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| ON April 25, The Everest Base Camp, few minutes after the deadly earthquake of 2015. PHOTO. Gyaljan Sherpa ----------- Ascents Cancelled For Two Consecutive Years. --------- |
Traffic of climbers was thick this year at Mount Everest Base camp, as a disaster last year had resulted in an unfortunate cancellation of all scheduled summits. Aspiring climbers and the Sherpas had huddled around and started making preparations right from the third week of Chaitra (early April). There was a nasty snowfall during the beginning of the Nepali new year in Baisakh (mid April). It pushed the climbers at the base camp into their tents and halted their preparations for several days. However, the determined climbers were least bothered, as the early snowfall is usually said to stabilize the snow on mountains, which prevents avalanches.
To most climbers who have dreamt of
conquering the Mount Everest, an avalanche is the most dreaded trouble. 16
Sherpas had lost their lives last year to an avalanche at the Khumbu Icefall,
which comes right after the first uphills over base camp. The early snowfall
this year had stopped on 17th April and the first ascents could have headed
on the 18th. However, as it was on the same day that last year's avalanche had
struck, the Sherpas chose not to climb on what they called the 'black day'. The
18th April was just another day and was silent this time.
