6-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) A Malaysian climber who was rescued from certain death on Mount Everest has come under fire on social media for allegedly being ungrateful to the Sherpa who saved his life. Ravichandran Tharumalingam, who was found in a critical condition on May 18, has been accused of omitting the name of Gelje Sherpa, the mountain guide who rescued him, in a recent media appearance and social media posts.
Ravichandran was stranded in Mount Everest’s treacherous “death zone,” where oxygen is scarce, and temperatures can plummet to below minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit). Gelje Sherpa, along with his Chinese client, discovered Ravichandran in a shivering state, clutching onto a rope, and without bottled oxygen or any Sherpas or guides, as reported in an interview with CNN.
While other climbing teams passed by Ravichandran, Gelje convinced his client to abandon their ascent and attempt a daring rescue mission. Wrapping Ravichandran in his sleeping mat and carrying him on his back, Gelje descended 570 meters (1,900 feet) in extreme altitude over six hours, all while bearing the weight of another person. Eventually, they reached Everest’s Camp 4, where other Sherpas provided further assistance.
Ravichandran, upon recovering, returned to Malaysia and appeared on national TV in early June to recount the harrowing rescue. The climber, who had previously summited Everest three times, suffered frostbite in 2022, resulting in the loss of the tips of eight fingers. However, when Ravichandran featured the media appearance on Instagram, where he expressed gratitude towards his rescue insurance and partner organizations, he neglected to mention Gelje’s name.
This omission sparked a backlash on social media, with numerous negative comments flooding Ravichandran’s posts. Critics accused him of failing to acknowledge the Sherpa who single-handedly carried him to Camp 4. Some commenters urged Ravichandran to donate his profits to Gelje, emphasizing that he owed his life to the Sherpa’s heroic efforts.
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The controversy revolves around Ravichandran primarily acknowledging the Sherpas working for the 14th Peaks Expedition, a climbing sports company with which he is partnered. Although the company’s team participated in the rescue, Gelje, who runs AGA Adventures and is not affiliated with 14th Peaks Expedition, carried out the daring solo rescue. Adriana Brownlee, co-founder of 14th Peaks Expedition, confirmed that Gelje neither works with nor for Ravichandran.
Following the backlash, Ravichandran eventually mentioned Gelje in a list of Sherpas who contributed to his rescue, but he credited Gelje under his partner organization. Gelje, appreciative of the acknowledgment, thanked Ravichandran in a comment on the Instagram post, expressing hopes for his swift recovery. The Sherpa has since received an outpouring of support from Malaysians on social media, with people expressing their gratitude for his heroic act.
This spring has witnessed a particularly deadly climbing season on Mount Everest, with 12 confirmed deaths and five climbers still reported missing. Insider reached out to Gelje for comment regarding Ravichandran’s interactions, but Adriana Brownlee, Gelje’s business partner, responded, stating that Gelje hopes the situation will eventually “cool off.” The 14th Peaks Expedition has not yet responded to requests for comment, and Ravichandran did not provide a response to multiple inquiries.
