A viral video by Rajan Dwivedi shows climbers waiting in line on Mount Everest amid recent tragedies, including the deaths of Daniel Paterson and his Sherpa from falling ice. Dwivedi highlights Everest's harsh conditions and overcrowding. Despite risks, many attempt the climb, leading to severe injuries and environmental concerns over the mountain's popularity.
A video showing a long line of climbers on Mount Everest has gone viral on social media. The video, posted on Instagram by Rajan Dwivedi on May 20, depicts climbers waiting in a single-file line, attempting to reach the summit. This comes in the wake of a tragic incident where British climber Daniel Paterson and his Nepali Sherpa, Pastenji, were struck by falling ice while descending from the summit.
Dwivedi captioned his post with a stark reminder of Everest's challenges. "Mount Everest is not a joke and is, in fact, quite a serious climb," he wrote. He highlighted three particularly difficult sections: the Khumbu Icefalls, the climb from Camp 3 to Camp 4, and the final push from Camp 4 to the summit in the death zone. These areas are notorious for their harsh conditions, including frigid air and dangerous ice.
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Approximately 500 amateur climbers, attempt to summit Everest each year. Of these, about 250 to 300 succeed. Since the first ascent in May 1953, around 7,000 people have reached the top. However, many climbers suffer from severe injuries like frostbite and snow blindness, which often go unreported.
Dwivedi's video captures the congestion on the mountain, with climbers negotiating the narrow, single-rope line both up and down the peak. The main reason for such traffic is the limited weather windows that climbers must use to avoid the powerful jet streams, which can reach speeds of 100-240 mph. Dwivedi described his descent as a nightmare, exhausted while facing an uphill traffic jam of climbers.
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Tragically, Daniel Paterson, 39, and his guide Pastenji Sherpa, 23, are feared dead after being hit by falling ice near the Hillary Step, a steep vertical rock face close to the summit. They were part of a group that reached the peak on Tuesday but have not been heard from since. The company that organized the expedition stated that the men likely fell towards the Tibet side through a steep vertical drop.
Paterson had taken on the challenge to raise money for the family of a gym member who recently died from cancer.
These videos of the queue up Everest and the aftermath of the cornice collapse that killed a couple of people...
There's something about this that sums up so much of what's wrong with the world.
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