Overcrowding in Everest leads to snow ridge collapse; sparks global alarm as 2 climbers go missing

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, May 25

A guide from the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA) has shared a post on Instagram about an ordeal team of climbers, led by him, and challenges faced during their Mount Everest descent.

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A post shared by Vinayak jaya malla (@malla.mountaineer)

He shared visuals of their triumphs on Instagram and the challenges they faced, including overcrowding, chaos and tense moments.

At 6 am on May 21, the busiest summit day, with clients on their way to descent, the Instagram video they recorded shows the aftermath of a snow cornice collapse, which dragged several climbers into the void.

Though the video doesn’t show the collapse itself, it vividly depicts the overcrowded summit ridge, with dozens of climbers inching across a narrow snow ridge that eventually crumbled.

The Everest summit ridge felt different than my previous experiences on the mountain,” Malla told. “There was soft snow, many cornices, and rocky sections covered in snow. Even the weather station was half buried in snow.”

In her long Instagram post, Malla explained,”Many climbers were stuck in the traffic and oxygen was running low. I was able to start breaking a new route for the descending traffic to begin moving slowly once again.” After a gruelling descent, the team sought refuge at Camp 3 before ultimately returning safely to the Base Camp on May 22.

Three videos captured and shared on Instagram showed pivotal moments of the expedition—one depicting the conditions before the cornise collapse, another showcasing the aftermath, and a third capturing the climbers’ progress after route repairs were completed.

The video and post have sent shockwaves of terror and concern rippling through social media platforms worldwide.

As per reports covered by Indian express, social media user asked, “Makes you wonder how many of these “climbers” even know what a cornice is?” Another user commented, "Traffic” and “Summit of Mt. Everest” truly do not belong in the same sentence.”

A third user said, “Whoa. Thank you for sharing the whole experience so articulately. You are a brave guy to endure the mountain surprise and to bring back your partner safely.” Another user wrote, “This is not the way. This is unsustainable.”

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