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Dead on Himlung
This week, Chin Tark Chan, 49, of Australia, lost his life on 7,126m Himlung, one of the easier 7,000’ers. Chan fell ill shortly before reaching the summit on Monday, October 27, and collapsed at around 6,800m. Outfitter 8K Expeditions called for an emergency airlift. However, the insurance company, Global Rescue, insisted that the sick climber had to be taken down to Camp 3 (6,400m). His location at 6,800m was above the “maximum operating altitude set by Nepal Aviation regulations, creating unacceptable risk to the pilot, the climber, and the rescue team,” the company noted.
A release Global Rescue shared with The Tourism Times describes the subsequent events:
While we were coordinating a helicopter rescue at Camp 3 (20,9967 feet/6,400 meters), the expedition operator independently launched a helicopter for a highly risky, hover attempt, which failed due to adverse weather conditions. The injured climber was then moved to Camp 3 as we had advised. Unfortunately, hours had been lost due to the failed hover attempt, and persistent snowfall across Himlung Himal prevented further helicopter launches that day.
Bad weather grounded the helicopters for the following two days, then yesterday, further helicopter flights were banned until the storm passed.
“Tragically, before a safe weather window presented, the client died below Camp 3 at approximately 6,500m,” said Global Rescue.
3D image of Himlung, with the climbing route and the camps, courtesy of 8K Expeditions.
Lakpa Sherpa, head of 8K Expeditions, explained to ExplorersWeb that they tried to arrange another helicopter, independently of Global Rescue, but it was also grounded due to bad weather.
“We also deployed a rescue team on foot who eventually reached the climber,” he added. “They successfully brought him down from Camp 3, but sadly, while descending further the next day, he passed away.”
Lakpa Sherpa insists they will try to bring the body down once the weather improves.
Himlung, in the Manaslu region, has become a highly popular peak in Nepal. It offers a straightforward climb but its height of 7,126m makes it a great preparation for climbers wanting to experience high altitude before tackling an 8,000m peak.
Rescues near Annapurna
Earlier this week, local authorities closed the trail to that Base Camp, and it will remain closed at least until Friday.
Three British women and 12 Nepali trekking staff have been stranded for the past two days in the remote Marpha Valley, also known as Hidden Valley, in the Dhaulagiri range. The outfitting company, Sacred Himalaya Tours and Treks, asked for a helicopter rescue, offering to bear the cost of the operation, but they ran into the same problem as others: All helicopters are grounded.
Many more rescues have been reported in other areas of Nepal. At least 1,500 trekkers, including foreigners, were rescued on Wednesday from Tilicho Lake (4,919m) in Manang. In addition, some 150 trekkers were rescued from Sandu village in the Manaslu area.
Climbers on Ama Dablam are currently waiting out the storm in Base Camp or down the valley. Marek Holecek and Radoslav Groh of Czechia, who plan to open a new route on the south face of Cho Oyu, retreated to Namche Bazaar and applied to extend their climbing permit until Christmas.
“The authorities in Nepal need to get their act together and implement an effective Early Warning System, and thorough investigations need to be carried out after deaths, like the [guided] South Korean who died in the storm on Mera Peak in early October,” said Hunter. The South Korean climber’s death was preventable, he believes.
Multimodel forecasts (such as the one below for Annapurna at 5,500m, valid for Thorong La) show improving weather on Saturday through Monday. It will then worsen again by Tuesday.
Trekkers and tourists in lower areas should be aware of the risk of flash floods.
