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My point about Rainier is that you can do it with your own equipment and planning and that would require more skill and still be cheaper than paying a team to t
by kerkeslager 9y ago
My point about Rainier is that you can do it with your own equipment and planning and that would require more skill and still be cheaper than paying a team to take you to the peak of Everest. People are literally learning to climb 5.6 on Everest.
Sure, you can do Everest that way too (and then it is indeed very difficult) but that's not what we're talking about.
Altitude is certainly a challenge, but acclimatization takes out a lot of the difficulty. I actually had a harder time on Cotopaxi than on Chimborazo despite the altitude difference because I had 8 days of acclimatization in between.
It's also worth noting that a lot of Everest climbers have sherpas carry oxygen tanks up for them.
- ghaff 9y ago>Altitude is certainly a challenge, but acclimatization takes out a lot of the difficulty. And the sherpas on Everest also use oxygen themselves. Above about 7000m or so, you're pretty much out of the range where the human body can function in any sort of long-term way. You don't acclimatize at that level. For peaks in the 6000m+ range (and even lower), acclimatization is somewhere between helpful and crucial. And that's about as high as I can go personally. Above that really does become a different game for almost everyone.
- Keyframe 9y agoa different game for almost everyone. For the others, look for Wim Hof. I still don't understand how.
- jbergstroem 9y agoI understand you argue about "those internet people", but you also choose to question my motives which I find disrespectful. I'm not climbing for anyone but myself. For what it's worth, ascending the Andes is what got me into altitude mountaineering in the first place. I'm looking forward to Cho Oyu which will be the first step towards Everest. Seeing how I'm yet to surpass 7000m (Aconcagua in December), it will surely be a test of faith.
- kerkeslager 9y agoMy objections to people doing Everest aren't that it's overrated in difficulty--nobody is obligated to do difficult things. My objection is more about supporting an industry that makes deals with lawmakers to keep a monopoly, while paying sherpas a fraction of their profits to risk their lives. I'm sorry I assumed your motivations. Why do you want to climb Everest? Why that mountain in particular, when there are so many other mountains that are just as challenging but can be climbed with a clean conscience?