Injured Climber Rescued on Shisha Pangma

MountEverest.net is reporting that Greg Bello, a Swedish climber, was injured on Shisha Pangma, and had to be rescued from the mountain today. Bello used a satellite phone to call home to his sister this morning to tell her had injured his legs and could no longer move them. Attempts by other climbers to lower him down proved futile, and he was left to fend for himself at 6000 meters for a second night. The story goes on to explain how the Chinese were slow to issue permission to the Nepalese rescue helicopter, which delayed the rescue further. A later update to the story does say, however, that he was eventually pulled off the mountain and returned to advanced base camp, before being loaded into a jeep and sent back to Kathmandu.

Shisha Pangma is one of the worlds 8000 meter peaks, the 14th highest mountain in the world, and is often considered one of the easiest 8000 meter peaks to climb. But, as the article points out, the death rate on Shisha Pangma is often on par with Everest itself. Avalanches in particular have been deadly in recent years.