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Everest deaths: summiteer ‘surprised more people haven’t died’ after two climbers killed in traffic jam
- Benjamin Chan says ‘there are a lot of climbers up there who have no idea’
- Traffic jams contribute to two deaths on the mountain this week – patience is key, believes Michael Tomordy
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Two people died on Everest this week, and at least one of them may have fallen victim to the “traffic jam” of climbers that clog the final section to the summit.
Two Hongkongers, Michael Tomordy and Benjamin Chan, who reached the peak this time last year, have said that patience and respect are the two key factors to avoiding the bottleneck and getting the most out of the experience
American Donald Lynn Cash, 55, collapsed on the summit, and Indian Anjali Kulkarni, also 55, died while descending after reaching the top. Kulkarni’s expedition organiser, Arun Treks, said that their client died because she was stuck in a queue descending.
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“She had to wait for a long time to reach the summit and descend,” Thupden Sherpa said. “She couldn’t move down on her own and died as Sherpa guides brought her down.”
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Tomordy and his team were the last people to reach the summit last year before the weather window closed. By the time he was pushing for the peak, they were the only people on the mountain and had missed the manic rush.
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