Rescue workers search for survivors after an avalanche buried the Himlung base camp, Nepal on September 27. (Reuters)
At least 40 climbers and expedition workers have died across Nepal’s Himalayas and PoK’s Karakoram since May this year, making 2026 the region’s deadliest mountaineering year since 2015. Two avalanches accounted for 26 fatalities; 10 were on Broad Peak (8,051m), including record-setting mountaineer Nirmal Purja and five other accomplished Nepalese climbers, and 16 at Himlung Himal (7,126m). On Manaslu (8,163m), Indian-origin climber Dhrubajyoti Guha and his guide, Fursemba Sherpa, continued towards Camp III while six others retreated amid worsening weather. At Himlung Himal, 16 Nepalese expedition workers were killed in a Sept 27 avalanche while preparing base camp.
Because turning back means writing off thousands of dollars and months of logistical prep, we saw teams bypass obvious red flags.
High-altitude expedition safety analyst Dr Aris Thorne told TOI commercial considerations and record-setting attempts could complicate decisions to turn back. “Six other climbers who decided to retreat from Camp 2 are safe,” Makalu Adventure managing director Mohan Lamsal had told TOI . He said the pair had headed higher for an early summit attempt. “We could have saved lives today, but due to bad weather, we reached the accident site only in the evening,” he wrote on Instagram.
Heavy snowfall and changing weather created hazardous conditions, but decisions to continue climbing or remain at exposed camps despite worsening weather also figured in several deaths. “When stakes are this high, climbers often gamble against the mountain’s timeline rather than the weather forecast. It’s an unspoken hubris that treats safety margins as negotiable. Guha and Sherpa were later found buried inside their tent. Among them were a cook and kitchen assistant from the team of Imagine Nepal’s Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, who led the rescue operation.