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Everest 2015: Last Team Calls It Quits – Season Over

In what can only be described as the most devastating season for not only Everest and all of Nepal’s mountaineering industry, but for the millions of residents of Nepal whose lives are changed forever, team Himex has announced their decision to leave Everest Basecamp.

After days of confusion by climbers around the world as to how the Everest season could possibly continue after such a tragedy, it turns out no one will attempt the summit after all.

A few days ago, Himalayan Experience (Himex) announced on their webpage that they were going to stay at Basecamp and assess the situation. They said they could possibly use a helicopter to ferry loads back up the mountain for another attempt.

But, it turns out team Himex was never really considering it and have packed up shop for their trek out. Russell Bruce, the owner of Himex, wrote on his webpage:

It seems that the media is all very ready to tell the world that I have made a decision to continue to climb on Everest, when in my last newsletter I said that we would assess the situation: the ministry, the expedition operations association, my team, the Sherpas as well as the scale of the disaster in the whole country had to be considered. At that stage I had not made a decision as there were so many factors to be considered. Now having considered all facts, I can tell you that we will not be continuing any of our ascents in Nepal this season.

Read the Full Post Here

Not only have they called off their climb, but team Himex is in an active search for missing people.

“In the meanwhile we continue to search for the three missing Indonesian trekkers, two guides and five porters who were in the Langtang area,” wrote Bruce. “It appears that most injured and dead from this area have been transported to the road head, but there is very little news coming from this devastated area, so it will still take time to establish where these members are.”

With team Himex calling it quits, the Icefall Doctors might reassess their plan to establish a new route through the Khumbu.

As of right now, it seems Everest might have a summitless year. There is the off chance smaller teams or groups might attempt to climb the world’s highest mountain from Nepal – as the peak is closed from Tibet – but chances are slim.

For the dozens of hopeful record makers, the alpine-style attempts from the north by Canadians on separate expeditions and the hundreds of other climbers who dreamed of adding Chomolungma to their resume, it seems they’ll have to wait until 2016 and to simply remember the words of George Mallory, “The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this: What is the use of climbing Mount Everest? and my answer must at once be, it is no use. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever.”

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