An Adelaide mountaineer who has scaled some of the world's tallest summits says climbing permits should be more tightly restricted after a series of incidents this week.
Eight mountaineers — including an Australian woman — are at the centre of a search operation in the Indian Himalayas after an avalanche on India's second highest peak, Nanda Devi.
It follows the deaths of eight climbers on Mount Everest this week — with authorities putting some of the blame on overcrowding on the route to the summit.
Sydney woman Ruth McCance has been confirmed as the Australian woman among the missing group in India, with a search of the group's highest camp finding it empty.
Adelaide's Katie Sarah has climbed the seven tallest mountains and seven tallest volcanoes on each continent, and has also trekked to the South Pole.
She sounded out the dangers many climbers face and said her heart went out to Ms McCance's family and friends.
"Miracles do happen and there is always hope until the opposite is proven," she said.
"As time goes on their ability to survive in that environment of course is reduced, but there will certainly still be hope until it's proved otherwise.
"The rescuers certainly have a big job ahead of them to find them and hopefully they do find at least some of them alive."
Reducing permits 'has to be a start'
Nepal issued permits to 379 climbers on Mount Everest this season, with delays for climbers last week due to exhaustion and overcrowding.
Ms Sarah said climbing the world's highest peaks was challenging for even the best climbers, and she called for tighter restrictions on Mount Everest in particular.
"The big increase in climbers, it basically makes a place that is pretty dangerous in the first place, even more dangerous," she said.
"I don't have the answers myself but I do believe that reducing the permits has to be a start.
"Reducing the permits, but only allowing permits to people that have the right experience of not only other very high peaks, but even another 8,000-metre peak before being allowed to go to Everest."
She said the important thing for climbers of any experience level was to be prepared for what they are undertaking.
"There's no doubt that mountaineering is a risky undertaking, you go to remote places, you go to extreme altitudes," she said.
"It's absolutely dangerous, but people need to be well informed, they need to understand the risks they are taking."
A search team is currently travelling on foot in an attempt to rescue the climbers in India, but are expected to take three days to reach their last known camp.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to the missing Australian's family.
.jpg?w=600)
