Canadian had to 'climb over dead bodies' on Mount Everest
A rise in deaths on Mount Everest this week have been blamed on an increase in traffic due to the ideal weather conditions and issues with overcrowding.
Long line-ups of mountaineers have caused traffic jams on the slopes, which can contribute to the exhaustion and dehydration that climbers experience, and it can quickly become deadly.
In an interview with CTV News Elia Saikaly, an Ottawa-based adventure filmmaker stated the conditions on the mountain were "horrendous" this year. This recent expedition was Saikaly's third time climbing the mountain and he said that "disorganized companies" did not properly accommodate the needs of foreign climbers.
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"We were climbing over dead bodies," said Saikaly, when explaining the chaotic conditions to CTV News.
The overcrowding has caused climbers to spend longer amoustn of time in the "Death Zone," which is an area of high altitude above 8,000 metres with minimal amounts of available oxygen. At least three deaths have been directly linked to delays in this area of the mountain.
Nepal has issued permits to 379 climbers on Mount Everest in the season, which ends this month. Hiking officials say between 5 to 10 climbers die on Mount Everest in an average climbing year, and at least 10 climbers have died in the past week.
