Ed Dohring, a spine surgeon in Phoenix, was prepared physically and mentally for what might just be one of the most difficult hikes in the world. However, he wasn't prepared for what he saw as he trekked up the world's tallest mountain.
"On our trip, we saw several who had just passed away that evening that were still attached to the safety line," Dohring told 12 News as he arrived home to Phoenix. "On each case, my guide and I checked to make sure that person wasn’t still alive and maybe needing help. And then once you realized they passed away there’s no way you’re going to be able to move them so you just have to work around them to keep going.”
According to USA Today, there have been at least 11 people who have died making the climb up Mount Everest this season. This year marks one of the deadliest seasons for climbers on the mountain, with cries of overcrowding making headlines.
Dohring said he ran into many on the mountain who may not have been prepared enough, physically or technically, for the journey and caused a "big backup."
"Once you get above 26,000 feet then you’re completely in a down suit, like a spacesuit, and you’re on oxygen and at that point is where we saw some people who were really having a lot of difficulties," he said.
"The whole trail, if you want to call it a trail, is about two feet wide. Not all of it, but at some parts, it's two to three feet wide and you might have a drop off of a thousand feet on either side. Very hard to pass because everyone is using a safety line and everyone is clipped into that."
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Dohring said the hike up took him a little over eight hours and he completed the hike down in about five hours. He spent about six weeks in Nepal.
Climbing Mount Everest has been a bucket list item for Dohring, who has built up his climbing resume over the years.
He trained specifically for Everest for about a year. He'd run up and down Camelback Mountain and Humphreys Peak. He also slept in a tent that mimicked high altitude.
"Built myself up to where I was sleeping at the equivalent oxygen of 18,000 feet which is about where base camp [on Everest] is," Dohring said.
Dohring said he spent 20 minutes at the top, where it was about 20 degrees below zero.
But it wasn't the weather that made him leave. It was the people, specifically those looking for the perfect selfie. Dohring said he was "pushed and shoved by several people trying to get pictures."
"The weather wasn’t terrible. It was windy and cold, but it wasn’t terrible. I just didn’t feel safe after a while," he said.
Dohring said he was surprised by how many people were carried down the mountain from being injured or who had collapsed due to exhaustion.
The New York Times reported that Nepal officials have said they will consider changing the rules about who is allowed to climb Everest. Dohring said he'd like officials to vet people more to make sure they can handle it.
Dohring said although he wouldn't climb Everest ever again, he will keep climbing and looking for more challenges.
He said he was surprised and shocked by all the people who came to welcome him back home.