Everest

dowie · 28 May 2019 at 15:56

Humpty said:
Even with an expert team, modern equipment and massive finances a summit attempt on Everest is still an astonishing feat of physical and mental endurance and the ratio of fatalities to successful summit attempts is terrifying.

I don't think anyone is saying it is easy, but just countering the notion put forward that it is supposedly some ultimate aim for a climber - it indeed is seemingly more of an endurance challenge and quite a risky one at that thanks to the altitude.

Humpty · 28 May 2019 at 18:30

dowie said:
I don't think anyone is saying it is easy, but just countering the notion put forward that it is supposedly some ultimate aim for a climber - it indeed is seemingly more of an endurance challenge and quite a risky one at that thanks to the altitude.

Not an ultimate climbing challenge any more but certainly an incredibly impressive feat of physical and mental endurance. I just read into some posts that people were underestimating how hard an Everest ascent really is.

MartinPrince · 28 May 2019 at 20:44

I find it interesting that it seems like most people die on the descent after getting to the top them making their way down.

Ugley_Matt · 28 May 2019 at 20:57

MartinPrince said:
I find it interesting that it seems like most people die on the descent after getting to the top them making their way down.

Probably a combination of exhaustion and euphoria

jpaul · 28 May 2019 at 21:38

ooi - what one company recommends for skills/preparation

https://everestexpedition.co.uk/everest/skills-required/
1. Start rock climbing (indoors or outdoors) with an instructor on single pitch terrain (short rather than long climbs). Start this sooner rather than later.
..
Timescale – from just a few sessions to 2 to 4 months (minimum) depending on how quickly skills are acquired. Many months or even years of experience will be very helpful.

2. Progress on to multi pitch outdoor climbs as a second
Timescale – 3 months to many years

..
C. Objective hazard to be considered

• avoidance of getting clothing / hair caught in the belay device

• correct way to thread a figure of 8 so that the rope can’t get caught on a rock and flip over the top of the 8
....

etc. etc.
.. trivialising it imhop

Street · 28 May 2019 at 22:20

jpaul said:
ooi - what one company recommends for skills/preparation

etc. etc.
.. trivialising it imhop

To be fair, Tim Mosedale is probably one of the most reputable guys!

jpaul · 28 May 2019 at 22:42

Do yout think putting in peoples minds that they could do this with less than a years experience is correct/responsible though ?

looking further https://www.mounteverest.net/expguide/survivalrules.htm more salient ?

We turned around for 3 years on Everest. Surprisingly many excellent Everest climbers have done the same. To try 3, 4 or even 5 times is more common then you would imagine. And wise if the situation calls for it.

In fact, the more inexperienced the climbers, the more often will they summit on their first attempt. It's chance-taking due to unawareness of the dangers and of course it's very hazardous. You might get away once or twice with it, but it's nothing for the long-term climber. Messners summit ratio in the Himalayas was 1:3.

FoxEye · 28 May 2019 at 23:01

If I had ever wanted to climb Everest (can't say I ever have, tho I've been up the Alps once!), looking at that queue to get to the summit would have in any case put me right off.

Sad to see how touristy it's become. Like people queuing for a ride at an amusement park. Only slightly more risky and missing the candy floss.

Angilion · 28 May 2019 at 23:17

FoxEye said:
If I had ever wanted to climb Everest (can't say I ever have, tho I've been up the Alps once!), looking at that queue to get to the summit would have in any case put me right off.

Sad to see how touristy it's become. Like people queuing for a ride at an amusement park. Only slightly more risky and missing the candy floss.

And a lot more expensive.

Street · 29 May 2019 at 00:09

jpaul said:
Do yout think putting in peoples minds that they could do this with less than a years experience is correct/responsible though ?

No, but the English operators are generally a lot less unscrupulous than the others and won't take you on unless you're experienced.

Jagged Globe for example say this, "To join the Everest team you will need to have extensive mountaineering experience. This should include previous high altitude experience of at least 6,000m, mixed with a multitude of Alpine mountaineering and, preferably, you will have taken part in a previous 8,000m expedition", and the other operators I've checked say similar.

neilw · 29 May 2019 at 12:15

A chap I know has been up (And K2). He believes most people do it for what he calls "significance" He has a book and goes go into detail about the issues with the number of people climbing Everest, and peoples motivations to do these things.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Mans-Climb-Journey-Tragedy/dp/1526745372/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RL87PZBQPZWM&keywords=adrian+hayes&qid=1559128313&s=gateway&sprefix=adrian+hayes,aps,175&sr=8-1

Also written his thoughts in Metro

https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/28/soci...nt-everest-overcrowding-says-climber-9712256/

robj20 · 29 May 2019 at 12:25

I thought this was a good program about Everest.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/extreme-everest-with-ant-middleton

jpaul · 29 May 2019 at 12:33

yes it was an honest programme and showed the stupidity that exists in some ascendees ie this Ant pratt. discussed before

jpaul said:
I thought, what an arrogant guy, he discussed how decision at the summit to make a phone call to his wife, left him queueing for the decent,
behind 'weaker' candidates, without acknowledging it was a poor decision, that fortunaely for him, did not have too bad consequences.

mmj_uk · 29 May 2019 at 12:46

neilw said:
Also written his thoughts in Metro

https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/28/soci...nt-everest-overcrowding-says-climber-9712256/

I couldn't agree more, every man and his dog has done the London Marathon these days so they're looking for more and more extreme situations for attention seeking and bragging rights.

If they are an experienced climber and worked their way up to it then fair enough I suppose but any tourists who think doing this is a good idea should get a Darwin award.

wedrum · 29 May 2019 at 13:44

i thought these were a very good watch.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/gdf7yz/worlds-greatest-mountains-episode-guide/

Rroff · 3 Jun 2019 at 05:03

Erika4455 said:
I absolutely agree. I wouldn't do this even if I could efford it. I have people to live for.

Not intending to be blasé but the only thing that really scares me about Everest is the potential avalanches/serac dangers - even icefalls in general I'm not too worried about. What kills waaay too many climbers even on fairly low peaks (I've literally seen parties barely make it off Cader Idris that shouldn't have had a problem at all if they'd been better prepared) is lack of discipline and taking proper precautions - granted some kit especially oxygen can be heavy or take up a lot of room but I've seen so many groups (even professionally run) that have the bare minimum supplies and no allowance for emergencies I just don't understand the mentality at all.

Craig1981 · 3 Jun 2019 at 05:36

Everest is basically being ruined by all the people wanting to climb it. Its covered in peoples trash and discarded equipment. Also tons of frozen poo. And oh yes. Dead bodies. There are so many unrecovered corpses on Everest that people use them as trail markers for getting up the mountain.

Orionaut · 3 Jun 2019 at 09:28

MartinPrince said:
I find it interesting that it seems like most people die on the descent after getting to the top them making their way down.

Its called the "Death Zone" for a reason, there is only so long that you can survive up there. Some peoples limit is reached before others, even when the conditions are good.