Breaking News: Nobukazu Kuriki Will Attempt To Summit Everest One More Time
After Japanese Alpinist Nobukazu Kuriki turned away from attempting the summit of Everest due to deep snow conditions on Saturday, this year will become the first in 41 years where no soul has stood on Everest’s summit reports GearJunkie.com.
“I realized if I kept going, I wouldn’t be able to come back alive,” said the 33-year-old Kuriki on his Facebook page, “So I decided to descend.”
The Japanese climber would have been the first to summit the world’s highest peak since a massive earthquake in April shook Nepal, killing thousands in the capital city of Katmandu and triggering numerous avalanches in the Khumbu region, including one that struck Everest’s base camp and killed 22 climbers.
With the most recent incident in April along with the avalanche that killed 16 sherpas in 2014, the Nepalese government is contemplating new regulations for the world’s tallest mountain. Restricting use among children, the elderly, and the disabled are all on the table as possible options to limit risk and fatalities on the world’s deadliest mountain. Also, restrictions could be placed on those who are deemed too inexperienced to climb the mountain. The Adventure Journal is reporting that climbers may be required to have experience above 6,500 meters to climb the 8,848 meter peak.
“We are discussing the ways to promote safety for mountaineers. The mountain should not be the place for people to die. It should be a place for adventure.”– Nepal Ministry of Tourism Spokesman, Mohan Sapkota