Dead bodies litter Mt. Everest

[Decker]

Were you aware that the famous peaks of the worlds highest mountain, Mt. Everest, is littered with the dead bodies of failed climbers? I was not until I saw the following series of photographs.

To see the pictures, go to;

Dead bodies on Mount Everest - Imgur

Decker

 

[getepe]

I was aware of this Don. Read Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air" for his account of being a participant in a 1997 climb up Mt. Everest, where 8 people died in the attempt. Better yet, listen to the audio book narrated by Krakauer -- a bit slow starting, but absolutely riveting at it's climax.

 

[Wade]

Morbid beast that I am, one of my first "uses" of the internet was to follow conrad anker's expedition back at the beginning of the last decade when he found George mallory's remains. It was mentioned that they were expecting someone Else... I think Irvine...and I believe saw another corpse in a snow cave..not mallory....and stumbled across another body and was surprised it was the man himself. I think they found his name on his underwear. It was then I realized there was more to everest than snow ice and rocks.

 

[Decker]

In today's age, I just found it very odd that these bodies have never been recovered. Then I thought about it and at the height that the bodies are at, I guess it is close to impossible to pick them up. Like I said, I found that very odd at first. Everest must be teeming with "spirits", eh?

Decker

 

[Wade]

Yeah I hear what your saying don but I read a book by messnier (spl?) And remember the narrative on the anker expedition and to hear these guys talk about the bodies left there with such a casual attitude it seemed callous. But it is a given especially back in the day. Anybody found is left where they expired. I think the only exceptions would be today where most of today's climbers are not mountaineers per say, but everyday people part of a organized tour. I suspect if one of them were lost and not repatriated there would be hell to pay to the climbers family.

 

[boomerang]

I'm an avid reader of Everest adventure so, yes. Everest is a killer of body and spirit. Every hour a climber spends in the "death zone" seems to damage him or her in ways that may or may not heal. I recall a passage about one particular expedition in which climbers happened upon a woman's body. They looked it over and quickly agreed that it was "Ms so-and-so" form the "nineteen whatever expedition", and resumed the climb. Anyone on that mountain is never far from becoming a corpse themselves.