Horse Trading At Base Camp

Those of us working in the mountaineering trade as sardars, guides and porters have seen a consistent pattern of commercialisation among some of those from the West who come to climb our mountains. This is especially true on Mount Everest, which holds such a fascination for climbers worldwide that they are willing to leave all mountaineering ethics behind at Base Camp in the rush upwards to become "conquerors of Chomolongma".

I saw the most blatant aspect of corrupt climbing this past fall on Everest, when I was sardar to the French team led by Marc Batard. Others on the mountain at the same time were a New Zealand cum Czechoslovak team, a South Korean team, a breakaway French team that was originally pan of Batard´s group, and a large American team.

By the time we arrived at Base Camp from the airstrip at Lukla, the Americans and Koreans had already broken the route through the Khumbu lcefall, which is the most difficult part of climbing Everest from the South. It was the Americans who had supplied the many ice screws, ice bars, ladders and the vast lengths of rope required to cut this route. In the past, whoever broke trail had right of first use, but this was the first time my fellow Nepali climbers and I witnessed the actual charging of rent or toll for a trail up a Himalayan mountain. What we saw was the equivalent of what in the Nepali highways is known as the sawarikar.

My task for the Batard group was to set up camps up to South Col. We were told by the Americans that the icefall route had required U$ 28,000 – surely an exaggeration – and chat all expeditions must share in this cost. Ignoring the demand for payment, I forged ahead with my Nepali friends and broke the trail and established camps all the way to the South Col, When I returned to Base Camp, I learnt to my surprise that Batard had accepted the outrageous demand and handed over U$ 5,500 to the Americans, With hindsight, I believe he must have done so gladly because this made much easier his much ballyhooed goal of climbing Everest from Base Camp within 24 hours (which he did). Besides our group, the New Zealanders and Czechs paid U$ 7,000 and the breakaway French team is said to have paid U$ 5,000.

There was much unhappiness among the 30 or so Sherpas in the American group, from what we could overhear from the adjoining campground. Many protested the commercialisation and asked the American leader whether he had come to climb Chomolongma or to make money on the Icefall. 10 or 15 Sherpas even "walked out" and went down to the village of Lobuje for a few days. I think they were enticed back when the Americans promised to pay generous bonuses.

Incidentally, the route above the Icefall, all the way along the Western Camp to the South Col, was established by my team of Nepali climbers. All the "sahibs" used it to get to the top. We did not charge rent. A month later in Kathmandu, 1 still did not know who had gotten the better part of the deal, until the South Korean leader dropped by at my office. I still remember what he said: "This no good American people no give money. They take it all and go." I hear that the same American team is coming back to Manaslu this spring, perhaps to do some real climbing this time Iman Singh Gurung has led treks and climbs for 15 years. He comes from Laprak village in Gurkha District.

Climbers´ Advisory

H.C.  Sarin, President of the Indian Mountaineering  Federation, speaking recently in Mussoorie about the duty of climbers in the Himalaya:

Our advice to all climbers is to keep the mountains clean; consider other people; help protect wildlife; avoid reckless mountaineering. Mountaineering expeditions, whether Indian or foreign, must leave the mountain cleaner than they find it. They must take responsibility for each member and the porters. All Indian clubs have been advised that there will be no felling or cutting of trees or plants. Campfires are banned and only kerosene and other similar fuels will be used. All garbage will be burned or buried and no glass, tin or plastic items will be left behind. Campsites will be away from lakes or streams and water will not be polluted anywhere.

This article was translated from the original Nepali.

~By Iman Singh Gurung