From the Matterhorn to the Himalayas

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Early morning, flying towards the Matterhorn. Manuel Bauer

Air Zermatt's Lama helicopter being fitted for an exercise with a Bambi Bucket, a specialised container designed to deliver water for aerial firefighting, Manuel Bauer

Gerold Biener, head pilot at Air Zermatt in 2010. Today Biener is the company's chief executive. Manuel Bauer

Nepalese mountain rescuers training in Switzerland. Manuel Bauer

A long-line exercise in front of Nuptse, Kala Patar (left). The helicopter mechanic and rescuer Purna Awale during training in Valais, Switzerland. He was killed soon afterwards during a rescue mission. Manuel Bauer

Mountain rescue specialist Bruno Jelk explains communication equipment technology to Nepalese trainee Tshering Pande Bote. Manuel Bauer

In Nepal, an Italian climber with a shoulder injury is carried away on the long line by mountain rescuer Bruno Jelk. Nepalese pilot Sabin Basnyat is at the helm of the training helicopter (left). Mountain rescuer Tshering Bote hangs from the long line with an air mattress. Manuel Bauer

An exhausted Sherpa saved by a Nepalese rescue flight crew. Manuel Bauer

A rescue helicopter at Mount Everest base camp. Manuel Bauer

Practising a high-altitude crevasse rescue: Tshering Pande Bote abseils inside a glacier to save a "patient" using a tripod. The tripod is a rescue device which makes it possible to rescue people quickly from a variety of situations. Keystone

The patient and rescuer are hauled up by two independent ropes. This is often the only way to extract the two from very narrow and twisted cracks. Manuel Bauer

Tshering Pande Bote and two Sherpas haul the body of a South Korean climber who died a year earlier to the helicopter near camp 2 at Manaslu. The Sherpas would have otherwise had to carry the body thousands of metres down the mountain on foot. Manuel Bauer

Bruno Jelk explains long-line technique to Tshering Pande Bote. Manuel Bauer

Recovering the body of a South Korean climber. The helicopter's pilot, Dany Aufdenblatten from Zermatt, managed a year earlier to save the climber's comrade. The operation had to be broken off though because of bad weather, leading to the death of the second climber. Manuel Bauer

Long-line exercise at Kala Patar above the Everest base camp. Tshering Pande Bote swings under the helicopter hundreds of metres above the ground. During this type of operation, the rescuer guides the pilot by radio. Manuel Bauer

Fishtail Air rescue helicopter crossing the Cholatse north face. Manuel Bauer

View of Mansalu through the helicopter window. Manuel Bauer

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Slovenian extreme climber Tomaz Humar was hanging, seriously injured, 6,300 metres up on the south wall of Langtang Lirung in the Himalayas. In desperation, Humar grabbed his phone and called for help. His only hope was a helicopter rescue.

One of Nepal’s most experienced pilots, Sabin Basnyat of Fishtail Air, was notified. But he did not consider attempting the rescue, lacking experience at that altitude. Until this event in 2009 it was considered impossible to fly a helicopter so high because of the thin air.

Basnyat made contact with Air Zermatt in Switzerland, whose pilots were known as the world’s most experienced. Two days after Humar’s call for help, Swiss pilot Robi Andenmatten landed in Kathmandu along with rescue specialists and mountain guides Simon Anthamatten and Bruno Jelk. The same day they flew with Basnyat to Langtang Lirung where Humar was still hanging on the wall.

In the end Humar was brought down dead from the mountain. But the mission proved that high-altitude helicopter rescues were possible.

Air Zermatt, together with Fishtail Air, offered to coordinate the training of Nepalese pilots and rescue teams as well as set up a base in the Himalayas. In August 2010 two pilots and a Sherpa from Nepal travelled to Zermatt for training.

In the spring of 2011, during the Himalayan climbing season, Air Zermatt and Fishtail Air operated a helicopter mountain rescue base in Nepal.

Despite all the training and the experience gained, the work remained dangerous. Shortly after returning from Switzerland pilot Sabin Basnyat and rescuer Purna Awale were killed in an accident during a rescue mission.

(Pictures and text: Manuel Bauer)