# Everest: Just Don't Do It **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 22, 2016, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397 "2016-05-22T21:31:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 18
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/341 "2022-05-08T18:15:01Z")
My ridiculous dream is to have a staircase tunnel cut through the solid rock, and plumbed with oxygen. Of course, it would have to turn this way and that every ten feet or so, and/or have landings (and preferably little lounges), avoiding too long a straight unbroken run, because otherwise it could be dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/342 "2022-05-08T18:28:08Z")
_“Russian climber dies at camp on Mount Everest”_ KGB hunts for Ukranian Nazi on the Mountain ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/343 "2022-05-08T20:18:54Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > My ridiculous dream is to have a staircase tunnel cut through the solid rock, My ridiculous dream is to make a ski lift type of conveyance, you can ride up. It should cost a lot less. 🙂 And the view would be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/344 "2022-05-08T20:21:03Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > My ridiculous dream is to make a ski lift type of conveyance […] Tell you what, I’m in a good mood, when you’re too frostbitten by that wind, you can come into my tunnel. But you have to dig your own access spur. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/345 "2022-05-08T20:23:12Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It should cost a lot less. Come to think of it… are you serious??? Cost??? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/346 "2022-05-08T20:23:13Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > But you have to dig your own access spur. Well, when you walk those 500000 stairs, and you find out the door is frozen shut under a foot of ice, I might chip it away for you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/347 "2022-05-08T20:24:21Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Tell you what, I’m in a good mood, when you’re too frostbitten by that wind, you can come into my tunnel. Hey! No enclosed gondola-type ski lift? And I expected catered hot meals along the climb, too! ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/348 "2022-05-08T20:24:51Z")
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/349 "2022-05-09T04:24:11Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > _“Russian climber dies at camp on Mount Everest”_ > > KGB hunts for Ukranian Nazi on the Mountain There is one Ukrainian climber this year. [https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2022/04/ukrainian-climber-on-everest-to-call-for-global-support/](https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2022/04/ukrainian-climber-on-everest-to-call-for-global-support/) ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/350 "2022-05-09T04:50:19Z")
[https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/mumbai-woman-dies-while-trekking-to-mount-everest-base-camp-in-nepal-392963&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi93f-qztH3AhWsRTABHYOaDlwQxfQBegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw0MzWw2O2S0dpQWEVIRuCYs](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/mumbai-woman-dies-while-trekking-to-mount-everest-base-camp-in-nepal-392963&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi93f-qztH3AhWsRTABHYOaDlwQxfQBegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw0MzWw2O2S0dpQWEVIRuCYs) ---
**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:** [May 9, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/351 "2022-05-09T11:10:10Z")
While any death is tragic, trekking to basecamp has little to do with climbing Everest. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/352 "2022-05-09T12:20:44Z")
Holy crap, this guy has been to the summit 26 times: > **[A climber scaled Everest for the 26th time. He broke his own world record —...](https://www.npr.org/2022/05/08/1097485283/nepali-climber-climbed-everest-for-the-26th-time-world-record)** > > Kami Rita Sherpa has set and broke his own world record for the most successful Mount Everest ascents multiple times in recent years. He's now summited Everest for the 26th time. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/353 "2022-05-09T12:39:05Z")
Why not an elevator? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hOdtLNgNpqQ/maxresdefault.jpg "The Goon Show: The Internal Mountain, or Climbing Mount Everest From The Inside. Part 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdtLNgNpqQ) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/354 "2022-05-09T12:58:12Z")
In other news, another climber (an Austrian) has died on the West Buttress of Denali, this time during an attempted solo winter climb. This a particularly dangerous traverse at 18,000 feet when you’re _not_ alone. Thirteen people have died there over the years, usually during the descent. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/355 "2022-05-09T13:07:32Z")
Summit fever, on Everest and Denali. And others as well. People die on mountains. It’s what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/356 "2022-05-09T14:01:45Z")
They say the people who staff the gift shop on the summit have the world’s worst commute. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/357 "2022-05-09T14:10:00Z")
Nice. Pikes Peak in Colorado has a staffed visitor center at its summit, 14,000+ feet above sea level. Some years ago I spent maybe 20-30 minutes at the summit before I started to feel ill and had to go back down. I can’t imagine working an entire shift up there, although **[if you enjoy sporty driving/riding, it would be a fun commute](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.8969767,-104.9717256/38.8400594,-105.0432191/@38.884329,-105.041745,13.58z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en)**. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/358 "2022-05-09T14:37:42Z")
Wow, I’ve been to the summit of Mt. Whitney, and the only thing there is that old shack and the visitor’s book. The store is waaaay down at Whitney Portal, around 8k feet? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2022, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/359 "2022-05-09T14:55:56Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Pikes Peak in Colorado has a staffed visitor center at its summit, 14,000+ feet above sea level. Some years ago I spent maybe 20-30 minutes at the summit before I started to feel ill and had to go back down. Back in the 80’s, I got the chance to ski at just over 15k feet. I ripped out about a dozen runs, had a cup of coca tea, and promptly passed out in the back of the taxi on the way down the mountain. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2022, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/360 "2022-05-09T16:11:15Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I can’t imagine working an entire shift up there The workers there are acclimatized to the altitude. I’m sure it feels pretty normal to them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397.md?page=19)