I was too tired to bring exhausted Ranaghat climber down: Sherpa
1
2
3
Kolkata: The
Sherpa
who accompanied Ranaghat climber
Subrata Ghosh
during his
Everest summit
said he did not lose sight of him but was too tired to carry the disoriented Ghosh down and had to finally abandon him. The Sherpa too was suffering from hallucinations when he returned to the camp and took more than two days to revive.
Ghosh's Sherpa, Palchen Tamang, who suffered frostbite, came down to the Everest Base Camp on Saturday. Bodhraj Bhandari, managing director of Snowy Horizon Treks in Kathmandu, spoke at length with the Sherpa at night. "They started quite late on Wednesday (May 14), around 10 pm. Ghosh was walking slowly and took a lot of time to reach the summit. There was a strong wind after 11 am on Thursday, and that delayed their ascent further.
Ghosh was overexcited to make it to the summit and would not listen to his Sherpa. After they made it to the summit, Ghosh was suddenly feeling low on energy," said Bhandari.
"When they were approaching the Hillary Step area (a 40-foot vertical rock on the southeast ridge of Everest) while descending, Ghosh suddenly said that he couldn't see anything and he would not move. He sat there on the spot. This is a typical symptom of
altitude sickness
, especially when the climber is suffering from a low oxygen level.
The Sherpa started to convince him to move. They were in the death zone for nearly 16 hours then, and the oxygen reserve was going very low. The Sherpas can withstand such low levels of oxygen, but it is difficult for others," said Bhandari.
According to Soumen Sarkar, the climber from Bardhaman who also made it to the summit on the same day, it was windy since morning. "I reached the summit at 6.45 am on Thursday (May 15). It was so windy that we could not even stand for more than 15 minutes.
The wind speed increased as the day progressed," he said.
When Ghosh gave up and sat there, Tamang decided to help him climb down further. "It took nearly four hours for him to bring him down by 100 meters. But the Sherpa was also getting exhausted, and he sat down with Ghosh. He stayed back with him for the next four hours trying to get him down. But that did not help any further. It was dark, and the Sherpa was all alone with Ghosh somewhere near the Hillary Step.
At one point, he gave up. His oxygen level was also low, and he started climbing down without any supplementary oxygen. The sun was almost out when he reached Camp IV the next day," Bhandari said.
"It is essential for a climber to understand that one has to forego the summit attempt. I faced a similar situation on Mount Indrasan (Himachal Pradesh) and Batian Peak in Mount Kenya," said Satyarup Siddhanta, Everest Summiteer and Guinness Record Holder.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Nepal's mountaineering community celebrates 72nd anniversary of Mount Everest conquest
People from the mountaineering community participate in a rally to mark the anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest in Kathmandu (Image credit: AP) Nepal's mountaineering community celebrated the conquest of the world's highest mountain with a rally of climbers, guides and others who gathered for International Everest Day. The event Thursday marked the 72nd anniversary of the first summit climb of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Nepal's minister for culture and tourism led the celebration in the capital, Kathmandu, that included a walk around the city and a gathering at the old palace. "We are celebrating May 29 as the international Sagarmatha (Everest) day because the world needs to continue to recognise the achievement and contribution of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay," said Ang Tshering, who runs Kathmandu-based Asian Trekking. The event was not just a celebration for the mountaineering community but also a festival for Nepal and the world, said Tshering, who has helped hundreds of clients scale the Himalayan peaks. Nepal contains eight of the highest peaks in the world and every year hundreds of foreign climbers fly to the country in South Asia to tackle the mountains. The climbers hire thousands of people in Nepal to assist their climbs by carrying gear, cooking food and generally taking care of them as they spend weeks in the mountains. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Nepal's government collects money from the climbers through permit fees. The end of May also marks the end of the popular spring mountaineering season, when climbers finish their adventures and retreat from the peaks before the monsoon season brings foul weather. "This day is celebrated also to mark the end of the climbing season where we gather climbers and the community," Jiban Ghimire of Shangri-La Nepal Trek said. According to Nepal's Department of Mountaineering, 468 foreign climbers from 57 countries received permits to climb Everest by the end of May, along with a roughly equal number of Nepalese mountain guides. Many were able to scale the peak, but officials were still working to verify how many reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit. Climbers must report to the department with proof they reached the summit and cleared their garbage before they are issued the official certificate. Famed Sherpa guide Kami Rita reached the Everest summit for the 31st time Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most climbs to the top of the famed mountain.
India Today
4 days ago
- India Today
Six hours that defied history and death on Mount Everest
In March 1953, nearly 400 climbers, guides and porters assembled in Kathmandu, Nepal, aiming to conquer the world's highest peak--Mount early May, the group, led by British Colonel John Hunt, began ascending the peak at 8848 metres (29,032 feet).From the foothills of the Himalayas, the expedition advanced to the South Col at 25,938 feet, where the mountaineers began their final After the failure of the first group to reach the top, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were tasked with the final 33, a lanky New Zealand beekeeper, and Tenzing Norgay, 39, a skilled Sherpa from Nepal's Khumbu Valley, were an unlikely duo. But their grit and adventurous spirit made them the perfect pair to challenge the world's highest peak, defying history's is the story of their final six hours on Mount Everest. MAY 29, 1953, 6:00 AM, CAMP IXMT EVEREST, 27,900 FEETFrom his cramped two-man tent in the middle of the 'Death Zone,' Hillary stared at the South Summit of Mount Everest. The first rays of sun danced on the snow slopes reaching toward the crest, creating a kaleidoscope of white, grey, orange and gold. The freezing wind, blowing at 30 mph, howled like an angry pack of wolves, stabbing Hillary in the ribs with its sharp days earlier, the British expedition of Sherpas and climbers had pegged the tent on a narrow ledge, anchoring it in unstable snow. Hillary and his Sherpa, Norgay, had spent the night twisting and turning. Kept awake by anxiety and temperatures below -25C, the two climbers were exhausted by dawn. But they were determined to succeed where others had May 26, history had slipped from human grasp when fellow mountaineers Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon came within 300 feet of the summit but were forced to turn back— defeated by exhaustion and malfunctioning at the barren landscape of serrated rocks and steep slopes, Hillary clenched his fist. 'We've come so far, let's give it another push,' he said in a resolute voice to his Sherpa. 'It's now or never.'After a light breakfast washed down with warm lemonade, the two were ready for their final journey—defying history and DEATH ZONE, 6:30 AM-8:00 AMThe altitude above 26,000 feet is called the Death Zone because it is impossible to survive at this height for long. With the air pressure being a third of the sea level, hypoxia sets in quickly. The brain becomes fuzzy. Normal activities like setting the oxygen flow sap energy, leading to exhaustion and severe aches. Only the most resolute and brave Hillary and Norgay stepped out of the tent, their muscles screamed, lungs gasped, and minds reeled. Lugging 30-pound oxygen cylinders, axes, and ropes on their shoulders, they took their first step along the 850-foot climb to the South Summit—the last resting point before the final ascent to the the narrow, slippery ridge, each step through the soft, knee-deep snow could have been fatal. Often, the cornices collapsed under the weight of climbers. With the east side falling to 10,000 feet and the west side dropping to 4,000 feet, death would have been the climbers pushed through. With their limited oxygen supply, they had six hours to climb up, and return to the camp. Around 8 AM, after trudging through snow, Hillary and Norgay reached the South this peak, the highest point on earth, the tip of Mt Everest was less than 300 feet away. But their elation was short-lived. Staring at them was a death trap no human had cleared in history.28,800 FEET, THE HILLARY STEP, 8 AM-10 AMBefore setting out, Hunt's team had pored over hundreds of pictures of the southeastern ridge of Mt Everest. But nothing had prepared them for the final and most daunting hurdle—a 40-foot vertical climb at 28,800 feet that stood between the South Summit and the no crevasses or ledges for support, ascending the steep rock seemed impossible. One misstep would have sent them tumbling down to Tibet, a fatal 10,000-foot plunge. And the delay would have emptied their oxygen cans, leading to a painful death. But destiny provided Hillary and Norgay an a crack between the steep rock and a snow cornice—an overhanging ledge—Hillary wedged himself in it. Carrying a 40-foot rope, Hillary crept up the crack, digging his crampons–gripping hooks– into the snow. On the ground below, Norgay held the rope with nervous one exhausting pull after another, balancing on narrow openings and gasping for breath, Hillary hauled himself up. After two hours, when his hand finally grasped a saddle at the top, Hillary was tempted to let out a wild roar. But he knew time was running out—and so was their oxygen. Planting his feet on the slushy ground, leaning against a boulder, he pulled Norgay up with the FINAL 250 FEET, 10: 00 AM-11: 30 AMStretching out towards the sky, the peak of Mount Everest, a narrow plateau, sparkled under the ascending sun. A narrow ridge, lined with unstable cornices, separated the climbers from their tryst with destiny—a mere 250 feet away. But every step seemed a mile and Norgay had expended their last reserves of energy. Their knees were collapsing under the burden of their efforts. The mind, dazed by hypoxia, struggled to trace the path ahead. But the heart ticked to the beat of an inner voice—keep moving, don't give on to a rope that tied the two climbers, they inched their way ahead. When Norgay fell behind, Hillary egged him on; when the Kiwi felt like giving up, the Sherpa lent his shoulder. Their toes freezing, shoes almost like plasters casts in steely ice, the two men groaned past every inch— like one unit toward their final 11:30 AM, Hillary stepped onto a small, rounded platform—the highest point on earth. The whoosh of the wind celebrated their arrival. The summit, a 10-to-20-foot dome, laid out a wind-woven snow carpet. Hillary's gaze fell over an abyss, dropping 8,848.86 meters (29,032 feet). The sky, as if in anticipation of their historic achievement, was few seconds later, Norgay joined him to feast on the panoramic view. Flipping open his camera, Hillary clicked several rounds of pictures–of the peak and his partner. But Norgay couldn't capture the moment for Hillary—the Sherpa didn't know how to operate a offered biscuits to the peak, Hillary left a cross given to him by expedition leader, Colonel Hunt. Together they drove into the snow four flags representing the United Nations, United Kingdom, Nepal and just an hour's supply of oxygen left, they started descending the peak at 11:45 AM. In a few hours, they were back at their base camp—leaving behind footmarks that were to guide thousands to the top of the at South Col, their final staging point, Hillary triumphantly announced to fellow climber George Lowe: 'We knocked the b*****d off.' Assigned the task of conveying the news to the world, a Sherpa runner covered approximately 200 miles to Kathmandu. The account of the conquest was first narrated to James Morris, a correspondent for The Times, who had accompanied the expedition. Morris relayed it to London via a coded telegram. On June 2, 1953, the story broke—coinciding with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth world was finally under humanity's feet.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Nepal vows to keep the Himalayas safe and clean as it hosts conference for Everest climbers
Nepal's Government said on Tuesday (May 27, 2025) it has a 'duty to protect' the Himalayas from the risks presented by climate change and the growing numbers of climbers attempting to scale the region's summits, especially Everest. 'The government is strongly committed to supporting mountaineering in every possible way by keeping climbers safe, by protecting the natural beauty of our peaks and by helping local communities grow alongside the spirit of adventure,' Nepal's Tourism Minister Badri Prasad Pandey said. He was speaking in Kathmandu at a gathering of about 100 climbers from around the world who have successfully tackled Mount Everest. The one-day conference, dubbed the Everest Summiteers Summit, involved discussions on how to protect climbers and the environment. Attendees expressed concern about the rising number of people who crowd Everest to try to scale the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak. Veterans have complained that the mountain is becoming crowded and dirty. Climbers normally spend weeks at base camp to acclimatise to the higher altitude. They make practice runs to the lower camps on Everest before beginning their final attempt on the peak. Nepal's Government last year funded a team of soldiers and Sherpas to remove 11 tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage, four dead bodies and a skeleton from Everest during the climbing season. 'Today, climate change and global warming are putting this future at risk. That is why we must act with care, with wisdom, and with a deep sense of respect,' Mr. Pandey said. 'These mountains are sacred, and it is our duty to protect them for the generations yet to come.' Nepal doesn't have rules on how many days climbers must spend acclimatising or making practice climbs. The permits to climb Everest, which cost $11,000 each, are valid for 90 days. Climbing season normally wraps up by the end of May, when the weather deteriorates and monsoon season begins. Mount Everest was conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Since then, it has been climbed thousands of times, and every year, hundreds more attempt to reach the summit. The popularity of the challenge means climbers face increased risks as queues form on the routes to the summit during the short windows of good weather. Crowding the narrow and dangerous path to the summit through icy ridges and steep slopes. There is also concern over the levels of experience of some climbers, who put themselves at risk as well as making climbs dangerous for others. 'The biggest issue and concern at the moment is overcrowding,' said Adriana Brownlee, the youngest woman to climb the world's 14 highest peaks. 'We need to make sure that those (people on the mountain) are all experienced in the mountaineering world. So that if they are struggling (or) they are on their own and something happens, they know how to save themselves'. Nepalese climber Purnima Shrestha said attempts to climb Mount Everest has become too commercialized. 'But not all the people there are physically and emotionally ready to climb the peak, that is being disrespectful to Everest,' she said. 'This is the reason why there's all the traffic jams on the way to the peak'.
