Tents and debris at Camp Camp 4 at the 7,500-metre mark on Mt. Everest. Dr. Pieter Swart from Vancouver died while descending from the camp last week.BIDHAN SHRESTHA/Reuters
Dr. Pieter Swart, a 63-year-old Vancouver anesthesiologist, had always dreamed of climbing Mount Everest.
At just nine years old, he led a school presentation about the world’s tallest mountain, according to his wife Suretha Swart. His passion led him to summit mountains ranging from McKinley (now known as Denali) and Rainier in North America to Aconcagua in Argentina.
“Everest was the next step. It wasn’t coming out of nowhere,” she said.
He finally achieved his dream of climbing Mount Everest last month, but died of high altitude sickness as he descended from Camp 4 at the 7,500-metre mark during the trek last week. He never made it to the summit.
Dr. Swart’s death raises the toll to 12 this year, nearly double the yearly average of 6.2 for the last 30 years, according to The Himalayan Database, a website that tracks statistics on the mountain.
Summiting past 8,000 metres – into what is known as the “death zone” – is incredibly dangerous, because of the extreme lack of oxygen.
On the way up, Dr. Swart was keeping in consistent contact with his family, Ms. Swart said. “He was in touch with us during his climb, keeping track of our day-to-day lives while pursuing his ultimate dream.”
He was on the mountain for seven weeks.
The weather was warm and calm on the day Dr. Swart died, and hardly any other climbers were on the route, according to a post on the Madison Mountaineering website, the trekking outfit he used. Abandoning a summit push after Dr. Swart started feeling unwell, the guides attempted to descend to Camp 3 with him, where a helicopter rescue may have been possible.
Pieter Swart Jr., Dr. Swart’s son, remembers his father as a passionate and determined man. “His mind was so strong that his body couldn’t keep up.”
Mr. Swart said he is thankful to the trekking company for everything they did for his family.
The Sherpas, he said, were “nothing short of remarkable” in the quest to save his father. Mr. Swart is glad his father’s death has not gone unnoticed, but he wants to put a spotlight on the Sherpas, who his father had always said are the true heroes of Mount Everest.
Climbers receive the accolades, but often the heroic nature and accomplishments of Sherpas go unsung, he said. “They save countless lives on the mountain, putting their own lives on the line to keep families in one piece.”
Mr. Swart has organized a fundraiser and will run a half marathon in their honour. The half marathon follows the same route Dr. Swart used to run every day.
The money raised will go toward the families of three Sherpas that lost their lives fixing ropes for climbers in April: Dawa Tseri Sherpa, Pemba Tenzing Sherpa, and Lakpa Rita Sherpa. “I wanted to do one thing that would make this situation positive.”
Around $18,500 has been raised as of Thursday morning. “It just goes to show how admired he was in the community.”
Ms. Swart said that while some people believe mountaineering is a selfish endeavour, Dr. Swart was passionate about the environment. At each base camp, he sent her reminders to take out the recycling.
Marna Swart, his daughter, described him as someone who loved the best of everything, whether that be coffee, books or speakers. “He made my mom coffee every morning for the 26 years that they were married.”
She remembered him for his love of music, which he shared with others as often as he was able. He made playlists to celebrate the achievements of friends and family, and he even made personalized playlists for surgeons to listen to when operating.
She said one of his biggest missions was to make the last years of his 97-year-old mother’s life wonderful. “Now she outlives him.”
The accomplished anesthesiologist and associate professor at the University of British Columbia leaves his wife, son and daughter, as well as his mother, brother and two sisters.
“He was always thinking about his next big goal, this next mountain. Whatever he was pursuing, he was pursuing it with everything he had,” Mr. Swart said.