The incident at Broad Peak, where 10 climbers including record-setting Nepalese mountaineers lost their lives, is regarded as the greatest tragedy experienced by the Nepalese mountaineering community following two separate fatal accidents on Mount Everest in 2014 and 2015. According to former Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) president Ang Tshering Sherpa, the avalanche in Pakistan “is the largest single incident the Nepalese climbing community has witnessed abroad during commercial expeditions.” He noted, “It is considered the worst event after the 2014-15 accidents.” Mountaineering of high peaks in Nepal began in the 1950s. After the first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, climbing activities accelerated in the Khumbu region. However, even prior to this, Nepalese climbers had participated in ascents abroad and experienced significant tragedies, resulting in loss of lives.
Mountaineering researcher Anish Dahal pointed out that the climbers who died in the Broad Peak avalanche were internationally recognized experts. Their absence has deeply affected the climbing community. He stated, “This incident reminded the entire mountaineering community of the harsh truth that ultimately, it is the mountain that decides.” Former NMA president Ang Tshering Sherpa said that despite the extensive experience and knowledge of Nepalese climbers on the Pakistani mountains, this time they “did not have fortune on their side.” “Avalanches and rapid weather changes are common there, and climbers prepare accordingly. But this time, they could not escape fate,” he added.
Twelve years earlier, in 2014, an avalanche above Everest Base Camp at Khumbu Icefall resulted in the deaths of 16 climbers. Similarly, in 2015, an earthquake triggered another avalanche that devastated the normally considered safe base camp within minutes, killing about 22 people. During the same decade, at the beginning of 2023, three Sherpa climbers went missing in the Khumbu Icefall and were later declared dead by authorities.
Researcher Anish Dahal further explained that the nature of mountaineering fatalities has evolved since the start of commercial climbing. “Prior to commercial expeditions, most deaths occurred due to falls into crevasses, avalanches, or snowstorms. In recent years, fatalities have involved a wider range of circumstances, with personal health-related issues playing a more significant role,” he said.
Since the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal in 1990, commercial mountaineering has seen rapid growth. “The government has generally been slow in its response to rescue operations during Himalayan accidents in Nepal. However, mountaineering companies have become increasingly well-equipped, and Sherpas, experienced and trained in rescue work, have contributed to many successful rescues in recent years, saving numerous lives,” noted researcher Medhavi Gulati from Punjab University.
