Dead Climber on Everest just "hanging around."

Supposedly, on the accent to Everest, climbers must climb a rope up a cliff and climb past the body of a dead climber still hanging to a rope for the last couple of decades. I've found references to this climber, but nothing solid. I'm mordily curious about this so if anyone has any aditional information not counting the vague references I've found, I would be grateful.

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Donner

Supposedly, on the accent to Everest, [...]

The accent is on the first syllable. No problem. Glad to be of service. And welcome to the board!

[Troberg]

I've found references to this climber, but nothing solid.

Given the temperature there, I think the climber is pretty solid...

[dodger_stl]

Originally Posted by Donner

Supposedly, on the accent to Everest, climbers must climb a rope up a cliff and climb past the body of a dead climber still hanging to a rope for the last couple of decades. I've found references to this climber, but nothing solid. I'm mordily curious about this so if anyone has any aditional information not counting the vague references I've found, I would be grateful.

First off ... arent you late for a party ...

Second ... from what I have read and seen on TV shows about everest, the mountain has bodies all over it. From what they say its considered more dangerous to bring the bodies down from the higher elevations, and that you risk more lives being lost just trying to.

Dodger

[Richard W]

In the book Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer describes several bodies that you have to walk past to get to the summit - in one case apparently you pretty much need to step over the guy. I haven't got a copy to look up more details, unfortunately. I don't remember specifically a corpse hanging from a rope.

[Jay Tea]

I recall the recovery of a sherpa from a crevasse, but nothing would literally 'hang around' on Everest for very long. But yes, Everest is littered with corpses (and, indeed, litter), well over a hundred are known, and the shifting cloak of the mountain reveals some and devours others each year. The mortality rate is one death per 10 attempts on the summit and it's simply too dangerous to recover those that perish around 8300 metres - Everest? you've gotta be barking

[Floater]

Originally Posted by Troberg

Given the temperature there, I think the climber is pretty solid...

Not only solid, he's also quite stiff.

[charlie23]

OP: Google is your friend. There are at least 2 documented accounts on the first page under the search terms I used. If you want names and dates of the corpses I seriously doubt you'll get them as the climbers generally don't focus on such things out of both respect for the dead and simple exhaustion.

[Lawgiver]

George Mallory was just recently found on Everest (1999) He was quite possible the 1st to reach the summit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mallory

[Jay Tea]

Originally Posted by Lawgiver

George Mallory was just recently found on Everest (1999) He was quite possible the 1st to reach the summit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mallory

I might be tripping, but weren't they hoping to find his partner who had a camera, or they found a camera and were hoping to develop film to reveal whether or not they made the summit?

Forgive me if i'm imagining all this, I had too much premium lager last night and my brain is falling away like wet cake

[Richard W]

Mmm, cake!

[franjava]

Originally Posted by Richard W

Mmm, cake!

Yeah, but it's wet. Who wants soggy cake?!

I read "Into Thin Air" as well and remember the reference to multiple bodies. Don't know of anyone clinging to a rope, though.

Everest? Heck, no! I have a hard enough time climbing my steep driveway... in summer!

[Ali Infree]

Jay Tea wrote:

I might be tripping, but weren't they hoping to find his partner who had a camera, or they found a camera and were hoping to develop film to reveal whether or not they made the summit?

A camera was found with Mallory's body, I believe. I never heard if photos were developed from it. I think that originally it was believed that the body was his partner, or that other Japanese climbers had mentioned seeing an "old English dead" guy on the slopes who might have been Mallory or the still unfound climbing partner.
If that makes any sense. I am still feeling the effects of my friend Bushmill's from last evening myself.

Ali "why waste all that barley in soup" Infree