“This is a game with death”: what are the risks of the Russians who decided to conquer Everest without oxygen

However, athletes do not give up. They intend to conquer the highest peak of the world. Moreover, they plan to go along one of the most difficult routes - the Western Ridge. Plus, climbers want to do without additional oxygen when climbing.

Climber Georgy Mavridi said that the danger of climbing without oxygen after an illness.

Russian climbers faced a hurricane wind on Everest, so went down below. How dangerous is it to be in the mountains in this weather?

- How dangerous! Especially at an altitude of 6-7 thousand meters, where it is already difficult to breathe, the body works at the limit, and visibility is almost zero. A hurricane wind in the mountains literally knocks a person off his feet, snow and ice crumb beat in the face, frostbite get spit once. In such weather, it is better to forget about climbing. You need to find shelter and wait out the bad weather or go down if it is safe.

The athletes took refuge in the camp and waited for the weather to normalize.

- We can wait a long time. But even a good forecast does not guarantee that the wind will not suddenly rise again. At an altitude of 5600 meters, an experienced, well acclimatized group can wait for several days if there is shelter. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe to stay there. A powerful wind can tear, carry the tent, break the arcs, snow will block the entrance. In addition, at altitude, the body is difficult without movement. You can’t wait forever for the weather to improve.

Climbers chose the West Rib of Everest for the climb. They say it's a dangerous route. Dangerous?

- It's a rare route. There climb only trained climbers who want not just to tick that were on top. They dream of going the hard way. There are a lot of steep rock and ice areas, narrow ridges, where you just can not pass, you need ropes, insurance. But if on the mass routes of Everest there are prepared sections, fixed ropes, then here climbers will have to pave the road independently. The slightest mistake can be costly. A large part of the route is under strong winds.

The Russians are going to go without additional oxygen. Is that possible?

Climbing without additional oxygen exists, which is more difficult and dangerous. I'd call it a death game. Even if the climber is well acclimatized, if a hurricane rises at altitude, a person without oxygen is less likely to escape. Extra oxygen helps maintain efficiency. But for many professionals, oxygen-free climbing is a fundamental challenge. They want to travel on their own without support. Consciously taking risks.

Earlier it was reported that the participants of the expedition had health problems. One of the participants was evacuated by helicopter due to weakness, coughing and dizziness. Is it possible to go back to Everest after this?

- It depends on how well they've recovered. They seem to have gone through the necessary acclimatization to decide not to give up.

If the weather gets worse, what should they do?

- It's obviously dangerous to continue climbing. You need to stay in a safe shelter or, if possible, go down below. Wait for a suitable weather window. If it is not, it is better to refuse to climb. But climbers who have already tuned in, it is psychologically difficult to make such a decision.