There may have been some misunderstanding regarding beacons. It's possible that the S&R folks interpreted "beacons" to mean locating devices for avalanches.

But in this case we are debating the merits of satellite-based services, and it seems to me that these devices would have been tremendously helpful for finding the missing climbers (if at least one was carried in a pack). Perhaps I am missing something - but otherwise I don't understand the comment from the S&R team.

Sadly, things don't look good at this stage. If the 2 missing climbers were still alive in a snow cave and able to move, they could have signalled for help during the clear weather break on Monday. No movement on the mountain is a very bad sign.

From this incident, there is a very good lesson that the following three pieces of equipment could be real lifesavers in a sudden-storm weather emergency:

1. A locator beacon or a SPOT tracker.
2. A light device, such as a handheld laser or a very bright strobe.
3. A lightweight stove with good heat output, several spare containers of fuel, and some mugs.

BTW, I'm not saying that the laser would shine through the storm. But it could be enormously useful once the clouds pass and S&R folks begin their search with full activity.

other Pete