Fight Breaks Out on Everest over Weekend: 100 Sherpas vs. 3 Europeans @ 23,000 Ft

SnowBrains | Post Tag for ClimbingClimbing
Mount Everest.  photo:  Simone Moro
Mount Everest. photo: Simone Moro

Reports are coming down from Mt. Everest today about a fight breaking between 100 sherpas and 3 Europeans broke out over the weekend.  Apparently Uli Steck (Swiss speed climber), Simone Moro, and Johnathan Griffith got into a fight with around 100 Sherpas that involved kicking, punching, and rock throwing.

Here is a quick summary of the events:

“While the Sherpas were fixing ropes up to Camp III, the alpine team stepped over their ropes. The Sherpas said Steck or Griffith had kicked ice down on a member of their team. (Moro said in the report this was unlikely.) A confrontation ensued between the alpine team and a lead Sherpa, with the Sherpas descending to Camp II as a sign of protest. Steck helped fix ropes to Camp III as a sign of goodwill after the Sherpas left. When Steck, Moro, and Griffith descended to Camp II, a group of 100 Sherpas confronted them, and then kicked, punched, and threw rocks at them. A group of Western climbers stepped in and broke up the fight.” – Outside Magazine

Read full report of Everest fight here:  Simone Moro Everest blog

Here is a completely different version of the story from CNN:  Everest Fight

Climbing route on Everest
Climbing route on Everest summit day

3 Sherpas have reportedly left the mountain as part of an investigation.  There are some reporting that a climber from Switzerland has left the mountain and will be flying home.  We don’t know if anyone sustained injuries in the encounter.

We aren’t really sure what to make of this just yet so we are going to avoid weighing in on the topic.  An interesting story, for sure.  We’re pretty confident that as details get cleared up with time, we’ll be receiving reports of a much different story.

Tensions have definitely been greatly raised on Everest in recent years as there are no limits on climbing permits and summit days have gotten very crowded. Last season was one of the deadliest seasons on record at Mt. Everest with 10 deaths due to crowding at bottlenecks on summit day.

learn more:

10 Interesting Facts About Everest

Mt Everest and Lhotse
Mt Everest and Lhotse
graphic from May 25th, 2012.  click to enlarge.
graphic from May 25th, 2012. click to enlarge.

 


Related Articles

25 thoughts on “Fight Breaks Out on Everest over Weekend: 100 Sherpas vs. 3 Europeans @ 23,000 Ft

  1. WHA?!?! Uli has been dead for AT LEAST a couple years. In fact I’m remembering the above incident happened YEARS BEFORE Alex Lowe and Bridge’s bodies were found in 2016! Why the heck is such an old story showing up in a current news feed?!

  2. If you can’t beat a black guy at anything athletic or artistic, you can still climb a mountain. And I don’t mean 100 of you beating one black guy.

  3. Dear Snow Brains, I have written a book the Everest summit. Please review at my web page.
    May I have permission to use one of your great photos of the top of Everest for my book stand display. i will be more than happy yo give Snow Brains complete credit for photo in plain text on the poster. Thanls Guy Andrews

  4. If they are true climbers then they should do it without the help of Sherpas who risk their lives to make their way. If they do not respect each other it had to happen at some point.

    1. Agrred. Which is exactly what these 3 men were. Professional climbers who didn’t need Sherpa help, nor would use it. However I know Simone has saved many Sherpas lives, and Ueli has risked his own to save lives too. All at no cost. Can’t say one Sherpa who did this. All the stories I know of Sherpa rescues, the Sherpas were PAID to do so.

  5. early test of our site. let’s get it right, straight out of the gate. read, check, analyze.
    for me this is an indication that people need to climb under their own, self contained, power, for the pure love of climbing.
    no, I’m no climber, for sure.

    1. say what!!?? that flies in the face of everything that happened there. More like fighting for power and money, mountain be damned. If it’s dignity they want, best find another line of work, not dependent on the westerners they harbor so much hate for.

      1. Agreed. They care nothing about the mountain, only money. If they cared about the mountain, they would have started complaining back in 1981 when this tourism took off like this.

  6. Anyone wanna climb Everest? Not me. How many amazing peaks are there in the Himalaya? I’ll find another.

Got an opinion? Let us know...