KATHMANDU: An aerial search team has found no trace of a Sherpa climber who went missing from above Camp III on Mt. Everest over a week ago.

According to Lakpa Sherpa, Managing Director of 8K Expeditions, a team that flew up to 7,300 m on Mt. Everest this morning has discovered no clues about the whereabouts of Dawa Sherpa, a 57-year-old climber from Himalayan Traverse Pvt. Ltd.

Dawa, who was left behind below the South Col on May 29, has been missing since then. He was part of an expedition handled by Himalayan Traverse, but the company shared its permit with 8K Expeditions to save a few thousand dollars that would otherwise have been paid to a liaison officer.

As per information first published by The Tourism Times, Dawa was last seen near the Yellow Band area above Camp III on May 29, when his Polish client headed toward Camp II after abandoning his summit bid.

Himalayan Traverse, which managed the expedition, had not conducted any search and rescue to find Dawa. “As Himalayan Traverse shared a permit with 8K, we mobilized a helicopter search along with a member of Dawa’s family today,” Lakpa informed.

During the search, no trace of Dawa was discovered, he added. Dawa’s painful story also raises a serious question over the sharing of climbing permits among companies. Expedition operators often share permits to save on the cost of a liaison officer. A team of up to 15 climbers is required to have a liaison officer for Mt. Everest climbing. “Himalayan Traverse obtained an Everest permit through 8K Expedition, but it handled the expedition entirely on its own,” Lakpa said, adding that 8K officially closed the Everest season on May 29.

Nepal generally closes the spring climbing season on Mt. Everest on May 29. “This year, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee [SPCC], which fixes and manages the route from Everest Base Camp to Camp II, had also notified everyone that it wanted to remove the ladders from the icefall section on May 29,” said SPCC’s Chief Executive Officer Tshering Sherpa. He added that the SPCC, however, instructed the remaining teams to clear the route on their own, as a few climbers were reported to be still above Camp I on May 29.

“The expedition members removed only seven ladders on May 31, allowing the remaining climbers to descend safely from Camp II to Base Camp,” Sherpa said. A family member of Dawa stated that his disappearance from near Camp III was due to sheer negligence on the part of the expedition handling agency.