5 ms·

I think you are making several incorrect and unfair generalizations. Calling those climbers "rich idiots" is unnecessary, and hugely inaccurate. Nearly all gui

I think you are making several incorrect and unfair generalizations. Calling those climbers "rich idiots" is unnecessary, and hugely inaccurate. Nearly all guided Everest expeditions require previous high-peak mountaineering experience to join the expedition, in places such as Aconcagua and Denali [1][2][3]. Technical familiarity with crampons, ice-axe, etc' is a must, and a high level of fitness is required. People who join those expeditions are not "rich idiots" who think they are going on a cruise. They are amateur climbers with money, who are interested in broadening their climbing experience and achieving their personal goals. Guiding companies provide a relatively safe opportunity for those climbers to achieve this, as this is something they cannot do by themselves. I also wouldn't be so quick to pass moral judgments on things that happen 8000+ meters above sea level, in conditions of extreme fatigue, after several weeks of hiking/climbing. What you think you would do while sitting on a chair in front of your computer is not necessarily what you would've done were you actually there. I recommend reading something like Into thin Air [4] to get a better perspective on what happens on those climbs. [1] http://www.alpineascents.com/everest.asp http://www.alpineascents.com/everest.asp [2] http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/everest/ http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/everest/ [3] http://www.adventureconsultants.com/adventure/FAQEverest/ http://www.adventureconsultants.com/adventure/FAQEverest/ [4] http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785 http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/038...

exDM69 13y ago
> I think you are making several incorrect and unfair generalizations. > Calling those climbers "rich idiots" is unnecessary, and hugely inaccurate. Nearly all guided Everest expeditions require previous high-peak mountaineering experience to join the expedition, in places such as Aconcagua and Denali [1][2][3]. Technical familiarity with crampons, ice-axe, etc' is a must, and a high level of fitness is required. I agree that it's a bit of an exaggeration and most expedition organizers are responsible and take preparations seriously and require their participants to be in good health and fine physical fitness. And then there are the organizers that aren't. In the Discovery documentary, there was one particular group of Chinese climbers who were practically pulled up the hill with ropes by their sherpas. Even the group who were followed in that documentary, from an organizer with a good reputation, led by a well known mountaineer had some members whose physical condition was a bit questionable. There was a motorcycle accident victim who could barely keep up with the climbers at the lower camps and in the end refused to turn back when told so by the expedition leader, putting himself and his sherpas at peril. But most of that group were fine climbers with proper preparations. I do understand that judgment doesn't quite work well at 8000+ meters, even with supplemental oxygen. I do not want to make moral judgments about the case above, but I do want to raise a discussion about the subject.
mailshanx 13y ago
Well, ice-axe and crampon competency is the bare minimum necessary to even step on a snow mountain. Granted that Denali is a hard climb, but still, if that has been your only climbing experience you are woefully unprepared to attempt Everest.
- pavelrub 13y ago
  Thanks for your input on what's required to climb Everest. I will pass that on to Ed Viesturs [1] from RMI Expeditions so that he will change the requirements listed on their website, based on your superior experience of actually taking up climbers to the summit. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Viesturs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Viesturs

exDM69 13y ago

> I think you are making several incorrect and unfair generalizations. > Calling those climbers "rich idiots" is unnecessary, and hugely inaccurate. Nearly all guided Everest expeditions require previous high-peak mountaineering experience to join the expedition, in places such as Aconcagua and Denali [1][2][3]. Technical familiarity with crampons, ice-axe, etc' is a must, and a high level of fitness is required. I agree that it's a bit of an exaggeration and most expedition organizers are responsible and take preparations seriously and require their participants to be in good health and fine physical fitness. And then there are the organizers that aren't. In the Discovery documentary, there was one particular group of Chinese climbers who were practically pulled up the hill with ropes by their sherpas. Even the group who were followed in that documentary, from an organizer with a good reputation, led by a well known mountaineer had some members whose physical condition was a bit questionable. There was a motorcycle accident victim who could barely keep up with the climbers at the lower camps and in the end refused to turn back when told so by the expedition leader, putting himself and his sherpas at peril. But most of that group were fine climbers with proper preparations. I do understand that judgment doesn't quite work well at 8000+ meters, even with supplemental oxygen. I do not want to make moral judgments about the case above, but I do want to raise a discussion about the subject.

mailshanx 13y ago

Well, ice-axe and crampon competency is the bare minimum necessary to even step on a snow mountain. Granted that Denali is a hard climb, but still, if that has been your only climbing experience you are woefully unprepared to attempt Everest.

pavelrub 13y ago
Thanks for your input on what's required to climb Everest. I will pass that on to Ed Viesturs [1] from RMI Expeditions so that he will change the requirements listed on their website, based on your superior experience of actually taking up climbers to the summit. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Viesturs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Viesturs