Abandoned on Mt Everest

[Skyviper]

Someone sent me this little article about those left behind on Everest and for some reason I thoguht a number of you would find this to be an interesting read

 

 

[Dogzero1]

Someone sent me this little article about those left behind on Everest and for some reason I thoguht a number of you would find this to be an interesting read

 

Good post. I have seen a documentary about this on TV. It scares the living bejeezus out of me. I love mountain climbing and my passion is to climb most of the UK's highest but I would never dare to do anything like Everest.

 

Thanks

[Skyviper]

Hey no problem. When I saw this I was speachless. I would never thought Everest to be desert and let alone so friggin brutal. I always thought if you had some oxygen you'd be fine but after reading this...ha I thought soooo wrong.

[Silverbolt]

nice article!

[UK_Widowmaker]

Mountain + Climbing = no thanks..I would rather hammer my genitals with a Steak Tenderiser

[Gr.Viper]

Could be fun to make a slow pass near the top on a helo.

[MigBuster]

Interesting article - good find!

[MigBuster]

Could be fun to make a slow pass near the top on a helo.

 

Interestingly it looks like a Eurocopter may have managed to land on the Everest summit in a publicity stunt!

 

I know which method I would prefer - that's right flying right over it in a jet and ignoring that pointless piece of snowy rock.

 

Edited December 12, 2010 by MigBuster

[Gr.Viper]

Sod Eurocopter, for a flyby I'd use Lama

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/snias_lama.php

On 21 June 1972, a Lama with only a pilot aboard established a helicopter absolute height record of 12442m.

[Javito1986]

Right. And it costs $25,000 minimum to get a permit from Nepal to try to climb that mountain. Why in god's name would anyone pay that? What are you even paying for? To go up and add yourself to the graveyard? No thank you!

[Skyviper]

Right. And it costs $25,000 minimum to get a permit from Nepal to try to climb that mountain. Why in god's name would anyone pay that? What are you even paying for? To go up and add yourself to the graveyard? No thank you!

 

I agree with that...25K to die a cold slow death...pass

[Skyviper]

Hmmm... I just thought about this( I know I'm slow)

 

Everest... Ever Rest as in RIP forever on Everest...just a thought

[Javito1986]

Huh. That is an ominous name isn't it?

 

Also I did some quick google research and read that if you don't pay the permit you're not supposed to be rescued if you get yourself in a tight spot, since you're not supposed to be there in the first place. That's just lovely! I see the appeal of standing at the highest point on earth and looking about, I do. I even somewhat understand risking your neck for that privilege. But paying tens of thousands of dollars to do it??? No. A thousand times no.

[FastCargo]

What's the point?

 

For the same reason folks do other things that put their life and limbs on the line - because it is hard, because it is dangerous.

 

Approximately 4000 people have attempted to climb Mount Everest in recorded history. I want you to think about that for a good, long minute.

 

Now, approximately 660 have reached the summit successfully. Think about that for a minute more.

 

Finally, about 180 people have died attempting the climb...which puts your odds at about 1 in 20 that you won't come back from an attempt.

 

Climbing Everest is akin to being an astronaut for 3 reasons:

 

1. It is difficult - mentally, physically, emotionally (and arguably monetarily).

2. It is dangerous - climbing to an altitude where airliners normally hang out. What's the last thing you did that 1 out of every 20 people died as a direct result of doing it? (Soldiers in active combat zones have much better survival rates on average).

3. It is rare - even if you only use the number of people who currently exist (about 7 billion), that means just attempting a climb is 1 person in 1.75 million people. Reaching the summit successfully is now 1 person per 10 million people. The numbers get even rarer if you start including all the people that have existed since the first recorded attempts.

 

Does it make more sense now? Unlike a lot of other human endeavors that can be overcome with tons of money, engineering and/or technology, climbing Mt. Everest is still a legitimate challenge.

 

FC

[JediMaster]

Yes, but no one really cares about the 557th person to climb Mt Everest. The first few were famous, after that it became like flying the space shuttle...no one cared unless something bad happened. At least the space program accomplished more for those risked lives than just climbing a mountain yet again.

[FastCargo]

JM,

 

Doesn't matter if anyone else cares...it's a matter if the person doing it cares (which I would hope they would).

 

Again, unlike the space program which requires tons of money and/or high technology, climbing Mount Everest does not while still meeting other criteria for exclusivity and difficulty.

 

It's a matter of personal achievement and self actualization.

 

FC