KATHMANDU, Nepal: A video depicting long queues of climbers on Mount Everest has gained significant attention on social media. According to the New York Post, the climbers were delayed following an incident on Tuesday in which British climber Daniel Paterson and his Nepali Sherpa Pastenji were struck by falling ice as they descended from the summit. Rajan Dwivedi shared the video on Instagram on May 20, showing himself and dozens of climbers in a single file, waiting to reach the peak.
“Mt. Everest is not a joke and in fact, quite a serious climb,” Mr. Dwivedi stated in his Instagram post. He described the descent as a “nightmare and exhausting” due to the long line of climbers taking advantage of the weather window.
Mr. Dwivedi successfully reached the summit at 6 am on May 19. The video is one of many highlighting the severe congestion often referred to as “traffic jam” by social media users, occurring on the world’s highest peak, which stands at 8,848 meters.
Environmentalists and climbers have raised concerns about the overcrowding on Everest. Despite numerous accidents and fatalities, the mountain’s popularity remains undiminished. The latest individuals feared dead are Daniel Paterson, aged 39, and his guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23. They summited the peak on Tuesday with a group but have been unaccounted for since, according to a BBC report.
The expedition company reported that the collapse occurred on the Hilary Step, a vertical rock face near the summit, causing the climbers to fall towards the Tibet side. Everest is notorious for its perilous conditions, where oxygen levels and air pressure are insufficient to sustain human life for extended periods.
Mr. Paterson embarked on the climb to raise funds for the family of a gym member who had recently succumbed to cancer, adding a poignant note to the tragic incident. The ongoing risks and increasing number of climbers on Everest continue to spark debate about safety and environmental impact on the iconic mountain.
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