Why do clients not share Camp 3 with the Sherpas?

Why do clients not share Camp 3 with the Sherpas?

• A. Because the ledge was too small to accommodate the Sherpas.
• B. Because Sherpas refused to climb there.
• C. Because of a safety rule against sharing ledges.
• D. Because the Sherpas preferred Camp 4.

Answer: (A)

High-altitude camps have very limited space, especially Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. That ledge is narrow and exposed, so it simply can’t hold all the Sherpas plus the clients at once without creating dangerous crowding. In such tight quarters, moving gear, fixing lines, and evacuating if needed become much more risky, so the groups are kept separate to maintain safety. The other reasons don’t fit what the text describes: there isn’t a formal rule against sharing ledges, it isn’t a matter of Sherpas refusing, and it isn’t about a preferred alternative camp for the Sherpas. The practical constraint is the lack of space on the ledge itself.

High-altitude camps have very limited space, especially Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. That ledge is narrow and exposed, so it simply can’t hold all the Sherpas plus the clients at once without creating dangerous crowding. In such tight quarters, moving gear, fixing lines, and evacuating if needed become much more risky, so the groups are kept separate to maintain safety. The other reasons don’t fit what the text describes: there isn’t a formal rule against sharing ledges, it isn’t a matter of Sherpas refusing, and it isn’t about a preferred alternative camp for the Sherpas. The practical constraint is the lack of space on the ledge itself.