How To Remove Dead Bodies From Mount Everest?

There is a lot of talk about the fact that the Everest is "piled up with bodies" and climbers literally "step over" them, and it doesn't go into any moral gates. People ask to "clean up the bodies from the Everest" and states that "they should lie in the ground".

Generally this information is not true. If you consider it from a technical point of view, there are almost 300 bodies on the slopes of Mount Everest, but today, on the way up, one climber may find two or three of them. Bodies are secluded, and you should attempt to see them.

Normally, people encounter the deceased during the descent, because at night, when everyone is climbing the summit, it's still dark. So the idea about "climbers stepping over the dead" cannot be used as a moral justification in order to remove the bodies.

Photo by Mari Partyka on Unsplash.

If a climber dies above 8 thousand meters at a temperature of -35 °C, after a while his or her body turns into ice. In addition, after a few days at altitude, it frozens into the slope: in such conditions it is almost impossible to separate the deceased from the surface. In this regard, the problem of "move down the body" is almost indecisive.

If being completely impartial and cynical, we will formulate it as follows: while separating from the slope some of the iced bodies will need to be broken into pieces, and this is also far from the human notions of a "respectful funeral" and "last goodbye".

Israfil Ashurly — alpinist, Ice Climbing Internationally Certified Judge, UIAA President of the Youth Commission, 2010-2017; former President of Azerbaijan Mountaineering Federation. Completed the "7 Summits" challenge in 2007

Israfil Ashurly on Mount Everest.

People have a lot of power. Everything depends on their willingness. First and foremost, speaking of removing bodies from Everest, everything depends on financing, as this is a very expensive operation. First of all, it requires human resources, because at the altitudes where the bodies are located, the usage of helicopters is limited. Human work is required first of all. It won't be a volunteer operation: Sherpa People will take part, but their service will require serious money.

This problem needs to be solved somehow. Not all the bodies are on the routes, but all dead climbers on Mount Everest, almost 300 deceased, remained in the same place they died (except for those who had been moved by nature or by people).

What if?..

During the recent years, as indicated by expedition leaders Sherpa People have moved some bodies from the trail, and even this is an extremely difficult process.

Today most of the bodies on the classic North Route (from the Tibet side) lies in the Death Couloir. It is located below the Second Step above 8 thousand meters: approximately where the body of George Mallory was found. If someone dies on this ridge while climbing or descending, the body will find its shelter in this couloir, or on vertical lines of the South Wall. There are no routes and people do not go there.

Climbers on Hillary Step.

While climbing from Nepal, alpinists may die in other places; until 2015, Hillary Step was a particular danger. Just then an earthquake had destroyed a 13-meter vertical ridge of snow and ice, surrounded by steep cliffs. In May 2017, the English climber Tim Mosedale confirmed that there is no more Step, and, according to him, now the ascent and descent will be even more dangerous. Earlier the path lied along the well-fixed ropes, and now the surface of the slope is unstable.

Returning to the conversation about the full descent of the deceased, it's not just difficult, but very difficult. As we have already mentioned, we are talking about a frozen as ice body about 100 kg weight. If it is possible to separate it from the slope, it will be necessary not only to drag the carcasse down by forces of 10-15 Sherpa People, but also to go down through steep rocks, and there are many on the route. This will require a whole system of fixed ropes and at least a dozen of experienced climbers. Which, unfortunately, go under risk as well, as happened to the Nepalese people, who tried to evacuate the body of Hannelore Schmatz.

You can calculate an approximate body removal expedition costs by taking into account the fact that the Everest climbing cost per one person goes from 40 to 100 thousand dollars. Do not forget to add helicopter rent: from $ 5,000 to $ 20,000 per flight (but they don't go higher than the Everest Base Camp, 5364 m). And the flights from Tibetan territory are completely banned by the Chinese government (except for single event cases).

Of course, there were cases when helicopter flew up to 12,000 meters or landed on the top of Chomolungma, but these were the unique occurrences that can be classified as "bravery" (or "marketing" — depending on point of view). It is not possible to repeat them regularly.

Israfil Ashurly

When I was getting ready to climb Mount Everest (MP: Israfil Ashurly made the ascent in 2007 by Northern Route) there were a lot of rumours such as "you will walk over the bodies", "you will move through the deceased" — and you will definitely see those who have already died. Those who have long since left, for example, the Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, who was perished in 1996, better known as Mr. Green Boots; and those who died recently, for example, Marko Lihteneker from Slovenia, who died in 2005. Also the body of George Mallory, who had been discovered in 1999.

The prospect that I will have to see abandoned bodies in a certain sense overshadowed the upcoming expedition. I still don't feel well when I think about it. But by a lucky coincidence, on the night of my assent the snow fell. And during climbing and descent I did not see a single body. The group that went the next day found better weather, the snow melted, and its participants saw some carcasses. Perhaps, supreme forces made it this way because I was so worried...

Of course, it would be good to clean the bodies from Everest, or, perhaps, to cover some with rocks? In my understanding, dead people must be committed to the earth. I proceed from the traditions of the old school: people need to be saved, and bodies go in the ground. If they can't be moved down, they should have some kind of a funeral. I think that leaving them outdoor is wrong: if someone left this earth, the body shouldn't remind of a tragedy.

Are there other ways?

In 2017, a project to cover some bodies, permanently abandoned on Everest, with special non-woven material, was undertaken. The question remains open: how long can this tissue will resist?

Because the wind and snow above 8 thousand meters are so strong that it can easily cope with any matter. It is also impossible to wrap a frozen body on a slope. How to secure the fabric? With ice screws or snow stakes?

The covered body of Marko Lihteneker on Mount Everest. Photo: 7vershin.ru

Cover it with stones? The smaller ones will also can be blown away by the wind, and how many stones can one person carry at a speed of one or two steps per minute and on last legs?

Israfil Ashurly

I was trying to solve this problem while working at the UIAA and bring the argument up during the meetings; and many times thought about how to come back to the argument properly. So, while trying to think I was coming to the conclusion that all this will depend on some means, which, perhaps, will have to be received as grants. At that time, I wasn't aware about which organization or fund we need to appeal and who will allocate the UIAA money for these purposes? Where to go?

Unfortunately, for the period of my work in the UIAA we didn't progress in this matter. My idea did not manage to fit in some project. Perhaps in the future I will be back with the UIAA and will put the issue on table again. And maybe someone else will do something soon.

The Conclusion

Crashed tent on Mountain Everest slope.

Therefore, the question of the "descent" or "burial" of bodies on Mount Everest, with all respect, most likely, will not be solved in the near future. Why?

Let's try to draw the following parallel: for many centuries of navigation, a lot of people died in the depth, but no one is engaged in lifting their remains (including, for example, "Titanic"). Sometimes divers find the bodies in the sea, but they do not call for elevating and funerals.

At the same time, the mountaineering community doesn't agree on the same while trying to do something with the dead bodies on Mount Everest. Some want to try to remove all the bodies; others want to make sure everything remains as it is. However, even if the dead rate remains at the level of 2017 (hopefully not to reach that number), by adding six dead bodies every year, then after a while, the highest peak of the world will have no place to spread... So sooner or later the problem will have to be solved. It would be helpful if experts from the UIAA or other international mountaineering organizations will take the initiative.

In any case, it is worth remembering that alpinists who go to ascent the highest peaks of the world have chosen their own way, and we have to respect it. We must try to make the mountains closer and safer for those who are just starting their way to the peaks.