I’ve read a lot of books on climbing - I have no words for this year - I get the loving what you achieve in life.
I’ve read a lot of books on climbing - I have no words for this year - I get the loving what you achieve in life.
It's not been a great season up there. Part of it is overcrowding (too many $11,000 permits issued by the government) and too many enthusiasts overestimating their ability and level of preparation.
It's been getting bad for years. The trash clean out they have been doing is just crazy. Too many people wanting shurpas and guides to drag them up the mountain. It's been bad for years but this is by far the worse that it's been.
To me this is somehow a strange $11k entry fee to a crowded Amusement Park (long waiting lines) where the rides can really kill you.
The perception is that it is "one man vs the Mountain." The reality seems to be that it is a $11k group torture.
Sure seems like a suicide mission where the participants want to go to the edge and see if they make it back.
I highly recommend reading Into Thin Air. This book was published over 20 years ago (1997), but it remains highly relevant today. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I'm sure there are at least a dozen other books with a similar assessment of the disneyfication of Everest.
I was about to post about "Into Thin Air". These problems have been going on for at least 20 years. 20 years ago the price to be on one of those expeditions was $65k, I'm sure it hasn't gotten cheaper with time.
I have no desire to go climb that and wait in a huge line to die. For what? Ego? It's no longer an adventure.
Seeing that line of people makes me wonder, is Mt Everest becoming a BTDT event?
In reply to RealMiniNoMore :
"Been There, Died There"?
In reply to Ian F :
Exactly
Stupid is as stupid does.
It’s amazing how many bodies are on the mountain. You die there, you stay there.
11 deaths in a 10 day span and it has gathered the nickname of the zoo..
The top of Mt. Everest is littered with the frozen corpses of what were once highly motivated individuals.
I've wondered if the trash cleanup work has also included any attempts at corpse retrieval.
I can imagine the situation is a catch-22 for the Nepalese govt. Each one of those foreign climbers represents a sizable income to the economy there.
Hoondavan said:I highly recommend reading Into Thin Air. This book was published over 20 years ago (1997), but it remains highly relevant today. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. I'm sure there are at least a dozen other books with a similar assessment of the disneyfication of Everest.
Yes! A very enthralling read. Highly recommended.
The solution is simple. Double the cost of the permit, and continue to double it, until the casualty rate reaches some acceptable number. Or more reliably, ensure that each climber pass rigorous physical tests before they are allowed the privilege of attempting suicide by Everest. Obviously, much easier to do the first, ensuring that only well-heeled corpses will litter the mountain.
Some enterprising schmuck needs to build a tramway to the summit. Ride to the top of Everest in toasty warm luxury! He'd be rich.
What's killing most of the people? Are they just keeling over from not being able to handle the altitude or sliding down the side of the cliff?
In reply to Will :
They freeze to death. And there's no oxygen in the air at that altitude.
Edit:
https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-death-climbing-mount-everest/laura-allan?page=4
In reply to Will :
Oxygen deprivation causes disorientation, tunnel vision, extreme fatigue, and a host of internal issues from low air pressure and extreme cold. People literally wander off the path, sit down, and eventually die. Since everyone else is in almost the same condition, either people aren’t found, or are unable to be revived.
The Krakauer book is excellent and well worth the read for a real understanding from someone who (barely) survived it.
There’s a counterpoint to Krakauer’s book, “The Climb”. Same disaster, different viewpoint.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Thank you. I may give that a read soon.
Ian F said:
I swear, it’s getting closer to actual news every day. Remember when they did satire?
The Anatoli Boukreev book is great also. I remember reading them back to back about fifteen years ago. Shocking then how many people bought their way onto the mountain with very little preparation aside from payment. I can’t imagine it’s much different today.
In reply to OHSCrifle :
Boukreev's book is fantastic.
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