Bengal Climber's Body Still On Everest, Here's How Much It Might Cost To Retrieve It

News18

2 days ago

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Even if Sherpas reach the body, retrieval is tough—especially if it's in a hard-to-access spot or at an altitude too high for helicopters to operate safely
The body of Indian mountaineer Subrata Ghosh, who died in May while descending Mount Everest, remains stranded just below the perilous Hillary Step. The extreme altitude, treacherous terrain, and narrow icy paths of the 'Death Zone' make the recovery mission incredibly complex—and expensive. Experts estimate it may take over Rs 1.5 crore and a team of highly skilled Sherpas to retrieve his frozen body from the world's highest peak.
Mountaineer Subrata Ghosh died just below the Hillary Step, a perilous section near the 8,848.86-metre (29,032-foot) summit of Mount Everest. The Hillary Step lies in what is known as the 'Death Zone'—an area above 8,000 metres where oxygen levels are dangerously low. This stretch is especially risky for climbers both on their way to the summit and during their descent.
According to the Himalayan Times, Subrata Ghosh reached the summit on the afternoon of May 10. Bodhraj Bhandari, Managing Director of Snowy Horizon Treks, which organised the expedition, said, 'Subrata Ghosh reached the summit around 2 pm, but while descending, he began showing signs of exhaustion and altitude sickness. Eventually, he refused to continue the descent."
His Sherpa guide, Champal Tamang, tried to persuade him to move, but was unsuccessful. Tamang returned alone to Camp IV late on May 15 and reported the incident early on May 16.
Efforts On To Retrieve His Body
Efforts are underway to recover the body of Subrata Ghosh and bring it back to the base camp. The exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem.
This is the second death on the world's highest peak in this mountaineering season. Another climber, 45-year-old Philip Santiago of the Philippines, died in a high-altitude camp (South Col) just below the summit. It is believed that Santiago became exhausted while reaching Camp IV on May 14. He died while resting in his tent.
Both Subrata Ghosh and Philip Santiago were part of an international expedition organized by Snowy Horizon Treks. Subrata Ghosh's death certificate has been issued, but his body remains frozen on the world's highest peak.
Recovering the body of a climber from high altitudes like Everest and Kanchenjunga is a very challenging task. That is why these peaks are often referred to as the 'world's highest cemetery."
Why Is It Difficult To Bring Down The body?
The first hurdle in bringing down Subrata Ghosh's body is the huge expense involved. According to an Indian Express report, Debdas Nandi, advisor to the West Bengal Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Foundation under the state's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, said, 'Bringing back bodies from heights is a huge task. It is very expensive." He said that the expenses incurred on this include wages of Sherpas, insurance, medical, logistics support and helicopter fare.
Debdas Nandi said that very few companies are able to carry out such missions, which further increases the cost. He said that out of more than 100 expedition organizers, only two or three are experts in retrieving bodies. The cost in Subrata Ghosh's case could be more than Rs 1 crore.
Recovery Mission Estimated At Rs 1.5 Crore
One of the organisers has estimated a budget of Rs 1.5 crore for the body retrieval, said Debashish Biswas, a fellow climber of Subrata Ghosh. Eight to ten skilled Sherpas will be needed for the mission. The cost of hiring them alone could exceed Rs 50 lakh, Biswas added.
Most people who die on Everest fall in the 'death zone', located at an altitude of over 8,000 metres. This area is riddled with crevasses hidden under snow and ice. Even if a team of Sherpas reaches the body, retrieving it can be extremely difficult—especially if it lies in a hard-to-reach location or at an altitude where helicopters cannot operate, or where there's a constant risk of avalanches and falling ice.
Debdas Nandi said, 'There are some places from where carrying the body is extremely challenging. At these places, the rocks are almost vertical. The body has to be slowly lowered using ropes. The weight of a frozen body can exceed 90 kg with equipment. If it is stuck on the mountain, then lifting it and bringing it down presents an additional challenge."
He added that the task of bringing the body down or transporting it to a lower altitude can be safely done by helicopter, but the process can take several days. 'Helicopters can go up to Camp 2 on Everest, which is located at an altitude of 6,750 meters (22,145 feet). Only Sherpas can go higher than this," Nandi explained.
Subrata Ghosh's case is especially difficult because the climbing season (March-May, when the weather is relatively stable) ended on May 29. Since then, no rescue support is available.
Debdas Nandi, who was among over 100 climbers to reach the summit, said, 'Subrata Ghosh's body is lying at a very dangerous spot, about 500–600 metres below the Everest peak. The place is so narrow that two people cannot pass together. Even if the family contacts the government, the retrieval can only be attempted later — it's not possible in this season."
Despite the high cost and enormous challenges, the bodies of many climbers have been brought down in the past. This season, Nepal's tourism department had issued 459 permits for Everest expeditions, of which over 100 climbers and guides successfully reached the summit.
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