People dead in avalanche at Everest

I was woken up in the morning by a call from my worried mother-in-law: "Is Johanna ok?" My answer: "Yes, she is ok". According to her plan she will be back in the Base Camp tomorrow and could not have been involved in the accident.

According to Johanna's previous report from the Base Camp avalanches are not unusual on the slopes of Mount Everest, she claimed they kept her awake with their continuous noise nearby.

Now there has been a terrible accident with an avalanche. The people killed and injured in the avalanche are sherpas preparing the route up to the summit. They have the most dangerous job on Everest. The reports are still conflicting, the Guardian says that the avalanche occurred just below Camp 2 at 6,400m while for instance CNN says it took place just above base camp in the Khumbu Ice Fall.

Based on her pre-trip research Johanna thought that the first part of the climb, the Khumbu Ice Fall glacier is in a sense the most dangerous, there are lots of crevasses, new are created when the glacier moves and the avalanches are a danger. From a blog that nicely maps the area we are talking about:

Every year, the route through the Khumbu is set by the “ice doctors,” a small team of Sherpas who take mortal risks to navigate the safest passage through the Icefall, putting up ropes in the steep sections and stretching ladders across the abyss-like crevasses.

Crossing the ladders is an adventure for some. For the Sherpas, setting them up is a job.