As North American mountain enthusiasts eagerly await winter’s arrival, things are heating up on the Himalaya’s high peaks. In more ways than one.
With summit bids and ski descents planned on a number of peaks, The Himalayan Times and mountaineering blogger Alan Arnette are reporting on a brouhaha that erupted on Manaslu between two Chinese teams that led one climber to kick another in the chest while wearing crampons. It’s said to have started over a domestic business deal that went south.
The climber responsible for delivering the blow apparently fled the scene. The recipient of the spiked kick was airlifted to a Katmandu hospital with a few extra unplanned holes in his chest.
The incident recalls a 2014 kerfuffle on Mount Everest involving the late Ueli Steck and hints at the difficulties of getting along at altitude. Remember folks, no matter what happens, let’s keep arms and legs to ourselves.