This makes 2012 the 35th consecutive year and counting that Everest has claimed at least one person’s life.
And to think the Alps traded away Everest for two summits and a hill to be named later.
I suspect that a certain level of deaths is part of the appeal, though, because of the aura of danger that it lends. In my view, it’s wrongheaded to say that the government of Nepal has no interest in catering to rich mountain tourists, given the income that they represent for the country, but it also can’t be too solicitous of them, since that too would be bad for business.
The OP does have some odd ideas about Everest, though. Didn’t he have an earlier thread where he was advocating an evacuation slide down the mountain or some such?
Just like how part of what makes The Golden Gate Bridge so iconic is the fact that many suicide attempts - sucessful and unsuccessful - have been made off of The Golden Gate Bridge.
Ski lift, I think.
And you know how ski lift towers are installed these days? Yup, we’re back to helicopters.
I get the desire to climb to the top of the world, but after looking at all the pictures of dead bodies plus the video of the other guy in green boots cave so near death, you really have to be a moron of epic proportions to try this unless you are a real expert and even an expert should recognize that a lot of those bodies were experts too. The husband and wife thing really got to me, I don’t know how all of those people just kept on walking by while she was screaming for help, I know why but not how. Apparently you not only need to be rich to climb Everest but cutthroat as well. Not for me no way
Of the 14 8000m peaks, it’s actually one of the least dangerous in terms of fatality rates. Because so many people try to climb it, I guess the absolute number of deaths is higher, but if you want to die on a mountain, K2 or Annapurna are way more likely to kill you. I think K2 has a current fatality rate of 25% and Annapurna is closer to 40%.
The toll is now up to seven.
I think they should put a monster near the top of the mountain and make you fight it to get to the summit.
Should I. . . even ask? I haven’t heard this story.
Ha!
But is that not partly because far fewer people try to climb K2 and Annapurna, so there isn’t nearly as much infrastructure (semi-permanent camps and such) and experience with the vagaries of all the specific route options?
Good point. Each year the Sherpas “pave” the way.
edited because what I wrote was incorrect.
I’m torn between Snooky and Donald Trump.
In my humble opinion:
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No more MUST die (they all volunteer; if the volunteering comes to an end, so will the deaths)
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Because it would be prohibitively expensive; the only way to effectively do this would be to build a pressurized stairway/Habitrail tube to the summit for the use of the rescue service.
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I’m afraid I don’t really have an opinion on this third one; it looks rhetorical, anyway. Probably shouldn’t even be in IMHO.
Man, this thread would have been a LOT easier if the OP had been considerate enough to construct a poll!
Want a hijack, I’ll give you a hijack. Can you imagine the creature that would be produced if those two bred? (And they probably will.)
SCP-1529, written by yours truly.
Any time you send rescuers up the mountain, they might end up dead, too. You can imagine how that might play out- rescue parties get sent up and get killed or need to be rescued themselves, which means you need to send even more rescuers. Even if you know where someone is on the mountain, it doesn’t mean you can save them. This is just an incredibly dangerous thing to do. I don’t make fun of the people who climb these mountains because I think I can understand the drive a little bit even though I don’t feel it - actually I hiked up a 1,500-foot hill this weekend and my legs are still sore, which reminds me of the insanity of climbing 29,000 feet - but it is staggering to think of the craziness of people who won’t quit while they’re ahead and have to go that last few feet no matter the risk. They should be smarter, and yes, it sounds like there needs to be a sharp cutback in permits.
It’s in the link someone posted on the previous page, showing photos of the dead. A husband and wife both died on Everest, in sad circumstances.
Basically, if you’re not willing to put yourself in a situation where you are essentially slowly dying as you try to summit, where both brain and body are shutting down, and where perhaps no one around you will be able and/or willing to assist you, don’t go up there.