2016 Everest Season Starts

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2016 Everest Season Starts

Postby Overlandman » Fri 08 Apr, 2016 8:00 pm

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-08/s ... st/7311146

With the 2016 Mt Everest climbing season about to get underway, the son of famed Sherpa Tenzing Norgay says it is time to change the way climbing is managed on the world's highest mountain.

"I believe that the way things are run on Mt Everest these days … I think it's just a matter of time before there's another accident," Norbu Tenzing told 7.30.

"There needs to be a pretty major overhaul from all parties to ensure that this mountain is actually kept for future generations."

Each year hundreds of climbers from around the world pay between $25,000 and $60,000 for an ascent of the mountain, guided by local Nepalese Sherpas.

Mt Everest Advanced Base Camp (ABC)
PHOTO: Mt Everest Advanced Base Camp is located 6,000 metres up the mountain. (Supplied)
"Sherpas do most of the work on Everest," Norbu Tenzing said.

"The most dangerous part is the Khumbu ice fall, where the average Sherpa makes up to 30 trips up and down for every two times the Westerner goes to climb Everest."

"That risk can certainly be reduced by reducing the kind of luxury items, heaters and espresso machines, et cetera, that are carried by the Sherpas to make the experience for the climbers a five-star experience.

"The average Sherpa gets paid $32 for every time that he goes up the ice fall, and that is like playing Russian roulette with one's life."

The disparity of the relationship between Sherpas and climbers boiled over three years ago, when a fight broke out on Mt Everest.

On one side a handful of wealthy Western climbers, on the other disgruntled Sherpas.

"I think tempers flared — people are at high elevation," Norbu Tenzing said.

"Both groups of people are wrong as far as that particular incident is concerned.

"The foreigner had no right to be swearing those obscenities to Sherpas, and the Sherpas were quite upset themselves."
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