Everest Basecamp Avalanche Video
Avalanches on the Khumbu icefall above [tag-tec]Mount Everest[/tag-tec] BC (Nepal side) are more or less common, but few are as powerful as the one in this video… Even smaller ones sweep ladders and fixed ropes away. If you google Everest BC avalanches, you’ll find a few videos – this is probably the longest and most exhibitive of all. On most of these videos, the avalanches originate from the left side of the Khumbu glacier and as far as I know, the route up the glacier avoids this side…
Still, it’s scary as hell. I witnessed an avalanche…
…of almost similar magnitude a month ago in Tirol, Austria under [tag-tec]Grossvenediger[/tag-tec]. Even though it was about half a kilometer behind me in the valley where I just skied down, it scared the shit out of me and the group – gave new meaning to the phrase “thank God”.
The scary thing is that when leaving on a Saturday, the prognosed avalanche danger for Sunday (the day it came down) was only grade 2. Having arrived home, I checked again to see and realized that it had been raised to grade 3. Still, I wouldn’t have thought of such a pile of snow coming down on a grade 3 day.
Have a fun and safe spring climb. Thanks to @everestbound for pointing out this video.