# 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:** 49
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/961 "2024-02-08T23:16:19Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > So what then is the currently preferred technique, when you’re on scree or in some place where you can’t dig a cathole One option is to make it into a little marker, or tower - a _Shitcairn_ if you will. It could be quite _Bountiful_ if you wait long enough. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/962 "2024-02-09T00:04:57Z")
I was also going to say that. Have done it in Canyonlands and Zion N.P. both. You get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/963 "2024-02-09T04:11:11Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Current recommended practice for areas above the treeline is to pack it all out > > [Human Waste Disposal in the Backcountry: How to pee and poop in the woods - Trailspace](https://www.trailspace.com/articles/backcountry-waste-disposal.html#treeline) Interesting link, thank you. I suspect that’s probably what NOLS teaches now, as minimum impact is one of their foundational principles. We weren’t even permitted to use toilet paper, back then: smooth stones or snow were the options. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/964 "2024-02-11T17:03:52Z")
For stats nerds, this guy has a ton of data on everything Everest, and some projections for the upcoming season (800 summits, 7-9 deaths). Note that he defines “summit” as anyone going above Base Camp. This gives a more realistic estimation of risks. > **[Everest by the Numbers: 2024 Edition](https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/01/20/everest-by-the-numbers-2024-edition/)** > > I’ve updated my annual “Everest by the Numbers” blog post. I looked at summit and death rates, the use of oxygen and its impact on summits and deaths, and disturbing trends like t… ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/965 "2024-02-13T02:31:11Z")
Rich people will have to pay more and more to have hard working Sherpas haul their ass up the mountain: > **[Why Some Sherpas Say There Won’t Be Any Guides On Everest In 10 Years |...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfXIDMDmyL8%2F)** > > Everest climbing-guide services — often provided by people of the Sherpa ethnic group — can cost $10,000 per expedition. At this price, the guide takes respo... BTW, as someone with a neck spinal injury, it makes me cringe to see those huge loads carried from their heads, but my quick search found they aren’t injuring themselves. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/966 "2024-02-13T03:15:45Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > BTW, as someone with a neck spinal injury, it makes me cringe to see those huge loads carried from their heads, but my quick search found they aren’t injuring themselves. [Tumplines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumpline) are quite efficient and effective. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/967 "2024-02-13T03:54:22Z")
That’s what my quick reading showed, but if you’ve had neck injuries, you would understand my cringe. This is coming from someone that has also had multiple shoulder injuries (thanks bikes) but will strap on a backpack, but I can understand those stresses and attempt to mitigate. I’m getting old enough where I’ve injured everything and everything hurts so it’s a matter of distributing the pain. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2024, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/968 "2024-02-13T18:42:00Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > From the article: > > > On average, a climber is thought to produce 250 grams of excrement per day. They usually spend about two weeks on the higher camps for the summit attempt. > > > > “With that as the basis, we plan to give them two bags, each of which they can use five to six times,” Mr Chhiring explains. > > You have to reuse the bags? So you’ve got to reopen it, poop in it again, then tie it back up? I’d bring a roll of XL doggie poop bags to avoid that. Under those conditions your turds are going to freeze very solid very quickly. No smells and no worry of spills for prior poops, just the current one you’re making. I don’t see where re-using the bags will be a major problem. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/969 "2024-02-13T21:17:11Z")
Gawd, I read that as 250 pounds per day. I was wondering how much they were eating. I know they need extra calories, but man. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/970 "2024-02-14T15:33:07Z")
My understanding is that it’s really hard to eat at high altitude, so I was also surprised! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/971 "2024-03-01T14:09:19Z")
New requirement for Everest climbers: tracking chips. [https://www.cnn.com/travel/nepal-mount-everest-climbers-tracking-chip/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/travel/nepal-mount-everest-climbers-tracking-chip/index.html) I love the photo illustrating the CNN story. “It’s just me against the mountain.” ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/972 "2024-03-01T14:48:08Z")
> He explains that climbers will pay $10-15 apiece for the chips, which will be sewn into their jackets. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government, and saved for the next person. So it’s kind of like the return deposit on a canned drink. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/973 "2024-03-01T15:00:32Z")
Would you bet your _life_ on some government-issued no-name GPS beacon that uses some service they refuse to name? Of course not. Which means you have to bring your own, which means it’s just another cash grab, whether legitimate or not. Perhaps it would seem less fishy if they required you to supply your own beacon, chosen from a list of reputable manufacturers? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/974 "2024-03-01T17:16:46Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Which means you have to bring your own, which means it’s just another cash grab, whether legitimate or not. It’s not clear that Nepal is requiring climbers to use chips provided by Nepal, or just requiring some tracking chip. The larger expedition outfits already provide chips, so that might be sufficient. No matter what, it certainly isn’t a cash grab. The upfront cost of the chips and ongoing maintenance is going to be more than the $10-15 they will reportedly charge. A single climbing permit is $11,000 and going up to $15,000 next year - the government is getting around $5M from the permits this year. The $5,000 from GPS rentals (which cost much more than that) is not a revenue source. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/975 "2024-03-02T17:36:02Z")
> The only surviving member of the mountaineering expedition that first conquered Mount Everest said Saturday that the world’s highest peak is too crowded and dirty, and the mountain is a god that needs to be respected. > **[Last surviving member of the first team to conquer Mount Everest says it is...](https://apnews.com/article/nepal-mount-everest-sherpa-guide-f78454e9cd3c984ebe43f16052517743)** > > Kanchha Sherpa, 91, was among the 35 members in the team that put New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay atop the 8,849-meter peak. I didn’t realize they had that big a team. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/976 "2024-03-02T19:06:45Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I didn’t realize they had that big a team. You can see the whole team and how they worked together to get Hillary and Tenzing to the top in the contemporay documentary [The Conquest of Everest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT98UwP8jmU). ---
**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:** [March 2, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/977 "2024-03-02T21:09:49Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > It’s a start i suppose … Rule #2? ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/978 "2024-03-16T13:01:54Z")
Sad news for those who have followed his career: [David Brashears, Dead at 68](https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/everest/david-breashears-dies/) (cause of death not listed) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/979 "2024-03-16T17:46:39Z")
Oh bummer, he was a great guy. He was one of the people who did it right. If you don’t know much about him, you should definitely read the Outside obituary linked above. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397/980 "2024-03-16T22:37:15Z")
A great guy. I knew him professionally around the time the IMAX film came out, and know many people who were close friends with him. Coincidentally, I now live only a few miles from where he was living when he died. I hadn’t seen him in years, but I have at least one mutual friend in the area who had. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everest-just-dont-do-it/755397.md?page=50)