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Beginner mountaineers paying a bunch of sherpas to drag them to the top of Everest already wasn't much of an achievement. This just lowers the bar even more.

AlotOfReading 2y ago
Climbing Everest assisted is still a monumental personal achievement. I'm proud of my even more modest adventures in the Himalayas.
- kerkeslager 2y ago
  As I said elsewhere, climbing Everest and claiming you're a mountaineer is like being dragged through a marathon course on a rickshaw and claiming you're a long-distance runner. And yes, the colonialist metaphor is intentional. You can be proud of whatever you want and have fun doing whatever you want, but that doesn't entitle you to anyone else's respect.
  - AlotOfReading 2y ago
    That's exactly what a personal achievement is.
    - kerkeslager 2y ago
      No, a "achievement" implies you actually did something difficult. I mean, if you want to argue that this is "personal" and you're just proud of it without needing anyone else's respect, then why are you here defending it on Hacker News?
Petersipoi 2y ago
Only 7,269 have ever summited Everest. I suspect if it was as easy as you make it out to be, that number would be way, way higher.
- rgmerk 2y ago
  Aside from the difficulty of the actual expedition, the cost and time requirements are prohibitive for many people. The Nepalese government has also limited the number of permits issued to climb Everest.
- mc3301 2y ago
  341 deaths... Fewer than 5% of climbers have died on Everest.
  - TeaBrain 2y ago
    >Fewer than 5% of climbers have died on Everest Those two figures show how the number of deaths is less than 5% of the count of those who actually made it to the summit. The death rate would be less than that due to the large number of people that end their attempt partway through.
    - mc3301 2y ago
      Yeah, and it's not linear either as more and more people attempt to climb it every year, and as equipment gets better. With those two figures alone, it's a barely useful statistic, I guess.
- kerkeslager 2y ago
  Look up how much it costs. Few people have enough money to do it. That doesn't mean it's difficult.

AlotOfReading 2y ago

Climbing Everest assisted is still a monumental personal achievement. I'm proud of my even more modest adventures in the Himalayas.

kerkeslager 2y ago
As I said elsewhere, climbing Everest and claiming you're a mountaineer is like being dragged through a marathon course on a rickshaw and claiming you're a long-distance runner. And yes, the colonialist metaphor is intentional. You can be proud of whatever you want and have fun doing whatever you want, but that doesn't entitle you to anyone else's respect.
- AlotOfReading 2y ago
  That's exactly what a personal achievement is.
  - kerkeslager 2y ago
    No, a "achievement" implies you actually did something difficult. I mean, if you want to argue that this is "personal" and you're just proud of it without needing anyone else's respect, then why are you here defending it on Hacker News?

Petersipoi 2y ago

Only 7,269 have ever summited Everest. I suspect if it was as easy as you make it out to be, that number would be way, way higher.

rgmerk 2y ago
Aside from the difficulty of the actual expedition, the cost and time requirements are prohibitive for many people. The Nepalese government has also limited the number of permits issued to climb Everest.
mc3301 2y ago
341 deaths... Fewer than 5% of climbers have died on Everest.
- TeaBrain 2y ago
  >Fewer than 5% of climbers have died on Everest Those two figures show how the number of deaths is less than 5% of the count of those who actually made it to the summit. The death rate would be less than that due to the large number of people that end their attempt partway through.
  - mc3301 2y ago
    Yeah, and it's not linear either as more and more people attempt to climb it every year, and as equipment gets better. With those two figures alone, it's a barely useful statistic, I guess.
kerkeslager 2y ago
Look up how much it costs. Few people have enough money to do it. That doesn't mean it's difficult.