Pune man conquers Everest, dies during descent

Nihal Ashpak Bagwan (27), had just achieved his dream of climbing Mount Everest, but he did not live to enjoy the achievement. It was Bagwan’s second attempt. “Bagwan attempted his first Mount Everest climb in 2017 and had to abort the summit just 400 metres away,” says one of his climbing coaches Shekhar Babu, of Transcend Adventure.

According to Nepali officials, descending from Mount Everest on Friday, Bagwan died of exhaustion.

“Bagwan died of dehydration, exhaustion and tiredness after being caught in the jam of climbers,” said Keshab Paudel of the Peak Promotion hiking agency that handled the climber’s logistics.

A student of physical education at Bharati Vidyapeeth, Katraj, in Pune, Bagwan’s friends knew him as a passionate and caring person, madly in love with the mountains.

Omesh Panchal, a teacher, who personally knew the climber, says, “Nihal was full of positivity and very humble; always encouraging everyone to try until one succeeds.”

Bagwan was a member of the Darjeeling Mountaineering Institute and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI).

Bagwan used his mountaineering skills for various humanitarian activities as well.

“He volunteered to be part of the rescue team during an earthquake in 2015 at Chaurikhang, a Himalayan base camp. We were both volunteers from Bharati Vidyapeeth during Khelo India in Pune,” says close friend Makrand Chhallare.

Another mountaineer, Monish Dave from Pune, says, “The problem is too many climbers are on Mount Everest and there is a very short window for the summit. They have to wait in long lines for the summit, which adds to the risk of oxygen running out.”

Three Indian climbers, two women among them, died of exhaustion while descending the slopes of Mount Everest, Nepali officials said on Friday, taking to 15 the total of mountaineers killed or missing in this year’s climbing season.

More than 120 climbers scaled the world’s highest mountain on Thursday, but some of them were caught in the crowd of people on the slopes, leading to exhaustion, dehydration and death, they said.

Apart from Bagwan, Anjali Sharad Kulkarni, 54, from Mumbai, died on the way down from the summit, 8,850 metres (29,035 feet) high.

Lhakpa Sherpa of another agency, Arun Treks and Expeditions, said his client, Kulkarni, died of weakness while coming down to Camp IV on the South Col of Everest.

Bagwan’s brother, who also lives in Pune, was not available for comment.