Sports Editor
Over
250 people have died since 1922 trying to scale Mount Everest, the world’s
highest mountain. On April 18, the single largest accident in the mountain’s
history occurred when 16 people, all of them Nepalese guides known as Sherpas, were
killed in an avalanche in the early hours of the morning at 19,000 feet. The disaster transpired only a month before the prime climbing season in mid-May,
when a brief window offers better weather.
Now, that climbing window is in serious doubt
as many groups have already cancelled their expeditions in the wake of the
avalanche. Dozens of Sherpa guides have also packed their bags and left base
camp in a protest against their pay and treatment. After the accident, Nepal’s
government said it would pay the families of each fallen Sherpa about $415, but
the guides argue that they deserve far more to cover insurance and financial ai.
A Sherpa usually supports their entire family with their work, making around seven
times as much as the average annual income in Nepal during a climbing season.
Still, the pay may not be enough to justify the constant risk of death during
any expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. On Tuesday, the Nepalese government
seemed to agree at least partially with the Sherpas’ demands, setting up a
relief fund for those who are injured or killed in climbing accidents.
Without
Sherpas, reaching the world’s highest peak is impossible. With climbing season
so near, many teams have already invested tens of thousands of dollars into
climbing the mountain, but without the help of Sherpas, they will have to forfeit
the climb and lose all that money. Many have already paid for permit fees as
well, which in total cost an average of $100,000. However, Tourism Minister
Bhim Acharya said that expedition teams who have cancelled plans to scale the
peak can try again over the next five years, without having to pay the fees.
The
tragic accident will have implications on Mount Everest beyond just the coming
climbing season, with paths in need of repair, Sherpas on an apparent strike,
and climbers mourning the loss of their peers.
