BUDDHIST monks have cremated the remains of Sherpa guides who were buried in the deadliest avalanche to hit Mount Everest, a disaster that has prompted calls for a climbing boycott by Nepal’s ethnic Sherpa community.
At least 13 Sherpas were killed when a block of ice tore loose from the mountain and triggered a cascade that ripped through teams of guides hauling gear. Three Sherpas missing in Friday’s avalanche are presumed dead.
“Right now, I can’t even think of going back to the mountain,” said Tashi Dorje, whose cousin was killed. “We have not just lost our family members, but it is a loss for the whole mountaineering community and the country.”
Heartbreaking ... hundreds of Nepalis gathered in Kathmandu to mourn the loss of Sherpa climbers killed in a deadly Everest avalanche. Picture: AP Source: AP
The avalanche came just as climbing was to begin in earnest, with mountaineers set to begin moving above base camp and slowly acclimatising to the altitude on the world’s highest mountain. Most attempts to reach the 8,850-metre summit occur in mid-May, when weather is at its most favourable.