Summary
- In a story that sounds almost impossible to believe, Nepali mountaineer Dawa Sherpa has survived six days stranded in Mount Everest’s infamous death zone, defying odds that few climbers have ever overcome.
- Dawa Sherpa was eventually discovered crawling down the mountain six days after he was last seen, having survived with almost no supplies.
- Unable to walk and with no access to food, Sherpa spent the first two days without eating anything.
In a story that sounds almost impossible to believe, Nepali mountaineer Dawa Sherpa has survived six days stranded in Mount Everest’s infamous death zone, defying odds that few climbers have ever overcome. His extraordinary ordeal has stunned the climbing community and emerged as one of the most remarkable survival stories in recent Everest history.
Dawa Sherpa was eventually discovered crawling down the mountain six days after he was last seen, having survived with almost no supplies. According to reports, he kept himself alive by chewing ice despite the pain it caused his teeth and rationing a few chocolates he found in his pocket.
The experienced guide insists he did not become lost during his descent. Instead, he was forced to remain on the mountain after his oxygen supply ran out, leaving him stranded in one of the most dangerous environments on Earth.
His ordeal became even more severe when he found himself trapped inside a crevasse. Unable to walk and with no access to food, Sherpa spent the first two days without eating anything. To stay hydrated, he resorted to chewing ice, enduring freezing temperatures and dangerously low oxygen levels while waiting for an opportunity to escape.
For nearly two and a half days, he remained trapped with no apparent way out. Then, a sudden avalanche changed everything. The snow that poured into the crevasse gradually filled part of the gap, creating a surface he could stand on. For the first time since becoming trapped, Sherpa was able to look upward and see a possible route to freedom.
Escaping the crevasse was only the beginning. The descent itself proved equally challenging, with another avalanche threatening his journey down the mountain. Despite exhaustion and worsening physical conditions, he continued moving, walking through the night as he made his way toward base camp.
Meanwhile, back in Kathmandu, his family had already begun preparing for the worst. Believing he had died on the mountain, relatives had started funeral rites before news arrived that he had been spotted by a cleanup team descending toward base camp. Sherpa was later airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where doctors treated him for dehydration, frostbite, and a fractured bone.
Reflecting on the experience, Sherpa admitted that he never expected to survive. He said he believed he would perish on the mountain and did not think he would make it out alive.
His survival has been described as extraordinary by climbers and rescue officials alike. The area where he was stranded lies within Everest’s death zone, a region where oxygen levels are too low to sustain human life for extended periods. With more than 300 recorded deaths on Everest since the 1920s and five fatalities already reported during this year’s climbing season, Sherpa’s return from the mountain stands as a powerful testament to human resilience, determination, and the instinct to survive against all odds.
