An American climber has died on Mount Everest, the expedition organizer announced Tuesday, the first death of a foreign climber this season on the world’s highest mountain.
The 66-year-old man was in the acclimatization period in the Base Camp 2 area, which is located at an altitude of 6,400 meters, when he died Monday.
“He was unwell and died in camp 2. Efforts are being made to transport the body,” Pasang Thsering Sherpa of Beyul Adventure told AFP.
He added that bad weather conditions are complicating the operation to remove the body.
Beyul Adventure is the local partner of the American company International Mountain Guides.
Everest’s spring climbing season began tragically last month with the death of three Nepalese. The trio were passing through the treacherous Khumbu Glacier on a resupply mission when a block of ice broke and pushed the group into a crevasse.
Nepal issued 466 Everest climbing permits to foreign climbers this spring.
Since most require a local guide, experts estimate that more than 900 people will attempt to climb Everest this season, which runs through early June.
This in turn can cause traffic and traffic jams on the way to the top, especially if the travel time is shorter due to bad weather.
Every year, an average of five climbers die on the highest mountain in the world.
However, in 2019, 11 people died and four deaths were attributed to crowding.
Nepal has eight of the ten highest mountains in the world. The country welcomes hundreds of climbers during the spring climbing season.
Source: DN
