British climber dies on Everest as death toll of climbers in Nepal reaches 18

By Gopal Sharma

 

FILE PHOTO: A trekker stands in front of Mount Everest, which is 8,850 meters high (C), at Kala Patthar in Solukhumbu District May 7, 2014. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar/File Photo

 

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - A British climber too weak to descend from Mount Everest died on Saturday, officials said, the eighth climber to die on the world’s tallest mountain and the 18th in Nepal's Himalayas during the current climbing season.

 

Hiking officials attributed most of the deaths to weakness, exhaustion and delays on the crowded route to the 8,850-metre (29,035 feet) summit.

 

Robin Haynes Fisher, 44, died in the so-called "death zone" known for low levels of oxygen on descent from the summit, Mira Acharya, a tourism department official, said.

 

He is the eighth fatality on Everest in the current climbing season that ends this month.

 

“He died because of weakness after a long ascent and difficult descent,” Murari Sharma of the Everest Parivar Treks company that arranged his logistics told Reuters. “He was descending with his sherpa guides from the summit when he suddenly fainted."

 

Fellow guides changed Fisher's oxygen bottle and offered him water, but could not save him, Sharma said.

 

Garrett Madison of the U.S. based Madison Mountaineering company that sponsors climbers to Mount Everest said many were not "well qualified or prepared climbers" and were without the support necessary to ascend and descend safely.

 

"If they were with a strong and experienced team they would have likely been fine, but with minimal support, once something goes wrong it's tough to get back on course," Madison told Reuters.

 

Mount Everest can also be climbed from Tibet and casualties have been reported from there this season too.

 

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-26

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Short season for the ascent, traffic jam.

 

Good for the local economy though.

 

On the plus side, in another twenty years, it'll be a year-round walk in the park (with O2).

 

 

Why dont they install train tracks?

Any 7/11s opened up there yet?

Just stay home and watch youtube. Much easier.

 

Ridiculous. Everywhere in the world  - including notably Thailand - the tourist industry destroys its own foundations.

It used to have a WOW factor. After seeing this pic, it doesn't appear to be the most difficult of things to accomplish. Disappointing and somewhat sad.

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Any 7/11s opened up there yet?

There are 711 sherpas carrying food and drinks.

The irony of climbing up to 8848 mt. and dying for queuing exhaustion.

RIP

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Short season for the ascent, traffic jam.

Bloody Chinese package tours!

18 more bodies left on the mountain what is the tally so far for remains on Everest? Just 18 more obstacles to step over or around in pursuit of fame and glory. 

1 hour ago, cnxgary said:

18 more bodies left on the mountain what is the tally so far for remains on Everest? Just 18 more obstacles to step over or around in pursuit of fame and glory. 

The headline says 18 but the article says 8, regardless it's too many.

Short season for the ascent, traffic jam.
 
Good for the local economy though.
 

How is people dying on the way down good for the local economy?

13 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Good for the local economy though.

The permit needed alone costs around $11,000. Then many more thousands for a variety of different things. On a news interview yesterday, it was suggested that too many of these permits are issued resulting in queues. Thus a longer time spent on the slopes which can prove fatal if someone becomes ill. Money rules. 

2 hours ago, thequietman said:

It used to have a WOW factor. After seeing this pic, it doesn't appear to be the most difficult of things to accomplish. Disappointing and somewhat sad.

I have read that K2 , in Pakistan, second pic after Everest, is the most dangerous mountain to climb; more dead people than Everest 

Everest, now , 12 hours to wait to reach the summit !

53 minutes ago, Lee4Life said:

The headline says 18 but the article says 8, regardless it's too many.

Try  reading it again, 18 dead this season in the Nepalese Himalayas, 8 dead on this particular mountain.

For those who may be interested, here is the nationalities of other non- British climbers who died on the mountain recently.

 

"Other deaths from this week include four people from India, one person from Nepal, an Austrian and an American.

A second Irish man, professor Séamus Lawless, is presumed dead after falling on the mountain last week."

The permit needed alone costs around $11,000. Then many more thousands for a variety of different things. On a news interview yesterday, it was suggested that too many of these permits are issued resulting in queues. Thus a longer time spent on the slopes which can prove fatal if someone becomes ill. Money rules. 

I understand how climbing benefits the local economy, what I don’t understand is how people dying on the way down helps the economy.

I will trek there at the end of the year but I will not go past base camp. Not much a fan of crowded alpine route but the view from the base camp is probably worth it. 

I will trek there at the end of the year but I will not go past base camp. Not much a fan of crowded alpine route but the view from the base camp is probably worth it. 

Worth what?

12 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I understand how climbing benefits the local economy, what I don’t understand is how people dying on the way down helps the economy.

It doesnt. I cant see anyone suggesting it does.

7 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

Worth what?

 

Some people enjoy sitting in a bar while other enjoy walking in nature. Everyone enjoys different things. Life is so amazing. 

38 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Worth what?

 

Worth a selfie for his facebook page.

2 hours ago, Lee4Life said:

The headline says 18 but the article says 8, regardless it's too many.

I think the 18 is for all peaks in Nepal, 8 on Everest, but not including others on the Tebet side.

BBC quoted 10.

 

They could reduce the problem by increasing the fitness requirements of climbers thereby reducing the number of climbers on the mountain.

Some people enjoy sitting in a bar while other enjoy walking in nature. Everyone enjoys different things. Life is so amazing. 

Yes, but that you enjoy something makes it an end in itself.

I don’t frequent bars, and I enjoy walking in nature, when I asked what it was worth I meant the cost to do it.

I think the 18 is for all peaks in Nepal, 8 on Everest, but not including others on the Tebet side.
BBC quoted 10.
 
They could reduce the problem by increasing the fitness requirements of climbers thereby reducing the number of climbers on the mountain.

Why stop people that want to try it?

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Worth a selfie for his facebook page.

I have a Facebook page because it's the only way I can contact some of my friends. I never post any pictures. This website is toxic. I have been moutaineering for 20 years because I enjoy it. 

2 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I have a Facebook page because it's the only way I can contact some of my friends. I never post any pictures. This website is toxic. I have been moutaineering for 20 years because I enjoy it. 

I've got a selfie in front of the Matterhorn, it's a jolly good one too!

(Probably doesn't count as a selfie as they hadn't invented selfie-sticks back then, had to hand my camera to a stranger)

Edited May 26, 20197 yr by BritManToo

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

 

Yes, but that you enjoy something makes it an end in itself.

I don’t frequent bars, and I enjoy walking in nature, when I asked what it was worth I meant the cost to do it.

 

If you have your own equipement I think you can do it from Thailand for $2-3K including the flight. I will do it ultralight which means no porter and maybe also camp outside (no tea house for sleeping) not sure yet. 

Edited May 26, 20197 yr by Tayaout

22 hours ago, thequietman said:

It used to have a WOW factor. After seeing this pic, it doesn't appear to be the most difficult of things to accomplish. Disappointing and somewhat sad.

Agreed, it used to be something to tell the grandchildren about... looking at that photo I don't know whether I'd want to be in the longest queue I've ever seen, I'd die from sheer boredom not the mountain! 

In the past you would have to buy a climbing permit for USD 50'000 per person. Quite obviously the Nepalese changed quality to quantity and the latter might explain such avoidable deaths.