Traffic jam on Mount Everest!

I Romberg reading about a New York socialite, who was basically carried to the top!

Very sad indeed!

It's called Everest by the Yak route. If you read Krakauer's Into Thin Air, pushing the envelope and the traffic jam at the summit , contributed greatly to that disaster. Sandy Pitman was the lady.

https://www.vanityfair.com/cul...ittman-mount-everest
Buddy of mine was the first Canadian to reach the top. That was before commercial expeditions and two climbers died. Lot of money to be made giving inspirational speeches if you survive.
Grizz

About 15 years ago I was seeing a doc
that had been up there about 20 yrs
before.
He said the trash and empty oxygen bottles
along the trail was disgusting.
Can't imagine it improving any by now.

George

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
About 15 years ago I was seeing a doc
that had been up there about 20 yrs
before.
He said the trash and empty oxygen bottles
along the trail was disgusting.
Can't imagine it improving any by now.

George

They actually step over or go around bodies to get to the summit. Fall by the way ? Don't expect anyone to come to your assistance.

Grizz

There was a big hoopla about Japanese climbers passing a dying man years ago, and they did not offer any help.

Cannot blame them.

One can lose his life if he stays up any longer than absolutely necessary.

What I find rather sad is the fact that getting to the top of Everest has become the holy grail for those who want to brag about it.

Many are nothing but weekend climbers.

They have caused the prices to go through the roof, so many real climbers are unable to afford it.

That could apply to many other ventures as well.

Dr. Beck Weathers from Dallas from “Into Thin Air” has an amazing story. I don’t get the fascination, but many find thrills in many ways. I suppose that’s why we have race car drivers and such. I suppose up close elephant hunting could be classified as such.

Hell, I risk my life just gettin in the highway at times.

I honestly can’t tell what is going on up there. IS this the problem:

A lot of folks are going up and down Everest at the same time. You only have a small window to get up and down because of oxygen supply being used in personal tanks, and exposure. This high concentration of climbers going up and coming down at same time has caused a log jam were folks are dying due to exposure, altitude sickness, and oxygen issues.

Is this a correct summation of the crisis?

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
Dr. Beck Weathers from Dallas from “Into Thin Air” has an amazing story. I don’t get the fascination, but many find thrills in many ways. I suppose that’s why we have race car drivers and such. I suppose up close elephant hunting could be classified as such.

Hell, I risk my life just gettin in the highway at times.

A surgeon who lost his fingers, as I recall, gotta wonder

Grizz

Clear thinking, wasn't it?

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
Dr. Beck Weathers from Dallas from “Into Thin Air” has an amazing story. I don’t get the fascination, but many find thrills in many ways. I suppose that’s why we have race car drivers and such. I suppose up close elephant hunting could be classified as such.

Hell, I risk my life just gettin in the highway at times.

A surgeon who lost his fingers, as I recall, gotta wonder

Grizz

Indeed. He then retrained to become a pathologist.

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:

Buddy of mine was the first Canadian to reach the top. That was before commercial expeditions and two climbers died. Lot of money to be made giving inspirational speeches if you survive.
Grizz

Reminded me of this image:


And of course the bigger picture:




The fatality rate is 6.5% for Everest climbers, BTW.