Mingma Sherpa

No question, Seven Summits Treks polarize. On the one hand, there are the critics who accuse the Nepalese expedition operator of attracting clients with dumping prices at the cost of safey. On the other hand, there are apparently many climbers who, despite all critical voices, book at Seven Summits Treks. No matter on which eight-thousander, almost always the agency of Mingma Sherpa crops up with the biggest expedition team. “I am very successful in my business because my clients believe in me,” the head of the company tells me in Kathmandu. In 2011, Mingma was the first Nepalese to complete his collection of the 14 eight-thousanders. “I wanted to show that we Sherpas are not only good porters or mountain guides, but also real climbers.” In 2013, his younger brother Chhang Dawa Sherpa followed the example of Mingma. They are the only brothers so far who stood on all 14 eight-thousanders. Chhang Dawa also works as an expedition manager at Seven Summit Treks.

“Everest chance for all”

South side of Mount Everest

Mingma defends himself against the accusation that he distorts prices by offering cheap expeditions. “I do not dream of doing the big business,” claims the 39-year-old. “I offer cheaper prices because I want to give many more people, who don’t have enough money, the chance to climb Everest. When I myself tackled the eight-thousanders, I also had little money.” The Sherpa also doesn’t want to stand for saving money at the cost of safety. “If someone dies, it is either due to the conditions on the mountain or the physical condition of the climbers. It does not matter if they paid $ 20,000 or $ 100,000.”

“More staff, more safety”

Even the big size of his expedition teams doesn’t cause less safety, means Mingma. “If I have only three members and three Sherpas on the mountain, I can hardly do a rescue operation in case of emergency,” says the head of Seven Summits Treks. “But I have 100 clients and 100 Sherpas on site. If anything happens, I have enough manpower to rescue climbers. My clients are safer than those who have spent $ 100,000.”

“Not everyone is a Moro or Steck”

Nepal’s first climber on all fourteen 8000ers

Meanwhile, his agency offers also an Everest expedition for $ 130,000. “There are people who don’t care of money,” says Mingma. “They have the money, we have the service. We offer in those expeditions more in every respect.” One or two clients booked this luxury version this year. On their website, Seven Summits Treks had described the members’ profile as follows: “You have strong economics to compensate for your old age, weak physical condition or your of risks.” Mingma sees nothing reprehensible in this: “We have enough time on the mountain to check them on our way from Camp 1 to Camp 4. Then we know who can go to the summit and who cannot.  If people are in bad condition, we advise them to go back and try it next time.”

I argue that such people do not belong to Everest due to their lack of mountaineering skills. “Not all clients of commercial expeditions are alpinists like Simone Moro or Ueli Steck,” replies Mingma. “They don’t need to have climbed a seven-thousander. Two or three 6,000-meter-peaks are enough experience for Everest. We have plenty of time up to Camp 4 to teach them.”

“1,000 an more at the same time, no problem”

Queue on Everest

The boss of Seven Summit Treks doesn’t favour ​​rules for the highest mountain on earth anyway. “Everyone wants to go to Everest,” says Mingma. “If they have enough energy, they can go. I think, it’s better that everything is open. We live in the 21st century, people know what they are doing.“ It doesn’t cause any problem if hundreds of climbers are en route on Everest at the same time, means Mingma Sherpa. “We can manage an unlimited number of climbers on the mountain. If there are more than 1,000, we just supply different routes with fixed ropes. Then it’s no problem for them climbing there at the same time.”

Back to Everest by helicopter

“Back to the adventure!”, Alex Txikon wrote on Twitter. After eight days in the Nepali capital Kathmandu, the 35-year-old Basque has flown back to Mount Everest by helicopter. “We are already at the Base Camp at 5,250 meters, with very good sensations,” said Alex. “Despite having lost weight and having worked hardly, I am physically still very strong.” According to Alex’ words, it’s still sunny and windy at the top of the mountain, as it had been since the beginning of the expedition in early January. Already on Sunday, Txikon wants to climb up with his Sherpa team to check their previous route through the Khumbu Icefall up to Camp 1 on 6,050 meters and if necessary to repair it or to relocate the way through the ice labyrinth.

Only Nuri Sherpa back

Alex Txikon in Everest BC again

Alex will be accompanied by six Climbing Sherpas and two “Icefall Doctors”. Out of his original Sherpa Team only Nuri Sherpa flew back with Alex. The others had not yet recovered from the hardships of the first summit attempt, Txikon’s team said. Almost two weeks ago, a storm on the South Col had forced the Basque and his Sherpa companions to turn back and descend. Subsequently, Seven Summits Treks, the Nepalese agency that is operating Txikon’s expedition, had ordered the entire team back to the capital – against the will of the Spaniard. Afterwards, both sides pulled together, so that the winter attempt can now continue. Four weeks remain for Alex to realize his dream of a winter ascent on the highest mountain on earth without using bottled oxygen. Let’s see if he is able to regain his rhythm quickly.

Alex Txikon in Everest Base Camp

Expeditions can also get out of the rhythm. For example, if a long bad weather period thwarts all plans or if unpredictable things happen such as illnesses or injuries. Alex Txikon‘s Everest winter expedition, however, has stuttered for another reason. After the failed first summit attempt, the Nepalese agency Seven Summits Treks, with whom Txikon cooperated, yesterday ordered surprisingly to break immediately the Base Camp and return. This decision was “unilateral”, the team of the 35-year-old Basque said. Alex was quoted as saying, “I do not want to leave Everest.”

Chhepal Sherpa injured

Already after the return to Everest Base Camp, Txikon had announced that for him the expedition was not yet over. During the summit attempt violent storm had forced the team back at the 7,950-meter-high South Col. On the descent, the climbers had got into an avalanche on the Lhotse flank. Chhepal Sherpa had been hit on his head so badly that for him the expedition was definitely finished. However, it was not planned, that the entire team should fly back to Kathmandu. But this was exactly what the Nepalese agency ordered.

“Back in charge”

Back in Nepal’s capital, all the participants were sitting together today. Txikon expressed his firm intention to continue the expedition at any cost. “I’m back in charge,” Alex said afterwards. After a few days of rest in Kathmandu, he would return to Everest Base Camp along with Norbu Sherpa, Nuri Sherpa, Phurba Sherpa and Pemba Sherpa to climb up again – “with even greater inner drive to reach this summit in winter and, of course, with my initial ideal of not using artificial oxygen.” So far only the Sherpas who accompanied Alex had used breathing masks.

The more or less forced days in the about 1,400-meter-high city of Kathmandu will probably not destroy the acclimatization, but the stay 4,000 meters lower than Base Camp is certainly not ideal. Not to mention the expeditionary arrhythmia.

Manaslu (l.) and Pinnacle East (r.)

This year’s first summit successes on Manaslu are reported: Chhang Dawa Sherpa, head of the Nepalese operator Seven Summit Treks, said that nine foreign mountaineers and six Climbing Sherpas summited the eighth highest mountain on earth this morning. More teams are on the way up and plan to reach the highest point at 8,156 meters on Thursday or Friday. Dan Mazur from Summit Climb tweeted from Camp 4 at 7,450 meters announcing to climb towards the summit tonight. Rainer Pircher from Amical alpin is in Camp 4 too. Dominik Mueller, head of Amical, and his clients are spending the night at Camp 3 at 6,800 meters and want to climb up to Camp 4 on Thursday.

Some teams said: Too risky

Other teams like those of Himalayan Experience and Altitude Junkies had abandoned their Manaslu expeditions in the past few days due to avalanche danger in the upper parts of the route and a troublesome big crevasse below Camp 4. On Tuesday a group of Sherpas had been able to fix rope across the crevasse. Keep your fingers crossed for all climbers who are still on the mountain!
More than 100 mountaineers had applied for permits to climb Manaslu this fall. Thus it was probably the only mountain in Nepal with a halfway normal climbing life after the devastating earthquake on 25 April that had killed almost 9,000 people.