Missing climber sparks killer mountain warning
By Zhang Xuanchen |
January 25, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CLIMBERS have been warned not to attempt three peaks in southwest China's Yunnan Province after efforts to find a missing man proved fruitless.
People who try to climb the Meili, Haba and Baima mountains in winter risk getting trapped or killed by avalanches, a spokesman with the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture government said yesterday.
"It is impossible for poorly-equipped amateurs to conquer the mountains, as so far even no professional has ever reached the top," the spokesman surnamed Wang said.
A ban on climbing in the Meili Snow Mountain Range took effect in 1996, but that hasn't deterred dozens of enthusiasts. They included 36-year-old Gao Jiahu, who vowed to become the first to climb the range's highest peak of 6,740 meters but has now been missing for nearly a month.
The last contact from Gao was four text messages sent to his former travel companion, Wang Hui, on December 24 last year. Gao said he had reached a height of 5,400 meters but was suffering severe headaches and difficulty in breathing as a result of his fast ascent.
The pair lost contact shortly after, Chuncheng Evening News said yesterday.
A villager said he provided lodgings for Gao almost every year. He said he tried to persuade him to give up his quest, but Gao ignored his advice.
Straddling the Yunnan-Tibet border, the Meili Snow Mountain Range rises steeply between the deep gorges of the Mekong and Salween rivers. Although dwarfed by Mount Everest, the range has frustrated climbers from all over the world and claimed several lives.
A 17-member Chinese and Japanese team tried to reach the summit in 1991, but the team perished. Their remains were not found until 1998.
People who try to climb the Meili, Haba and Baima mountains in winter risk getting trapped or killed by avalanches, a spokesman with the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture government said yesterday.
"It is impossible for poorly-equipped amateurs to conquer the mountains, as so far even no professional has ever reached the top," the spokesman surnamed Wang said.
A ban on climbing in the Meili Snow Mountain Range took effect in 1996, but that hasn't deterred dozens of enthusiasts. They included 36-year-old Gao Jiahu, who vowed to become the first to climb the range's highest peak of 6,740 meters but has now been missing for nearly a month.
The last contact from Gao was four text messages sent to his former travel companion, Wang Hui, on December 24 last year. Gao said he had reached a height of 5,400 meters but was suffering severe headaches and difficulty in breathing as a result of his fast ascent.
The pair lost contact shortly after, Chuncheng Evening News said yesterday.
A villager said he provided lodgings for Gao almost every year. He said he tried to persuade him to give up his quest, but Gao ignored his advice.
Straddling the Yunnan-Tibet border, the Meili Snow Mountain Range rises steeply between the deep gorges of the Mekong and Salween rivers. Although dwarfed by Mount Everest, the range has frustrated climbers from all over the world and claimed several lives.
A 17-member Chinese and Japanese team tried to reach the summit in 1991, but the team perished. Their remains were not found until 1998.
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