Mount Everest's famous Hillary Step destroyed!

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Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
Topic Author's Original Post - May 21, 2017 - 07:26am PT
In a fairly strange BBC report, they say:

A famous feature of Mount Everest has collapsed, potentially making the world's highest peak even more dangerous to climbers.

Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.

The near-vertical 12-metre (39 ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.

It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise after reaching the summit on 16 May.

"It's official - The Hillary Step is no more," he wrote on Facebook.

"Not sure what's going to happen when the snow ridge doesn't form because there's some huge blocks randomly perched hither and thither which will be quite tricky to negotiate."

"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.

He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there anymore."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39989992

Any rumors that The Hillary Step was destroyed on the orders of our President, who thought it was named for Hillary Clinton, are simply rumors, at this time.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
May 21, 2017 - 07:40am PT
One small step for mountaineers....gone. One aluminum ladder step for well heeled clients...coming.
Ben Harland

Gym climber
Kenora, ON
May 21, 2017 - 07:43am PT
I've stared at these before/after photos trying to make out exactly what's come down.
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Denver CO
May 21, 2017 - 07:51am PT
One aluminum ladder step for well heeled clients...coming.

Oh well, so much for climbing only with your hands and feet. I'm waiting for them to build a landing pad for a helicopter to make my ascent.
Spiny Norman

Social climber
Boring, Oregon
May 21, 2017 - 09:36am PT
Helicopter, you say?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140805-mount-everest-sherpa-mountain-climbing-jing-wang-avalanche/
Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Denver CO
May 21, 2017 - 03:57pm PT
Great story Norman, and colder than ever, helicoptering over 3 dead bodies frozen into the Khumbu icefall. Life goes on, I guess.

The 'Altitude' facebook page has this to report today:

Multiple fatalities on Everest:-

1. Slovak climber Vlad Strba died in C4, after an unsuccessful summit push. Strba originally planned to climb SW Face, however switched to normal route after his climbing partner had to cancel the expedition at last moment.

2. Australian Francesco Enrico Marchetti passed away at around 7500m on Northside. He was suffering from altitude sickness.

3. Roland Yearwood, a US climber, died near Balcony area today.

Lastly, another climber from India, Ravi Kumar,is reportedly missing since yesterday. He summited earlier that day.

What a horror show. I wish the Nepali government would shut all this down.
ms55401

Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
May 21, 2017 - 04:26pm PT
you know, I'm amazed that the Half Dome cables route gets only 0.9 fatalities per year, or whatever the stat is. Everest gets (guess) perhaps 2.8 fatalities per year?
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2017 - 04:47pm PT
In the last 5 years Everest is averaging about 13 deaths a year.

(further proof that 13 is an unlucky number)

From Wikipedia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_death_statistics
gunsmoke

Mountain climber
Clackamas, Oregon
May 21, 2017 - 05:09pm PT
It appears that there have been five deaths from the cables since they were installed in 1919. Two of those deaths were when the stanchions were down. Four of the five were in wet or icy conditions.

The user SomebodyAnybody noted this link recently:
http://hikehalfdome.com/accidents/

Edit: That's about 0.05 per year. Safer than driving your car.
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
May 21, 2017 - 05:32pm PT
Safer than driving your car.

Driving your car up half dome is much more dangerous than hiking? nobody has died doing it
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
May 21, 2017 - 09:04pm PT
It was a busy day on Everest as intense winds eased up enough for dozens of people to try and reach the famed summit. About 70 people made it, according to the Himalayan Times.


It's hard to tell if that story came from USA Today, or The Onion.

Seventy people per day on the summit seems both ludicrous and absurd.





Driving your car up half dome is much more dangerous than hiking? nobody has died doing it.

Technically, he died at Happy Isles. He was headed to the cables, to make the first automotive ascent of Half dome. For an unknown reason, his vehicle left the road and he plunged into the Merced River.

fear

Ice climber
hartford, ct
May 21, 2017 - 10:04pm PT
If historical records are true then statistically it would seem you're less likely to die free-soloing the regular NW face of half-dome...

clinker

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
May 21, 2017 - 10:20pm PT
Rock climbing in general compared to Alpine climbing is cruising in armored cars vs motorcycles.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
May 21, 2017 - 10:57pm PT
10b4me

Mountain climber
Retired
May 22, 2017 - 04:15pm PT
Fake news
rbord

Boulder climber
atlanta
May 22, 2017 - 04:26pm PT
Rockfall in the mountains?! Sacre bleu! Someone should start a gofundme to rebuild that sacred thing.
i-b-goB

Social climber
Wise Acres
May 23, 2017 - 08:36am PT

Everest's Hillary Step: Has it gone or not?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39997548
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
May 24, 2017 - 11:11am PT
Everest blogger Alan Arnette has an interesting piece about whether the Hilary Step is really gone:

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2017/05/22/everest-2017-hillary-step-unchanged/

Also, news of the latest Everest tragedy.

This morning (May 24th) 4 climbers, 2 Nepalis and 2 foreigners, were found dead in a tent at Camp IV. Arnette "speculate(s)....that it is most likely they died from carbon monoxide poisoning by using their stoves in the tent without proper ventilation." He has a long commentary on the new generation of inexperienced "guides". Some are even teenagers. Well worth reading!

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2017/05/23/everest-2017-4-found-dead-tent-south-col/


Don Paul

Big Wall climber
Denver CO
May 24, 2017 - 12:14pm PT
Four more dead on Everest today, quite a busy season indeed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-24/mt-everest-sherpas-find-four-dead-climbers/8555104
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
May 24, 2017 - 12:27pm PT
Get used to it. Its the "circus in May". Happens each year.

Forget about Nepal banning it, its a huge cash cow.


As long as there are guided trips offered there will be a long list of aspirant clients with stars in their eyes, unable to envision what a dangerous zoo it will be (not to mention those that refuse to turn around at 2:00.)
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