Mountaineers attempting to climb Mount Everest in recent weeks have been witnessing a strange phenomenon, in which the huge face of an elderly man keeps appearing on the side of Earth’s highest mountain.
The likeness was first reported on August 5 by a team of Swiss climbers attempting to scale the south eastern side of the mountain. Since then, it has been appearing regularly on clear, cloudless days.
“When one of my team said he was seeing a human face on the mountainside, we thought the altitude sickness was causing him to hallucinate. But then we all started him smiling down on us benevolently,” said Jonas Bockmist, a mountaineer with over 10 years of experience.
Other climbers have reported feeling instantly calm upon seeing the face, while some have described having soothing visions of themselves rambling in beautiful countryside.
And while scientists scramble to find a rational explanation for the apparition, local Buddhists believe the face belongs to the spirit of the mountain.
Since the kindly face began appearing, no deaths have been reported on the mountain, which has claimed the lives of more than 300 climbers since it become a hotspot for adventurers in the early 20th century.
“The mountain must have been saddened by all the deaths that happened this year and decided to intervene. Long may his blessed gaze watch over us,” said sherpa Pasang Dawa Lama.
