On 9 September 1974, the West Ridge Direct on
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...
was attempted by a
French expedition. It resulted in the deaths of six climbers in an
avalanche
An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain.
Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and eart ...
on the way to the summit. These deaths took the total number of fatalities on the mountain to 36.
The team consisted of:
*
* Claude Ancey (survived)
* Lhakpa (
Sherpa Sherpa may refer to:
Ethnography
* Sherpa people, an ethnic group in north eastern Nepal
* Sherpa language
Organizations and companies
* Sherpa (association), a French network of jurists dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility
* ...
)
* Sanu Wongal (Sherpa)
* Pemba Dorje (Sherpa)
* Nawang Lutuk (Sherpa)
* Nima Wangchu (Sherpa)
In comparison, six Sherpas died on 5 April 1970 due to an avalanche in the
Khumbu Icefall
The Khumbu Icefall is located at the head of the Khumbu Glacier and the foot of the Western Cwm, which lies at an elevation of on the Nepali slopes of Mount Everest, not far above Base Camp and southwest of the summit. The icefall is considere ...
(see
1970 Mount Everest disaster).
Other bad years were 1982 and 1996, although none of these years claimed as many lives as were lost in the avalanches of
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2015.
See also
*
1970 Mount Everest disaster
*
List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest
Mount Everest, at is currently the world's highest mountain and is a particularly desirable peak for mountaineers. This is a list of people who reached the summit of Mount Everest in the 20th century. Overall about 1,383 people summited Evere ...
*
List of deaths on the Eight Thousanders
*
List of people who died climbing Mount Everest
At least 310 people have died attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest which, at , is Earth's highest mountain and a particularly desirable peak for mountaineers. The most recent years without known deaths on the mountain are 1977, in whi ...
*
List of Mount Everest expeditions
This is a list of expeditions to Mount Everest. Many of these are mountaineering expeditions for exploration, sport, science or fundraising.
Introduction
There have been many expeditions throughout the 20th (1900s) and 21st (2000s) centurie ...
References
External links
Broadcast of the National Institute of Audiovisuel
{{DEFAULTSORT:French Mount Everest expedition, 1974
1974
1970s avalanches
Expeditions from France
Mountaineering disasters
Avalanches in Nepal
September 1974 events in Asia
1974 disasters in Nepal
Gerard Devouassoux