AS IT IS 2016-05-24 Mount Everest Claims 3 More Climbers

AS IT IS 2016-05-24 Mount¹ Everest Claims 3 More Climbers

Three people died over the weekend climbing Mount Everest and two others are missing.

A 43-year-old Indian climber died as he was helped down the summit², or peak of the mountain, said Wangchu Sherpa of Trekking³ Camp Nepal on Monday.

Two others died on Mount Everest within hours of each other this weekend. The first was Dutch citizen Eric Arnold, 35, followed by Australian Maria Strydom, 34.

All the climbers reportedly died from altitude-related sickness, or a lack of oxygen. The area near Mount Everest’s summit has been called a “death zone” because the air is so thin, many people cannot survive without oxygen from a can.

Two other Indian climbers – Paresh Nath and Goutam Ghosh – have been missing since Saturday. Wangchu Sherpa said it is not likely they could survive Mount Everest’s extreme weather conditions.

The latest tragedies continue safety concerns about companies that assist climbers on Mount Everest.

The head of the non-profit Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Tshering Sherpa, said some companies offer cheap packages to get business. But they use poor equipment.

“Climbers with well-managed companies employing experienced guides are safe,” he said.

Many people are trying to reach the summit at the same time, he said. Some climbers are delayed going up or coming down. This puts those climbers at more risk for sickness and death.

“This was a man-made disaster that may have been minimalized with the better management of the teams,” he said. “The last two disasters on Everest were caused by nature, but not this one.”

Tshering referred to last year’s earthquake and avalanche⁴ on Mount Everest that buried at least 19 people at a base camp. The other came in 2014, when 16 guides were killed while crossing a difficult part of the mountains.

Both disasters halted climbing on Mount Everest for two years and raised concerns about the stability⁵ of mountain trails.

But just last week, officials were upbeat about the rest of the climbing season after more than 200 people reached the summit in the previous 10 days. The base camp was busy with climbers preparing for trips before monsoon⁶ rains in June.

The return of climbers to Mount Everest after two years has been good for the tourism economy in Nepal.

Climbers pay for many services to help them reach the summit. They hire Sherpa mountain guides, cooks, porters and medical teams. They also pay for official permission, or permits, to hike.

These expenses bring in millions of dollars for Nepal.

Now Nepal tourism officials will have to re-evaluate the climbing season as they wait and see how the latest deaths on Mount Everest affect future business.

Words in This Story

base camp – n. a camp from which mountaineering trips begin

summit – n. the highest point of a hill or mountain

porter – n. a person hired to carry luggage or other loads

altitude – n. the height of an object or point

underline – v. to emphasize something, such as a position

cheap – adj. very low in price

stability – n. the quality or state of something not easily changed

evacuation – n. the act of emptying a person or place

minimize⁷ – v. to reduce something to the smallest possible degree

upbeat – adj. cheerful, positive, optimistic

reevaluate – v. evaluate again or differently

1 mount   

n.山峰，乘用马，框，衬纸；vi.增长，骑上（马）；vt.提升，爬上，装备

参考例句：

• Their debts continued to mount up.他们的债务不断增加。
• She is the first woman who steps on the top of Mount Jolmo Lungma.她是第一个登上珠穆朗玛峰的女人。

2 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

3 trekking   

v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水

参考例句：

• She can't come pony trekking after all because she's in a delicate condition. 她结果还是不能坐小马车旅行，因为她已怀孕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas. 我们整个夏天都在喜马拉雅山的山麓艰难跋涉。 来自互联网

4 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

5 stability   

n.稳定，稳固

参考例句：

• The situation is tending towards stability.局势趋于稳定。
• She lacks emotional stability.她的情绪不稳定。

6 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

7 minimize   

vt.使减（缩）小到最低，极力贬低，最低估计

参考例句：

• To minimize the risk of burglary,install a good alarm system.安装可靠的报警设备以减低被盗的风险。
• To minimize the public expenditure of this country.把该国的财政支出减少到最低限度。