Slovakian climbers rescued after 17 hours

Kathmandu, May 11

After more than 17 hours of struggle above 7,000m on Mt Everest, four Sherpa guides successfully rescued two foreign climbers who were trapped in an avalanche that struck the steep icy route on the world’s highest peak.

Four Sherpas - Mingma Gabu, Lakpa Thinduk, Ngima Dorchi and Ngima Wangdi – conducted a rare rescue above Camp II on Mt Everest saving the lives of Slovakian climbers Vladimír Štrba and Zoltán Pál, according to climbers and officials.

The climbers were trapped in an avalanche that hit the south-west face of Mt Everest at 7,200 m on Tuesday morning.

The Sherpas employed by Kathmandu-based Seven Summit Treks struggled yesterday to bring the trapped climbers back to Camp II from where they were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment this morning.

Liaison officer Shiva Sapkota from the Everest Summiteers’ Association told THT over phone from the base camp that such a rescue had rarely been conducted in climbing

history. But Mingma Sherpa, the owner of Summit Treks, has understood the event quite differently.

“It’s an answer to all commentators who questioned the capability of Nepali companies, including Seven Summit that started handling a large number of expeditions on its own.“

Two killed on Mt Makalu

MAKALU: At least two mountain guides died of altitude-sickness on Mt Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world at 8,485 metres, according to an expedition organiser.

Da Tenji Sherpa of Jubing, Solukhumbu, and Lakpa Wangel Sherpa from Makalu-5, Sankhuwasabha died at Camp II (6,700 m) after they complained of altitude sickness on Wednesday morning, Parshuram Karki, an official at Thamserku Treks and Expeditions Pvt Ltd said.

They were part of an 11-member Amical Alpin Makalu Expedition – 2016, locally managed by Thamserku Treks.