Hundreds of crowded climbers have been captured in footage slowly climbing to the summit of Everest near where a British climber and his guide went missing on Tuesday after they were hit by collapsing ice.
Experts fear that overcrowding on the world’s highest mountain may have contributed to the collapse of a cornice (a mass of hardened snow jutting out from the edge of a cliff) that led to the disappearance of Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and Pastenji Sherpa. 23.
The pair have not been heard from since they reached the summit around 4:40 a.m. local time on Tuesday and are feared dead.
Paterson and his guide ran into trouble after the ice collapsed and fell on them near the Hillary Step, just below the summit at about 8,800 meters, according to Lapka Sherpa.
The Everest guide said they had “heroically” reached the summit of the world’s highest peak before getting lost while descending.
Hundreds of packed climbers are seen slowly climbing to the summit of Everest near where British climber Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, and his guide went missing on Tuesday.
Experts fear that overpopulation on the world’s tallest mountain may have played a role in the collapse of a cornice (a mass of hardened snow jutting out from the edge of a cliff) that led to the disappearance of Paterson and his guide, Pastenji Sherpa, 23. years.
Climbers photographed near the Hillary Step, just below the summit, about 8,800 meters, where the ice collapse occurred on Tuesday.
An expert revealed that four more people “almost died” in the ice collapse on Tuesday. Pictured: Rows of climbers, just inches apart, climb to the top.
The images show the queue of climbers waiting to ascend the mountain snakes to the base camp.
The missing Daniel Paul Paterson, 40, appears in the May 11 photograph before his ascent to the summit.
Now, videos and photographs released in recent days by fellow climbers show what appear to be hundreds of climbers crowded along the Hillary Step, while one expert revealed that four others “almost died” in the ice collapse on Tuesday. Yahoo! News reports.
Vinayak Malla, a guide accredited by the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations, said: ‘After reaching the top we crossed Hillary Step, the traffic was moving slowly and suddenly a ledge collapsed a few meters in front of us.
‘When the ledge collapsed, four climbers almost died, but were hooked to the rope and rescued themselves.
‘Unfortunately, two climbers are still missing. We tried to cross but it was impossible due to traffic on the landline.’
Meanwhile, a member of a team at Everest Base Camp said The times: ‘A ledge broke and dragged some climbers, including Daniel and his guide, towards the Tibet side.’
Overcrowding on Everest has become a growing concern for experts and officials in recent years.
In 2019, 11 people died between March and May during the climbing season, prompting Kul Bahadur Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, to say that “there were more people on Everest than there should be.” .
With Mr Paterson’s disappearance entering its fourth day, his partner Beck Woodhead vowed he will “do everything he can” to bring him home, and has created a GoFundMe page to raise £150,000 for a search and rescue operation.
So far the page has raised £107,000.
Daniel Paterson previously said his dream had always been to “conquer” the summit of Everest. In the photo on the right: Pas Tenji Sherpa, 23 years old.
The fitness enthusiast dedicated his climb to a deceased friend from Wakefield Crossfield Club and recently announced the group had raised £10,000 for her family.
The research nurse said that her partner ‘“He is known for his adventurous spirit, his kindness, and his unwavering dedication to helping others,” while issuing a plea saying, “Now it’s our turn to help you.”
She described him as a passionate Leeds United supporter, as well as a “loving son, brother, partner, friend and proud co-owner of Wakefield Crossfit”.
The British climber, believed to be from Wakefield, was described by Sherpa Lapka as “known for his strong physical fitness, uplifting positivity and strong determination”.
The missing men were part of a 15-member team from 8K Expeditions, led by Bolivian climber David Hugo Ayaviri Quispe.
Sherpa Lapka said his colleague Pastenji was a “dedicated climber since his youth, with impressive ascents under his belt, including twice on Mount Everest, K2, Amadablam and several other 6,000m peaks.”
“His warm spirit, kindness and exceptional experience made him one of 8K Expeditions’ top guides,” he added.
Mr Paterson, known to his friends as “Pat”, was also a “committed” climber and had trained in the Himalayas last year.
He previously said he was emotional when he saw the summit of Everest and told his followers: “My dream will always be to conquer this.”
She dedicated her promotion to a late friend from Wakefield Crossfield Club and recently announced that members had raised £10,000 for her family.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring climbing season.
Everest can only be climbed in the short periods of clear weather, when the winds are calm.
This has caused long queues to form on challenging sections, leaving climbers waiting in the bitter cold and depleting their precious oxygen supplies.
Earlier this month, Mongolian climbers Usukhjargal Tsedendamba, 53, and Purevsuren Lkhagvajav, 31, went missing on Everest.
The couple, who had not relied on Sherpa guides, were found dead a week later in two different locations after reaching the summit.
