Huge Slope, Slight Misunderstandings

"There was a slight misunderstanding and communication gap between them. This has been sorted out and the climbers are at the base camp."
Dipendra Paudel, Nepali tourism ministry spokesman

"The problem was the sherpa and the Italian not speaking good English. They said some bad words, there was a misunderstanding. In the high areas, the mind is not so good because of the altitude."
Tika Gurung, executive committee member, Expedition Operators Association

The problem was the arrogance of the privileged. The problem was that the Sherpas risk their lives to do the heavy lifting -- it's their living -- while the mountaineers sneer at their ministrations, their ability to out-manoeuvre, to expend energy and anticipate the needs of the high-paying would-be expeditioners, the summiteers who feel the world belongs to them and the sherpas must heed to their commands and obey their demands.

Not all mountain climbers, needless to say. Some, if not most, have the good sense to give respect where it is due. But there are always those who will behave discourteously, uncivilly, abruptly and dismissively as the three European climbers did in mounting toward the summit of Mount Everest this week to commit a colossal climbing blunder that earned them the ire of attending Sherpas.

Photograph: Jimmy Chin

It is the Sherpas who undertake every year when the seasonal climbing season begins, to go ahead of the climbers and secure routes for the expeditions that will begin when people with various levels of expertise and experience in high-elevation ascents will bargain with the mountain to allow them to realize their dreams of conquering a height impossible to imagine, through uncertain geologic, atmospheric and weather conditions.

Without the risks they take and the skilled positioning of temporary rope bridges and metal pieces hammered into the rock and ice from which to suspend guiding ropes and passageways many of the aspiring climbers would never realize their potential to succeed.

Three climbers who decided they would make the ascent of the fabled mountain unassisted, ignored the appeal of sherpas who had been tasked with securing a route before the arrival of expected expeditions to wait until they had completed their task.

Jonathan Griffith, a Brit, Simone Moro, Italian, and Ueli Steck from Switzerland, simply continued on their determined way, climbing over, around and above the working Sherpas. In the process interfering with their work, and unsurprisingly managing to loose pieces of ice in their progress that fell back upon the working Sherpas.

An insulting action that infuriated the Sherpas and led them to upbraid and then attack the climbers.
Who claim they were threatened and placed in great physical danger by the reacting Sherpas, and no doubt they were.

Resentment as being insulted, being treated as inferiors and being placed in potential danger by those who are in fact visitors to the country, evincing little respect for tradition and civility can certainly cause indigenous people to resort to uncivilized means themselves. And these three would not have been the only summiteers to have felt threatened by angered Sherpas.

A simple request; before stepping over the ropes, please wait until the task has been completed. Of course, when people are on a mission to ascend to the pinnacle of a mountain famed for refusing that triumph to many who attempt it, the speed of the ascent when weather permits and the climbers feel capable of exerting sufficient strength and stamina, waiting does throw a wrench into their plans.

It is why so many climbers fail to stop to aid those whose mental and physical condition have deteriorated to the point where they succumbed to the stress, leaving them to die.

One of the climbers on his website, described the events that transpired: the lead climber of the sherpas rappelled down at speed landing on top of one of the climbers who instinctively raised his hands to protect himself..."This prompted the lead climber to accuse Ueli Steck of 'touching him'", he said. And then "the lead climber turned on him (Mr. Moro) wielding his ice axe in his direction".

As the climbers descended to Camp 2, a "mob" of 100 sherpas kicked them, pelted them with rocks. In the event, they felt they "owed their lives" to a small group of Western climbers at the camp who "acted as a buffer between the out-of-control mob and the climbers". 

Climbing Mount Everest represents an extreme adventure that appeals to westerners who can afford the trip. And who anticipate that their excellent physical condition, their athletic capability and their desire to attain the rare will give them a certain panache, an elite status of achievement.

It also represents a living wage to local sherpas who act as guides and mentors, servants and life-savers.

Nepal's tourism ministry is attempting to smooth things over; bad publicity does not auger well for the country that depends on tourism, and its people who depend on the foreign currency it brings in. "We are leaving Nepal as soon as we can", huffed Mr. Griffith, unwilling to accept the apologizing blandishments of the Nepalese spokespeople.

Good riddance, but for the maligning publicity.