A rope fixing team of climbing guides from Seven Summit Treks on Monday completed fixing the line to the summit of Ama Dablam, opening the mountain for aspiring climbers. On the descent, however, one of the team members died at Camp III.
Mingma Wangdi Sherpa, 35, from Makalu, Sankhuwasabha district, died at Camp III, officials at the Department of Tourism confirmed.
Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, Managing Director of Seven Summit Treks, confirmed his death, but did not explain the cause of the death.
“We have been briefed by the outfitter that the name of the deceased is Mingma Wangdi Sherpa, a five time Everest summiteer. As the team descended from Camp III to Camp II, Mingma fell behind. So, they thought he spent the night at Camp III. Some team members headed up to look for him in the morning and found him lying dead at Camp III,” said Bigyan Koirala, officer at the Department of Tourism (DoT).
An estimated 800 climbers are to climb Ama Dablam in this autumn season. The government has already issued 200 climbing permits till date. DoT officials say the number of total climbing permits could go upto 450.
“Mingma was a strong professional climber. The news about his death at 6,300m, who has climbed eight-thousanders including Everest, came as a surprise to me. But anything can happen on the mountains,” Ngaa Tenji Sherpa, Mingma’s villager, who runs Pioneer Adventures told Everest Chronicle.
Ama Dablam is an iconic mountain, often recognizable from afar. It is also known for technical and challenging climbs for an under 7,000 m peak. Ama Dablam is popular among climbers to build skills and strength for 8,000m peak expedition.
