Two Thai women die during a mountain trek journey in Nepal

[webfact]

Two Thai female mountain trekkers died on Friday in Nepal, according to foreign news agencies.

 

The two victims, 49-year-old Pataya Philaisengsuri and 37-year-old Penny Aranlum, were among a group of 22 people, including 12 trekkers, 8 porters and 2 guides, who set out on the Annapurna circuit trek, from Besi Sahar in Lamjung to Tilicho Lake, starting on November 11th.

 

The group reached the lake on November 17th but, on the way back, the two Thai women fell ill, due to extreme cold and high altitude, and were injured. They died at the foot of Mesokanto La Pass, which is about 4,919 metres above sea level.

 

A helicopter flew their bodies to the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, for autopsy.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/two-thai-women-die-during-a-mountain-trek-journey-in-nepal/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-11-21

 

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[Enoon]

Not just a walk in the mountains:

 

"A collection of small trails make up the great Annapurna Circuit which is one of the most dangerous hikes in the whole world, let alone the Himalayas"

https://www.thetravel.com/most-dangerous-hikes-in-the-himalayas/

 

[scubascuba3]

Altitude sickness is awful, they should have come down straight away

[ArtVandelay]

Annapurna is a spectacular area to trek.  I've done it twice, but not as high an elevation as they went. 

 

My first time I had hired a private guide in Pokhara.   Made a mistake listening to him, since he was determined to get me to a specific tea house for the night.   Rather than stop early my first day when I got sore, like I should have, he pushed me to keep going up.   

 

I learned later that some of the guides have certain businesses on the mountain where they get kickbacks in the form of free food, etc, and will pressure you to stay at that specific one.   I should have listened to my body, and stopped at a lower tea house for the night.   Since I kept going, I was so sore the next day, that the rest of my trek was a miserable experience.  

 

Also, coming back down the mountain was actually more painful because it takes as much or more muscle power to stop yourself from falling than it does to climb up the mountain.  If you go, listen to your own body.  The guides might have other interests than your health, 

[Sparktrader]

Bit different to Pai treks. Nepal is hardcore.

[Boomer6969]

A bit late in the season, and climate change may mess that up too. So getting at 5000 caught in cold and snow can be life threatening for inexperience plodder used to mild climates. Happened before. 

[RichardColeman]

Be fair, they were quite brave in attempting it - most thais tend to put on sweaters and jumpers and coats and gloves and blankets the minute the temperature hits less than 31

[daveAustin]

This is sad. At least they died doing something they loved ????

[it is what it is]

1 hour ago, ArtVandelay said:

Annapurna is a spectacular area to trek.  I've done it twice, but not as high an elevation as they went. 

 

My first time I had hired a private guide in Pokhara.   Made a mistake listening to him, since he was determined to get me to a specific tea house for the night.   Rather than stop early my first day when I got sore, like I should have, he pushed me to keep going up.   

 

I learned later that some of the guides have certain businesses on the mountain where they get kickbacks in the form of free food, etc, and will pressure you to stay at that specific one.   I should have listened to my body, and stopped at a lower tea house for the night.   Since I kept going, I was so sore the next day, that the rest of my trek was a miserable experience.  

 

Also, coming back down the mountain was actually more painful because it takes as much or more muscle power to stop yourself from falling than it does to climb up the mountain.  If you go, listen to your own body.  The guides might have other interests than your health, 

 

i've also trekked the annupurna circuit, some years ago now, am experienced so didn't need a guide or porter. i went high, but knowing my limitations and the adverse effect the altitude was having - i was there to enjoy myself not challenge myself - i changed my route.

 

as long as you use common sense the trails are not difficult to follow, however, you always have to be prepared to turn back if a situation dictates.

[Boomer6969]

30 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

i've also trekked the annupurna circuit, some years ago now, am experienced so didn't need a guide or porter. i went high, but knowing my limitations and the adverse effect the altitude was having - i was there to enjoy myself not challenge myself - i changed my route.

 

as long as you use common sense the trails are not difficult to follow, however, you always have to be prepared to turn back if a situation dictates.

Everyone can acclimatise  to 6000 meters, or more. There are rules to follow such as: sleeping 300 or 400 meters below the  day's highest altitude; set a conservative daily altitude gain; Diamox (125mg) morning and evening; and ideally, before attempting a trekking peak rest rest at lower altitude 24 to 72 hours at a much lower altitude.  For instance when I trekked Kilimanjaro I climbed Mt Kenya (5000) and recuperated during the transfer to Arusha. Guides should always have Dexamethazone and know how and when to use it.

[VincentRJ]

I've trekked in Nepal several times during my life. The first time was in 1964 and the last time was in 2013 when I trekked the Annapurna circuit, reaching a height of 5,416 metres.

 

To avoid altitude sickness, if one is not used to great heights, one should approach the high points very gradually to give time for the body to adjust. The problem is that most people pay for a fixed schedule where everything is pre-organized, whereas I demand control overe 'where I will stay' and 'how long'. Sometimes the guides are not happy with this. Too bad!

 

At, say, 2,000 metres, I find a hotel with a nice view, and stay a couple of nights or more, wandering around during the daytime taking photos of the village life. At, say, 3 to 4,000 metres, I'll spend another 2 or 3 days at a nice location, to get used to the height and explore the surroundings. Then when I reach 5 to 6,000 metres, I experience no altitude problems.

 

Attached are 3 images I took in 2013 at the Thorong La Pass, which is at a height of 5,416.

 

[metisdead]

An off topic post has been removed.

[tandor]

34 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

60 odd more people  will die on the roads today in Thailand.

about 14 of them will be children.

No one cares about this. 

it just demonstrates how frequently people die in all sorts of pursuits. Any death is a sad event. By all accounts they were experienced but genetically not strong enough to cope with altitude or cold for any extended period of time. Hypothermia really messes you up.  RIP ladies. 

[unblocktheplanet]

As an trekker well-experienced over four decades in Nepal, everything about this article is wrong.

 

First of all, trekking is not hiking or mountain climbing. You have a porter (to carry your gear & guide) so you can enjoy the scenery. Trails are stony and sometimes have unstable scree, in rainy season slippery mud & leeches. But they are well-traveled by locals carrying essentials to faraway villages every day of the year.

 

The Annapurna circuit is one of the most gentle and beautiful of all Nepal treks. Rhododendron forests in bloom, rock carvings & paintings, prayer flags, suspension bridges, donkey trains. And a new vista of the Himal with every step, a view nobody’s seen before.

 

One can branch off to visit lamaseries, hotsprings and different tribal groups. I’ve done 14 days off the pavement…and back.

 

Nor is November particularly cold; it’s not dead winter yet. And the altitudes on the Annapurna circuit are not especially high—it’s the foothills, not the mountains.

 

It is most likely these unfortunate women were not fit and, as another poster mentioned, pushed too hard. It’s always wise to train for several months before a major trek.

 

Want to talk hard trekking, try Mount Kailas! Annapurna is completely predictable.

 

RIP.

Edited November 21, 2022 by unblocktheplanet
correction

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, daveAustin said:

This is sad. At least they died doing something they loved ????

Better than under a truck in Thailand.

[Harsh Jones]

We sure have a lot of trekkers on this thread. 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

As an trekker well-experienced over four decades in Nepal, everything about this article is wrong.

 

First of all, trekking is not hiking or mountain climbing. You have a porter (to carry your gear & guide) so you can enjoy the scenery. Trails are stony and sometimes have unstable scree, in rainy season slippery mud & leeches. But they are well-traveled by locals carrying essentials to faraway villages every day of the year.

 

The Annapurna circuit is one of the most gentle and beautiful of all Nepal treks. Rhododendron forests in bloom, rock carvings & paintings, prayer flags, suspension bridges, donkey trains. And a new vista of the Himal with every step, a view nobody’s seen before.

 

One can branch off to visit lamaseries, hotsprings and different tribal groups. I’ve done 14 days off the pavement…and back.

 

Nor is November particularly cold; it’s not dead winter yet. And the altitudes on the Annapurna circuit are not especially high—it’s the foothills, not the mountains.

 

It is most likely these unfortunate women were not fit and, as another poster mentioned, pushed too hard. It’s always wise to train for several months before a major trek.

 

Want to talk hard trekking, try Mount Kailas! Annapurna is completely predictable.

 

RIP.

I'm not so sure about that... as Enoon posted... 

 

8 hours ago, Enoon said:

Not just a walk in the mountains:

 

"A collection of small trails make up the great Annapurna Circuit which is one of the most dangerous hikes in the whole world, let alone the Himalayas"

https://www.thetravel.com/most-dangerous-hikes-in-the-himalayas/

 

 

 

 

[BritScot]

8 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

i've also trekked the annupurna circuit, some years ago now, am experienced so didn't need a guide or porter. i went high, but knowing my limitations and the adverse effect the altitude was having - i was there to enjoy myself not challenge myself - i changed my route.

 

as long as you use common sense the trails are not difficult to follow, however, you always have to be prepared to turn back if a situation dictates.

However experienced you are it is expediently to clime alone and the same applies to scuba diving. Some get away with it but a lot don't and pay with their lives. I've done a bit of mountaineering in Scotland "winter/summer" and would never dream of doing it alone. Had a school teacher who had mountaineer/climed for decades and overconfidence and being alone killed him. Mountains in scotland are no where near as high even though its still very dangerous. 

[Aussieroaming]

RIP to two gutsy Thai women who decided to push their boundaries.

[Sparktrader]

Wat Phu Tok is enough for me.

[VincentRJ]

8 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

The Annapurna circuit is one of the most gentle and beautiful of all Nepal treks. Rhododendron forests in bloom, rock carvings & paintings, prayer flags, suspension bridges, donkey trains. And a new vista of the Himal with every step, a view nobody’s seen before.

 

I agree that it is a beautiful circuit, but the highest point is 5,416 metres at the Thorong-La pass. This could be a problem for those who have not adapted to such heights, and/or those who have certain medical problems and are not fit.

 

Attached are a few more images I took of the area surrounding Thorong-La. After a snow fall, it looks as though the track could disappear.

 

[d4dang]

The article mentions an accident. Were the ladies injured while suffering altitude related illness which would have complicated getting to lower altitude or a rescue attempt.

Condolences to their families.

[d4dang]

16 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

As an trekker well-experienced over four decades in Nepal, everything about this article is wrong.

 

First of all, trekking is not hiking or mountain climbing. You have a porter (to carry your gear & guide) so you can enjoy the scenery. Trails are stony and sometimes have unstable scree, in rainy season slippery mud & leeches. But they are well-traveled by locals carrying essentials to faraway villages every day of the year.

 

The Annapurna circuit is one of the most gentle and beautiful of all Nepal treks. Rhododendron forests in bloom, rock carvings & paintings, prayer flags, suspension bridges, donkey trains. And a new vista of the Himal with every step, a view nobody’s seen before.

 

One can branch off to visit lamaseries, hotsprings and different tribal groups. I’ve done 14 days off the pavement…and back.

 

Nor is November particularly cold; it’s not dead winter yet. And the altitudes on the Annapurna circuit are not especially high—it’s the foothills, not the mountains.

 

It is most likely these unfortunate women were not fit and, as another poster mentioned, pushed too hard. It’s always wise to train for several months before a major trek.

 

Want to talk hard trekking, try Mount Kailas! Annapurna is completely predictable.

 

RIP.

 

[d4dang]

Mt Kailash was a challenge in early May. A few Indians die doing the khorwas/circumambulation every season. They rarely make any effort to acclimatize.

The article states there was an accident which could have increased the difficulty to get the ladies to lower altitude and to treat them.

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by d4dang
grammar

[gearbox]

RIP.

 

The Khangsar to Tilicho lake is a difficult side trip which a very few trekkers do. There are not enough details what actually happened, but some sections of the terrain are very steep and is fairly difficult to evacuate from there. Seems they were on a guided tour, but there won't be any mobile reception there, and only the most expensive tours like World Expeditions may have satellite phones.

 

The key preparation for high altitude trekking and mountaineering is to have enough time and not trying to fit the trip in the annual time off work. The steep narrow trails require good concentration, therefore high altitude acclimatisation. People are declared missing there every year.

[roo860]

On 11/21/2022 at 6:02 AM, Sparktrader said:

Bit different to Pai treks. Nepal is hardcore.

Don't have to contend with snow and extreme cold on Pai treks, fortunately.