Sherpas and Climbers Make Peace after High Altitude Everest Brawl

A trio of elite mountain climbers from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Switzerland were caught up in a violent altercation with a group of 100 Sherpa guides while at 23,000 feet up on the highest mountain on the planet. The three climbers were British Jonathan Griffifth, Italian Simone Moro, and Swiss Ueli Steck and the brawl happened when they were on their descent.

“Terrifying”

One of the climbers, Simone Moro posted a description of the quarrel that happened on Saturday. According to him, rocks as well as kicks and punches were thrown. According to reports, a group of Sherpas were angered at the trio’s disregard to specific instructions. The Sherpa guides were tying safety ropes when the mountaineers made a roundabout at another location and dislodged ice and snow which fell on a guide below and causing this person injury.

The brawl is described in the media as “terrifying.” In a statement released to the press, the climbers said their lives were threatened if they were not gone from the mountain within an hour. The three mountaineers made the decision to cut their climb short and head down. This recent conflict marred the start of the Everest spring climbing season.

Tireless guides

The Sherpas are native to Nepal and have served as the guides to every single expedition to Mt. Everest. A Sherpa was one of two men who first summated the unforgiving mountain. Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was with Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand at the time he became the first climber to stand on its very top.

Guiding mountain climbers is the main source of income of the indigenous Sherpa population who live in the area. During the two months that Everest is open to both recreational and professional climbers, the Sherpa guides earn most if not all of their annual income.

Peace restored

The brawl occurred on Saturday and by Tuesday both camps agreed to make peace. According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association, both the climbers and the Sherpas realized their folly, expressed their apology with witnesses present. Both the Sherpas and mountaineers have agreed to assist each other in achieving their goals in the future.

People are saying that both sides probably made mistakes. And the intensity of the fight could have been brought about by the passionate nature of those who make the effort to climb the mountain. Observers say that “the purity of climbing” is clouded by various sources of pressure.

American mediator

Melissa Arnot, an American climber helped the thee climbers in their retreat to safety. Arnot is a record holder for the most number of Everest summits for a female climber. She has been working with Sherpa guides in the mountain for six years now. Arnot placed herself between the Sherpas and the three mountaineers. She said in an interview that she didn’t feel that the Sherpas would hit her or throw rocks at her because she was a woman.