Has climbing Mount Everest become a selfish endeavor?

Orgasmo

Orgasmo

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About 30 climbers have suffered frostbite or become ill on Mount Everest, after two more died from apparent altitude sickness.

Two Indian climbers have also been reported missing in the mountain's so-called "death zone" near the summit.

Despite the danger, the mountain's most successful female climber reached the summit for the seventh time on Friday.
Click to expand...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36355920

So another few more deaths on the slopes of Everest, adding more to the list of those who perished. Is there even a point in climbing the peak other than for the purpose of vanity?

Climbers today are nothing like the first ones who conquered the peak. They have an arsenal of modern apparels and equipment to assist them. On top of that, they're supported by a legion of Nepalese locals, paying up to 6 figures to hire someone to haul their equipment up. The climbers, mostly from Europe and North America, are leaving behind a mountain of garbage on the trail.

About 4 people die for every 100 that reaches the summit, so makes it about the same death rate as American troops that participated in the D-Day invasion. What I find repulsive is the culture of leaving those in distress to die on their way up. The argument is that they are too far gone to be saved, too much risk to rescuers or they knew the risks. As a result you have dozens of uncollected corpses laying around on the way up. Clearly that can't be the case, as there has been at least four successful rescues by climbers who abandoned their own climb to help their fellow men.

Is there any purpose and accomplishment in doing this other than bragging rights?
 
Orgasmo said:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36355920

So another few more deaths on the slopes of Everest, adding more to the list of those who perished. Is there even a point in climbing the peak other than for the purpose of vanity?

Climbers today are nothing like the first ones who conquered the peak. They have an arsenal of modern apparels and equipment to assist them. On top of that, they're supported by a legion of Nepalese locals, paying up to 6 figures to hire someone to haul their equipment up. The climbers, mostly from Europe and North America, are leaving behind a mountain of garbage on the trail.

About 4 people die for every 100 that reaches the summit, so makes it about the same death rate as American troops that participated in the D-Day invasion. What I find repulsive is the culture of leaving those in distress to die on their way up. The argument is that they are too far gone to be saved, too much risk to rescuers or they knew the risks. As a result you have dozens of uncollected corpses laying around on the way up. Clearly that can't be the case, as there has been at least four successful rescues by climbers who abandoned their own climb to help their fellow men.

Is there any purpose and accomplishment in doing this other than bragging rights?
Click to expand...

At this point 100% yes. There are people trying to summit the highest mountain in the world with minimal experience, because they are rich and know that they can buy sherpas to carry their shit up most of the way. This story proves that there is never a guarantee to make it, which should be a warning to people.
 
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Was it ever anything more than vanity?
 
Let them do what they want and mind your own fucking business, IMO.
 
YEh, they did this whole special on the Sherpas, and how they are exploited and what not, and there was this big avalanchee, and the Sherpas all went on strike or something. It was recent.
 
Orgasmo said:
About 4 people die for every 100 that reaches the summit, so makes it about the same death rate as American troops that participated in the D-Day invasion. What I find repulsive is the culture of leaving those in distress to die on their way up. The argument is that they are too far gone to be saved, too much risk to rescuers or they knew the risks. As a result you have dozens of uncollected corpses laying around on the way up. Clearly that can't be the case, as there has been at least four successful rescues by climbers who abandoned their own climb to help their fellow men.

Is there any purpose and accomplishment in doing this other than bragging rights?
Click to expand...

MT. Everest isn't even that deadly. K2 in Pakistan has a death rate of 23 out of 100. Batshit crazy people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2
 
Climbing Everest is just a narcissictic endeavor. It always struck me as somewhat arrogant to want to conquer nature in this manner. It's an ego boost .

Armies of Sherpa porters carry stuff , set up camp, coordinate , plan etc.. Climbers leave beind tons of garbage. The only good thing is that it helps the economy and Nepal needs every dollar.
 
People who climb Mount Everest are egomaniac scumbags.
 
A woman who died of altitude sickness while climbing Mount Everest took on the challenge to prove that 'vegans can do anything'. Maria Strydom died on Saturday afternoon after having to turn back from the final leg of the expedition because she felt unwell. 'It seems that people have this warped idea of vegans being malnourished and weak. 'By climbing the seven summits we want to prove that vegans can do anything and more,' she said in an interview with the university where she worked.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...king-climb-husband-prove-vegans-anything.html

She really showed those vegan haters.
 
a bunch of vain assholes. is 4 out of 100 for climbers only? or support people too? I hope those guys get paid a lot! basically it is them who reached the top, and the climbers just tagged along.
 
I think that inherently, climbing a moutain like the Everest is a selfish activity. Nothing wrong with that.

Of course that a bunch of assholes are turning that mountain into a massive trash can isn't cool, nor is letting people die or leaving corpses behind.

However, they don't have a choice. They need every bit of energy they have left to make it back. Corpses can't get removed because it s hardly possible for humans to pull anything at that altitude, that is why people who can't continue are left to die.

There is a good thread in the Mayberry about it. That as well as a couple of documentaries opened my eyes as to how fucked up things are at that altitude.

Oh and not everybody with 100K can make it to the top. Some people will just die in 48 hours at 7000 meters + if they don't have the constitution for it.
 
MadSquabbles500 said:
YEh, they did this whole special on the Sherpas, and how they are exploited and what not, and there was this big avalanchee, and the Sherpas all went on strike or something. It was recent.
Click to expand...

I think this was HBO Real Sports. Yeah, the Sherpas carry all the gear, navigate the whole route, basically do everything so some asshole can take his picture at the top.
 
Diamond Jim said:
I think this was HBO Real Sports. Yeah, the Sherpas carry all the gear, navigate the whole route, basically do everything so some asshole can take his picture at the top.
Click to expand...

NatGeo did one too I think . . . there was not climbing on Everest in 2014 after the avalanche or in 2015 due to the earthquake.
 
This reminds me of the documentary Touching the Void.
That was awesome.
Highly recommended.

Edit: hey it is fully shown on youtube

 
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