|
Mark
Auricht died on Everest in the Spring of 2001. We have
not included him on our list due to the following
reports:
1.)
Update 5/28/2001: Dear EverestNews.com, Sorry for the
delay, things have been very hectic and sad over the
last few days.
Events
are still very much unclear at this stage as our team
is still heading home and the Australian army team are
still on mountain or at ABC. Thus all I can confirm at
the moment is: Duncan Chessell and Tshering Sherpa
(first ascent of Everest) reached the summit at around
0930 - 1000hr on the 23/5, both in good condition on
Oxygen. On descent they met Mark Auricht at about the
Third Step and he then descended without incident to
High Camp at Camp 4 with Duncan and Tshering. They
rehydrated and later that night Mark left to descend
to Camp 3 with plenty of oxygen for the descent.
Duncan and Tshering left later that night. Mark
arrived at Camp 3 early the morning of the 24th and
was assisted by the Australian Army team with drinks
and Oxygen as he had run out on the descent for
reasons unknown. Our team had an oxygen stash at Camp
3. They radioed to ABC and felt Mark didn't have
features of HACE or HAPE and that he would descend
later that day. That morning he got out of the tent
and soon after suddenly collapsed. Resuscitation was
attempted by the Army but was unsuccessful and, our
good friend, Mark died in their arms. We are all
grateful to the Army for their excellent effort and
kind and dignified way they handled Mark at all
stages. Our thanks also go out to Scott and Theo of
the Victorian Everest Expedition for all their efforts
at ABC during the ordeal and all the kind words from
the other climbers we knew over the last month or so.
Mark
was an experienced and respected climber in Australia
who had made the first Australian ascent of Makalu
(without Oxygen) in 1995 amongst other Himalayan
climbs.
Duncan
and the rest of the team have packed up ABC and due to
head back to Kathmandu any day now. More information
may be available later, at the moment those on the
expedition and family and friends want the time to
remember Mark and grieve a great man.
Regards,
Dr. David Tingay (Expedition Doctor)
2.)
The
report on their web site where he states "By
the time Duncan had descended to Mark, it was apparent
that Mark had neither the energy, nor the oxygen
required to summit. So, very sensibly, Mark turned
around and the three climbers descended to their high
camp together...."
Mark
is presently included on some other historical summits
list(s). Everest is a strange, strange place.
Climber's Summits sometimes are taken down years later
on lists of 8000 meter peaks. This is not an exact
science, as we say. We put our information out there
for the world to see, so we will see. As you can see
from the above, we cannot include Mark on our list
based on the information we have at this time. There
might be information we don't know about....
On
the others on the North side list, we have a question
or two, but we have included them for now as Summits.
It will take time. A couple of questions have been
resolved. But in the quest to publish a list before
2001 ended, we have done so :) This work of keeping
records is no fun... Our records differs from others
in number of Summits on Everest over the years. We
have bought you some of those stories over the last 6
year. It is an opinion... That is why we call it the
EverestNews.com list.
|
