The extraordinary events that took place at Camp Two have soured the atmosphere on Everest. Photo: Sotti CC-BY-SA-3.0

A British climber caught in the violence on Everest said he and his companions owe their lives to a Sherpa and western mountaineer who stood up to a mob threatening them with death.

Jon Griffith released a statement today reiterating the point of view of Ueli Steck, Simone Moro and himself that they feared for their lives after being confronted by up to 100 angry Sherpas.

Griffith, back in his base in Chamonix, France, said if it were not for the brave actions of Pang Nuru Sherpa and US mountain guide Melissa Arnot, Swiss climber Steck would have been killed.

The pair stood firm for 20 minutes outside the tent where Steck was sheltering, refusing to let the crowd get to him.

The violence erupted when Sherpas fixing ropes for commercial guides up the Lhotse Face, on the route to Everest’s summit, took exception to the trio of European climbers crossing the route.

Griffith said the attack on Ueli Steck, one of the world’s most accomplished solo climbers, renowned for his speed climbing, had left the Swiss mountaineer traumatised and will haunt him for the rest of his life.

He said: “I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be trapped in that mess tent for so long with people threatening to kill him.

“The feeling of helplessness and being trapped was the overriding one that I remember from the whole episode and one that I had never felt before; yet Ueli was in a far, far worse position than me and even I find it really hard to understand how horrific it must have been in that tent.”

Jon Griffith said the trio were not warned not to climb that day, a claim made by some of the Sherpas.

He added: “Just because it was agreed beforehand that no-one climb due to the Sherpas fixing lines does not mean that everybody knew about this.

“In addition it sets a dangerous precedence in the future. Can you really ban people from climbing if Sherpas are fixing ropes? Does this not destroy the freedom of the hills that we all seek here in the first place?”

Griffith also denied Simone Moro broadcast over open radio channels a challenge that he would fight the Sherpas, as claimed by a climber at Base Camp.

He repeated the trio’s assertion that no Sherpas had been injured as a result of falling ice dislodged by him, Moro and Steck.

Griffith, who was the team’s photographer on the aborted NO2 Limits expedition, said Arnot warned the men about the angry Sherpas when they got back down to their tents at Camp Two, which were a short distance above the main Camp Two group where the Sherpas were.

“She burst in and told us to get out and run away,” he said. “We felt that it was important to resolve the issue and misunderstandings that had let to such a huge over-reaction.

“However instead of a handful of Sherpas – there were 17 on the fixing team that day – a mob of approximately 100 Sherpas crested the moraine above our tent. We were shocked to see such a mob right in front of us.

“Many had neckerchiefs pulled up around their faces and a few picked up some rocks instantly. This was a terrifying moment; we all realised that there was no room for discussion but that they wanted to fight.”

Climber Marty Schmidt then knocked a stone out of the hands of one of the Sherpas, Griffith said, and was struck on the head by a stone.

Ueli Steck was bundled into the mess tent after being attacked. Photo: Ueli Steck

Steck was punched and was then bundled into the mess tent.

“He said ‘Jon, I think this expedition is over’,” Griffith said.

“I remember thinking that if we got out alive we would be lucky. The mob were really angry and there was nothing we could do to protect ourselves.

“Simone Moro had also come over to us by then. Six or so of the mob had broken away from the main group and come towards us shouting.

“As I happened to be in front of Ueli and Simone – not heroically, just simply because I was – I was kicked and beaten by them.

“A western guide quickly came over and dispersed them. At this point he shoved me in one direction and Simone in another telling us to get out of here, so we slowly moved away from the area.

“Instead of Ueli doing the same he put him in the Mess Tent, where a bleeding Marty Schmidt was also waiting.

“While Simone and I were able to get away from the scene of the action Ueli was suddenly thrust right in the middle of it.

“Sitting in the Mess Tent there was no way out. Both Melissa Arnot, a lead western guide, and Pang Nuru Sherpa stood outside and refused to let any of the mob in.

“For maybe 20 minutes the mob were outside the tent demanding for Ueli to come out, saying that at least one of us would be killed there and then and the rest they would see to later.

“Ueli owes his life to Melissa and the lead guide for not standing down in the face of such danger to themselves.”

Griffith said Moro was made to kneel and apologise and at that point one of the Sherpas pulled a penknife and tried to stab him, but the blow struck his hip-belt.

They hurriedly packed their bare essentials and took a precarious route back down to Base Camp across a glacier, to avoid passing through the main Camp Two.

Jon Griffith added: “I would also like to say how much this has affected Ueli.

“I have known and climbed with him for many years. He is also a man not averse to risk and danger, but this episode has destroyed a part in him that will take a long time to repair.

“We hope one day to return to Everest and complete the climb. It was an amazing project and I can only hope that time will heal.”

The full account can be seen on Jon Griffith’s blog page.