UKC

Around 20 people on a trekking route in Nepal have died with more feared dead following severe blizzards on Wednesday 15th October. Dozens have been reported missing in the storms and subsequent avalanches which occurred over the Annapurna Circuit of Central Nepal.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69239

In reply to UKC News:

"almost half of the people missing are believed to be foreign trekkers " Does that mean more than half are believed to be locals A terrible year for sherpa deaths.

In reply to Fruit:

The death toll seems to be rising, terribly sad, they seem to have been caught out by a sudden change in direction of travel of the cyclone which was forecast to hit far western Nepal away rather than the west and the Annapurna Himal.

The Sherpa are predominantly from the Khumbu region in Eastern Nepal, the locals among the number that were killed are likely to be Manang Bas or Dolpa people if they are actually residents of the higher altitudes of Annapurna (which is in the west) rather than Sherpa, although of course guides and porters could've been from any region as Annapurna is such a popular trekking area.

In reply to UKC News:

I heard one of the survivors, a British policeman, on R4 this morning (about 7.15). He talked about following people because he thought they knew where they were going, only they didn't. He then how they started walking, him in front, from one pole to another, until they got to safety, keeping ten yards apart. He thought he was leading about ten people, but when they reached safety, he turned round and realised there was now nearer 150 people snaking along behind him. Which gives an idea of the scale of this.

In reply to Escher:

Seems the cyclone was not so 'sudden' and many new it was coming for some time... why was it still so terrible...

http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/asia/nepal/Why-Did-So-Many-Pe...

"Despite all the confusion about how many people may have been killed and how many are still missing, one thing that is clear is that even though many news reports, including the Times, have called the weather event a “freak snowstorm,” it was anything but. Cyclone Hudhud was a Category 4 hurricane with a storm track that was predicted by multiple weather services, including NOAA."

In reply to UKC News:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=600437

In reply to wkrzys:

Of course the cyclone wasn't 'sudden', it had just travelled across a large part of India, I said there was a sudden change of direction during the night before it hit the region and it's track was heading towards far western Nepal away from the Annapurna region. The map on your link does indicates that the track of the cyclone at 2am looked to be heading towards the far west. Whether or not it was still sensible to be heading for the pass when such a weather was heading anywhere near is another discussion. Of course this is all just speculation, and probably not appropriate right now considering the ongoing situation but it would be preferable if you didn't misquote and infer I said that the storm was sudden.

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/10/15/top-story/snowstorm-...

"Weathermen and experts had forecast the direction of cyclone to be north-west that would have impacted some places including high-altitude regions in the far-west in Nepal. “But the cyclonic movement unexpectedly turned the earlier predicted direction on Monday night towards the north-east, which ultimately hit the central part intensely,” said Suman Regmi, chief at the Meteorological Forecasting Division. The core of the heaviest rain of the cyclone Hudhud hit the central region, affecting the Annapurna region, the famous trekking routes in the country."

In reply to mav:

I was saddened by his assessment of the porters' work conditions; they have to carry so much weight that they often elect not to wear proper high altitude clothing and wear something lighter.

In reply to Tom Valentine:


Yes, I am mindful of my experiences in the Himalaya. When I went the first time to Everest Base Camp when we got back to Lukla we pooled any spare gear that we had and donated it to the porters.

Consequently, when I went to Annapurna, I earmarked some items for this purpose before I left home. As the trek was drawing to a close I mentioned to the rest of the group that I had some items of gear to donate to the porters and was happy to co-ordinate the donations of the rest of the party. They looked at me askance and several of them remarked along the lines that the porters were provided for by the trekking companies and if they chose not to wear that clothing "then tough".

In reply to Escher:

Ah, now I remember why I rarely post on UKC, because the general assumption being that everything is automatically an affront against them, I'd just like to share the various articles on the subject for others to read. The inference was not intended and you were not quoted but thanks for the clarification & url...

In reply to mypyrex:

To be honest, I don't know why anyone needs a porter. There are so many teahouses on the popular routes you don't need to be in a guided group at all. It would be pretty damn hard to get lost. As for having someone carry all your gear...why not carry it yourself? Its not like you need to take food/cooking equipment/tents to do annurpuna circuit or EBC

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:


Most people don't need a porter. The porters need you. It's their job and source of income. It is very hard to visit the region independently and not be harassed the entire time about hiring a guide and/or porter. At times it even feels very uncomfortable when going it alone as evil glares and huffs from some local guides seem to imply you are doing them out of business.

In reply to BruceM:

In the three months I spent trekking there I wasn't harrassed at all or remember any funny looks. I met plenty trekking alone and nobody else seemed to have any issues either. I spent plenty of money in the country. Anyway...I have probably hijacked the thread a bit so will butt out now.

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

The reason I, and I imagine many others, had porters/guides was solely because I went on organised treks. Being new to the Himalaya I did not really want all the administrative hassle such as trekking permits, booking internal flights etc.

In reply to mav:

Here's that Interview with the survivor that was aired on R4 this morning:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29658718