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Imho it ultimately comes down to whether the clients will demand their money back. If they don't - I don't see why operators would even mind. But if they do -

by omonra 11y ago

Imho it ultimately comes down to whether the clients will demand their money back. If they don't - I don't see why operators would even mind. But if they do - the operators will have to pay costs (permits, sherpas, etc) while having no revenue.

takk309 11y ago
Most people that climb Everest take out insurance that protects them from a cancellation of their trip. It is the insurance companies that, in turn, refuse payment to the Sherpa.
- chimeracoder 11y ago
  > Most people that climb Everest take out insurance that protects them from a cancellation of their trip. It is the insurance companies that, in turn, refuse payment to the Sherpa. That can't be the full story, though. Because the obvious answer to that is that the Sherpa mountaineers should purchase insurance against cancellation of bookings (this is quite common for tourist attractions in more developed economies). Underwriting this insurance would be quite easy, because the people who underwrite the insurance policies for the tourist climbers should be quite happy to underwrite policies for the Sherpa mountaineers as well.
  - takk309 11y ago
    You raise a very good point about the Sherpa needing to have insurance against a failed expedition. Sadly, they rarely even have life insurance. An article from Rock and Ice cites a death benefit of $4,600 in 2013.[1] [1] http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/exploitation-everest-sherpas-no-longer-willing-to-grin-and-bear-it http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/exploitation-everest-sh...
    - drzaiusapelord 11y ago
      The GDP per capita in Nepal is $700. So $4,600 is 6.5 years of wages. That's like someone in the west who makes $100,000 a year having a $650,000 life insurance. Which is a whole hell of a lot more than the one my employer offers.
  - Scarblac 11y ago
    In this case, it would be the Sherpas deciding that they didn't want to continue. Do you see any insurance companies paying out such a policy when it was their own choice?

by omonra 11y ago

takk309 11y ago

Most people that climb Everest take out insurance that protects them from a cancellation of their trip. It is the insurance companies that, in turn, refuse payment to the Sherpa.

chimeracoder 11y ago
> Most people that climb Everest take out insurance that protects them from a cancellation of their trip. It is the insurance companies that, in turn, refuse payment to the Sherpa. That can't be the full story, though. Because the obvious answer to that is that the Sherpa mountaineers should purchase insurance against cancellation of bookings (this is quite common for tourist attractions in more developed economies). Underwriting this insurance would be quite easy, because the people who underwrite the insurance policies for the tourist climbers should be quite happy to underwrite policies for the Sherpa mountaineers as well.
- takk309 11y ago
  You raise a very good point about the Sherpa needing to have insurance against a failed expedition. Sadly, they rarely even have life insurance. An article from Rock and Ice cites a death benefit of $4,600 in 2013.[1] [1] http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/exploitation-everest-sherpas-no-longer-willing-to-grin-and-bear-it http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/exploitation-everest-sh...
  - drzaiusapelord 11y ago
    The GDP per capita in Nepal is $700. So $4,600 is 6.5 years of wages. That's like someone in the west who makes $100,000 a year having a $650,000 life insurance. Which is a whole hell of a lot more than the one my employer offers.
- Scarblac 11y ago
  In this case, it would be the Sherpas deciding that they didn't want to continue. Do you see any insurance companies paying out such a policy when it was their own choice?