The event has cast a shadow over the upcoming 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest. Photo: Sotti CC-BY-SA-3.0

Everest’s upper reaches are known as the death zone, but angry scenes further down the mountain at the weekend turned its slopes into the death-threat zone.

British climber and photographer Jonathan Griffith was one of three top mountaineers allegedly assaulted and threatened with death on the Lhotse Face.

Swiss climber Ueli Steck, renowned for his speed climbing, Italian climbing companion Simone Moro and Griffith reportedly provoked the ire of Sherpas fixing ropes above Camp Two on Saturday when they stepped over their lines to reach their tent.

According to Moro, after angry scenes on the mountain face, the trio of European climbers were surrounded by up to 100 Sherpas at Camp Two and told if they were still there an hour later they would be killed.

The remarkable scenes 7,200m (23,622ft) up on the Himalayan peak have cast a deep shadow on Nepalese climbing as the 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent nears.

The incident started at 8am local time on Saturday.

Simone Moro’s team said the three were soloing – without ropes – on Lhotse.

They kept about 50m away from the Sherpa team fixing ropes but then traversed across to reach their tent, which had been fixed earlier, and stepped over the lines.

The team spokesperson said: “Jonathan Griffith was in the lead at this point and after crossing the rope and traversing another 15m on a snow ramp Ueli Steck followed.

“At the point where Ueli Steck stepped over the rope the lead [Sherpa] climber noticed the climbers below and began shouting and banging the ice with his axe erratically.

“Still shouting down at the climbers, he fixed his rope and abseiled down to the belay stance.

Ueli Steck

“As Ueli was soloing and therefore not attached to a rope it was natural that he should hold his hands up to take the impact of the force arriving on him from the lead climber abseiling right on to him.

“This prompted the lead climber to accuse Ueli Steck of ‘touching him’.

“In between hitting the ice with all his force and screaming at Ueli Steck ‘why you touch me’ he said that they had kicked ice down on them and injured a Sherpa.

“Seeing as the trio were climbing a completely independent line and entirely on snow this is highly unlikely.”

Moro’s spokesperson said Ueli Steck tried to help calm the situation by offering to help fix the lines up to Camp Three but this only made matters worse.

Simone Moro then joined the team and the lead climber turned on him wielding his ice axe in his direction.

“Simone swore at the lead climber as is the natural reaction when faced with this aggression,” the spokesperson said. “No amount of talking would calm the lead Sherpa down and as a final act of defiance he ordered his whole team of 17 Sherpas off the Lhotse Face and back to Camp Two.

“There was no reason to descend off the mountain because of the three climbers. They had not touched or interfered with the Sherpa’s work. To help smooth things over Ueli Steck fixed a further 260m of rope to Camp Three.”

The team said by the time the climbers got back down to Camp Two, 100 Sherpas had grouped together and attacked the three climbers.

“They became instantly aggressive and not only punched and kicked the climbers, but threw many rocks as well,” the spokesperson said.

“A small group of westerners acted as a buffer between the out-of-control mob and the climbers, and they owe their lives to these brave and selfless people.

“Nevertheless all three climbers were attacked as well as many of the westerners who were trying to calm the situation down. The climbers were told that by that night one of them would be dead and the other two they would see to later.

“After about 50 minutes the crowd had calmed down and the climbers, who had been pushed away and told to hide, had regrouped and were told that if they weren’t gone in one hour that they would all be killed.

“The climbers packed the bare essentials and made a circuitous route back down to the base of Mount Everest in heavily crevassed terrain with no rope on, feeling that given the current situation this was the safest place to be.”

The three men are attempting a new route on Everest, as part of the NO2 Limits expedition.

In an update this afternoon, the team’s spokesperson said: “Ueli joined Simone and Jon at Base Camp and the three of them have been the whole day in a long meeting with the expeditions’ leaders, the Sherpas, the government officials, with the purpose of understanding what really happened and the desire of solving the whole situation in the best way possible.

“We confirm that Simone, Ueli and Jon are fine and we will keep you all updated on the decision they will take regarding their project.”

British record holder Kenton Cool was due to climb from Base Camp to Camp Two as part of his preparation for an 11th ascent of the 8,848m (29,029ft) mountain.