5 ms·

Seems there's worse ways to spend your money if you have a ton of it, but am wondering how people rationalize the death rate, which seems to be 1% ?

by Nanite 9y ago

zipwitch 9y ago
3% in recent years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_death_statistics#Statistics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_death_st... 6.5% overall. https://www.thoughtco.com/death-on-mount-everest-755907 https://www.thoughtco.com/death-on-mount-everest-755907
tim333 9y ago
The death rates are very variable depending on how you do it. On the main southern route they are quite low now. I rationalized you gotta go some time, why not something fun rather than Alzheimers.
dominotw 9y ago
Seems like there is a new death news every day One from today, Mount Everest: Bodies of four climbers found in tent http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40025553 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40025553
hyperdunc 9y ago
They rationalize the death rate by making an informed choice about the risk involved and knowing why they're doing it. I hope people are never denied such opportunities based on the opposing rationale that they're unsafe. Sometimes a self-unactualized can be worse than death.
- jondubois 9y ago
  I don't understand how someone might feel self-actualised because they paid 100K to climb a mountain which thousands of people of all ages have already climbed before. Like many things in life, it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person. To derive your self-esteem from external things which are almost entirely outside of your control makes no sense to me.
  - hyperdunc 9y ago
    They derive worth from the parts they can control. Most people wouldn't survive the climb even in the best weather. Changing weather is part of the risk, but I doubt anyone heads out knowing a storm is on the way.
  - munificent 9y ago
    Experiences are non-transferrable. Billions of humans have had children. Nonetheless, when I had my own kids, it was a profound experience. Self-actualization for many is not about standing out in comparison to others, it's about simply doing the experience itself for oneself.
  - exclusiv 9y ago
    > it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person You could say that about sailing across the Atlantic solo too but it wouldn't make any sense. It's all part of the journey and the accomplishment. The "abilities" you speak of also encompasses emotional fortitude, decision making, pushing yourself, etc. The challenge doesn't need to be about being a world class mountaineer. For most - it's reaching a personal best and accomplishing something that scares you. That can make you feel even more alive.
  - matwood 9y ago
    Things like climbing (and power lifting - another one I have some experience with) do test your physical and mental abilities as a person. There comes a point in both where it is you against yourself. Do you continue or turn back? Overcoming those mental hurdles is an enormous challenge, and personally rewarding. When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath...I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. Messner on the first solo ascent of Everest
- jondubois 9y ago
  I don't understand how someone might feel self-actualised because they paid 100K to climb a mountain which thousands of people of all ages have already climbed before. Like many things in life, it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person. To derive your self-esteem from external things which are almost entirely outside of your control makes no sense to me.
disconnected 9y ago
I don't know about rationale, but, IIRC, a significant portion of the deaths are from sherpas. In a 2014 avalanche, out of the 16 fatalities, 14 were Sherpas. Regardless of the ratio of Sherpas-to-tourist deaths, almost every year a few Sherpas die performing the real dangerous work of running up and down the mountain making the climb manageable for the tourists, installing ladders and carrying oxygen to base camps and such. So for the tourist, the death rate is probably much lower, likely in line with other dangerous activities such as skydiving, base jumping or race car driving.
DamnYuppie 9y ago
Honestly the death rate really doesn't play a large part in most peoples decisions to Climb Everest. It is something you want to do, you know the risks, and you do it. Now if you are talking about a real climbers mountain like Annapurna or K2 then the death rate is a serious issue, those are closer to 30%-40% death rate. Those mountains though will attract a different type of climber as they take real technical skill, those who can climb Everest rarely can climb those other mountains.
brogrammernot 9y ago
You're pushing yourself past any physical limits to achieve an incredible task. It's the same concept of why we're wowed by NFL players on Sunday and why we viewed lance armstrong as a "god" because of his biking ability. Yes, he took drugs but then again, who didn't in a 4 day bike race.
- bbarn 9y ago
  > Yes, he took drugs but then again, who didn't in a 4 day bike race. 21 days for the Tour de France, most other races in the season are 7. 4 days is a really nice amatuer stage race :)
  - brogrammernot 9y ago
    Good god. I was way off. I bike to work and feel like a hero lol
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
ng12 9y ago
Everest is actually one of the safest >8,000m peaks to climb. Annapurna and K2 boast 33.5% and 29.5% fatality rates [1]. Both are notoriously difficult climbs which require significantly more technical expertise than Everest. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander
patja 9y ago
Especially for those with partners and children they risk leaving behind without them, or even that they abandon them for weeks on end training for and pursuing their personal goals. These endeavors always strike me as being very selfish, narcissistic, and egotistical.
gozur88 9y ago
The death rate in life is 100%. If you really want to do something like Everest, the relatively small risk shouldn't dissuade you.

Seems there's worse ways to spend your money if you have a ton of it, but am wondering how people rationalize the death rate, which seems to be 1% ?

by Nanite 9y ago

Seems there's worse ways to spend your money if you have a ton of it, but am wondering how people rationalize the death rate, which seems to be 1% ?

zipwitch 9y ago

3% in recent years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_death_statistics#Statistics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_death_st... 6.5% overall. https://www.thoughtco.com/death-on-mount-everest-755907 https://www.thoughtco.com/death-on-mount-everest-755907

tim333 9y ago

The death rates are very variable depending on how you do it. On the main southern route they are quite low now. I rationalized you gotta go some time, why not something fun rather than Alzheimers.

dominotw 9y ago

Seems like there is a new death news every day One from today, Mount Everest: Bodies of four climbers found in tent http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40025553 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40025553

hyperdunc 9y ago

They rationalize the death rate by making an informed choice about the risk involved and knowing why they're doing it. I hope people are never denied such opportunities based on the opposing rationale that they're unsafe. Sometimes a self-unactualized can be worse than death.

jondubois 9y ago
I don't understand how someone might feel self-actualised because they paid 100K to climb a mountain which thousands of people of all ages have already climbed before. Like many things in life, it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person. To derive your self-esteem from external things which are almost entirely outside of your control makes no sense to me.
- hyperdunc 9y ago
  They derive worth from the parts they can control. Most people wouldn't survive the climb even in the best weather. Changing weather is part of the risk, but I doubt anyone heads out knowing a storm is on the way.
- munificent 9y ago
  Experiences are non-transferrable. Billions of humans have had children. Nonetheless, when I had my own kids, it was a profound experience. Self-actualization for many is not about standing out in comparison to others, it's about simply doing the experience itself for oneself.
- exclusiv 9y ago
  > it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person You could say that about sailing across the Atlantic solo too but it wouldn't make any sense. It's all part of the journey and the accomplishment. The "abilities" you speak of also encompasses emotional fortitude, decision making, pushing yourself, etc. The challenge doesn't need to be about being a world class mountaineer. For most - it's reaching a personal best and accomplishing something that scares you. That can make you feel even more alive.
- matwood 9y ago
  Things like climbing (and power lifting - another one I have some experience with) do test your physical and mental abilities as a person. There comes a point in both where it is you against yourself. Do you continue or turn back? Overcoming those mental hurdles is an enormous challenge, and personally rewarding. When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath...I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. Messner on the first solo ascent of Everest
jondubois 9y ago
I don't understand how someone might feel self-actualised because they paid 100K to climb a mountain which thousands of people of all ages have already climbed before. Like many things in life, it probably has more to do with the weather conditions and the phase of the moon than your abilities as a person. To derive your self-esteem from external things which are almost entirely outside of your control makes no sense to me.

disconnected 9y ago

I don't know about rationale, but, IIRC, a significant portion of the deaths are from sherpas. In a 2014 avalanche, out of the 16 fatalities, 14 were Sherpas. Regardless of the ratio of Sherpas-to-tourist deaths, almost every year a few Sherpas die performing the real dangerous work of running up and down the mountain making the climb manageable for the tourists, installing ladders and carrying oxygen to base camps and such. So for the tourist, the death rate is probably much lower, likely in line with other dangerous activities such as skydiving, base jumping or race car driving.

DamnYuppie 9y ago

Honestly the death rate really doesn't play a large part in most peoples decisions to Climb Everest. It is something you want to do, you know the risks, and you do it. Now if you are talking about a real climbers mountain like Annapurna or K2 then the death rate is a serious issue, those are closer to 30%-40% death rate. Those mountains though will attract a different type of climber as they take real technical skill, those who can climb Everest rarely can climb those other mountains.

brogrammernot 9y ago

You're pushing yourself past any physical limits to achieve an incredible task. It's the same concept of why we're wowed by NFL players on Sunday and why we viewed lance armstrong as a "god" because of his biking ability. Yes, he took drugs but then again, who didn't in a 4 day bike race.

bbarn 9y ago
> Yes, he took drugs but then again, who didn't in a 4 day bike race. 21 days for the Tour de France, most other races in the season are 7. 4 days is a really nice amatuer stage race :)
- brogrammernot 9y ago
  Good god. I was way off. I bike to work and feel like a hero lol
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

ng12 9y ago

Everest is actually one of the safest >8,000m peaks to climb. Annapurna and K2 boast 33.5% and 29.5% fatality rates [1]. Both are notoriously difficult climbs which require significantly more technical expertise than Everest. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander

patja 9y ago

Especially for those with partners and children they risk leaving behind without them, or even that they abandon them for weeks on end training for and pursuing their personal goals. These endeavors always strike me as being very selfish, narcissistic, and egotistical.

gozur88 9y ago

The death rate in life is 100%. If you really want to do something like Everest, the relatively small risk shouldn't dissuade you.