Explainer: The millions needed to retrieve the dead from Mt Everest

In a statement to the media on Wednesday, his family said they made the difficult decision after extensive consultations and careful consideration of all factors.

"Cheruiyot fell into a crevasse 48 meters from the summit (8,848 meters) and retrieving his body from that high up would be risky for the rescue team, the family does not wish to endanger any life," the family media statement read.

But what, exactly, is the cost of bringing down a dead body from the Everest? And why do many bodies remain on the mountain for eternity? For starters, it's an extremely risky and expensive affair and one which could see more lives lost - in an attempt to save just one.

About 300 climbers have died since Everest was first conquered in 1953, and at least 100 — maybe 200 — corpses remain on the mountain. Most are hidden in deep crevasses or covered by snow and ice, but some are visible and have become macabre landmarks, earning nicknames for their plastic climbing boots, colourful parkas or final resting poses.

First, we need to understand who a Sherpa is - this is basically a member of the Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, renowned for their skill in mountaineering. These men have been instrumental in guiding mountaineers for decades and are also used to bringing down bodies from the peaks of the snow-capped mountain. 

Now, the primary reason bodies are left untouched is the danger and effort involved in retrieving these bodies. Due to several factors, it requires between 6 and 10 Sherpas to retrieve one body. 

When a body is found, it is usually covered in ice. The body must first be chiselled from the ice. During this process, some ice inevitably sticks to the body and this can more than double the weight that the Sherpas must manoeuvre down the mountain.

Adding to the already difficult task is the fact that there is less oxygen at the higher elevations of the mountain. Most of the deaths occur above 26,000 feet. This is also known as the “death zone”. 

The lack of oxygen at this altitude is often the reason a climber perished, to begin with. The lowered oxygen content of the air makes every action more difficult to perform. Some have stated that it takes tremendous effort simply to pick up a candy wrapper. Therefore, many Sherpas are required to move the body.

Many in the mountaineering community said that peace of mind came with unacceptable risk.

Climbers who attempt to scale the world’s tallest mountain know they could die from any number of challenges, including low oxygen, frigid temperatures, strong winds and steep falls. Asking others to carry down the bodies — often much heavier because they are frozen and covered in ice — puts more people in danger, they said.

“It is just not worth the risk,” said Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. “To get one body off of the mountain, they are risking the lives of 10 more people.”

Dan Richards, of Global Rescue, a Boston-based agency specialising in mountain rescue, agreed, saying, "Despite the danger of bringing down bodies, climbers are often asked to do so by the families of those who die." 

“It becomes much more dangerous than simply climbing if you’re attempting to recover and transport a heavy load."

A recovery team faces the same risks as climbers, including altitude sickness, edema, frostbite, hypothermia as well as accidents and avalanches.

But some believe the dangerous effort is still worth it.

Another reason is that, for some, it is part of their last wishes. The climber and their family members sign a document stating that in the event that they die in the attempt, they want to be left on the mountain. Some describe this as being similar to a Captain “going down with the ship”.

Some climbers dedicate their entire lives to the mission and desire to be left alone in the event that they do not make it down the mountain alive. Their families, therefore, respect their wishes and do not attempt to excavate their remains, leaving them resting in the environment they dedicated their entire lives to.

What may, however, be the greatest reason families opt to leave their loved ones at the peak of the mountain is because of how incredibly expensive it is to bring a body down.

Like any dangerous job, those performing it require a premium in order to complete the hazardous task. Due to the number of Sherpas required and the incredibly hazardous nature of the work, it can cost between $30,000 (Ksh. 4 million) and $70,000 (Ksh. 9 million) to retrieve one body.

In 2017, the body of Indian climber Gautam Ghosh, which had been left on the mountain for a year, was finally brought down when a team of Sherpa climbers managed to recover it along with two others. 

But the high-risk expedition, financed with about US$92,000 (Ksh. 12 million) from the Indian state of West Bengal, sparked heated debate in the mountaineering community about the morality of risking more lives to retrieve bodies from one of the most unforgiving places on Earth.

All in all, some still believe that retrieving dead bodies is still worth it - despite the insurmountable challenges posed by the endeavour.

"It is always better to bring down the bodies, which also leaves the mountain cleaner,” said veteran mountaineer Reinhold Messner, who was the first to scale Everest without bottled oxygen and climb the world’s 14 highest peaks.