The Everest Obsession

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Is an obsession with Everest creating unnecessary risk for the people who work there?

Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to reach the summit of Everest in 1993, explores how climbing Everest has changed, creating both opportunities and challenges.

Is a global obsession with Everest creating unnecessary risk for the people who work there? On 18 April 2014, an avalanche killed 16 sherpas on the mountain. They were picking their way through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall carrying heavy equipment for climbing companies. The tragedy shone a spotlight on the commercial side of the mountain, where hundreds attempt the summit each year, supported by sherpas. Rebecca Stephens became the first British woman to reach the summit of Everest in 1993. In this series, she explores how climbing Everest has changed, creating both opportunities and challenges.

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The Everest Obsession: 4. Bringing the bodies home

4. Bringing the bodies home

BBC Radio 4 - The Everest Obsession, 4. Bringing the bodies home

Grief turns to anger in the sherpa community, after a deadly avalanche.

The moving moment that bodies of the sherpas are returned home to their families. Surviving sherpas demand better working conditions and effectively go on strike.

Is a global obsession with Everest creating unnecessary risk for the people who work there? On 18 April 2014, an avalanche killed 16 sherpas on the mountain. They were picking their way through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall carrying heavy equipment for climbing companies. The tragedy shone a spotlight on the commercial side of the mountain, where hundreds attempt the summit each year, supported by sherpas. 
Rebecca Stephens became the first British woman to reach the summit in 1993. 
Lakpa Rita Sherpa explains how he took the bodies of his colleagues home to their families, after they were killed in the avalanche. The anger of sherpas is heard around the world, as Everest is effectively closed to commercial climbers. 

Presenter: Rebecca Stephens MBE
Producer: Laura Jones 
Production Assistance in Kathmandu: Pradeep Bashyal
Sound design: Craig Boardman 
Editor: Clare Fordham 
Production Coordinators: Gemma Ashman and Ellie Dover 
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams 
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

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The Everest Obsession

4. Bringing the bodies home

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