Dawa Sherpa, a 57-year-old Nepali guide, was found alive on Mount Everest after six days alone, sparking questions about the delay in launching a search operation. His family and some guides wonder if rescue efforts would have been faster if he were a foreign climber.
The incident highlights concerns about the treatment of local guides on Mount Everest and the effectiveness of rescue efforts, particularly when compared to those for foreign climbers. Dawa Sherpa was last seen on May 29 descending the mountain with British climber Chris Thrall and a Polish climber. The climbing season had ended, and the route was dismantled.
He was found crawling towards Base Camp by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee and was flown to Kathmandu, where he is being treated for frostbite, dehydration, and a fractured thigh bone. At least five people have died this season on Everest expeditions, and more than 1,000 climbers reached the summit of Everest.
The Himalayan Traverse company, Dawa Sherpa's employer, has not commented on the delay in rescue efforts. The Department of Tourism, which handles mountaineering in Nepal, has also not commented on the incident. Dawa Sherpa's family and the local guiding community are affected by the incident, which may impact the reputation of the Himalayan Traverse company and the Nepali tourism industry.
As Dawa Sherpa recovers in a Kathmandu hospital, his family and the guiding community are left wondering what could have been done to prevent his six-day ordeal. The Nepali authorities and the Himalayan Traverse company are expected to take actions in response to the incident, but it remains unclear what those actions will be.