Everest Climbing Ends with Victory, Demise & Controversies.

By Vaibhav Rolihan

This climbing season to the Himalayas ended in late May and saw over 600 climbers successfully reach the peaks of the highest mountain range including Mount Everest. These

successful summits are indicative of a busy and active climbing season. But at the same time there are tragedies and controversies. So far over 345 climbers have died in the Himalayas including 8 this season alone. There are also controversies like adopting artificial methods to reduce climbing time which is not considered ethical in the mountaineering lexicon.Among the demise of Alex Pancoe an American climber at the fifth highest peak Makalu is different. 

Pancoe was on a mission that combined his passion for adventure with a greater cause. A survivor of brain cancer, he dedicated his life to raising funds and awareness for pediatric brain tumor research. His experiences as a patient inspired him to take on the “Explorer’s Grand Slam,” an elite challenge involving scaling the highest peaks on every continent and reaching both the North and South Poles.

At the time of his passing, Pancoe wasclimbing the  fifthhighest mountain in the world, pushing his limits not for personal glory, but to bring hope and help to children battling brain tumors. His efforts raised over $1 million for Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where a section of the facility now bears the name “The Pancoe Family Foundation Care Team Station” in recognition ofhis contribution. Friends and family described him as someone who lived with immense purpose. They spoke of a man who turned his survival into a mission, choosing not to dwell in hardship but to transform it into something meaningful. Pancoe’s wife, Nina Laski Pancoe, reflected on his passing by saying that he died doing something he loved in a place that meant the world to him. Those close to him believe that his legacy will continue to inspire and uplift others, just as his life did.Lurie Children’s Hospital expressed its condolences to the Pancoe family and acknowledged the deep impact he had made on the institution. Hospital staff emphasized how his fundraising and awareness campaigns would continue to benefit countless young patients for years to come. A graduate of Northwestern University, Pancoe was known not only for his ambitious spirit but also for his generosity and compassion. Those who followed his journey saw a man who refused to let his pastdefine him. Instead, he used his second chance at life to pursue extraordinary goals that served a greater good. 

Though his life ended on a remote Himalayan peak, the path he carved continues to shine as a beacon of inspiration. Alex Pancoe showed that a single person’s courage and conviction can truly make a difference. He climbed not just mountains, but also the heights of human potential— reminding the world that even in loss, therecan be a powerful and enduring legacy.

The Mountaineer WhoRefused to Come down

In the climbing history an Indian climber became the first mountaineer to die since he refused to come down from Mount Everest in the ongoing climbing season. Subrata Ghosh, 45, died on Thursday below the Hillary Step while returning after reaching the 8,849 metre (29,032 feet) peak. “He refused to descend from below the Hillary Step,” said Bodhraj Bhandari of Nepal’s Snowy Horizon Treks and Expedition organising company. The Hillary Step is located in the ‘death zone’, an area between 8,000-metre (26,250 ft) high South Col and the summit where the level of natural oxygen is inadequate for survival. Efforts are underway to bring his body down to the base camp. The cause of his death will be known only after post mortem. Philipp II Santiago, 45, from the Philippines, died late on Wednesday at the South Col while he was on his way up, said Himal Gautam, a tourism department official.

But Santiago was tired when he reached the fourth high camp and died while resting in his tent. Santiago and Ghose were both members of an international expedition organised by Bhandari. Nepal has issued 459 permits to climb Everest during the current season that ends in May. Most of the climbers and their guides have already reached the summit this week. At least 345 people have died on Everest in more than 100 years since summiting expeditions were known to have started, according to the Himalayan database and hiking officials. Some seriously ill climbers who die in the Himalayas wish to be buried in the mountains as their first love. But Subroto’s case is a rare one who wished to die in the Himalayas when he was in good health and spirit.