# What Was the "Golden Age" of Mountaineering?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-golden-age-of-mountaineering/358343>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 26, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-golden-age-of-mountaineering/358343 "2006-05-26T17:50:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-golden-age-of-mountaineering/358343/1 "2006-05-26T17:50:31Z")

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The thread about Mt. Everest inspired me to ask: as compared to today (where wealth will just about buy you a trip up Mt. Everest), how where things in the so-called “golden age”? I mean when Everest expeditions were organized by people like Sir John Hunt (OBE), of the Explorer’s Club of London? I guess back then, the climbing of Mt. everest was regarded as an activity of honor, available only to the select few.  
Now i read that everest is littered with junk, camps are surrounded by human feces, and dead bodies are strewn all around the mountain-what kind of glory is this?  
Has Everest been defiled?  
And, just what is it to be the 900th person to summit Mt. everest?  
Just a question-it seems like the whole thing is out of hand.