A Sherpa guide has been pulled from the slopes of Mount Everest after spending six days stranded with only a single chocolate bar and glacial meltwater. The man, identified as Pemba Dorjee, 32, was separated from his climbing party during a sudden storm last Tuesday. He was found yesterday by a rescue team at 6,700 metres, suffering from severe frostbite and dehydration but conscious and able to walk.
British mountaineering experts have described his survival as 'extraordinary' and a testament to the human will to live. 'The conditions at that altitude are lethal even with proper gear,' said Sir John Harding, president of the Alpine Club. 'To survive on such meagre rations for nearly a week is a miracle of endurance and mental fortitude.
' Dorjee was airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where doctors say he will require amputation of several toes but is expected to recover fully. His employer, a Khumbu-based expedition company, confirmed that he had been carrying emergency supplies but lost them when he fell into a crevasse. 'He had only a chocolate bar in his pocket,' said a company spokesperson.
'He melted ice for water and sheltered behind a rock. It is incredible he is alive.' The incident reignites debate about safety standards on Everest, where budget operators sometimes push guides to the limit.
'This man's survival should not mask the systemic risks faced by high-altitude workers,' said Dr. Susan Grey, occupational health specialist. 'They are the backbone of the climbing industry and deserve better protection.
' Dorjee's family said they were overjoyed but cautious. 'He is a fighter,' his brother told reporters. 'But his ordeal shows how thin the line is between life and death up there.
