At 10:30 this morning a massive avalanche swept through the ice fall killing one of our expedition members and nearly claiming two additional lives.  Several small avalanches had proceeded from the same location that morning and we had discussed over breakfast that it was an ominous sign that the hanging glacier on the west rib of Everest may let go.  When the full avalanche came it was large enough that the wind and snow dust blasted our tents and blocked out the sun.  We immediately began trying to raise our members on the radio who were descending form C2 and it quickly became evident that a part of our team, a group of Austrians that had been climbing together had been caught.

Lapka Neru Sherpa, another member of our team who was accompanying the Austrians, was swept away and his body has not been recovered.  He was 32 and had a wife and three children.  His family is in Kathmandu.  He and two of the Austrians had jumped in a crevasse together.  The two others were forced deeper but Lapka was caught by the blast and swept away.  One of the Austrians who wish to remain anonymous was trapped upside down for 15 minutes until a group from the Indian Army was able to pull him out.  He was severely hypothermic and may have suffered some minor frostbite.  The other Austrian only suffered minor injuries.

I had decided at the last moment yesterday to put off our summit push for a few days so we were not in the ice fall this morning.  Based on the time I usually leave I would have been out of the ice fall by the time of the avalanche anyway but it always gives one pause for thought.  This is my second Everest Expedition and my second fatal tragedy.  In any given season there are going to be deaths on the mountain.  It is not a safe endeavor but many people come here for years without ever having an accident among their team.  I have now had two in two expeditions.  Unlike Phinjo Sherpa who died in 2006 I really didn’t know Lapka well.  That bothers me as well but with people going and coming on the mountain it isn’t unusual to not get to know everybody.

Tomorrow some of the Sherpa members of our team are going to attempt one last time to recover his body.  Out of respect they have asked for this to be a Sherpa only party.  Lapka’s backpack was found this morning and about 100 yards away one of his boots was found.  That gives some idea of the magnitude of this avalanche.  We were able to compare several different witness accounts there is now a general idea of where his remains might be buried.   Another expedition has offered avalanche probes for tomorrow’s recovery attempt.  The complicating factor is the avalanche has now left a large exposed cornice which may also collapse.  It has been agreed the recovery team will spend no more than three hours in the search because of the danger.

I think some of our members may head for home.  Call it the abstract made personal.  You come here knowing it happens but having it happen that close to home can be a shocker.  A couple of my teammates were plus or minus 30 minutes from being front and center.  As for my plans I am still have not formulated a plan.  At the moment it is pretty certain that I am not going back into the ice fall until the remaining cornice collapses.  The first avalanche wasn’t predictable in the short run but there is a general consensus that the newly exposed cornice could go at any moment.  Unfortunately it could also still be hanging there next year.  The winds are now very high at the summit, in the 40 to 60 knot range.  They are not expected to drop until the 12th to 14th.  Most of my fellow team members are going lower for a rest.  As I am sitting here typing this there has been another small avalanche off the Nuptse side.

Sometimes the shark is real.