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Friday, July 5, 2019

Gillian Lee

W.A.L.T Write a news report about a Australian mountaineer.


In May 2019 Gillian Lee an australian mountaineer attempted to climb Mount Everest without an oxygen tank. This was his 4th try but it didn't end very well. Gill decided to avoid the huge human traffic jam on the Nepal route and face the challenging and dangerous Tibet route on the north side of the Mountain.


At 7600m his body started to fail. Gill began coughing constantly, his lips turned blue and then his body switched off and he passed out for 3 hours. For both of his Sherpa guides, this was very concerning. So they dragged him to his tent. He was hauled into a sleeping bag and immediately his hands were being warmed and hot water bottles were thrown into the sleeping bag. If they didn’t start to descend to Base camp they would be risking Gills life. Gripping onto the sleeping mat they dragged him down the mountain.


Suddenly a miracle happened. At 6000m Chinese rope fixers appeared. The group helped the Sherpas to get Gill down the mountain. Then they struck rocky terrain. Because of all the stones, the mountaineer wouldn’t be able to slide so the called in a yak. When it arrived he was strapped onto the back off the beast and the yak handler started their 22km journey to Base camp.


Stiffly, Gill lay on the yaks back coughing up blood and slime. He said it was the most uncomfortable ride of his life. After 6 hours they arrived at their destination and almost immediately he was on a 20-minute ride to Kathmandu Hospital. 


Julie, Gillian's mum was waiting, seated next to his hospital bed worried sick. She was cross that Gillian could be that selfish to put many lives in danger including his own. He was lucky to have escaped death because if none of the Chinese rope fixers or Sherpas had helped he would have been one of the people to die on the slopes of Everest. No one knows if Gillian Lee, an extremely lucky man, will attempt to climb without oxygen again. I guess we will have to wait and see.

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