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.
“Russian climber dies at camp on Mount Everest”
KGB hunts for Ukranian Nazi on the Mountain
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.
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.
Come to think of it… are you serious??? Cost???
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.
Hey! No enclosed gondola-type ski lift? And I expected catered hot meals along the climb, too!
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
There is one Ukrainian climber this year.
https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2022/04/ukrainian-climber-on-everest-to-call-for-global-support/
While any death is tragic, trekking to basecamp has little to do with climbing Everest.
Holy crap, this guy has been to the summit 26 times:
Why not an elevator?
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.
Summit fever, on Everest and Denali. And others as well. People die on mountains. It’s what they do.
They say the people who staff the gift shop on the summit have the world’s worst commute.
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.
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?
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.
The workers there are acclimatized to the altitude. I’m sure it feels pretty normal to them.