a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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First of all I know jack sh!t about this sport and the logistics of attempting to save someone but this seems really messed up. I don't want to pass judgement especially when I consider 60* cold and I can't fathom 100 below 0.

But I would think it would be at least be humane to inject him with something if they knew he was a goner. I also think a group of people could mount some type of attempt, and hope someone on their way down at gave the poor guy a proper burial. That's got to be a crappy way to die and watch groups of people go by.

RIP

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

only ego maniacs attempt this type of [censored].

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

You should read 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer, which details a trip fraught with tragedy the year the IMAX film of an ascent was shot.

It will give you some insight into the mindset of the climbers who are able to step across corpses and ignore the dying.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Great book definitely.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
You should read 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer, which details a trip fraught with tragedy the year the IMAX film was shot of an ascent.

It will give you some insight into the mindset of the climbers who are able to step across corpses and ignore the dying.

[/ QUOTE ]

There were two documentaries on cable (either National Geographic, Public Television or the Science Channel) that discussed a similar issues.

One covered a climbing party ran into trouble near the summit. Many climbers didn't help at all, but the National Geographic team gave up their attempt to reach the summit and put together a rescue mission. They risked their lives and I think they were able to save two of the climbers.

In the other documentary, a group made it to the summit but one of the members couldn't keep up. On their way back down they passed this member and let him continue to the top even though he was in physical/mental trouble and there wasn't enough time left for him to safely reach the summit and return to camp. He died on his way back down.

Seems like climbing Everest has changed from a sport into an activity for a bunch of rich people who have an "each-man-for-himself" mentality.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

I think there's a bit of Kitty Genovese in this.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

I don't understand it, how someone could be so driven to reach the top of a mountain as to disregard the life of another. You are providing no benefit to mankind by reaching the top of that mountain. You are engaging in a hobby. To put a hobby in front of another man's life is shameful.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

I think 25% of the people who attempt to climb Everest die. You can see the corpses while climbing up. I can't believe the indignity of leaving the bodies up there and not trying to at least bury them or bring them down.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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only badasses attempt this type of [censored].

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Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
You should read 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer, which details a trip fraught with tragedy the year the IMAX film of an ascent was shot.

It will give you some insight into the mindset of the climbers who are able to step across corpses and ignore the dying.

[/ QUOTE ]


[censored] phenomonal book

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

These are the facts:

"Between 1921 and 1999, Everest has been climbed by more than 900 people from twenty countries. More than 150 have lost their lives, the odds being one-in-six of not making it down alive. The dead are left where they perish because the effects of the altitude make it nearly impossible to drag bodies off the mountain. Those ascending Everest pass through an icy graveyard littered with remnants of old tents and equipment, empty oxygen canisters, and frozen corpses."

I'll stick to online poker thanks.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
These are the facts:

"Between 1921 and 1999, Everest has been climbed by more than 900 people from twenty countries. More than 150 have lost their lives, the odds being one-in-six of not making it down alive. The dead are left where they perish because the effects of the altitude make it nearly impossible to drag bodies off the mountain. Those ascending Everest pass through an icy graveyard littered with remnants of old tents and equipment, empty oxygen canisters, and frozen corpses."

I'll stick to online poker thanks.

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Is that 900 people that attempted the climb or 900 that made it to the top?

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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First of all I know jack sh!t


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Yes, you know jack sh*t. At that elevation, trying to save others becomes dangerous to your own health. Everyone who climbs at that level knows they are responsible for themsleves only. Until you have been there, shut up and don't pass judgement.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

ed,

The latest article I read had something like 1500 people making it to the top and 190 dying attempting a summit.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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Great book definitely.

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Agreed.

Krishan

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


First of all I know jack sh!t


[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, you know jack sh*t. At that elevation, trying to save others becomes dangerous to your own health. Everyone who climbs at that level knows they are responsible for themsleves only. Until you have been there, shut up and don't pass judgement.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't mind me, I'll just let the first climber to summit Everest pass judgement for me.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
You should read 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer, which details a trip fraught with tragedy the year the IMAX film of an ascent was shot.

It will give you some insight into the mindset of the climbers who are able to step across corpses and ignore the dying.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://classic.mountainzone.com/clim...ics/beckw.html

This is a photo of Beck Weathers, one of the climbers that barely survived.

Here is another link-

http://outside.away.com/outside/dest...hin_air_1.html

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


First of all I know jack sh!t


[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, you know jack sh*t. At that elevation, trying to save others becomes dangerous to your own health. Everyone who climbs at that level knows they are responsible for themsleves only. Until you have been there, shut up and don't pass judgement.

[/ QUOTE ]

I saw a documentary about one instance where this was counterproved. A woman got in trouble relatively close to the camp. An expedition on their way up just passed by her without helping her, the experts claimed that carrying her to the camp would require less effort than climbing to the top (as they chose to do). But if they would have helped her they would of course had to abandon their climb due to limited time frame of daylight, time you can spend at high altitudes etc.. I rather not claim Everest than to give up my basic moral values.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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only boring, goalless, napalm smellers do not attempt this type of [censored].

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Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

jesus, did any of you guys actually read the linked article?

FROM THE ARTICLE IN THE OP:

"More than 1,500 climbers have reached the summit of Mount Everest in the last 53 years and some 190 have died trying."

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

My life > Your life

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Wait, are you suggesting that most people who spend lots of money to climb a mountain are selfish?

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Eff the moral dilemmas: this is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You should read 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer, which details a trip fraught with tragedy the year the IMAX film of an ascent was shot.

It will give you some insight into the mindset of the climbers who are able to step across corpses and ignore the dying.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://classic.mountainzone.com/clim...ics/beckw.html

This is a photo of Beck Weathers, one of the climbers that barely survived.

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I watched a show with him after a couple of weeks. No nose, face horribly deformed (beyond the nose), no ears, stumps at the end of his arms. He was a doctor.

Krishan

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

someone please explain the subject of this post to me

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Everest sucks. Very few serious climbers climb or have any desire to climb Everest due to the obscene circus it has become. Most of the people who climb it now are people who pay $60+k to be guided up there.

Here is a link to Hillary (first ascent of Everest) ripping the climbers who left the guy to die.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/ar...00010000000001

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

For those who liked Into the Void, you might enjoy Touching My Father's Soul by Jamling Norgay. Jamling is the son of Tenzing who climbed the first ascent of Everest with Hillary. Much of the book is about his experience on Everest during the '96 disaster and he gives a VERY different perspective from Krakauer.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Today one climber who had been abandoned and reported dead, was found alive and has now arrived at Base Camp. Just another proof that the "impossible to help anybody"-excuse is egoistic BS.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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Eff the moral dilemmas: this is the funniest thing I've seen in a while.

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Awesome.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

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Today one climber who had been abandoned and reported dead, was found alive and has now arrived at Base Camp. Just another proof that the "impossible to help anybody"-excuse is egoistic BS.

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I don't think it's impossible to help someone however you run a real high risk of becoming a victim yourself as well.
Everyone involved knows the stakes and they accept the inherent danger that comes along with it. Anyone who doesn't think they're risking their lives climbing Everest has no business being there.

Not to mention that at that altitude people aren't really thinking clearly either. Each step, at the higher altitudes, is an accomplishment. Helicopters are basically out of the question as the air is so thin. It's not a very forgiving environment to place yourself in.

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Today one climber who had been abandoned and reported dead, was found alive and has now arrived at Base Camp. Just another proof that the "impossible to help anybody"-excuse is egoistic BS.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it's impossible to help someone however you run a real high risk of becoming a victim yourself as well.
Everyone involved knows the stakes and they accept the inherent danger that comes along with it. Anyone who doesn't think they're risking their lives climbing Everest has no business being there.

Not to mention that at that altitude people aren't really thinking clearly either. Each step, at the higher altitudes, is an accomplishment. Helicopters are basically out of the question as the air is so thin. It's not a very forgiving environment to place yourself in.

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This is true and wasn't the guy they left behind attempting a solo ascent? I think you have to accept the fact there is a good chance of dying when you decide to attempt a solo ascent of Everest. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Should these other climbers be expected put their own lives at risk to save someone who is attempting an insane solo ascent?

Re: a follow up to WTF kind of people does this. Mt. Everest
 

Just wanted to add my $.02 that Into Thin Air really is a spectacular book and Beck Weathers is a testament to the human body's ability to survive.