- Mount Everest is one of the most treacherous peaks to try and scale the summit
- A British adventurer has become the 10th climber to die on Mount Everest in the last few weeks
- Robert Fisher scaled the summit of the world’s highest mountain on Sunday, but died soon after during his descent about 500 feet below the apex
- The 44-year-old climber from Birmingham, England, “suddenly fell down” during his climb down
There’s no mountain range more treacherous than the Himalayas in the world. This year has seen a devastating loss of life on Mount Everest as three more climbers have died, taking the death toll to seven in a week, which according to the BBC is more than the total for the whole of last year.
Robert Fisher scaled the summit of the world’s highest mountain last week, but died during his descent about 500 feet below, according to Sky News.
However this year, conditions have been worse than usual, with high winds leaving a small window for the climbers to reach the summit. Many have said however that the death toll this year is higher because of overcrowding on the summit.
Most climbers are reporting long wait times and a traffic jam at the last stretch of the climb which is known as the ‘death zone’. Climbers call the area above 26,000 feet the “death zone,” because the air is thin and most need supplemental oxygen.
The death toll for climbers in 2019 on Himalayan mountains on both the Nepal and China side this season has now hit more than all of 2018.
However, explorer Ben Fogle has called for both the countries to regulate the number of people they allow to climb the summit. “Nepal and Tibet/China need to limit the number of climbers on the mountain with a . . . lottery for climbing permits,” he tweeted.
Yesterday on Everest. Nepal and Tibet/China need to limit the number of climbers on the mountain with a London Marathon style lottery for climbing permits. pic.twitter.com/RERjSgnvXh
— Ben Fogle (@Benfogle) May 23, 2019
Ever since Tensing Norgay and Edmund Hilary became the first people to reach the top of Mount Everest on May 28, 1953, the world’s highest mountain has become one of the most coveted adventures to add on peoples bucketlists.
This year, the authorities issued around 381 permits, the most in history.
Danduraj Ghimire, director general of Nepal’s Tourism Department, said to CNN that the main cause of deaths on Everest over the years has been high altitude sickness.
