Mount Everest stole the life of the Swiss Abdul Waheed Waraich († 41) on Wednesday. The alpinist had already climbed the top at 8,849 meters above sea level, but on the descent from the “Roof of the World” the man collapsed from exhaustion. The other members of the summit expedition could not do anything for him.
Evelyn Binsack (53) is an extreme mountaineer herself, offers regular tours and was the first Swiss woman to ever conquer Mount Everest. The fact that the Swiss alpinist had such a tragic accident on the descent is not surprising to the Bernese Oberlander. “Unfortunately, that happens again and again and is one of the major pitfalls when you are out and about at this altitude.”
“Don’t lose focus until you’re down again”
From 7500 m above sea level start the so-called death zone when climbing. “There is a reason why this area is called that,” explains Binsack to Blick. This height is hostile to life for the human body. “It’s about getting out of this zone as quickly as possible.” So up to the summit and then right back down again.
But this time pressure harbors great risks. Binsack: “Many exhaust themselves completely on the ascent, but enough energy reserves are still needed for the descent.” In addition, the lack of tension on the descent can be fatal for some alpinists. “When the summit of Mount Everest is climbed, of course, incredible pressure falls off the shoulders of the climbers. This is such a big goal that has been worked towards. But until you’re back down, you can’t lose focus. “
Brief acclimatization is a risk
For Evelyn Binsack, the key to surviving such an extreme tour on Everest is acclimatization. For weeks, mountaineers in the Himalayan region feel their way to the extraordinary conditions at the heights. «Anyone who is on Mount Everest at the beginning of May can only have had a fairly short acclimatization phase. That’s a risk, ”says the experienced mountaineer.
But before an alpinist collapses on the mountain, there must have been signs beforehand, which may have been misinterpreted. “The onset of altitude sickness, dehydration – these are all signals that should prompt you to turn back,” says Binsack.