By Bianca Graulau
originally posted Apr 18, 2014 8:36 PM PDT8:18 p.m. PDT April 25, 2015 by News 10, ABC affiliate in Sacramento, CA
The news of an avalanche in Mount Everest brought back somber memories for professional mountain climber Jim Geiger.
“I was overwhelmed with emotion. Just sad, here it is again,” Geiger said.
On April 2014, he was there when the, then, worst ever recorded disaster hit the mountain.
“We were in our tents still sleeping, at about 6:15 a.m. we hear this avalanche,” Geiger said. “Well, it wasn’t just another avalanche. This one killed 16 people.”
All 16 were Sherpa guides.
Just days after the one year anniversary of that avalanche, another one hit Mt. Everest Saturday morning. A mountaineering official said the avalanche plowed into a part of the base camp, dropping on at least 30 tents and killing at least 17 people. Now, the search for survivors is on.
Geiger remembers seeing the bodies being recovered a year ago.
“There was not a word said in our tent for a couple of days later,” Geiger said.
At 68 years old, Geiger was trying to set a record as the oldest American to make it to the summit. But after the tragedy, the mountain was shut down to climbers.
“The decision was made for us, we’re all going home,” Geiger said.
Geiger has thought about going back to complete the journey but after today, he’s not sure if he will take the risk.
“My kids were just freaking out last year,” Geiger said. “If I was there this year, they would be freaking out again. I don’t want to put them through that.”
For Sherpa guides, it is a matter of livelihood. For climbers like Geiger, it’s about pursuing their passion.
Today, his heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives on the mountain.