Climber describes harrowing scene on Everest

MT. EVEREST, Nepal — Colorado mountain climber Dr. Jon Kedrowski was not able to reach the summit of the world’s tallest mountain this weekend as severe weather trapped numerous climbers near the top.

Kedrowski, of Avon, Colo., told meteorologist Chris Tomer in an exclusive telephone interview that he tried to help at least four climbers near the summit Sunday, but was unsuccessful. Officials say at least four climbers died. Kedrowski says five may have died.

He says the weather changed as many climbers went to the summit on Saturday.

100 mph winds moved in and trapped dozens of climbers. Jon was ascending while others were descending from 18-hour climbs to the summit.

They were exhausted, sick from altitude, hallucinating, frostbitten, and disoriented.

Jon came upon four folks on the verge of death and tried to assist. “I counted four people that had either died that evening or probably got disoriented or basically passed out from their summit attempts on the 19th,” he says.

“Once you’re above 26,000 feet, the body deteriorates so fast that if you’re not with a big group of people that can help you there’s really nothing you can do.”

“[One man] was basically hallucinating, he took his hat off, his gloves were thrown away and then he kind of reached out and looked at me … he kind of reached out to me, kind of in a zombie-like fashion,” Kedrowski says. “At that point, there’s not a lot you can do for somebody that’s dying and frozen to death.”

Another person was lying face-down in the snow with his/her headlamp still on. Another person was so sick, Jon and a Sherpa stuck that guy with a needle full of DEX (Altitude drug). Everyone had their oxygen masks strapped on.

The victims have been identified as Ebehard Schaaf, 61, a German medical doctor; Sriya Shah, 33, a Nepali-born Canadian woman; Song Wondin, a 44-year-old man from South Korea; and Wen Ryi Ha, 55, of China, according to officials with the tourism and civil aviation ministry and at the base of the mountain.

There are 32 teams on Everest made up of 337 climbers and 400+ Sherpas on the Khumbu Icefall route to the summit, which is 29.029 feet above sea level. That’s the route Kedrowski is taking.

He says in his blog that he may make another attempt to reach the summit May 25-26.

May is a popular time for climbers to try to reach the summit of Everest since there are long enough windows of opportunity when the weather allows the ascent