Man Found Hiding in Cave on Everest

Ryan Sean Davy says he was 'treated like a murderer' for climbing without permit
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted May 9, 2017 12:49 PM CDT
Man Found Hiding in Cave on Everest
A file photo of yellow and orange tents at Everest Base Camp, pitched on the edges of the Khumbu icefall, are seen in Nepal.   (AP Photo/Karin Laub, File)

A South African man was scooped up by authorities on Mount Everest after attempting to climb the mountain alone and without a permit. As a result, Ryan Sean Davy, 43, now faces a fine of $22,000, reports the BBC. In a Facebook post, Davy explains that he reached the mountain only to learn that he couldn't afford the $11,000 solo permit because of "hidden costs." He also figured his lack of "previous mountaineering experience on record" would prevent him from getting permission. Rather than disappoint his supporters back home in Johannesburg, he says he opted for "a stealth entry." How far he got is unclear: He claims on Facebook to have climbed 24,000 of the mountain's 29,029 feet; the AFP cites Nepalese officials who say Davy told them he made it to camp two, around 21,000 feet.

He certainly made it to base camp: One official says Davy was spotted alone near it—Davy says he retreated there when a storm was rolling in—but fled into a cave and was apprehended. "He had set up camp in an isolated place" to avoid detection, says the official. Davy sounded generally apologetic on Facebook, but he also complained about his treatment, saying that he was "treated like a murderer" once caught. He also wrote that "expedition companies have no time for wanna be Everesters with no money." He now has to head back to Kathmandu to pick up his passport. It's not clear how Davy will manage to pay a $22,000 fine if he couldn't afford half that much for a permit, but he told his supporters on Facebook not to pitch in. "This was my doing and I took the risks," he writes. "I am accountable." (A man just died in pursuit of an Everest record.)

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