The remarkable story of climber Ann Price

By Don Davis

KGNU’s Don Davis spoke with Ann Price, who began climbing mountains in her early 60s. Since then, she has had multiple brushes with death. She spoke to Davis about how those experiences have shaped her and changed her life.

In April 2015, during an expedition to summit a 20,000-plus-foot peak, the earth shook beneath Price. Nepal’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc across the mountains, triggering massive avalanches on Mount Everest and the surrounding area.

Between 19 and 22 people were killed at base camps in nearby areas. At the time, this was the deadliest disaster in the mountain’s history, with more than 60 people injured. Hundreds were stranded, awaiting emergency helicopter evacuations as aftershocks rippled through the Kubu ice fields.

Price went to the Himalayas seeking a challenge and a summit. Instead, she found herself in the middle of history, a survivor of one of the most catastrophic days the mountains had ever seen.

In the fall of that same year, Price returned to the mountain for a second attempt. She had endured avalanches, evacuations and the psychological aftershocks of national disaster. Still, she climbed at 17,000 feet in the thin, punishing air.

With the summit looming high above her, her heart stopped. She went into cardiac arrest. Price was medically dead for two minutes on a mountainside, where rescue was never guaranteed. Her expedition leader, Matt, began CPR in extreme altitude conditions, fighting time and the lack of oxygen.

Price was airlifted to medical help in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Emergency stent procedures saved her life. She had faced the longest trail in the Himalaya, survived a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and the deadliest disaster in Everest history at the time.

This story aired on A Public Affair, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of A Public Affair.