# Bodies remain on Mount Everest. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910 "2015-07-22T23:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/81 "2015-07-24T18:27:14Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > We could design an automated corpse recovery system - a pack of equipment including a balloon, a helium bottle, a body bag; the ‘rescue’ crew would package the corpse and attach the automated system, which would sit there awaiting a signal. When the wind direction is right, a crew back in the foothills sends a signal and the balloon deploys, lifting it up so that the wind can bring it off the mountain in a more or less predictable direction. > > It would still be pretty tough and risky work for the recovery crew, and there would be a certain percentage (but perhaps not 100%) of failures. > > Come to think of it, why not just forget the automated signal and bag up the body and send it off immediately by balloon in a random direction, with a note attached “It’s your problem now!”? A helium balloon large enough to lift a corpse, even a freeze-dried corpse, has to be enormous. A lot bigger than you seem to think. And it requires a truly enormous amount of helium. Like, a whole lot. A lot bigger than you think. It would be much much easier to carry the dead body down the mountain on your back than it would be to carry up a balloon and the multiple tanks of helium needed to lift it. This article might give some idea of the difficulty: [Cluster ballooning - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_ballooning). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/82 "2015-07-24T18:36:07Z")
To me trash should come down as much as possible. Not sure that makes the trip more dangerous. But even if it did, that would be just part of the rules to make the climb. If a person is not willing to bring their trash down, then just stay home. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/83 "2015-07-24T18:52:53Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > When the idea is a non-starter from the get-go, there’s no point in trying to improve it. Well I think it probably technically possibly to build a ropeway to the top of Everest but no one is going to pay the costs involved just to bring corpses down. I do believe it’s quite likely that sooner or later some Chinese billionaire will take it on themselves to try and construct a pressurised cable car to the top of everest from the North side, with a pressurised cafe, observatory and gift shop a couple hundred metres below the peak, and then with the option to go up to the peak in a pressurised suit lead upon a path where you’re clipped into a guide rail. It would be fantastically expensive, but I think its technically possible if you use specially made high altitude quadcopters and remotely operated snowcat type vehicles with drills etc to do construction. The west would be outraged and think it’s incredibly tacky but there’s plenty of middle class Asians and Middle Easterners that would pay $2000 or so to go up the pressurised cable car and get guided in their pressure suits to the top to take a selfie. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/84 "2015-07-24T18:56:58Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > A helium balloon large enough to lift a corpse, even a freeze-dried corpse, has to be enormous. A lot bigger than you seem to think. And it requires a truly enormous amount of helium. Like, a whole lot. A lot bigger than you think. It would be much much easier to carry the dead body down the mountain on your back than it would be to carry up a balloon and the multiple tanks of helium needed to lift it. > > This article might give some idea of the difficulty: [Cluster ballooning - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_ballooning). Yeah, it’s basically 1 cubic metre of helium to lift 1kg. If we assume the live weight of a mountaineer to be 75kg and assume dessicated weight to be one third of that -25kg, we need 25 cubic metres of helium, which is a sphere less than 4 metres diameter. Big but not gargantuan. Surface area of 42 square metres - a litlle over a kilogram of silvered mylar. But that is a lot of helium, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/85 "2015-07-24T22:13:24Z")
Doesn’t the. Lifting power of the helium change substantially at that height? It also expands substantiallt, is there any balloon material that could withstand the expansion, while also resisting puncture when it is blown against the rocks and ice? Keeping inmind that the cold would also a Make the material more brittle. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/86 "2015-07-24T22:24:04Z")
Sorry, phone typing. You love me anyway! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/87 "2015-07-24T22:24:29Z")
I’m not sure it does. The ambient air is less dense, but that’s because the pressure is lower, so the helium should expand to be less dense than at sea level, so it might be a wash. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/88 "2015-07-24T22:33:56Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > How much time have you spent climbing above 25,000 feet? I’ve climbed above 15,000 feet and that was bad enough. > > I think it’s very easy for people who haven’t experienced conditions in the Death Zone to minimize how hard it might be to move a weight of 150+ pounds any significant distance. And what would be the point of moving the corpse only part way down the mountain, unless there was a coordinated effort to involve other parties to also help move it? And how do you decide which corpses to move? > > People who climb Everest are well aware of the risks, and one of those risks is that if you die your corpse may remain unburied. I don’t think there’s any moral obligation on the part of others to do anything about it. 14,505 ft with Mt Whitney is my highest, and it wasn’t so bad, but I wasnt happy with my stripped down pack, let alone a body. I’d had spent several nites at Pear/Emerald lake at 8000 ft before so i was a little acclimated. Well, we can look at it two ways: They are dead and don’t care. They are immortalized doing something they were willing do die for. Now, I will admit that if you are on the way **UP** , and you see someone fall, you have to cancel your **UP** trip to try and rescue them, $100K or no. But if you are on the way _down_, and it’s too risky, i understand. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/89 "2015-07-24T23:01:22Z")
> [@Vaevictis](#): > > I think the answer is embarrassing in the kind of obvious way that makes it impolite to mention to many folks, unfortunately. Everyone who hikes past a corpse on Everest has a choice: Is it better to bring this person who lost his/her life further down the mountain so that the corpse has a chance to have some kind of last rites or is it better to ignore that option in order to have a stronger shot at getting to the top. People who climb Everest have answered that question over and over. Last rites don’t necessarily involve a body. You can just hold a ceremony for the soul. As for the corpse stuck on Everest, I present to you : [sky burial](http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/tibet/sky-buria.htm). AKA leaving the remains to the vultures, but in a holy sort of way ;). ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/90 "2015-07-24T23:32:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > 14,505 ft with Mt Whitney is my highest, and it wasn’t so bad, but I wasnt happy with my stripped down pack, let alone a body. I’d had spent several nites at Pear/Emerald lake at 8000 ft before so i was a little acclimated. > > Well, we can look at it two ways: > > They are dead and don’t care. > > They are immortalized doing something they were willing do die for. > > Now, I will admit that if you are on the way **UP** , and you see someone fall, you have to cancel your **UP** trip to try and rescue them, $100K or no. But if you are on the way _down_, and it’s too risky, i understand. What do you mean “fall”? As you are going up, someone ahead of you trips and _falls_ on their face or someone ahead of you _falls_ into a 40 foot crevice? You can help up the face plant victim stand up, but what do you do with the badly injured person at the bottom of the 40 foot crevice? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/91 "2015-07-25T00:38:16Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > What do you mean “fall”? As you are going up, someone ahead of you trips and _falls_ on their face or someone ahead of you _falls_ into a 40 foot crevice? You can help up the face plant victim stand up, but what do you do with the badly injured person at the bottom of the 40 foot crevice? You try \*your damnedest \*until it’s no longer safe for you. Then you retreat back down the mountain. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/92 "2015-07-25T02:25:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You try \*your damnedest \*until it’s no longer safe for you. Then you retreat back down the mountain. Absolutely you do NOT do that. Ordinary climbers don’t have the equipment or skills to attempt that kind of rescue and if they do the most likely result is that there will be two or more bodies at the bottom of a 40 foot crevasse. Most of everest has cell phone coverage now, so you call to report the accident and then keep climbing. A rescue team of 5-6 sherpas with proper equipment will be sent from the nearest camp if possible. Even in the far more common case where someone just sits down and can’t move any more on the side of the trail, its impossible for a single person to safely carry their weight. In such cases other climbers stop and provide oxygen or food, but ultimately they have to get going again and rescue themselves, its usually too late by the time a team gets there. Pretty much once you enter the death zone on the way up, you get yourself back out of it again or you die. As far as I know there has never been a successful rescue attempt above 8000 meters that did not involve the climber recovering to the point they could walk themselves down. Everyone who signs up to climb is told this repeatedly and signs waivers about the risk. More info in this article: [http://www.summitteambuilding.com/everest-rescue-above-8000-metres/](http://www.summitteambuilding.com/everest-rescue-above-8000-metres/) ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/93 "2015-07-25T03:49:21Z")
It would be interesting to know how many of those who attempt to summit Everest are in fact climbers of that skill level. I imagine it is much lower than we all think. Looking at various documentaries, etc., I see a lot of tourists who don’t even have some basic ability going for something that is way beyond their capability. It would probably take several years of applying yourself to build the skill, strength, and endurance levels to “safely” achieve the summit. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/94 "2015-07-25T04:21:55Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The question is, is it enough of an problem to justify risking peoples lives to deal with, as well as the expense? Well, considerable expense and risk to life are already well accepted in connection with climbing Everest. One way this could work is if Nepal and Tibet imposed a surcharge (say $2000) on the climbing permit fee (currently $11,000 per person in Nepal), to be used to finance cleanup operations. That would probably result in a small decrease in the number of climbers - which implies a corresponding decrease in the total risk to life (and thus an offset to the cleanup risks). But Nepal is notoriously corrupt, and the Chinese who control Tibet climbing notoriously greedy - it’s not a good bet that those additional funds would actually get used for cleanup (or that the powers that be would tolerate a possible reduction in climbing fee income). ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/95 "2015-07-25T04:56:42Z")
I have heard that they have installed ropes, ladders, and have cut in steps for some climbs so its not as hard now. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/96 "2015-07-25T11:35:43Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > I have heard that they have installed ropes, ladders, and have cut in steps for some climbs so its not as hard now. They’ve done so for the last 50 years. It’s still the hardest thing you’ll ever do. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/97 "2015-07-25T13:15:07Z")
Local sherpas put up the ropes at the start of every spring season. Very close to the top there is a ladder section which can get quite crowded which means people can get delayed at that spot while they wait their turn on the ladders. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/98 "2015-07-25T17:34:41Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Well, considerable expense and risk to life are already well accepted in connection with climbing Everest. > > One way this could work is if Nepal and Tibet imposed a surcharge (say $2000) on the climbing permit fee (currently $11,000 per person in Nepal), to be used to finance cleanup operations. That would probably result in a small decrease in the number of climbers - which implies a corresponding decrease in the total risk to life (and thus an offset to the cleanup risks). > > But Nepal is notoriously corrupt, and the Chinese who control Tibet climbing notoriously greedy - it’s not a good bet that those additional funds would actually get used for cleanup (or that the powers that be would tolerate a possible reduction in climbing fee income). The fee increase would be a reasonable proposal. Sherpas and other workers accept the risk to their lives for pay in any case (as do workers in other dangerous endeavors.) However, in addition to the corruption problem, it might still take a while to generate enough income to finance the removal of many bodies. The aesthetic issue with the bodies could more easily be solved by burying them, in places where that is feasible. George Mallory’s body, for example, was covered by a stone cairn after it was found. I don’t know how many of the bodies are in places where they could be buried without risk of later exposure by wind or avalanches. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/99 "2015-07-25T18:25:32Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I don’t know how many of the bodies are in places where they could be buried without risk of later exposure by wind or avalanches. Traditionally, bodies are put into crevasses for burial. Or, if they’re hanging from ropes as at least one body was for years, the ropes are cut and the bodies sent over cliffs. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910/100 "2015-07-26T04:14:13Z")
> [@electronbee](#): > > It would be interesting to know how many of those who attempt to summit Everest are in fact climbers of that skill level. I imagine it is much lower than we all think. Looking at various documentaries, etc., I see a lot of tourists who don’t even have some basic ability going for something that is way beyond their capability. > > It would probably take several years of applying yourself to build the skill, strength, and endurance levels to “safely” achieve the summit. “Strength” and “endurance” are not quite as important as one might think. No one knows how the extreme altitude will affect them. I was in my mid-twenties and had always been an athlete. Before I left for Nepal, I was _running_ five miles a day, lifting weights and doing lots of stretching. In order to acclimatize myself, I followed the route that Hillary took and spent 2 weeks slowly hiking into the high altitude area rather than flying into Lukla (9,300’) like most people do. I felt fine all the way to the hamlet named Lobuche (16,200’), but some where between there and Kala Pattar (18,500’), the altitude absolutely kicked my ass. It took every ounce of strength, endurance and will to make it up to the top of Kala Pattar (with its world famous wiew of Everest). It was like suddenly catching the worst flu you have ever had. Near the top I was literally taking two steps and sitting down to rest. I can’t imagine anyone going over 10,000’ higher to the top of Everest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bodies-remain-on-mount-everest-why/725910.md?page=6)