Climbing Mount Everest

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Into thin air was a great read

The issues in the photo were the same as those described in the book - published in 1997 and told the story of the disaster in 1996. If you read the book you wouldn't try going up as what will kill you is the number of people, of questionable ability, all trying to hit the top within a small time window. For it to be safe you have to be able to get down quickly.

Madness that scenes like that are still happening.

 

[unlikelyfan19]

Should ban it now. They’ve turned into a shitpile with that much rubbish strewn about everywhere. Is there anywhere humans haven’t fucked up?

Reminds me of the story form a month or two ago about the guys that went to the bottom of the mariana trench. Deeper than any human in history. When asked what they found down there they said, "plastic bags".

 

[sir baconface]

I am thinking of getting the train up Snowdon this summer and then rolling down it on my side like you used to do as a kid. Like a sausage roll coming down sideways.

We used to roll down the hill in tyres. They were Good Years....

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

As a general life principle, I avoid queueing for anywhere that has a "death zone".

With Alton Towers as an exception, I hope..

 

[Henkeman]

With Alton Towers as an exception, I hope..

Pretty sure it's not deliberate in their case.

 

[idahoblues]

The issues in the photo were the same as those described in the book - published in 1997 and told the story of the disaster in 1996. If you read the book you wouldn't try going up as what will kill you is the number of people, of questionable ability, all trying to hit the top within a small time window. For it to be safe you have to be able to get down quickly.

Madness that scenes like that are still happening.

Common sense is a strange gift, you can be rich and try to achieve this or you can be poor and support the dippers, both oblivious to reality

 

[Gray]

I have read numerous books about Everest including the Bear Grylls one which was excellent.

However by far and away the most fascinating was "Four against Everest" which was a non sactioned attempt by four men in 1962, led by an American called Woodow Wilson Sayre. They had a permit to climb a nearby unconquered peak but after parting company with their Sherpas they crossed into Chinese territory and attempted to climb via the North Ridge, the original route used by Mallory and Irvine.

They got into all sort of difficulties and were lucky to survive, but it is a great read.

These days the whole thing is just over commercialised and there are far too many people on the mountain.

 

[west didsblue]

When they get a little train that goes up it like Snowdon I’ll give it a go. I don’t mind climbing the last 50 feet.

 

[Saddleworth2]

My eldest lad did base camp for charity and that was challenging enough with altitude sickness a real issue. His scariest moment was flying into and out of Lukla which has a runway of about 100 yards and then a very very big drop. Having got to base camp, he had absolutely no desire to go any further. The country he walked through and the residents he met were the highlight.

 

[jollylescott]

My thoughts exactly.
If you want a life of adventure and all the risks that come with it then do it before you find a partner or have kids.

I don’t know whether you’ve had the chance to see Free Solo, which is a doco on climbing without any support. It’s just you and the mountain. No ropes etc.

A good part of the doco is the climbers relationship with his partner, and how she copes with his obsession. It’s well worth watching.