A Polish climber has accused Himalayan Traverse Adventure of criminal negligence after his Sherpa guide went missing for six days on Mount Everest, alleging the company made no effort to search for 57-year-old Hillary Dawa Sherpa.

Mariusz Chmielewski, who was treated for frostbite at HAMS Hospital alongside the rescued guide, told Everest Chronicle that the agency should lose its license.

According to Chmielewski, the trouble began during the descent from Camp 4 on the evening of May 28, following an unsuccessful summit attempt for him and a successful one for his companion, British Chris Thrall.

On the afternoon of May 29, as the team began descending toward Camp 2, Chmielewski received an oxygen tank with only about 20 units of oxygen remaining—a tank that should have been full. He had purchased seven tanks and used six earlier.

"I was the first to leave camp because I received a tank with only about 20 units of oxygen," Chmielewski said. "The second Sherpa who led Chris to the summit gave it to me and said he didn't have any more. They knew I only had enough oxygen for about 30 minutes."

As he descended, another Sherpa overtook him, claimed there was spare oxygen in a tent, but then grabbed it and continued descending, telling Chmielewski to "go slowly" even though he knew the climber was running out of oxygen. Without oxygen, the descent became slower and more difficult.

Around 7,500 to 7,600 metres, Chmielewski stopped, exhausted, to eat lunch from a thermos, he said. That was when Chris caught up and informed him that he had split from Hillary Dawa, who had said everything was fine and to descend lower.

From that point, Chmielewski and Chris descended together through a snowstorm, sharing a headlamp. They reached Camp 3 and rested for 1.5 hours before continuing to Camp 2 in the morning.

"There was no sign of Hillary Dawa," Chmielewski said. "Although he had a walkie-talkie and a satellite phone, which he had taken from Chris earlier, he hadn't contacted anyone. We had no idea what could have happened."

After reaching Camp 2, Chmielewski informed the head of Himalayan Traverse Adventure about the situation via walkie-talkie. "There was no search operation—no Sherpas were sent," he alleged, disputing claims made by the agency head to the media.

Chmielewski further accused the company of endangering him by assigning an inexperienced guide. During the summit attempt at the Balcony, Chmielewski asked Hillary Dawa how many times he had summited Everest. "Never once," Dawa replied.

Chmielewski claimed that the head of Himalayan Traverse had previously sworn that he only employed Sherpas who had been to the summit at least twice. Hillary Dawa was originally supposed to be the cook and host at Camp 2. "The Himalayan Traverse didn't have another experienced Sherpa, so they sent Hillary Dawa with me," Chmielewski said. "I don't even know if he had permission to climb."

Chmielewski also alleged financial misconduct. He had paid a USD 1,500 summit deposit for a Sherpa. When he asked about its return after failing to reach the summit, he was told he would not get the money back because the company now had "high costs related to the search for Hillary Dawa."

Chmielewski claimed he was warned not to contact the media. "They told me not to contact him and not to say anything to the media," he alleged.

Chmielewski was unequivocal in his assessment. "I don't know what it's like in Nepal, what institutions control it, or who gives permits and licenses to companies like Himalayan Traverse Adventure, but they should lose their licenses. They immediately wrote off Dawa Hillary. There was no search. They didn't inform anyone."

Agency responds, cites difficult client and denies abandoning guide

Dawa Sherpa, also known as Kale Dawa, owner of Himalayan Traverse Adventure, denied leaving Dawa to die, offering a sharply different account of the expedition's challenges. The representative acknowledged that Hillary Dawa has never summited Everest but defended his qualifications.

"Yes, Hillary has never summited Everest, but he made a couple of attempts. He was a cook for Camp II, but he was the strongest Sherpa then," he told Everest Chronicle.

The representative blamed the delayed summit push on British climber Chris Thrall, who was determined to climb despite medical advice.

"They started late summit push because of another climber, British Chris Thrall, who wanted to climb at any cost. He suffered altitude sickness at the base camp and was treated in hospital in Kathmandu. We suggested he postpone his attempt, but he wanted to do it anyway. We had to wait for him," Kale Dawa said.

Thrall did not respond to requests for comment sent via email and Instagram.

Kale Dawa further revealed an alarming situation involving one of the clients.

"We had to carefully weigh in as one of the clients threatened to commit suicide if he is returned without a chance for summit. It was very hard for us to handle everything," he said, without specifying which client.

Kale Dawa further claimed that the company had supplied adequate oxygen, but alleged that Chmielewski had used it inefficiently. "He used it excessively, and half the gas was wasted, which is why it did not last long," he said.

The company had left Hillary Dawa with communication devices and had asked the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee to leave a ladder just in case he returned.

The company also tried to send the helicopter, but the weather did not permit. “He was not left to die. We tried to send the helicopter immediately, but weather was too bad,” he said.

Hillary Dawa, who was presumed dead after he could not be spotted during helicopter search up to Camp III, was found crawling out of the Khumbu Glacier—a rare survival story that has since captivated worldwide attention.

Dawa told the BBC Nepali Service that he had never been lost, but had been left behind after running out of oxygen and becoming unable to walk. He said he survived on chocolates from his pockets and chewed ice for two days until his teeth hurt.

Hillary Dawa was discharged from hospital on June 11, though doctors advised further rest.