The Irish Everest expedition is due to leave base camp in Nepal by helicopter today following a hazardous descent by four of its climbers via the Khumbu Icefall at the weekend. A Sherpa from another expedition died in an icefall on Saturday.
Kami Sherpa (28) died of perforated bowels and internal septic. Irish climber Hannah Shields said that valiant efforts had been made by several mountaineers to save him.
"It was very traumatic for them and for everyone, and reminds you that health has to be the priority for anyone on this mountain," she said.
Ms Shields (38), a dentist from Kilrea, Co Derry who reached 28,710 foot last week, told The Irish Times that she had three broken ribs and also had frostbite on both her hands and feet. She cracked her ribs in a violent coughing fit on the descent between Camp Two and Base Camp on Saturday. "I felt a searing pain and knew I had done something," she said.
"We have all had bad coughing fits, but I am an asthmatic and I had been coughing for hours at Camp Two the night before. I haven't had a lot of sleep and I can't feel my toes, but it is just wonderful to have been part of this expedition," she said.
Her fellow climbers, Mick Murphy (43), from Leap, Co Cork, and Ger McDonnell (32), from Kilcornan, Co Limerick, reached the summit on the Hillary/Tenzing route on May 22nd.
Ms Shields said she suspects she sustained the frostbite while waiting to use the fixed ropes on the final stages of the summit attempt. "I felt my calves go numb, then I felt numb from the knees down at the South Summit. For a split second I told myself 'ah, go on' but then logic took over. Once I had made that decision, I felt relief. The summit was just there, literally, but I also knew it would have taken another hour-and-a-half to reach it, and I wasn't prepared to put someone else at risk if I got into trouble."
Ms Shields assisted another climber who had snow blindness on the way down. Five of her toes are frostbitten, and eight of her fingers have frostnip, but she said that the sensation was starting to come back. "My main problem is that my ribs are very sore and I am trying to get people not to make me laugh. Now that we are leaving, I must say that I am looking forward to a bit of luxury and to sleeping in a bed again."
The expedition hopes to reach Lukla by helicopter this morning, and to fly from there to Kathmandu.
On the northern side, several members of the Northern Irish expedition have decided to wait for a promised "weather window" on May 29th to try for another summit attempt.
Expedition members, Richard Dougan and David Sharp, had to turn back at the Second Step last week in the face of high winds, when both were suffering coldness in their hands and feet. Both are now en route to Kathmandu to have medical treatment for suspected frostbite.
Mr Terence "Banjo" Bannon from Newry, Nepalese-based team member Jamie McGuinness and Sherpa Ang Furi have remained at advance base camp, their spokesman, Mr David Malone, said yesterday. "If they do go on May 29th, it will be 50 years to the day since Hillary and Tenzing made their ascent," he said.
The expedition websites are irisheverest2003.com and nieverest.com
