The bodies of three French climbers missing in Nepal since October 26, after an avalanche in the Everest region, have been found, Nepalese police said on Monday (November 8). “The professional rescue team transported to Lukla [sud-est du Népal] the bodies of the three missing French climbers ”, said Rishi Raj Dhakal, inspector and spokesperson for the Solukhumbu district police office. The remains were discovered “Roughly in the same area where the research was conducted” of the three missing, he had previously said.
After two days of interruption, operations resumed Friday to find Louis Pachoud, Gabriel Miloche and Thomas Arfi, who disappeared following an avalanche during their ascent of the west face of Mingbo Eiger, culminating at an altitude of 6,070 meters. . Ang Norbu, sherpa and head of the search and rescue operation, said for his part that his team, made up of five mountain guides, was to be joined on Saturday by experienced international mountain guides from France.
Assistance from the French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs
Members of the “national mountaineering excellence group”, an elite formation of the French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs (FFCAM), the young mountaineers were part of a team that arrived at the end of September, in the Khumbu and Everest region. , with the aim of climbing various peaks culminating at some 5,000 meters and 6,000 meters, south of Ama Dablam (6,814 meters).
“The hope of finding survivors is now almost nil”, explained the FFCAM last Monday. The last telephone contact with the young people from their bivouac dates back to October 26, according to the federation. “The reconnaissance by helicopter dispatched by the FFCAM on Sunday 31 October in the morning as well as the overflight of their track on Monday 1er November made it possible to locate their tracks up to 5,900 meters on the ridge that leads to the summit. At this altitude, the rescuers were able to observe the outbreak of an avalanche “, added the FFCAM.
Nepal reopened its doors in September to foreign climbers, exempting those vaccinated from quarantine. The Covid-19 pandemic brought the tourism industry to a halt last year in the country of 30 million people, devastating its economy, which depends heavily on it.