Page 50 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

Left for dead
In May 2006, after reaching the summit of Everest the day
before but suffering severely from the effects of the altitude,
mountaineer Lincoln Hall was left at a height of 28,500 ft
(8,700 m) by a rescue party of Sherpas who thought that
he was dead. Incredibly, he survived a night near the peak
without a hat, gloves, sleeping bag, food, water, or oxygen.
He was lucky to escape with no more than severe frostbite.

A fatal bottleneck

In May 1996, a group of climbers was held up
reaching Everest’s peak, as some 25 others were
attempting the summit on the same day! No one
noticed the snow clouds forming, and just two
hours later, the climbers were battling against
hurricane-force winds and driving snow, leaving
five climbers dead.

Mountain route

BEARS AND COUGARS: If you feel DISEASES: Feeling itchy? A bite ALTITUDE SICKNESS: The views from
like a snack, remember that food from a tick could lead to chills, the top may be wonderful, but don’t
smells soon get picked up by passing a severe headache, fatigue, hang around taking snaps, as the lack
bears and cougars. One in five cougar deep muscle pain, nausea, and of oxygen up here can be fatal, leading
attacks is fatal, and one swipe from a very nasty rash—all signs of to splitting headaches followed by
a grizzly paw can take your head off. Rocky Mountain spotted fever. coma and death.

CREVASSES: Easy does it. Many AVALANCHES: Sssshh! Most avalanches SNOWBLINDNESS: Make sure you
climbers have died crossing mountain are triggered by their victims, so avoid bring along dark goggles or a pair
glaciers after falling into a crevasse— yelling to your fellow climbers or you of sunglasses. They can be a real
a deep chasm in the ice. A layer of could get hit by a giant slab of snow and lifesaver, as gazing at bright white
snow can cover the entrance, forming ice streaking down the mountain at snow for too long can seriously
a treacherous snow bridge. speeds of up to 217 mph (350 km/h). damage your eyes.

FALLING ROCKS: Don’t spend too FROSTBITE: Wrap up warm or the frost BLIZZARDS: A snowstorm can appear
long admiring the scenery. Rocks will bite. Exposed fingers and ears from nowhere. Howling winds hurl snow
can tumble down the mountainside can become black and swollen and, if and ice at your body, blasting your face
at any moment and knock you loose. badly frozen, they will eventually drop and sucking the heat and air out of you.
Hanging glaciers on steep slopes off! Climbing is a lot trickier without To top it all, the rest of your party can
also drop ice, which hurt. A lot. fingers or toes… vanish from sight in the driving snow.

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