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Given that there were two deaths that we know of during November of European trekkers on the EBC route, I’d err caution. The last we knew, they’d found the Bulgarian woman, but the young Frenchman’s body had still not yet been found. He was in a trekking group of 8 and had simply lost his balance and plummeted. We also saw five airlifts from the Khumbu including from our own tea house at Machermo, which we were in with just one other couple. The treks are amazing and worth every second, but there is certainly a risk involved, particularly on some of the narrower sections of track, which are overused during peak trekking season. Get a decent guide and be sensible!
ReplyHi Annie, sounds like you were on the Gokyo Lakes trek to EBC. This route poses a few more risks than the classic trail as many people 1. go to quickly and thus succumb to altitude sickness at Gokyo or indeed at Machermo, and 2. involves crossing the Cho La which at ~5,300m is a big pass that can experience bad weather and lots of snow / ice.
ReplyHey, a woman died on Christmas afternoon. I just thought I’d let you know as it’s sad that it’s not even been reported anywhere as far as I can see. We tried to help her but she was in an advanced state of HAPE by the time we came across her and nothing helped. It was tragic and unnecessary. From what I understand she’d insisted on continuing to go up after her guide had said it was time to go down. Plus there were rumours of the helicopter company responding too late. Listen to your guide people. They are there for more reasons than alerting you to Yaks coming. RIP to her. Leaving her on the mountain was awful.
ReplyHi Em, That’s very sad news but thanks for sharing your experience. Deaths on Everest Base Camp Treks don’t get reported enough.
ReplyHi Em that woman was a friend of ours. Would appreciate any information you have
ReplyHi Yen,
Ted has just made contact and thank you Mountain IQ for facilitating that. I have passed on all the information I have to Ted and he is most welcome to share it with any of Man’s friends and family of course. I’m so sorry for your loss. She wasn’t alone when it happened and my comment re leaving her was related to us having to continue trekking. At that point it was too late for her to be rescued. She was being looked after by a group of UK trekkers when I left (I was also trekking with just a guide and porter) but the first aid and oxygen they administered was too late and she passed away. It was terribly sad and everyone was deeply affected by it. Again, my condolences for your loss. She was obviously a great adventurer and it’s very sad that her adventure ended this way.
Em
ReplyHello Em.
When you say, “leaving her on the mountain was awful”, do you mean that she was abandoned by her tour operator and was left on her own?
The lady’s name is Man Chung Li. She is my beloved partner in life. I would appreciate any information that you can provide about the circumstances.
Thanks,
Ted Miller
ReplyHi Ted, Sorry to hear about your loss. I don’t know who Em is but I have sent you her email directly. Best wishes!
ReplyHi Ted,
Thanks again for making contact. I’m so glad I could give you some more information. It’s a real tragedy.
Em
ReplyMany thanks to Em for the private email setting out important details about my dear, beloved partner, Man Chung. May I thank everyone who was present on that fateful day for the assistance, comfort and care provided to Man Chung. She was a beautiful and gentle spirit. Thank you, for all that did. Ted.
Replyhttps://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.smh.com.au/national/mount-everest-death-matthew-jones-complained-of-breathing-difficulties-20170306-gus74k.html sadly another one.
ReplyHello. Condolences to those who have lost loved ones on this track. Very sad to hear about the Melbourne man. Does anyone know what the Coroner ruled? It seemed to happen so suddenly for him. I’m doing the Everest base camp walk soon and was wondering what your opinion of Diamox is? Thank you Jayne
ReplyHi Jayne, we recommend Diamox, but as a prescription drug you should first get clearance from your doctor before using it. More information on Diamox can be found on this page: https://www.mountainiq.com/resources/altitude-sickness/
ReplyHi!
I am from Singapore.
I would like to get some advice on my plan to trek EBC Gokyo next May 2019 with my son (22). We had trekked to ABC couple of months’ ago and loved it very much.
I will be 56 by then and pray that I am still in good health as I am now.
Is the EBC-Gokyo doable? I plan to add more acclimatisation days in a 18D trekking trip.
Cho La Pass really scarce me off. Is it really dangerous? Must I get a guide? If so, can I hire one just to cross the Pass?
Your advice is very much appreciated.
Willie
ReplyHi Willie, Thanks for getting in touch. The Gokyo route to EBC is my favourite. Your plan to take a few extra days for acclimatisation is a good one. I wouldn’t worry about the Cho La pass, it is really just a hike, and doesn’t require any climbing skills. The concern is the altitude and the glacier crossing on the other side of the Gokyo valley. As a precaution it is always worth taking an experienced guide, but it can be done independently. I recommend taking yak tracks to fit to your shoes just in case it is snowy and icy. Hope this helps!
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