CLIMBERS LOSE THEIR COOL ON EVEREST ICE

A MOUNTAINEER ON THE EVEREST DESCRIBED ON MONDAY THE "TERRIFYING" SCENE OF TWO FAMOUS EUROPEAN CLIMBERS FIGHTING WITH NEPALESE GUIDES IN A HIGH-ALTITUDE BRAWL THAT HAS SPARKED A POLICE INVESTIGATION.

UELI STECK, A SWISS NATIONAL WHO HOLDS CLIMBING RECORDS, AND SIMONE MORO OF ITALY, WHO HAS CLIMBED THE EVEREST FOUR TIMES, WERE APPROACHING THE 7,470 - METRE CAMP THREE ON SATURDAY WHEN THE BUST-UP OCCURRED.

THE AMERICAN EYEWITNESS, SPEAKING TO SMSFALLS REPORTER BY TELEPHONE, SAID MR. STECK AND MR. MORO WERE ASKED TO WAIT ON THE MOUNTAIN WHILE A GROUP OF NEPALESE RIGGED UP SOME ROPES.

THE EUROPEANS, ACCOMPANIED BY A PHOTOGRAPHERS RECORDING THEIR ATTEMPT TO CLIMB THE 8,848- METRE MOUNTAIN BY A NEW "UNDISCLOSED" ROUTE WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN, IGNORED THE REQUEST AND CARRIED ON, THE EYEWITNESS SAID. "THE SHERPAS TOLD THE TEAM NOT TO CLIMB ABOVE THEM WHILE THEY WERE FIXING THE ROPES BUT THEY DID IT ANYWAY. THEN SOME ICE FELL AND HIT THE SHERPAS, WHICH MADE THEM ANGRY," HE SAID.

LATER IN THE DAY, A FURIOUS MOB OF NEPALESE STORMED UP TOWARDS THE CLIMBERS' TENTS AND PELTED THEM WITH STONES UNTIL THE MEN CAME OUTSIDE, AFTER WHICH A LOUD ARGUMENT ENSUED AND PUNCHES WERE ALLEGEDLY THROWN.

"AFTER A WHILE THE MOB LEFT, AND THE CLIMBERS PACKED UP AND WALKED PAST US DOWN - AS FAR AS WE KNEW THEY WERE LEAVING THE MOUNTAIN," THE EYEWITNESS ADDED. "IT WAS TERRIFYING TO WATCH - THEY NEARLY GOT KILLED." POLICE NEAR THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN ARE INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT, LOCAL OFFICIALS SAID.

ACCORDING TO THE CLIMBING COMPANY, THE MEN HAVE SINCE DESCENDED FROM THE UPPER STRETCHES OF THE MOUNTAIN.

ON MONDAY MORNING, MR. STECK FLEW IN A HELICOPTER BACK TO EVEREST'S BASE CAMP TO REJOIN MR. MORO, WHO HAD REMAINED ON THE MOUNTAIN. THE PAIR IS REPORTEDLY MULLING WHETHER TO TRY AGAIN TO REACH THE SUMMIT.