A lot of fresh snow in the last few days in Himalaya had caused a lot of huge avalanches. One of these avalanche was self-released in the central Nepal in the are of the seventh highest peak Dhaulagiri at 10.30 p.m. in Oct 14th. The debris of this avalanche had covered base camp of the Slovak-Czech skialpinism-climbing expedition Dhaulagiri 2014.
Ján Matlák and Vladimír Švancár died in the avalanche that fell to base camp of Dhaulagiri
The members of the expedition’s team had descended from Camp2 to BC due to weather forecast – change of weather with snow storms: „News: today we had descended from Camp2 to BC due to weather. There is about 1/2 meter of snow till morningdue. Based on weather forecast we will took a rest in BC for next 2 days and then we will continue to Camp3.“
Expected route to Dhaulagiri
The last news were published on expedition’s web Dhaulagiri 2014 in October 13th: „It is snowing, snowing, all the time snowing …. We are waiting in BC for better weather :( We believe, that the weather will be better.“
Dhaulagiri’s base camp
Based on the available information, the majority of expeditions’s members were in the socially tent. For a pity, the expedition leader climber and skialpinist Ján Matlák, climber Vladimír Švancár, and Sherpas Ghoj Kumar Rai, Dorje Sherpa and Gopal Rai were in that time in smaller expeditions’ tents. All tents were hit by avalanche. Fortunately, all people had luckily get out the social tent without any serious injuries. The group was evacuated by helicopter to Pokhara in the morning.
Jiří Švihálek, Peter Kostelanský and three Sherpas had flied back to BC in Oct 16, 2014, where they had found out three Sherpas and both Slovak members of the expedition.
The autumn season 2014 is extremely deadly, as it is fourth avalanche tragedy within one month. Shisha Pangma – Dynafit Double 8, two avalanches in Chile. and Dhaulagiri. Currently, there are missed other tens of trekkers and Sherpas in different places in Nepal.
Rest In Peace…
Photo adaptation Ondra Švihálek Photo Dhaulagiri 2014 Expedition.sk and Nima Nangyal Shepra.
