It was the last climb on his try to reach the highest summit(峰顶) on all seven continents. When Christopher Kulish finally got to Mount Everest's 29,035-foot peak, he joined a group known as the"Seven Summits Club". But the 62-year-old Colorado attorney passed away suddenly Monday after returning to the first camp below the mountain's summit. He's the second American to die in the past week after reaching Everest's highest point. At least 11 people have died on Mount Everest this year.
The deaths come among reports of overcrowding on the popular mountain. The Nepali government gave a total of 381 permits to climb Everest this year. For some climbers, that traffic has meant longer wait times — some told the Himalayan Times the wait has been over two hours between the last camp and the peak. Mountaineer Vanessa O'Brien said when there's a crowd, being a more experienced climber won't help you. "It doesn't matter if you're the best race car driver in the world. If you're stuck in traffic, you're stuck in traffic," she said in an interview.
Still, Christopher's family said he'd been mountain climbing for five decades. He arrived at the base camp nearly two months before his climb, so he could give himself time to adapt to the conditions. When he made his journey, his family said he was climbing with a small group in almost ideal conditions after some of the overcrowding had cleared.
