As 289 climbers wait patiently in high camps on Everest, news of an avalanche is hanging over their heads.
According to The Himalayan Times, Slovakian climbers Vladimír Štrba and Zoltán Pál were caught in an slide on Tuesday morning above Camp II as the two attempted a technical route up the south west side of the world’s tallest peak.
So far reports are indicating that one climber sustained injuries while the other appears to be fine. However, rescue efforts by Sherpas as well as helicopters have proved difficult since the two are located on the more difficult and exposed terrain of the southwest route.
“Rescue helicopters – Simrik Air and Shree Airlines – also tried twice to locate the climbers but the efforts failed till 3:00 pm due to freak weather.”– Base Camp Official
In an interview with the Himalayan Times, one Tourism department official said, “Team leader Štrba and member Zoltán Pál are the only two climbers to use difficult south-west face this season.” In the meantime, Štrba and Pál are awaiting rescue whenever the weather permits.
Find the entire Himalayan Times article here: Bad weather hampers rescue of Slovak climbers stuck in Mt Everest avalanche
[Cover Photo: Everest, Hard Way, Slovak expedition 2016 Facebook Page]