4 ms·

Why disparage the climbers? Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment.

by freewilly1040 7y ago

Waterluvian 7y ago
I read that some of them are basically babysat the way up and put everyone in danger just by existing there.
- whamlastxmas 7y ago
  Sounds like life in general
jonhendry18 7y ago
Not anymore.
roymurdock 7y ago
More of a wealth marker than anything else (who else can pay $45k-130k and take months off work to prep?) It used to be one team was allowed a permit per year, but has since evolved to be a tourist mecca: http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2018/12/17/how-much-does-it-cost-to-climb-mount-everest-2019-edition/ http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2018/12/17/how-much-does-it-...
crikli 7y ago
Getting to the top of Everest without supplemental oxygen and without relying on fixed lines is an impressive accomplishment. Getting to the top of Everest by jumaring up fixed lines while sucking down 3x the volume of oxygen Hillary and Norgay used is high risk tourism.
paganel 7y ago
Staying on top of your bills in an adverse economical environment like ours is really an accomplishment, especially if you add kids to the mix, climbing a piece of rock at the cost of tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for no reason whatsoever is just stupid.
jdietrich 7y ago
>Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment. It's not technically difficult, it doesn't require a particularly high level of fitness, it's just pointlessly dangerous. A substantial proportion of Everest climbers have negligible mountaineering experience and no real interest in the sport, they just want the bragging rights. You pay your money to an expedition company, you follow their instructions and they get you up to the death zone; whether you make it back to base camp is in the lap of the gods. About one in twenty people don't make it back. The only people I feel sorry for are the Sherpas. This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_died_climbing_Mount_Everest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_died_climbi...
- yur50 7y ago
  I am from Nepal. Our sherpas are making good money from it, no need to feel sorry for them. And it is better to keep Everest as a wasp trap. There are plenty of other mountains which are empty in the Himalayas to climb. If people want to pay to die on Everest, I do not care. It is just one mountain. I am happy to let them have bragging rights in return for contribution in our economy.
  - ak39 7y ago
    Great response. The fact the sherpas are indeed making money (better than nothing) is good news. I believe they ought to be making even more insane amounts of money though. I wonder if the overcrowding has now increased the danger factor appeal?
dragonwriter 7y ago
> Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment. It's certainly an expenditure of effort and resources, which ought to require a an impressive accomplishment to justify it, but tasks, however expensive and/or difficult, aren't accomplishments, only (at best) the cost paid for accomplishments.

Why disparage the climbers? Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment.

Waterluvian 7y ago

I read that some of them are basically babysat the way up and put everyone in danger just by existing there.

whamlastxmas 7y ago
Sounds like life in general

jonhendry18 7y ago

Not anymore.

roymurdock 7y ago

More of a wealth marker than anything else (who else can pay $45k-130k and take months off work to prep?) It used to be one team was allowed a permit per year, but has since evolved to be a tourist mecca: http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2018/12/17/how-much-does-it-cost-to-climb-mount-everest-2019-edition/ http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2018/12/17/how-much-does-it-...

crikli 7y ago

Getting to the top of Everest without supplemental oxygen and without relying on fixed lines is an impressive accomplishment. Getting to the top of Everest by jumaring up fixed lines while sucking down 3x the volume of oxygen Hillary and Norgay used is high risk tourism.

paganel 7y ago

Staying on top of your bills in an adverse economical environment like ours is really an accomplishment, especially if you add kids to the mix, climbing a piece of rock at the cost of tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for no reason whatsoever is just stupid.

jdietrich 7y ago

>Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment. It's not technically difficult, it doesn't require a particularly high level of fitness, it's just pointlessly dangerous. A substantial proportion of Everest climbers have negligible mountaineering experience and no real interest in the sport, they just want the bragging rights. You pay your money to an expedition company, you follow their instructions and they get you up to the death zone; whether you make it back to base camp is in the lap of the gods. About one in twenty people don't make it back. The only people I feel sorry for are the Sherpas. This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_died_climbing_Mount_Everest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_who_died_climbi...

yur50 7y ago
I am from Nepal. Our sherpas are making good money from it, no need to feel sorry for them. And it is better to keep Everest as a wasp trap. There are plenty of other mountains which are empty in the Himalayas to climb. If people want to pay to die on Everest, I do not care. It is just one mountain. I am happy to let them have bragging rights in return for contribution in our economy.
- ak39 7y ago
  Great response. The fact the sherpas are indeed making money (better than nothing) is good news. I believe they ought to be making even more insane amounts of money though. I wonder if the overcrowding has now increased the danger factor appeal?

dragonwriter 7y ago

> Getting to the top of Everest is an impressive accomplishment. It's certainly an expenditure of effort and resources, which ought to require a an impressive accomplishment to justify it, but tasks, however expensive and/or difficult, aren't accomplishments, only (at best) the cost paid for accomplishments.