Tshiring Jangbu Sherpa vividly recalls the haunting sight of a dead body he encountered near the summit of Mount Lhotse in the Himalayas over a decade ago.
In May 2012, while guiding a German climber on the world’s fourth-highest peak, Sherpa stumbled upon the body, believed to be Milan Sedlacek, a Czech mountaineer who had perished just days earlier. The sight left Sherpa puzzled; one glove was missing from the frozen corpse, leading him to speculate that Sedlacek might have slipped due to the exposed hand, lost his balance, and fallen to his death.
Years later, Sherpa, now 46, found himself part of a mission to retrieve the climber’s body. In 2023, he joined a team of military personnel and sherpas tasked with cleaning up the high Himalayas, including recovering bodies from the perilous “death zone” above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet).
Since climbing records began in the Everest region a century ago, more than 300 climbers have died, with many bodies still scattered across the mountains. The death toll continues to rise; eight climbers have died this year alone, and 18 in 2023, according to Nepal’s tourism department.
Nepal’s government initiated a clean-up campaign in 2019, targeting not just trash but also the bodies of deceased climbers. This year marked the first time the campaign aimed to retrieve five bodies from the death zone. In the end, the team successfully brought down four bodies.
The mission, which lasted 54 days and ended on June 5, also removed a skeleton and 11 tonnes of rubbish from lower altitudes. Major Aditya Karki, who led this year’s operation, emphasized the need to combat the negative perception of Nepal’s mountains being polluted with garbage and dead bodies.
The initiative also seeks to enhance safety for climbers. Maj Karki recounted an incident from last year when a mountaineer froze in shock for half an hour after encountering a dead body on the way to Mount Everest.
Challenges of retrieving bodies
Recovering bodies from such extreme altitudes is fraught with challenges. The cost is prohibitive for many families, and most private companies refuse to undertake the dangerous task. This year, the military allocated five million rupees ($37,400) per body, requiring a team of twelve people, each needing four oxygen cylinders costing over $400 each, amounting to $20,000 for oxygen alone.
Climbers have a narrow window of about 15 days each year to ascend and descend from 8,000 meters, as wind speeds typically exceed 100 km per hour. The retrieval teams often worked at night to avoid disturbing other climbers. The region, including Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse, has only one ladder and ropeway for climbers moving up and down from base camp.
Sherpa described the grueling process of bringing down bodies from the death zone, recounting episodes of vomiting, coughing, and headaches among the team due to the high altitude. At such elevations, even the strongest sherpas can carry only up to 25kg (55 pounds), less than 30% of their capacity at lower altitudes.
The body near the summit of Mount Lhotse, standing at 8,516 meters, had been exposed to the elements for 12 years. Half-buried in snow, the body was discolored from sun and snow exposure. The frozen limbs made transportation even more difficult, requiring the team to use a roping system to gradually lower the bodies. The bodies often got stuck in rocky, icy terrain, necessitating laborious efforts to free them.
Bringing Sedlacek’s body to the nearest camp, just 3.5km away, took 24 continuous hours. Another 13 hours were needed to reach a lower camp. The bodies were then flown to Kathmandu by helicopter, though bad weather caused a five-day delay in the town of Namche.
Identification and future plans
The retrieved bodies and skeleton are now at a hospital in Kathmandu. Identification documents were found on two bodies: Czech climber Milan Sedlacek and American mountaineer Roland Yearwood, who died in 2017. The Nepali government is coordinating with the respective embassies.
The other bodies are still being identified. Sherpa climbers and guides, familiar with the locations and potential identities of lost climbers, have provided information. It is believed that all the retrieved bodies belong to foreigners, though this has not been officially confirmed.
If the bodies remain unclaimed three months after identification, Nepali law mandates that they be buried, regardless of whether they belong to foreigners or locals.
Paying tribute to the Himalayas
Tshiring Jangbu Sherpa first climbed in the Himalayas at 20 and has since scaled Everest three times and Lhotse five times. Reflecting on his career, he acknowledges the opportunities the Himalayas have provided and views the task of retrieving bodies as a way to give back.
“Mountaineers have gained fame from climbing these peaks. The Himalayas have given us so many opportunities,” he says. “By doing this special job of retrieving dead bodies, it’s my time to pay back to the Great Himalayas.”
