Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

godheadv.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

211–220 of 266 posts

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#211

Post by stratomorph »

pingswept wrote: post #175
lkjhgfvhjk wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although those who don't climb Everest have a 100% mortality rate (Perhaps 99.9999% if you include the Dalai Lama)

Historically, it's closer to 94%. In rough numbers, there have been around 100 billion humans [1], and only around 6 billion of them are left, even if you count the Dalai Lama. [1]: http://www.prb.org/Articles/2002/HowManyPeopleHaveEverLivedo...

Well, 94% mortality and 6% for which there is insufficient data to draw a conclusion. We'll have to wait a while to be sure if any of them are immortal.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#212

Post by Semiapies »

swombat wrote: post #8
makeramen wrote: post #4

I'm not the only one noticing the connection to startups right? Though not as morbid, I would imagine "stepping over dead bodies" and "leaving teammates behind" is a rather common experience in startups as well, though potentially frowned upon (but even then, it would depend on the situation). EDIT: I think I need to clarify, I'm thinking more that startup COMPANIES are like everest climbers, trying to reach profitab…

There's a difference between even screwing over your best friend ("The Social Network"-style) and leaving them to die alone in a frozen desert of hell, where their mummified remains will stand for years to come as a grim reminder that someone left them behind. Sure, there's some very distant analogy, but it's really a different kettle of fish.

People like to glamorize their business endeavors. Some guys at computers building a web-app just isn't that exciting to people without a lot of fictionalization or likening it to something more exciting.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#213

Post by TheEzEzz »

jasonkester wrote: post #36

My relatives sometimes ask whether I'm 'still doing that mountain climbing thing?'. I'm pretty sure they think that this is what I'm up to. I'm sure I'd fall in love with high altitude mountaineering (all other aspects of climbing are so addictive that it follows) but I've always made a point of staying away. The statistics are all there to see. I'll stick with the rocks, thank you. My personal rule is that if it's c…

Agreed. Climbing is enjoyable. Being cold... just sucks. I'll save the hardcore tests of my mental integrity for startups and scientific research.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#214

Post by bootload »

Prisen wrote: post #174
JabavuAdams wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In the field, you never leave anyone behind . Never! This mentality is encouraged because otherwise it would be harder to recruit soldiers, but it's bad strategy. There are times when the success of a mission may depend on leaving someone behind. EDIT> Just as the "never leave anyone behind" meme is an artificial construct, you might be able to train a force with a culture of "I will never force my mates to have to…

Special forces operating in extreme conditions have no qualms about leaving someone, if necessary.

Maybe. Foreign legion [0], Royal Marines [1] say otherwise. It's more about "unity & team" rather than "I".

[0] http://french-foreign-legion.com/french_foreign_legion_code....

[1] http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/royalmarines/history-and-ethos/...

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#215

Post by T_S_ »

I think the risk involved is crazy, stupid and selfish. I judge therefore I am ;-).

However, at least these mountaineers effectively experiment with their lives in a relatively open manner. It's too bad the drug cheats in athletics aren't able to be as open. Then we might learn something useful from their crazy, stupid and selfish behavior.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#216

Post by BeachVentures »

killedbydeath wrote: post #206
BeachVentures wrote: post #203

Some friends and I are climbing some of the tallest mountains in the world (including Everest) to raise money for cancer research. I must say that these pictures certainly scare me a bit, but I really believe in our cause. We are starting our quest this January, in south America where we will climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the western and southern hemisphere, and the tallest outside Asia. We would love some…

Is it possible to donate you so that you don't climb?

My friend's dad and also one of the original members of our organization died of cancer. They both asked to have their ashes brought to Everest and I think this is a worthy pursuit. We are tryingto raise 100k by climbing 100k feet, so we will go through a lot of hard work. We would love your support.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#217

Post by verysimple »

billybob wrote: post #125
dminor wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In modern society most people have lost their respect for nature. So the people who don't risk their lives climbing mountains have lost their respect for nature? I think you might have that exactly backwards :)

Yeah, I TOTALLY respect Everest. Everest would kill me dead. That's why I'm staying the heck away from it. I respect lions, too.

and snakes and sharks.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#218

Post by bootload »

JabavuAdams wrote: post #110
bootload wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"... Though not as morbid, I would imagine "stepping over dead bodies" and "leaving teammates behind" is a rather common experience in startups as well, though potentially frowned upon (but even then, it would depend on the situation). ..." You're kidding right? Working in a Startup, in a cushy office with access to water, food & external help is not in the same league as roughing it. Having said that the lessons you…

> In the field, you never leave anyone behind . Never! This mentality is encouraged because otherwise it would be harder to recruit soldiers, but it's bad strategy. There are times when the success of a mission may depend on leaving someone behind. EDIT> Just as the "never leave anyone behind" meme is an artificial construct, you might be able to train a force with a culture of "I will never force my mates to have to…

"... This mentality is encouraged because otherwise it would be harder to recruit soldiers, but it's bad strategy. There are times when the success of a mission may depend on leaving someone behind. ..."

I'm a civvie.

This idea here can be equally applied to many civilian situations. This year it was at the top of Australia's tallest mountain (not very tall, but cold) where a hapless walker got out of his comfort zone & didn't prepare very well ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/4797709801/ and another who got injured coming down ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/4797709801

Last year it was looking out ~ http://seldomlogical.com/2009/04/21/getting-stuff-done-with-... for my old man ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157616765213435... & a mate who's family copped it ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/sets/72157621928042355... in one of the biggest fires recorded where I live ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/collections/7215762118... or the bloke I found sitting in his car, post fires ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/3405148567/in/set-7215...

I observed the type of attitude you portray while Casevac'n ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualty_evacuation a youngster in Highschool. I remember watching groups of "potential" helpers look, then walk out of the train while I made sure he didn't bleed out - then moved him 5km in 8m to medical help. I didn't do it by myself. I enlisted a team of ppl to help. Obviously they understood the need after a bit of coaxing?

I've read the psychology behind why people are so callous or reluctant: at group level "bystander effect" at personal level where low agreeability, low responsibility and low morality levels that don't compel action. But I don't understand it. Maybe that's why USMC have the idea of a "blood chit" as a motivator? ~ http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/blood_chit.htm

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#219

Post by jaxtapose »

wooster wrote: post #27

I recently got back (almost exactly a month ago) from a month long climbing trip in Nepal with some friends. We had three guides, all three of whom have climbed Everest multiple times. One of our guides, who has summited 5 times, described Everest as his "bad habit". As a relative newbie to high altitude mountaineering (the highest I got was ~19,850 feet), climbing in Nepal was really, really hard. You are never warm…

> exploration is always a serious business

What did you explore? Nothing, it's all documented, explored, exploited. Hell, it's a tourist attraction.

Re: Everest is littered with dead, exposed bodies

#220

Post by joe24pack »

JabavuAdams wrote: post #101
JoachimSchipper wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate a bit on why you'd see people wanting to do this? I mean, I understand that mountain climbing affords a nice view, and I understand that it's a feat that you can tell people about, but I can't imagine being willing to take a risk as large as Mt. Everest for those reasons.

Some people like extreme situations. I remember the John Krakauer Book _Into Thin Air_, about an Everest disaster, made me want to climb it -- I haven't. It's the whole "yeah people die, but it won't be me" attitude. I remember coming out of Saving Private Ryan thinking "that looks like fun", despite what I know intellectually.

> I remember coming out of Saving Private Ryan thinking "that looks like fun", despite what I know intellectually.

Going through live fire infiltration training cured me of any such sentiment.

Post reply on HN