Source: Flickr_Goddess Mother of the Universe _ Qomolangma, Mount Everest
Read about the first woman to have succumbed to the harsh conditions on the highest peak in the world.
Amongst the most awesome landscapes on earth, there is Mount Everest which is known for being the highest mountain peak in the world. This mountain has been a testament to human determination and endurance ever since the first person set eyes upon it. Many people have tried, many have failed while others have succeeded. But there are also many more people who have lost their lives to this formidable task.
Over 300 people make up for this count and have tragically lost before reaching their goals. Their stories serve as a reminder of how harsh nature can be. You can be swept off the face of the earth and be found ages later- all without a trace of whatever happened in between.
Hannelore Schmatz
The fourth woman to set out for successfully scaling the length of Mount Everest, Hannelore Schmatz was born in Germany on February 16th, 1940. Schmatz was raised in Regensburg and was adventurous from the very start- this spirit is what drove her to mountain climbing.
Hannelore and her husband were both experienced mountain climbers whose common interest in the activity and adventurous zeal brought several successful ascents their way. They had conquered the peaks in the Alps and the Andes already. In May 1973, both her and her husband had returned from a successful trip in which they had reached the top of Manaslu. This was the eighth highest mountain peak in the world. They also successfully finished climbing Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world, soon. It only made sense for them to go even higher after this point.
But for some reason which is unknown to us, the duo decided to go to the highest peak instead of the one anyone would have expected them to- the second or third highest peak. Soon, they submitted a request to the Nepalese government, asking for a permit to climb Mount Everest. Thus, began their tale of woe.
The Tragedy
The couple’s request was approved by the Nepalese government in June 1977 and Hannelore, who according to her husband was a “a genius when it came to sourcing and transporting expedition material,” took care of all the technical stuff required for scaling the mountain. Some six other experienced climbers were to accompany them on this trip- but Hannelore was still the only woman in this group.
Their journey began in July 1979 and the eight climbers, along with five sherpas, began climbing. Sherpas are local Himalayan guides who lead the way for the team. They split into two- the first was led by Hannelore’s husband Gerhard who started going up on October 1st in calm but cloudy weather. Him and his group were able to reach the summit and then, descend back to their camp. This made Gerhard the oldest person till then to reach the summit of Mount Everest- he was 50 years old.
Things unfolded differently for Hannelore’s team. They had started climbing up on October 2nd when the weather was good. Gerhard had, however, warned the second team to call off the attempt since the weather was deteriorating. Hannelore and her team decided to give the climb a try regardless of his warning. Soon, they were at the summit.
What invited trouble was the descent. The Death Zone is the highest camp on the peak and is named so because of how deadly it is. No climber can survive for more than 48 hours in the Death Zone and Hannelore’s team was also supposed to get in and get out as quick as possible. But by the time they had started trekking down, exhaustion has crept up on them and a severe snowstorm also started raging. Hannelore and American climber Ray Genet decided to bivouac (camp without tents or a cover) as it got more difficult to come down. Genet had also depleted his oxygen. All but one Sherpa, Sungdare, went ahead and this decision proved to be a fatal move.
It didn’t get better with time and as night fell, the conditions worsened. Genet couldn’t handle the snowstorm and had succumbed before morning. Sungdare and Hannelore still tried to make their way back after this but unfortunately, Hannelore couldn’t take it anymore and collapsed because of exhaustion and the cold. She fell asleep and never woke up again. Sungdare was the only one who got down to safety but most of his fingers and toes were cut off because of frostbite. He was the only one who had witnessed Hannelore’s death. Her last words had been “water, water”.
Thorns with the Rose
Hannelore was 39 when she died tragically on her way back to her husband and safety. Her husband later said that, “Nevertheless, the team came home. But I alone without my beloved Hannelore.”
Her corpse wasn’t ever retrieved though, and can be found in the same spot where she collapsed. She was frozen into a seating position with her backup against her, her eyes open, and hair whipped. In 1984, winds claimed her body entirely and she slid down the slop out of everyone’s sight. A Sherpa and a Nepalese inspector had tried to recover Hannelore’s corpse in 1984 before this had happened though. Both of them fell to their deaths and it was decided that Hannelore wanted to stay right where she was.
Genet’s body was never found.
Resources
- Zawada, A. (2000). 25 Years of Winter in the Himalaya. Alpine Journal, 105, 35-50.
- DeLong, W. (2018, April 7). The Story Of Hannelore Schmatz, The First Woman To Die On Everest. All That’s Interesting; All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/hannelore-schmatz
- The Tragedy Of Hannelore Schmatz, The First Woman To Die On Mount Everest. (2021, September 15). Thoughtnova. https://thoughtnova.com/hannelore-schmatz-mount-everest
- Ultimate Kilimanjaro. (2024, March). Hannelore Schmatz on Mount Everest (Who Was She & How Did She Die?) | Ultimate Kilimanjaro. Ultimate Kilimanjaro. https://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/hannelore-schmatz-on-mount-everest-who-was-she-how-did-she-die/
- admin. (2024, July 17). The Grim Toll: How Many People Have Died on Mount Everest? – Knowledge Monk. Knowledge Monk. https://knowledge-monk.com/mount-everest-deaths/
