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I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

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Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#21

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

hodgesrm wrote: post #17
Copenjin wrote: post #11

I really feel sad for these sherpas that have to work as care givers for these unprepared losers from the west (most of them seem to be) that just want to impress their kin back home. I suggest the book "Into Thin Air" (and the movie version "Everest") if you want to know more about how the commercial side of Everest climbing works (and about a really sad tragedy).

> I really feel sad for these sherpa that have to work as care givers for these unprepared losers from the west (most of them seem to be) that just want to impress their kin back home. Do you climb mountains? It's hard to explain the motivation if you don't do it yourself. Most people I know who have done big climbs are not trying to impress their kin. George Mallory answered the question why with "Because it's there…

There’s climbing mountains, and then there’s paying $50,000 to line up to climb past a bunch of bodies that were never recovered, presumably because people pay $50,000 to summit Everest, not to retrieve dead bodies.

What kind of brain injury do you have to have to want to pay $50,000 to stand in line for that?

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#22

Post by webaholic »

Copenjin wrote: post #11

I really feel sad for these sherpas that have to work as care givers for these unprepared losers from the west (most of them seem to be) that just want to impress their kin back home. I suggest the book "Into Thin Air" (and the movie version "Everest") if you want to know more about how the commercial side of Everest climbing works (and about a really sad tragedy).

Don't be. It is a very well paying job which rewards the efforts put in.

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#23

Post by AstroJetson »

deanCommie wrote: post #9

Then: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger" Adventurers, explorers, inventors: "The risk is worth the reward. We must push the boundaries of human reach and understanding further" Now: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger. But not because the a…

Yes, there is a guy where I'm currently working that "been there done that, have tee shirts, pictures, etc." and won't hesitate to insert it into a conversation. me: A little winded from all the stairs" him:"Wow, you think you are tired, let me tell you...." me:"The snow is really blowing out there" him:"If you want to see blowing snow there I was on ...."

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#24

Post by cr0sh »

deanCommie wrote: post #6
cr0sh wrote: post #5

EDIT: As noted below, I should have read the article first; I made a grand assumption about the article, and had I read it (which I intend to do - but I read enough of it to see what it's really about - and that should be interesting), my questions would have been answered, and this dumb comment of mine wouldn't be here. My apologies, everyone. I'll do better in the future... --- Original Comment Below --- I'm not a…

* Step 1: Read the article * Step 2: Comment on the article. You got it backwards.

Caught me. I'm a dumba... I'm sorry.

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#25

Post by SimonPStevens »

kabwj wrote: post #13
Copenjin wrote: post #11

I really feel sad for these sherpas that have to work as care givers for these unprepared losers from the west (most of them seem to be) that just want to impress their kin back home. I suggest the book "Into Thin Air" (and the movie version "Everest") if you want to know more about how the commercial side of Everest climbing works (and about a really sad tragedy).

I feel really sad for the bitter people who call others losers for enjoying things they don’t enjoy or can’t do.

I agree with you sentiment in general about not chastising people for enjoying things you don't enjoy, but in this case it's different.

If you enjoy rock climbing or mountain hiking you go to one of thousands of other mountains. There are plenty of places that are more challenging if that is what you crave.

Literally the only reasons to climb Everest in the modern day is because you want the egocentric talking point of having climbed the highest mountain. That or you like queuing at high altitude.

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#26

Post by gamblor956 »

bitreality wrote: post #18
orpep90nxkfo wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is more like “rich westerners chasing FOMO feels”. I have a hard time supporting politically that we owe deference to a minority experiencing shallow novelty and calling them life dreams, given the externalized costs foisted on society as a whole. There are peaks closer and the difference in sensory experience is marginal. This is just “more money than I can spend so I’ll shovel it a little at everything.” Which…

It's more that Everest is the highest peak in the world. If there was another mountain 10m higher than Everest, Everest would get 5-10% of the traffic it currently does. How many people know the second highest mountain in the world? It's K2, most people have at least heard of it. How about the third highest? Kangchenjunga. Never heard of it, had to Google it. So for people who want a recognizable achievement, Everest…

K2 and Kangchenjunga are also much harder to get to than Everest. For example, the Indian government does not permit access to Kangchenjunga, and the northern routes from Nepal are in (relatively, for Nepal) remote areas.

K2 is so remote that there was no local name for it (hence, the designation K2).

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#27

Post by saalweachter »

orpep90nxkfo wrote: post #10
saalweachter wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cost is on the order of ~$50,000. That's not a whim purchase for most people, and probably out of reach of e.g. the lower 50% of US incomes, but for a huge number of people it's an achievable amount if climbing Everest is your lifetime dream.

This is more like “rich westerners chasing FOMO feels”. I have a hard time supporting politically that we owe deference to a minority experiencing shallow novelty and calling them life dreams, given the externalized costs foisted on society as a whole. There are peaks closer and the difference in sensory experience is marginal. This is just “more money than I can spend so I’ll shovel it a little at everything.” Which…

I say "lifetime dream" because, within that context, $50,000 is probably a good, achievable budget for the lifetime dream of probably north of a billion people in the world. Maybe two billion; I haven't looked at world demographics lately.

$50,000 is enough to do any one of starting a small business, or owning a classic car, or getting a masters degree in a subject you enjoy, or to own a boat or a tiny prop plane, or take a year or two off to try to write the next great novel, or buy a small plot of land in the wilderness to put a cabin on, or take a pretty fantastic round-the-world trip, or serve as a down payment on a small house in much of the US, maybe a fixer-upper depending on your location, or to throw a really amazing wedding. Or to climb Mount Everest.

Any one; if you aren't a rich asshole, you only get to pick one (or if you're a rich SWE, like 4-5). But, like, a lot of people can scrimp and save and take out a second mortgage and do one.

I understand why you think wanting to climb Mount Everest is a stupid dream, and I'm sure that a hearty number of the climbers are rich assholes who don't bat an eye at dropping $50k on something they don't really care about. And heck, most of the people who do dream of climbing Everest aren't in the physical shape to actually go and do it.

But still, it's a pretty common dream of a lifetime, of the right scale that a huge number of people are able to attempt it.

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#29

Post by akvadrako »

lmm wrote: post #14
deanCommie wrote: post #9

Then: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger" Adventurers, explorers, inventors: "The risk is worth the reward. We must push the boundaries of human reach and understanding further" Now: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger. But not because the a…

What's the difference between "rich conceited asshole doing it for ego" and "adventurer doing it for humanity"? At the end of the day there's no practical benefit, only that person's experience.

What? Are you saying the people that colonized Europe didn't give any practical benefit to humanity?

Re: I’ve Climbed Everest 21 Times. It’s Not the Mountain It Used to Be

#30

Post by RandomInteger4 »

AstroJetson wrote: post #23
deanCommie wrote: post #9

Then: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger" Adventurers, explorers, inventors: "The risk is worth the reward. We must push the boundaries of human reach and understanding further" Now: " is really dangerous. Very few people have done it. It requires a lot of capital, and your health and life may be in danger. But not because the a…

Yes, there is a guy where I'm currently working that "been there done that, have tee shirts, pictures, etc." and won't hesitate to insert it into a conversation. me: A little winded from all the stairs" him:"Wow, you think you are tired, let me tell you...." me:"The snow is really blowing out there" him:"If you want to see blowing snow there I was on ...."

And? So, he's not allowed to talk about his experiences?
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