Helicopter on Everest

File this under, Wow, who knew.

In May, a helicopter made the first-ever landing on the summit of Everest. The landing was apparently a publicity stunt by Europcopter, the maker of the helicopter, but it could very much change the way that mountain rescues at such altitudes are perceived and executed.  The landing took place on May 14th at 7:08 a.m. The test pilot, Didier Delsalle, landed at 29,035 feet, the top of the world.

It has been though that the summit of Everest was impossible for helicopters. Even basecamp has been hard to reach because the air is so thin at that altitude. Into Thin Air fans might recall that KC Madan, a Nepalese military pilot, became a hero when rescued Beck Weathers and Makalu Gau at Camp II.

Assuming the technology to make this happen can be mass-produced relatively cheaply, this could really change mountain rescue efforts at places like Everest, K2 and Denali, all towering peaks where climbers have died due to an inability to reach them.

Pretty fascinating. 

Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, History, Business, Festivals and Events, Gear, Blogs, Stories