OT: Everest

[LegendRider]

This is well worth your time if you have more than a passing interest in climbing:
http://everestavalanchetragedy.com/mt-everest-journey.html

[vqdriver]

that is very very cool. thanks for posting.
i wonder how long the video would be if they stopped at every tragedy on the mtn....

[Exonerv]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this link. Having read "Into Thin Air" it was nice to have a visual reference for many of the spots referenced in the book. It gives some appreciation for how steep the climbs are in several sections. Only wish they would have also included distance.

[gasman]

Very cool video and it makes me glad I never went there.

[Louis]

Into Thin Air is one of the scariest books I've ever read.

A good "dead of winter" read for you folks who haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Plus you'll feel a lot better the next time you're out on a ride and you start to think that maybe it's a bit cold out...

[Exonerv]

What Beck Weathers endured is just unbelievable...

[SlackMan]

What Beck Weathers endured is just unbelievable...

When my graduate students want to quit, I should have them read this book. Beck Weathers's survival is one of the most amazing stories of persistence and a never-give-up attitude that I have ever read.

[Louis]

I was going to post an image of his face shortly after, but it was too gross for the forum. Having the will to press on and survive in those conditions, when it's so easy to just sit down for a teeny little rest...

[pbarry]

Great video. Thanks for posting this.

if you ever meet LHill, don't bring up the subject of mountaineering. She's lost many friends to the big peaks, and has no interest or much tolerance for the discipline. No doubt she could have made her mark on one first ascent or another at those altitudes, but it was a non-starter after being close to friends who perished.

Everest, K2, and other Himalayan mountains have claimed so many serious climbers, and the SA peaks are right behind. Gifted climbers have led individuals who weren't fit enough to be on those climbs for $$, and tragic consequences ensued. Mother Nature often trumps the best planning, and the weakest link in any attempt will be exploited by natural forces.

[CunegoFan]

After reading "Into Thin Air" people should read "High Crimes" for a take on what Everest turned into after people read Krakauer's book and realized anyone with a some extra cash and an urge to brag could climb the mountain. Krakauer's expedition did not have to lock up its oxygen tanks to prevent them from being stolen.

[Llewellyn]

Into Thin Air is one of the scariest books I've ever read.

Touching The Void will scare the **** out of you too. Both are great books

[AngryScientist]

Touching The Void will scare the **** out of you too. Both are great books

i agree. great reading.

[gone]

Pretty amazing. Does anybody know how far the hike is from base camp to the summit? Obviously it's about 13K feet vertical but given the terrain I'd imagine the hike is many times that.

[Dead Man]

Pretty amazing. Does anybody know how far the hike is from base camp to the summit? Obviously it's about 13K feet vertical but given the terrain I'd imagine the hike is many times that.

You never really talk about distance in alpine climbing... it's just not generally relevant. You'll talk about distance in reference to the trailhead to the base of the climb, but once you're there, it's all about gain.

Just based on my own climbing experience, without looking at the map, I'd guess it's less than 5 miles from basecamp to summit. But at 50-33% normal atmospheric oxygen and over 10k of gain, the distance itself means nothing to you.

[tiretrax]

It's sad how climbing mountains and other expeditions are things people with money do after they've been on safari too many times. I don't know how it can be curtailed, but too many good climbers gave their lives for wealthy clients in recent years.

Oh, if you think looking at a picture of Beck Weathers is tought, try seeing him in person. He is a fascinating speaker.

I just realized that two of his neighbors died on Mt. McKinley last year.

[rab]

Great video, thanks for posting!
Also glad to see the comments, had Touching the Void on my "to read" list and had forgotten about it...so now re-inspired to get a copy.

It is sad what the business of climbing Everest has done. The amount of trash left behind over the years is disgusting. At least efforts have been undertaken to clean up a bit. And now you have to worry about someone pinching your oxygen tanks?

[Matsumae]

Very cool. I've never even seen a real mountain, let alone thought about climbing to the summit of one.

Everest is probably so extreme a climb I can't even appreciate how much work goes into reaching the top.

[moose8]

Here is another guy who did some crazy climbing on everest: http://www.everestspeakersbureau.com/webster.htm

His book is interesting and is about climbing everest from an alternate route before there were really commercial climbs.

[MRB]

The Everest site reminds me of why my heros were Reinolt Messner, Peter Habeler, and Sir Edmond Hillary, back in my Jr. High and High School years.

[gasman]

I've been lucky enough to meet and listen to Peter Hillary (Sir Edmunds son), Reinhold Messner, Ed Viesturs, Beck Weathers and Lynn Hill among a ton of other climbers most haven't heard of. If you ever have a chance to hear any of them speak take the time to do so. It is well worth your while even if you don't climb. These are just regular people who have achieved remarkable results.

I don't have the high altitude gene. Got early HACE on Mt. McKinley at 16,500 so I bailed. These are amazing people.

There are a lot of very good climbers who say it is impossible to safely guide clients on Everest. I would tend to agree. The margin for error is too small and the chance for rescue is basically zero if you are high on the mountain.

Touching the Void and Into Thin Air are just great reads.

[Dead Man]

Anyone reading Into Thin Air must accompany it with The Climb.

Krakauer is a good writer and his books are entertaining, but spinning tales is his profession- not climbing. He's certainly not even 1/100th the climber Boukreev was.

[IFRider]

The Everest site reminds me of why my heros were Reinolt Messner, Peter Habeler, and Sir Edmond Hillary, back in my Jr. High and High School years.

In high school, got the bug hiking and set my sites on big mountains. In the late '70's the main source of climbing knowledge was from magazines and hanging out at climbing shops. I lived vicariously through the stories of hard men, Messner, Habler, Bonnington, Chouinard. I did a lot of stupid things based on articles detailing these guys adventures. I was lucky enough to meet Habeler at base camp on Denali in '83 and he could not have been a more down to earth, regular guy. That same trip I spent spent time with Mugs Stump, who was part of the next wave of hard men putting up amazing alpine routes (my last big climb was his route on Mt Robson). Mugs later died on Denali. The guys and gals that pioneer the routes and adventures on their own are a world of difference from the tourist that gets guided up on a tow rope. The sherpa's killed on Everest that day were hardworking dedicated people caring for their families. The back story about how they are cared for and compensated is disgusting considering how commercial the mountain and adventure tourism has become.

[Louis]

The sherpa's killed on Everest that day were hardworking dedicated people caring for their families. The back story about how they are cared for and compensated is disgusting considering how commercial the mountain and adventure tourism has become.

I'm not one bit surprised that those without influence or a voice are exploited by those with the money.

[gasman]

Anyone reading Into Thin Air must accompany it with The Climb.

Krakauer is a good writer and his books are entertaining, but spinning tales is his profession- not climbing. He's certainly not even 1/100th the climber Boukreev was.

I've read both. What I took away was that eyewitness accounts are not infallible. Krakauer has done some amazing climbing but he didn't have the high altitude chops that Bourkeev had.

[CunegoFan]

The Climb is a poor book. It was written for the sole purpose of defending every decision by Boukreev made, admitting no mistakes, and attacking Krakauer. It is filled with misrepresentations.

Spinning tales is not Krakauer's profession. He is a journalist. He made copious contemporaneous notes. Afterward he interviewed everyone who would talk. His major failing was pulling punches when it came to Hall and Fischer.

Boukreev's co-writer, DeWalt, is an oily character who seems to be only concerned with stoking controversy to line his pockets. He did not even bother to contact key individuals who were there. It is sad that the climbing community has rallied around this self-serving account based on nothing more than "better climber must mean better truth."

[gasman]

The Climb is a poor book. It was written for the sole purpose of defending every decision by Boukreev made, admitting no mistakes, and attacking Krakauer. It is filled with misrepresentations.

Spinning tales is not Krakauer's profession. He is a journalist. He made copious contemporaneous notes. Afterward he interviewed everyone who would talk. His major failing was pulling punches when it came to Hall and Fischer.

Boukreev's co-writer, DeWalt, is an oily character who seems to be only concerned with stoking controversy to line his pockets. He did not even bother to contact key individuals who were there. It is sad that the climbing community has rallied around this self-serving account based on nothing more than "better climber must mean better truth."

Oh, I saw that Bourkeev was trying to defend himself and his actions in his book and I agree that Krakauer was much closer to representing what really happened.Still, eyewitness reports are always colored by the person telling their story.
I did not know the history of DeWalt-good info. I didn't come away thinking Bourkeev was a hero like he wants you to think by any means. I came away thinking he could have done more especially if he had decided to use oxygen.

Hall and Fischer represent why one can't safely guide a client up Everest, two tremendous climbers. One cautious, one less so, both dead.

[LegendRider]

I've been lucky enough to meet and listen to Peter Hillary (Sir Edmunds son), Reinhold Messner, Ed Viesturs, Beck Weathers and Lynn Hill among a ton of other climbers most haven't heard of. If you ever have a chance to hear any of them speak take the time to do so. It is well worth your while even if you don't climb. These are just regular people who have achieved remarkable results.


I've drunk beer with Fred Beckey and played Hacky Sack with Ron Kauk. :banana:

[gasman]

I've drunk beer with Fred Beckey and played Hacky Sack with Ron Kauk. :banana:

That requires :banana::banana::banana:

[djg]

. . .

Hall and Fischer represent why one can't safely guide a client up Everest, two tremendous climbers. One cautious, one less so, both dead.

No argument here. But intending no disrespect to the guides or climbers who've summited multiple times without incident, is there such a thing as safely climbing Everest?

[djg]

Very cool. I've never even seen a real mountain, let alone thought about climbing to the summit of one.

Everest is probably so extreme a climb I can't even appreciate how much work goes into reaching the top.

So you should go see some mountains, really. I don't mean that you need to go to that mountain, or that mountain range (I've never been there myself), or become a climber or a mountaineer. I mean you should go somewhere to experience peaks and alpine terrain. It's something -- ok, this is a cycling board, and I love cycling, but nothing I can recommend about bikes or riding seems as clear to me as this.

[gasman]

No argument here. But intending no disrespect to the guides or climbers who've summited multiple times without incident, is there such a thing as safely climbing Everest?

Climbing Everest is very dangerous with something like 4 people dying for every 100 ascents. So you could say that it is safe compared to K2 with a much higher death rate-about 1 out of 4 successful ascents. Still, many guides I know of say that it's hard enough to get oneself up and down safely without worrying about a client who's life you are supposed to be guarding.

[Mark McM]

The drive to get to the top overcoming logical reasoning, and perhaps poor decision making due to lack of oxygen, may be a factor in most of the fatalities:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post/death-on-mount-everest-the-perils-o-2008-12-10/?id=death-on-mount-everest-the-perils-o-2008-12-10

Some 192 of the 212 deaths on the Himalayan mountain that occurred between 1921 and 2006 were above base camp, according to research in this week’s online edition of the British Medical Journal. Among climbers who died after scaling higher than 8,000 meters (26, 246 feet) above sea level, 56 percent succumbed on their descent from Everest’s 8,850-meter (29,000-foot) summit, and another 17 percent died after turning back. Just 15 percent died on the way up or before leaving their final camp.