# Down's Syndrome kid "Climbs Everest"!!! No he didn't. Fark you, People Magazine and daddy. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 31, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452 "2013-03-31T18:54:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/121 "2013-04-04T02:49:10Z")
Well, now it’s on. Be prepared for parental accounts of the first child to trek the base camps of the highest mountains of each continent (The Seven, errrr Base Camps). And then the first kid to trek to the base camps of all of the 8K+ mountains. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/122 "2013-04-04T04:46:31Z")
> [@OleOneEye](#): > > But it won’t get him derided. If a five-year-old had been brought on this trip and allowed to walk ahead of the group and been told he’d “led” the group, it would get an eyeroll and a knowing laugh. > > We’ve been deprived of our rightful eyeroll because the handicapped are above criticism. That’s what makes this story so unfair - it puts a muzzle on the audience. Agree. That’s the worst part about this fiasco that the media (and possibly the dad) has foisted on the innocent kid. ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/123 "2013-04-04T05:29:34Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > khakis, cotton, who fucken cares… > > leaves to fnd yawning smilie If by “yawning smilie” you mean “bottle of Old Crow,” I think you can stick a feather in your hat. Or two. Or six. ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/124 "2013-04-04T06:43:42Z")
kambuckta, agree with you, that s\*\*\* is inexcusable on a sidenote, regarding the nature of the op, if a person has their panties in a knot because someone did something positive, instead of being jealous and bitter, they should just try to do something good too (if they are capable to do so) so they dont have to stew in a mire of bitter envy and jealousy ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/125 "2013-04-04T12:25:19Z")
As this was a charity thing, I would imagine his team paid their own way and were basically tagging along. Hiking to base camp is a pretty cool (and not exceptionally expensive- the price I quoted was on the highest end) vacation. Beyond the physical challenge and natural beauty, you spend a lot of time in villages meeting people and experiencing a really cool, really unique culture only found in this this remote chunk of the world. Doing this as part of a team with a cause is a neat bonus. > [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Curious - did you see many folks wearing heavy cotton khakis or jeans up there? I think I was in jeans. But one of my favorite pics from the trip is of a Chinese woman hanging around base camp in heels. You can’t pry the heels off some people’s feet! The Nepal base camp is a different game, of course. You have to do a multi-day hike through a remote area, hauling your supplies. In China, you can basically drive up and take a short stroll to the base camp itself. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/126 "2013-04-04T16:14:00Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > But one of my favorite pics from the trip is of a Chinese woman hanging around base camp in heels. You can’t pry the heels off some people’s feet! Got pics? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/127 "2013-04-04T16:18:37Z")
> [@OleOneEye](#): > > But it won’t get him derided. If a five-year-old had been brought on this trip and allowed to walk ahead of the group and been told he’d “led” the group, it would get an eyeroll and a knowing laugh. > > We’ve been **deprived of our rightful eyeroll** because the handicapped are above criticism. That’s what makes this story so unfair - it puts a muzzle on the audience. Bolding mine. I am so making this my sig line. 😃 Snow Pea _“Deprived of my rightful eyeroll”_ ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/128 "2013-04-04T17:21:21Z")
> [@OleOneEye](#): > > But it won’t get him derided. If a five-year-old had been brought on this trip and allowed to walk ahead of the group and been told he’d “led” the group, it would get an eyeroll and a knowing laugh. > > We’ve been deprived of our rightful eyeroll because the handicapped are above criticism. That’s what makes this story so unfair - it puts a muzzle on the audience. Good point; I mentioned it earlier in my initial reply. Note that I added “behind his back.” Like we’re doing now. You’re right that you don’t openly mock any accomplishment of the disabled. But if the kid gets the idea that he has scaled Mount Everest, I think he is in for ridicule behind his back, and that’s unfortunate. At minimum, these sorts of exaggerations are more likely to precipitate recreational patronization instead of any genuine admiration. “You are simply amazing!” Pat pat pat. Understatement has ever been the way adventure stories–and climbers in particular–have made an impact. Even for a kid with Down syndrome, “Yeah; I trudged up to Everest Base Camp once” 🆒 leaves a bigger impression than, “I climbed Mount Everest!” :rolleyes: If you only have one eye, is it still effective to roll it? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/129 "2013-04-04T17:30:10Z")
I ran the LA Marathon once, although I actually walked a good part of it (my back tightened up at about mile 16, so I had to run/walk the rest of the way). I still tell people I ran the marathon. I really don’t care what other people’s opinions on the veracity of that statement is or not. Hopefully the kid doesn’t give two shits about what others think as well, what he got out of it is all that hopefully matters to him. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/130 "2013-04-04T18:32:35Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I ran the LA Marathon once, although I actually walked a good part of it (my back tightened up at about mile 16, so I had to run/walk the rest of the way). I still tell people I ran the marathon. I really don’t care what other people’s opinions on the veracity of that statement is or not. Hopefully the kid doesn’t give two shits about what others think as well, what he got out of it is all that hopefully matters to him. But you did cross the finish line. You reached the summit. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/131 "2013-04-04T19:03:01Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_Rat](#): > > But you did cross the finish line. You reached the summit. Agree. He went the distance - I would definitely consider that a legitimate marathon completion. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/132 "2013-04-04T20:04:04Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Did you go Down on her? You never go full Down on Scarlett Johansson. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/133 "2013-04-04T20:51:55Z")
Maybe this thread is not the place for it, but Everest has been the scene of some pretty weird records. When will we see the FIRST dead man to summit Everest?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/134 "2013-04-04T21:07:39Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I ran the LA Marathon once, although I actually walked a good part of it (my back tightened up at about mile 16, so I had to run/walk the rest of the way). I still tell people I ran the marathon. I really don’t care what other people’s opinions on the veracity of that statement is or not. Hopefully the kid doesn’t give two shits about what others think as well, what he got out of it is all that hopefully matters to him. You don’t care if people find out that you exaggerated an accomplishment to make yourself look better? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/135 "2013-04-04T21:52:00Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > You don’t care if people find out that you exaggerated an accomplishment to make yourself look better? 😕 Isn’t there a time limit to marathons? If you cross within that you haven’t exaggerated unless you misrepresent your placement. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/136 "2013-04-04T21:59:49Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Isn’t there a time limit to marathons? If you cross within that you haven’t exaggerated unless you misrepresent your placement. I imagine there is some sort of time limit, but I don’t consider it to be _running_ a marathon if someone walked a good portion of it. “I ran the LA marathon” sounds far more impressive than “I did the LA marathon”. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/137 "2013-04-04T22:13:51Z")
> [@curlcoat](#): > > You don’t care if people find out that you exaggerated an accomplishment to make yourself look better? 😕 If people find out? I tell them myself. I don’t care what they think of my accomplishment or if I say I ran it. If it such a big deal to them that I don’t use the word run then I can do without them. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/138 "2013-04-05T02:42:51Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > No one is saying it wasn’t an accomplishment that the kid should be proud of. The pitting is for the outrageously misleading headlines and the Dad for turning this into a media circus. Not what you said in the OP. Bolding mine: > [@](#): > > He climbed part way up, **something anyone with basic fitness can do** if they have the cash. You plonk down $15,000 and are escorted part way up the mountain to base camp. Most folks have to earn **that $15,000 - this kid was just handed it** , and judging by the cotton khakis he’s wearing in the photo, **did not even bother to wear proper gear**. ---
**Author:** ![OleOneEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f14d63/32.png) [@OleOneEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OleOneEye)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/139 "2013-04-05T05:45:46Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > Note that I added “behind his back.” Like we’re doing now. You’re right that you don’t openly mock any accomplishment of the disabled. But if the kid gets the idea that he has scaled Mount Everest, I think he is in for ridicule behind his back, and that’s unfortunate. I’m not convinced he’ll be ridiculed behind his back. That would almost be an improvement. People love stories like this, or that bit of lore about the Special Olympians linking arms and finishing the race together, because people want to believe the handicapped - especially the mentally handicapped - are made of better stuff than the rest of us. People won’t dare mock him, except maybe with their nearest and dearest. There’s only one socially acceptable reaction to a story like this - “Awww”. Only a big meanie would even _think_ something like “So?” or, gawd forbid, “Eww…” > [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > If you only have one eye, is it still effective to roll it? Probably not, but I don’t let that stop me. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452/140 "2013-04-05T05:58:36Z")
> [@OleOneEye](#): > > People want to believe the handicapped are made of better stuff than the rest of us.[/Size] Hello. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downs-syndrome-kid-climbs-everest-no-he-didnt-fark-you-people-magazine-and-daddy/654452.md?page=8)