Latest news with #mountaineering
RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
Thinking of trekking to Everest Base Camp? Don't leave home without this expert advice
First published on Mt Everest. Photo: Unsplash / Kabita Darlami Tourists in Kathmandu are tempted everywhere by advertisements for trekking expeditions to Everest Base Camp. If you didn't know better, you might think it's just a nice hike in the Nepalese countryside. Typically the lower staging post for attempts on the summit, the camp is still 5364 metres above sea level and a destination in its own right. Travel agencies say no prior experience is required, and all equipment will be provided. Social media, too, is filled with posts enticing potential trekkers to make the iconic journey. But there is a real risk of creating a false sense of security. An exciting adventure can quickly turn into a struggle for survival, especially for novice mountaineers. Nevertheless, Sagarmatha National Park is deservedly popular for its natural beauty and the allure of the world's highest peak, Chomolungma (Mount Everest). It is also home to the ethnically distinctive Sherpa community . Consequently, the routes to Everest Base Camp are among the busiest in the Himalayas, with nearly 60,000 tourists visiting the area each year. There are two distinct trekking seasons : spring (March to May) and autumn (September to October). High mountains require everyone to be properly prepared. Events which under normal conditions might be a minor inconvenience can be magnified in such an environment and pose a serious risk . Even at the start of the trek in Lukla (2860m), one is exposed to factors that can directly or indirectly affect one's health, especially altitude mountain sickness or unfamiliar bacteria. We interviewed 24 trekkers in May this year, as well as 60 residents and business owners in May 2023, to explore some of the safety issues anyone considering heading to base camp should be aware of. Author Heike Schanzel (right) atop the famous and much-photographed base camp rock. Photo: Heike Schanzel First, it's vital to choose goals within one's technical and physical capabilities . While the human body can adapt to altitudes of up to 5,300m, the potential risk of altitude mountain sickness can occur at only 2500m - lower than Lukla. Proper acclimatisation above 3000m means ascending no more than 500m a day and resting every two to three days at the same altitude. The optimal (though rarely followed) approach is the "saw tooth system" of climbing during the day but descending to sleep at a lower level. Residents of the Khumbu region (on the Nepalese side of Everest) are familiar with the problem of tourists not acclimatising, or not paying attention to their surroundings. As one hotel owner said, pointing to a trekker setting out: "He's going uphill and it's already late. It's going to get dark and cold soon. He won't make it to the next settlement. We have to report this to the authorities or go after him ourselves." Inexperienced trekkers should hire a local guide. Several we interviewed had needed medical evacuation, including a woman in her mid-20s who had to leave base camp after one night. She found her guides - not locals - online. But they never checked her vital signs during the trek: "[The doctors] said that I had high-altitude pulmonary edema… it was just really important to come down the elevation. And if I had tried to go higher, it probably would have been really bad." Health checks throughout the trek are imperative. This includes assessing the four main symptoms of altitude mountain sickness: headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue. If they appear, the trekker shouldn't go higher and might even need to descend. Using a reputable local trekking agency might be more expensive, but it will help ensure safety and also familiarise the visitor with the local culture, helping avoid negative impacts on the host community . Too often, the primary goal of trekkers is a photo on the famous rock at base camp. Once obtained, many simply take a helicopter back to Kathmandu. As a helicopter tour agency owner said: "They don't want to get back on their feet. The goal, after all, has been achieved. In general, tourists used to be much better prepared. Now they know they can return by helicopter." Helicopter travel can be dangerous on its own, of course. But this tendency to view the trek as a one-way trip also affects host-guest relations and can irritate local communities . It's also important to monitor your food and drink intake and watch for signs of food poisoning. Diarrhoea at high altitudes is particularly dangerous because it leads to rapid dehydration - hard to combat in mountain conditions. Low air pressure and reduced oxygen exacerbate the condition, weakening the body's ability to recover. Also, the symptoms of dehydration can resemble altitude mountain sickness. When travelling in other climate zones or countries with different sanitary standards, there is inevitable contact with strains of bacteria not present in one's natural microbiome. A good solution is to spend a few days naturally adapting to bacterial flora at a lower altitude in Nepal before heading to the mountains. Also, try to eat the local food, such as daal bhat, Nepal's national dish. According to one hotel owner in Pangboche: "Tourists demand strange food from us - pizza, spaghetti, Caesar salad - and then are angry that it doesn't taste the way they want. This is not our food. You should probably eat local food." Most of the trekkers we interviewed during this spring season reported experiencing gastrointestinal issues, often for several days. Overall, diarrhoea-related infections are the leading cause of illness among travellers, including base camp trekkers. Studies conducted in the Himalayas show as many as 14 percent of mountain tourists contract gastroenteritis , accounting for about 10 percent of all helicopter evacuations. In the end, the commonest cause of failure or accident in the mountains is overestimating one's abilities - what has been called "bad judgement syndrome" - when the route is too hard, the pace too fast, or there's been too little time spent acclimatising. A simple solution: walk slowly and enjoy the views. * Heike Schanzel, Professor of Social Sustainability in Tourism, Auckland University of Technology; Michal Apollo, Adjunct Professor of Earth Science, University of Silesia in Katowice. - This story originally appeared on The Conversation.
News.com.au
17-07-2025
- News.com.au
Dad plunges into volcano just weeks after death of young hiker
A Swiss mountaineer has been dramatically rescued from Indonesia's Mount Rinjani — just weeks after a Brazilian woman plunged to her death on the same trail. Benedikt Emmenegger, 46, slipped and fell while descending a steep slope on the active volcano at around 11.25am on July 16. The hiker, who was with his daughter and a local porter at the time, survived the fall but was unable to move due to an injury. In scenes eerily similar to that of Juliana Marins — the 26-year-old Brazilian tourist who died after falling into a ravine on the mountain last month — Mr Emmenegger became stranded and unable to climb back to safety. Miraculously, mountain rescue teams were able to reach the injured dad and administer first aid before he was airlifted to hospital. Yarman, head of the Mount Rinjani National Park in Lombok, told local media: 'We, along with the medical team, have already moved to provide assistance.' Dramatic footage showed the Swiss hiker lying on mats, wrapped in a gold aluminium thermal blanket as his daughter knelt beside him. Rescue crews later arrived to carry him on a stretcher to a post with a waiting helicopter. 'The helicopter has been prepared and has flown to the evacuation point. Hopefully, the weather cooperates,' Yarman said. Authorities are yet to reveal the extent of Mr Emmenegger injuries but confirmed the climber had set out on Tuesday to reach the Segara Anak, the volcano's famous sulphur lake. The route he used is notorious for being particularly hazardous in rainy or humid conditions. Mount Rinjani, is an active volcano located on the island of Lombok in Indonesia, standing at 3,700 metres (12,200 feet) and is the highest point in the province and is Indonesia's second-highest volcano. Just last month, Brazilian tourist Juliana Marins, a pole dancer and publicist from Rio de Janeiro, tragically died after rolling 500 metres into a ravine during a group hike on June 21. Although she was initially spotted alive by drone, rescue teams were unable to reach her immediately due to fluctuating weather and heavy fog. Her body was recovered four days later, with her family now slamming what they called 'serious negligence' by Indonesian authorities during the botched rescue attempt.
SBS Australia
17-07-2025
- Health
- SBS Australia
'Physical preparation is everything': The key to successful mountaineering
LISTEN TO SBS Indonesian 17/07/2025 18:07 Indonesian 'Physical preparation': This is the key to successful mountaineering according to professional climber, Fandhi Achmad, who has conquered various peaks such as Rinjani, Kilimanjaro, Denali, Elbrus and Carstensz Pyramid. Mountaineering is not about conquering peaks, but about readiness, awareness, and enjoyment in the process. That's the philosophy of Fandhi Ahmad, or Agi, who is a professional mountaineer and trail running athlete. With experience of climbing 70% of Indonesia's mountains and some of the world's peaks, Fandhi has important input on mountaineering preparation. Credit: Fandhi Achmad Three months of physical preparation The main key that Fandhi emphasizes is a minimum of three months' physical preparation before climbing. 'If we want to do strenuous activity, we have to have a fit body. It is enough to exercise anything - run, bike - at least 30 minutes a day,' Fandhi said. This preparation is not only about safety, but also enjoyment. 'If we are already desperate, let's not look at the scenery, we wonder how to breathe. It's different if we do good physical preparation, so we can enjoy the beauty of the mountains,' Fandhi added. Then, Fandhi recommends basic supplies: food, drinks, tents or warm and waterproof clothing, medicines, as well as lighting for a few days of climbing. Knowledge and assessment of conditions In addition to physical fitness, Fandhi emphasizes the importance of studying terrain, weather, and gear. The experience at the Carstensz Pyramid became a vivid example of the importance of condition assessment. While accompanying the 10-year-old, Fandhi decided to back off after climbing 200 metres because he judged the speed too slow. 'If there are a dozen you can, but it's dangerous when you go down. Finally I said let's go down, rest for a day, just try again with good weather,' he said. Credit: Fandhi Achmad Fandhi highlighted the importance of the role of mountain guide, because 'the task is not only to carry people up, but to be able to assess the capabilities of the person being carried.' According to him, the guide should dare to take difficult decisions. 'If he is ready, he should dare to say 'you can't, 'and be told to come down. Don't be forced because the end is dangerous,' Fandhi said. Adjustment for Altitude For mountains above 3,000 meters, Fandhi says that acclimatisation, although it will make the climbing time long, is an important process to prevent climbers from becoming ill. 'Ideally every addition of 500 meters of height. The principle is 'climb high, sleep low' - climb high then go down overnight below it,' Fandhi said. Half the journey at the top of Fandhi says that reaching the new peak is half the journey. 'The next one is still a long way down,' he said. Credit: Fandhi Achmad He noted that most accidents on a high mountain occur while descending due to fatigue and fatigue factors. The key to avoiding accidents while descending, says Fandhi, is to keep full concentration even if you are tired and feel familiar with the path traveled. Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts .
Free Malaysia Today
12-07-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
‘I lost my fingers, but I gained perspective': RJ's Everest ordeal
Thillaimuthu Nagarajan aka RJ – seen here at the summit of Denali, Alaska – has scaled formidable mountains across seven continents. (RJ Nagarajan pic) KUALA LUMPUR : On Dec 18, 2023, Thillaimuthu Nagarajan was recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records as the first person to have climbed nine known summits on seven continents. From 2010 to 2023, the 60-year-old, who is better known as RJ, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Aconcagua (Argentina), Mount Kosciuszko (Australia), Mount Elbrus (Russia), Carstensz Pyramid (province of Papua), Denali (Alaska), Mount Vinson (Antarctica), Mont Blanc (the Alps) and Mount Everest (the Himalayas). RJ not only completed the Seven Summits challenge – scaling the highest mountain on each of the seven continents – but also conquered two additional peaks to finish three variations of the challenge: the Bass list, Messner list, and Hackett list. It's an incredible feat, but what makes his journey extraordinary is that he barely survived his final climb to complete the three aforementioned lists – that of Everest in 2023. On International Day of Hope today, RJ shares his story of survival. 'That was a very unpredictable year. We usually climb during the spring season. But during the preceding winter, it did not snow – it was a dry winter,' he recalled. RJ left Kuala Lumpur for Kathmandu in mid-April. The weather on Everest remained unpredictable, with unusually heavy snowfall lasting days throughout the spring season. After arriving at the Everest Base Camp, RJ learnt that three sherpas had lost their lives owing to extreme weather conditions at the nearby Khumbu Icefall. After carefully assessing the weather, RJ and his sherpa, Ang Pasang, decided to proceed with their summit attempt. RJ at the summit of Everest and later, back at Base Camp. (RJ Nagarajan / Khafiz Al Kicok Facebook pics) They pressed on through Camps 1, 2, 3 and, finally, 4 – located just under 100m from the 'death zone', the perilous altitude above 8,000m, where oxygen levels are too low to sustain life for long. RJ and Ang left Camp 4 for the summit around 10pm. But along the way, blowing snow particles from a snowstorm injured RJ's right eye, leaving him barely able to see with it. They finally reached the summit just after 10am – a moment RJ described as 'surreal'. 'It was glorious,' he said of the view from the top of the world. The perilous descent It was on their way down that RJ began having difficulties catching his breath. 'I asked Ang to check my oxygen tank, and he said there was less than 5% left. His was running low, too.' With much of their oxygen supply having been used up during the snowstorm, Ang immediately radioed base camp to request for oxygen tanks. By the time they reached 8,749m above sea level, RJ had run out of oxygen. But given that they were still in the death zone, they had no choice but to keep going. As RJ grew weaker, Ang descended alone to get oxygen supplies. On his own, RJ kept moving but frequently stumbled, sometimes finding himself flat in the snow. Ang eventually returned – but without oxygen tanks, as none had been sent to the 'balcony', a platform located at approximately 8,430m. While he lost his fingers, RJ says he gained a newfound appreciation of and perspective on life. (Sheela Vijayan @ FMT Lifestyle) Mustering all his strength, RJ kept going and eventually, he and Ang reached the balcony. It would take another hour before sherpa Ashok Lama arrived with three oxygen tanks. By then, RJ was too weak to descend on his own: Ashok had to tie a rope to RJ's harness, and both sherpas had to help him down. This, of course, proved exhausting, and Ashok and Ang eventually made the difficult decision to descend to Camp 4 to recover, once again leaving RJ alone. He recalled: 'I kept drifting in and out. I went into darkness, but I kept telling myself, 'Come on, come on. I'm going back home. I'm going back home.'' Ashok later arrived with another individual to check on him, and thankfully found him alive. 'I was wrapped in a sleeping bag. They opened it and I said, 'Let's go',' RJ added. Broken but not beaten Conquering the world's highest mountain came at a huge cost – RJ suffered frostbites on both hands, leading to the amputation of his right fingers. He also had frostbites on his left foot, right cheek and both ears, with his right ear more severely affected. In addition, he experienced temporary blindness in his right eye. For RJ, the sky's the limit: he next aims to scale 11 mountains over 8,000m. (RJ Nagarajan pic) RJ admits to feeling depressed at first, but he soon bounced back. 'I lost my fingers, but I gained perspective – never take anything for granted and live a purposeful life.' Indeed, undeterred, the intrepid adventurer now plans to climb 11 mountains over 8,000m, and journey to Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, and the North and South poles. 'I've come to understand that hope is not the absence of hardship, but the presence of belief amidst it,' he shared. 'For me, belief is everything. When I was on Everest – battling the cold, the lack of oxygen and the fear – it wasn't strength that kept me going. It was a belief – belief that I'd make it home. Belief that this struggle had a purpose. Belief that I wasn't done yet. 'Even in the darkest moments, that quiet belief inside kept whispering: 'Keep going.'' Follow RJ's adventures on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
The Independent
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
British mountaineer says K2 challenge is ‘one of the world's toughest'
British- Bangladeshi mountaineer Akke Rahman is aiming to climb the world's second highest peak, K2. The 42-year-old hopes to reach the summit before the end of July. Located on the border of Pakistan and China, K2 has a reputation for being extremely challenging to climb because of its steep slopes, avalanches and unpredictable weather. Mr Rahman, based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, is attempting to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world. He started out in climbing by scaling Snowdon in Wales in 2019. In 2020, Mr Rahman climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc within a week and, later that year, he broke the UK record for climbing Russia's Elbrus – Europe's tallest mountain – after reaching the summit in less than 24 hours. In 2022, he became the first British Muslim to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. He has raised more than £1 million for charity during his mountaineering career. Mr Rahman said compared with other mountains, K2 is 'one of the world's toughest'. He went on: 'When I discovered climbing, I knew I wanted to keep challenging myself by summiting more and more mountains.' Luke Broad, UK brand director for car manufacturer Dacia, which is providing funding to support Mr Rahman's K2 attempt, said: 'Dacia is a brand with outdoor spirit. 'There is no better way of showing our support for adventure and the great outdoors than to support Akke. 'We are really impressed with his drive and determination, so we are proud to support his next challenge.'
