Video from Everest avalanche

[BelemNole]

First video out from the avalanche that hit Everest basecamp this weekend after the big earthquake killing at least 18.
The guy filming was lucky - he was at the far end of camp and just got a dusting.

 

[Urban Cryer]

Insane!

 

[OrlandNole]

Was that Ahnuld?

 

[Superfan97]

I'm no mountaineer, so I'll ask: is there a "best practice" for that contingency where you see the avalanche coming toward you and have seconds to act? Obviously those guys dove for the tent, but it seems like a tent could be crushed and buried pretty easily. It occurred to me in the second the video was happening that I might want to dive behind a big boulder, but then I also thought, of course, that if the boulder rolled over on me it would be worse than a tent collapsing under snow.

what would a real mountaineer recommend as a default, or is there none?

 

[FSUTribe76]

I'm no mountaineer, so I'll ask: is there a "best practice" for that contingency where you see the avalanche coming toward you and have seconds to act? Obviously those guys dove for the tent, but it seems like a tent could be crushed and buried pretty easily. It occurred to me in the second the video was happening that I might want to dive behind a big boulder, but then I also thought, of course, that if the boulder rolled over on me it would be worse than a tent collapsing under snow.

what would a real mountaineer recommend as a default, or is there none?

I'm not a "real mountaineer" but several of the articles have said that those killed were those who were caught completely in the open or were huddling in tents that were not protected by boulders or small cliffs. The smart people who put their tents next to boulders and/or rock ledges/small cliffs were safe.

Allegedly the Google guy died in his unprotected tent when a giant chunk of ice took off his head.

I've been reading up on this as I've always found Everest fascinating to begin with as the magazine owned by some of my relatives way back in the day covered various unsuccessful and then successful attempts to climb Everest (also to find the North and South poles, the source of the Nile and a lot of other late 1800 early 1900 explorers). What's going on right now is fascinating as an outsider (and terrifying I'm sure for the climbers) as there were 120+ climbers still alive who survived in and around Camps 1 and 2 and there is literally no way (as the icefall routes were destroyed) to get from Camp 1 down to Base Camp. So it's a race to see if the climbers can be helicoptered down from camp 1 (very risky flying) to base camp before they freeze or starve to death. And it doesn't help that the medic for Camp 1 was killed in the initial Avalanche.

 

[DanC78]

A shovel is a good tool to have incase of an avalanche.

Ask this guy...came in handy for him. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/s...r-is-buried-in-an-avalanche-then-rescued.html

 

[kaswear]

I'm not a "real mountaineer" but several of the articles have said that those killed were those who were caught completely in the open or were huddling in tents that were not protected by boulders or small cliffs. The smart people who put their tents next to boulders and/or rock ledges/small cliffs were safe.

Allegedly the Google guy died in his unprotected tent when a giant chunk of ice took off his head.

I've been reading up on this as I've always found Everest fascinating to begin with as the magazine owned by some of my relatives way back in the day covered various unsuccessful and then successful attempts to climb Everest (also to find the North and South poles, the source of the Nile and a lot of other late 1800 early 1900 explorers). What's going on right now is fascinating as an outsider (and terrifying I'm sure for the climbers) as there were 120+ climbers still alive who survived in and around Camps 1 and 2 and there is literally no way (as the icefall routes were destroyed) to get from Camp 1 down to Base Camp. So it's a race to see if the climbers can be helicoptered down from camp 1 (very risky flying) to base camp before they freeze or starve to death. And it doesn't help that the medic for Camp 1 was killed in the initial Avalanche.

I have climbed several mountains (not Everest). But the best thing you can do on a slope is to self arrest (use your ice ax to dig yourself into the slope). You are tethered together, depending on the difficulty of the mountain, in order to have a "backup plan" in the case of an avalanche or if one of you fall into a crevasse. Being tied together can save you your life or cost it.

In a situation like at base camp, you are a sitting duck. Most people probably don't wear Avalanche transponders at base camp.

 

[fsubey2]

I prefer this one instead:

 

[semifan1]

I prefer this one instead:

View embedded media

I'm sorry,but I LOL at Arnold get to the chopper. I can't imagine this coming at me and wondering if I'm going to die.