In the midst of the summit success reports from the eight-thousander Annapurna I, news of an avalanche accident broke. Above Camp 2 (5,600 meters), a “huge avalanche” broke loose, as Chhang Dawa Sherpa, expedition leader of the operator Seven Summit Treks, reported on Instagram. “We suffered a terrible disaster. While ferrying oxygen cylinders for the summit push, two of our Climbing Sherpas, Ngima Tashi and Rima Rinje, were swept away.”
Search unsuccessful so far
Although five Sherpas started searching immediately after the accident, there is still no trace of the missing persons. Even after several hours of searching by helicopter, the two Sherpas could not be located. “I am not losing hope. We’ll do our best to locate and rescue our men,” says Chhang Dawa. Nevertheless, the chances of finding Ngima Tashi Sherpa and Rima Rinje Sherpa alive are getting smaller by the minute.
More crevasses and hanging seracs
Under the impression of the avalanche accident, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, head of the operator Imagine Nepal, renewed his announcement that this expedition to Annapurna I would be his last. He had never experienced such difficult conditions on this mountain as this year, Mingma wrote on Instagram: “Dry conditions, more crevasses, hanging seracs made it more difficult. This mountain is just too risky. Annapurna’s beauty always attracted me but I can‘t risk my life here anymore.”
Around 30 more ascents
On Sunday, a four-person team – with three members from Imagine Nepal and one from Seven Summit Treks – achieved the first summit success of this year’s spring season on an eight-thousander. Today, Monday, around 30 other climbers ascended the route secured with fixed ropes to the highest point at 8,091 meters.
