記録達成のノルウェー人登山家に非難集中　ガイドの死めぐり

【オスロＡＦＰ＝時事】ノルウェー人登山家クリスティン・ハリラ氏（３７）は先月、標高８０００メートル以上の世界最高峰１４座登頂を史上最速で成し遂げた。だがその途上で、倒れていた別チームのシェルパ（登山ガイド）を見捨てたとして非難が集中。同氏のチームは、瀕死（ひんし）のシェルパを助けるために最善を尽くしたと主張している。（写真は世界最高峰１４座登頂を史上最速で成し遂げたノルウェー人登山家クリスティン・ハリラ氏）
　ハリラ氏は７月２７日、世界第２位の高峰Ｋ２（ケーツー）を制覇して記録を達成。しかし同日、倒れたパキスタン人シェルパのモハメド・ハッサンさん（２７）の横を、頂上を目指して通り過ぎる登山者の長い列を捉えた動画が浮上し、登山界で大きな論争が勃発した。
　現地関係者によると、この日は約１００人がＫ２に登頂したという。
　ハリラ氏は１０日、インスタグラムに長文を投稿し、自身のチームはハッサンさんのために「できることはすべて行った」と訴えた。
　だが英紙デーリー・メールは「『エゴイスト』登山家、瀕死のポーター置き去り　Ｋ２登頂祝い記念撮影」と見出しを打った。
　ハリラ氏は「殺害予告」さえ受けており、「今広まっているあらゆる誤情報と憎悪」を打ち消すために自ら発信する必要性を感じたと説明した。
　ハリラ氏によると、自身を含むチーム４人は、狭いルート上で１時間半かけてハッサンさんを助けようとした。その後、前方にいたロープ固定チームが救援要請を発信したのを確認し、同氏は他の人々にハッサンさんを託して登山を続行。チームの撮影担当者はハッサンさんに付き添って残り、酸素や湯を提供していたが、他の登山者はただ通り過ぎて行ったという。
　「残った人だけでなく下山して来る人も多く、ハッサンさんはあらゆる助けを得て下山できると信じていた」とハリラ氏。だが１時間後には、撮影担当者も「自身の安全のために酸素を確保する」必要があり、その場を離れざるを得なかった。そして下山時に、チームはハッサンさんの死を知った。
　■「ベストを尽くした」
　ハリラ氏の話では、遺体を安全に運ぶには少なくとも６人が必要で、同氏の４人のチームでは、ハッサンさんの遺体を下山させることはできなかった。
　ハッサンさんの死は「まさに悲劇であり、家族の方々には心から同情する。ただ、われわれはベストを尽くした」とハリラ氏。同時に、ハッサンさんはダウンウエアも手袋も着用しておらず、「登山に適切な装備ではなかった」とも指摘した。
　登山者は他にも大勢いたにもかかわらず、ソーシャルメディア上ではハリラ氏に厳しい批判が集中。インスタグラムには「あなたの成功は誰の記憶にも残らない。残るのはあなたの残酷さだけ」、「あなたの手はシェルパの血で染まっている」といったコメントが寄せられた。一方で、こうした状況がはらむ危険性に理解を示し、ハリラ氏の行動を擁護するユーザーもいた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/08/15-17:41）

A Norwegian climber who last month became the joint-fastest person to summit the world's 14 highest peaks said her team did everything they could to help a dying sherpa as they completed their quest on K2.
A huge row has broken out in the climbing community after video emerged showing a long train of climbers stepping past a fallen sherpa on July 27 to reach the top of the world's second highest mountain.
Kristin Harila, who with her Nepali guide Tenjin Lama Sherpa that day became the fastest people to summit all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains, has faced the bulk of the criticism despite spending 90 minutes trying to help.
The fallen porter has been identified as 27-year-old Pakistani Mohammed Hassan, who was not part of Harila's team.
Karar Haidari, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told AFP around 100 climbers summitted K2 that day.
Tourism authorities in Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan, who are responsible for issuing climbing permits, said Friday they had opened an inquiry into the incident.
In a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, Harila, 37, said she and her team did everything we could for him at the time.
- 'Heartbreaking' -
Harila said she felt the need to give her side of the story due to all of the misinformation and hatred that is now being spread, including death threats.
Britain's Daily Mail headlined its story: 'Egotistic' mountaineer is pictured celebrating reaching the summit of K2 just moments after climbers 'walked over dying porter'.
Harila said she, her cameraman and two others spent 1.5 hours in the bottleneck trying to pull him up.
She then continued her ascent following a distress call from the fixing team ahead, leaving others behind with Hassan.
Her cameraman, identified only as Gabriel, was among those who stayed with Hassan, sharing his oxygen and hot water with him while other people were passing by.
Considering the amount of people that stayed behind and had turned around, I believed Hassan would be getting all the help he could, and that he would be able to get down.
Gabriel left after another hour when he needed to get more oxygen for his own safety, she wrote.
When he caught up with Harila, we understood that he (Hassan) might not make it down. It was heartbreaking.
On their descent, they discovered that Hassan had died.
- 'We had done our best' -
Her team of four was in no shape to carry his body down safely, she added, noting that it would have required at least six people.
His death was truly tragic... and I feel very strongly for the family, she said, but we had done our best, especially Gabriel.
Hassan was not properly equipped for the climb, wearing neither a down suit nor gloves, she noted.
There was harsh criticism for Harila on social media despite dozens of other climbers being in the same situation.
Nobody will remember your sporting success, only your inhumanity, wrote one critic on Instagram.
The blood of sherpas is on your hands, said another.
Other Instagram users defended Harila's actions, however, noting the dangers involved.