Traffic Jam at Mt. Everest ...resulting in Death of Mountaineers

Yesterday, taking the advantage of clear weather, more than 200 climbers belonging from several countries reached above the Camp IV. But they had to line-up for several hours in queues on their way to summit point of Mt. Everest.

There are only a few good weather windows in may when climbers get the best chance to ascend to the summit.

Long hours in queue expose them to risk of frostbites and altitude sickness.

Deaths - 2 Indians, 1 American, 1 Irish

So far, four people have already died on the Everest expedition this season. The latest two fatalities being of an American and an Indian mountaineer.

55 year old Donald Lynn Cash collapsed at the summit while he was taking photographs on Wednesday. The Indian, Anjali Kulkarni of about the same age died while descending from the summit.

Her expedition organiser stated that heavy traffic at the summit had delayed her descent and caused her death. Sherpa Thupden also added that she had to wait for long time to reach the summit and descend.

About 381 climbers (including sherpas) are climbing Mt. Everest, the world's highest summit this season. Over 4400 mountaineers have reached the Mt. Everest summit after the first ever victory in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

But those were super tough climbs. It's not that tough any more today. But an Everest expedition has turned into a lucrative business these days. It costs a lot of money to climb to the Everest. But still people from all age groups and gender are excited to accomplish this feat.

All these have resulted in too much trash in the pristine snow of Himalayas. And now it has reached to a situation akin to a traffic jam that is causing deaths of climbers!