When talking about helicopter rescues in the mountains, the tragic story of the Slovenian climber Tomaz Humar is unforgettable. In 2005 Tomaz was plucked from an icy ledge on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan by a daring rescue mission using Lama helicopters. Tomaz was climbing the dangerous Rupal face of this formidable, ninth-highest mountain when he was stuck on a ledge unable to maneuver. As Nazir Sabir, Pakistan's most famous mountaineer recalls, "The rescue was a precarious mission at 6000 m, which was literally carried out on a wing and a prayer." Tomaz boasted that it was the "hand of God" that rescued him. But the Slovenian was not done tempting fate.

Waiting for rescue at very high altitudes is surely not fun. The human body has to simultaneously deal with hypothermia (cold temperatures), hypoglycemia (lack of food), hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and (de) hydration (lack of water) which can all independently kill the climber. Clearly, climbers like Tomaz have tremendous motivation and that obviously helps them deal with these physical deficiencies. But if there is an added injury like a broken leg, this may literally be the last straw on the camel's back.

Indeed, in November 2009 Tomaz Humar was attempting another solo climb on the 7,000 m high Langtang Lirung when he broke his leg and was stuck on a slippery ledge. Unfortunately this time even though Gerald Biner and his crack team from the Swiss Air Zermatt mountain rescue company attempted the rescue with better helicopters, it was too late for the Slovenian.

Daredevil climbers like Tomaz, powerful satellite phones for rescue at high altitude, and new high-perfoamnce helicopters that can fly at 7000m for rescue missions all combine to make medical rescues more common in the mountains. Many traditional climbers feel that man is using technology to whittle away the risks of climbing a mountain. And that the fun is gone. However, there will be intense media coverage as few things sell better than stories of spine-chilling rescues against the backdrop of magnificent, snow-covered mountains.

With their wealth of experience in the Alps, the Swiss are helping Nepali helicopter pilots and mountain guides perform rescue missions carefully and competently. However, the rescues in the Himalaya can be at an altitude thousands of meters higher than the rescue in the Alps.

So there may indeed be a steep learning curve, and the potential for disaster in the early days.