Seeing as the trio were climbing a completely independent line and entirely on snow this is
highly unlikely.
Ueli Steck tried to help calm the situation by offering to help fix the lines up to Camp 3 but this
only made matters worse. Simone Moro then joined the team and the lead climber turned on
him wielding his ice axe in his direction. Simone swore at the lead climber as is the natural
reaction when faced with this aggression. No amount of talking would calm the lead Sherpa down and as a final act of defiance he ordered his whole team of 17 Sherpas off the Lhotse
Face and back to Camp 2. There was no reason to descend off the mountain because of the
three climbers. They had not touched or interfered with the Sherpa's work. To help smooth
things over Ueli Steck fixed a further 260m of rope to Camp 3.
By the time the climbers descended back to Camp 2 some 100 Sherpas had grouped
together and attacked the three climbers. They became instantly aggressive and not only
punched and kicked the climbers, but threw many rocks as well. A small group of Westerners
acted as a buffer between the out of control mob and the climbers, and they owe their lives to
these brave and selfless people. Nevertheless all three climbers were attacked as well as
many of the Westerners who were trying to calm the situation down. The climbers were told
that by that night one of them would be dead and the other two they would see to later. After
about 50 minutes the crowd had calmed down and the climbers, who had been pushed away
and told to hide, had regrouped and were told that if they weren't gone in one hour that they
would all be killed.
The climbers packed the bare essentials and made a circuitous route back down to the base
of Mount Everest in heavily crevassed terrain with no rope on, feeling that given the current
situation this was the safest place to be.
The Sherpas said that the reason they attacked the climbers was because they had knocked
ice down on a Sherpa below. As it stands no Sherpa has come forward to show any injury.
Furthermore on an ice face getting hit by chunks of ice is a very natural occurrence. The
climbers believe that the lead Sherpa was tired and cold and felt that his pride had been
damaged as the three climbers were moving unroped and much faster to the side of him.
Whatever the reason may be, there is no reason to instigate vigilante rule and to try and kill
three visiting climbers.
The Nepalese authorities have taken the matter very seriously as have commercial teams on
the mountain. At the moment the 3 ring leaders have been taken off the mountain and the
Police, Ministry of Tourism and the head of the Sherpa Association are investigating.
The three climbers would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who saved their lives at
Camp 2 and to those who are now taking over the investigation.
