Terrifying Footage of Everest Cornice Accident

May 23, 2024

As Everest climbers return to a wifi connection in Base Camp, they post pictures of their summits — and of crowds, chaos, scary moments, and, unfortunately, death.

IFMGA guide Vinayak Malla summited Everest at 6 am on the morning of May 21, the busiest summit day, with Elite Exped clients. On their way back, they videoed how the snow cornice couldn’t stand the weight of hundreds of climbers and gave in, dragging a number of people into the void.

The video doesn’t show the actual collapse but just its lead-up and aftermath. Still, the footage is mind-blowing for its clarity and for depicting the mad sight of an overcrowded summit ridge. Dozens of climbers inch across a narrow snow arete, which can’t bear the weight and eventually crumbles. Explorers Web