The Abandoned Spirits of Everest

Next to the abysmal depths of the oceans, the peak of Mount Everest on the border of China and Nepal would arguably be the least visited place on earth. Yet, attempting the momentous task of reaching the summit has driven many explorers up the frozen crags for decades. Unfortunately, many of those intrepid explorers never left the mountain. 

The danger of climbing the 29,031 ft. is immensely great. So, naturally, the skill of those that make the climb would have to be great, too. To date, 310 people—guides and climbers—have perished on Mount Everest. Of the deceased, more than two-thirds of them never had their bodies removed from the ice and snow. Many of them are lost, possibly forever, covered by avalanches and snow drifts. Perhaps that’s why Mount Everest is considered one of the many haunted places in the world. 

In 2004, the famous sherpa Pemba Dorje set the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Everest. Later, he allegedly discovered a group of frozen, deceased hikers. The sherpa claimed that, while in their presence, he saw “spirits in the form of black shadows coming towards me.” He believed they were the spirits of some of the climbers who had died there. He also believed they were “begging for something to eat.” 

The accounts of how climbers have died on the mountain are sad, often even horrifying. But, could their spirits really roam the sparsely-trafficked slopes of Everest? Well, that’s up to you. There are many, though, who feel that if there are ghosts that haunt hotels, homes, and other locales far below Everest, much closer to sea level, then why can’t the spirits of the dead, forever abandoned in the Himalayas, wander, too, in search of that which they never received: solemn recognition and a proper burial.