Everest Thread

[vertical_doug]

Outside has a fairly reasoned account of this past season on Everest. I, generally follow the season both on Everest and later on K2, and can only say it continues to get more stupid every year.

Everest Deaths in 2012 - Page 1 | Mount Everest | OutsideOnline.com

[summilux]

There was a Canadian woman who died last season. She had never climbed anything in her life before going to Everest. I don't think she'd even been above the treeline. She bought a ticket from a bargain basement guiding company that was mounting its first expedition. Tragedy? Stupidity? Both. What a waste.

[vertical_doug]

The article covers that extensively.

[Lionel]

Crazy stuff. The cycling equivalent of starting Mt Ventoux at 11am with 100 deg and being 100 pounds overweight. A few people die trying to go up Ventoux each year. It's cheaper though ;-)

[jscottyk]

Ugh. That first picture says it all.

Everest jumped the shark circa 1994.

[RickM]

As a former pretty stud climber, (yeah, I'm not afraid to say it..) I always had less-then-zero desire to be part of one of those group-slogs. Even Yosemite was full of morons who'd get their ass hauled up the Nose, then they could go home and crow because they'd done it all.

[Britishbane]

There was a Canadian woman who died last season. She had never climbed anything in her life before going to Everest.

From the article, "[Shah readied herself] by hiking up stairs with a heavy pack and practicing a martial-arts routine." The poor soul never even climbed a hill prior to taking on Everest. Mind blowing. Perhaps its not kind to talk of the deceased in the following manner...but how clueless can you be.

[AngryScientist]

i also read the article and had the same sentiments as the rest of you. it gets worse every year out there.

IMO Outside routinely has very good articles. This one reminds me very much of another article some time back on "near death" circumstances or something along those lines. One portion referred to a gentleman who went to Hawaii on vacation, he had some downtime his first night and decided to go play in the waves. He recalls bumping into a lifegaurd by pure chance. he casually asks the lifegaurd how the waves are today, and the lifegaurd essentially tells him that as an amateur swimmer he would have died a certain death if he had gone in when and where he planned to, to "play" in the waves. only by pure luck did he avoid a near certain catastrophe.

its startling how quickly [we] can get in over our heads, not think things through, not realize the dangers involved. its really criminally negligent, in this case to allow someone, as a guide to come to everest to climb with zero experience.

sad really, on a few fronts.

[miwuksurfer]

Since Messener did it without supplemental oxygen in 1978 every subsequent ascent with oxygen is essentially merit-less.

Style is everything in climbing, and I'm not talking about matching your socks to your jersey.

[Mabouya]

What a mess.

"Into Thin Air" is one of the scariest books I've ever read.

[robin3mj]

What a mess.

"Into Thin Air" is one of the scariest books I've ever read.

Agreed. will probably read my copy of Outside this wknd.

OT, after I lent my copy of Into the Wild to my sister, she called me nearly in tears asking me to promise I'd never tramp off into the woods like that. I laughed and told her I may have a dirtbag streak in me, it didn't run that deep.

[KeithNYC]

Aside from the shear madness of it all, my biggest takeaway from Into Thin Air was what how all these climbers (and non climbers) who presumably have an appreciation for the wonders of nature, had turned this mountain into a fucking cesspool over the years. In the name of... What exactly?

[Flying Pigeon]

How many oxygen bottles for each climber in these photos? The trash dumps up there must be out of control.

But the single most disturbing thing about commercial expeditions may be that the clients only have to pass through the Khumbu icefall maybe twice. Whereas the porters who schlep everything up there have to risk being smooshed many times day after day. You are paying (barely) the poorest people in the world to risk their lives so you don't have to.

[sonny]

the best climbers are invisible and likely in their backyard finding a thrill

edit: if tall stuff gets ya goin check these guys out: PEAKLIST - Prominence of Mountains of the World

[AngryScientist]

The trash dumps up there must be out of control.

too true. i thought the outdoorsy community had largely accepted the "tread lightly" philosophy, leaving nature beautiful for generations to come. Everest is a sham for all but a few.

Edit: business idea! - maybe i can start a company taking rich idiots on the route of the tour de france, on the back of a tandem, and promise them they really dont have to pedal much. then they can tell all their yuppy friends about their accomplishments. what a workout that would be.

[Human Epic Jolt]

How many oxygen bottles for each climber in these photos? The trash dumps up there must be out of control.

But the single most disturbing thing about commercial expeditions may be that the clients only have to pass through the Khumbu icefall maybe twice. Whereas the porters who schlep everything up there have to risk being smooshed many times day after day. You are paying (barely) the poorest people in the world to risk their lives so you don't have to.

You should see the state of Uxbridge Road. Helps to hold a hand over one eye.

[Flying Pigeon]

You should see the state of Uxbridge Road. Helps to hold a hand over one eye.

Python trivia! So you probably know 'Bicycle Repairman' by heart?

[Flying Pigeon]

the best climbers are invisible and likely in their backyard finding a thrill

edit: if tall stuff gets ya goin check these guys out: PEAKLIST - Prominence of Mountains of the World

Cool site. Climbs in the Sierras possess that 'prominence' where you look way down towards Death Valley.

So Everest makes #1 there as well. I've been up #11 Mont Blanc but it has that same 'conga line' look to it with half of Europe up there.
How about #15 Mauna Kea -- longest thing in the world you can climb on a road bike?

[Flying Pigeon]

As a former pretty stud climber,

I'm sure you mean: Still pretty. And still a stud.

But not a climber.

[RickM]

I'm sure you mean: Still pretty. And still a stud.

But not a climber.

No, It seems I've successfully negated all three qualities.