
Everest’s Darkest Year (2014) - soundsop
http://www.outsideonline.com/1924596/everest%E2%80%99s-darkest-year
======
thearn4
I have a weird fascination with everest climbing season, which some pretty
conflicted feelings about the people who travel to climb it these days.

Essentially the only draw of Everest that is truly unique is "it's the
tallest." That's not very meaningful; it doesn't translate into "best views"
or "most challenging" or even "most significant to summit." Yet this bucket-
list task of "climb the tallest mountain" is leading to traffic jams of rich
westerners all trying to shuffle their way up the peak at once are making
expeditions extremely dangerous for each other, and the sherpas.

Honestly, I don't think anyone really has any business up there. I think if
you have a natural talent for mountaineering, you can find better, more
challenging climbs that are still safer. I do think I recognize the draw, but
I'm also repulsed by the selfishness. And I don't accept the echo-chamber
consensus opinion of mountaineers that it's all worth it in the end.

~~~
0x0539
> And I don't accept the echo-chamber consensus opinion of mountaineers that
> it's all worth it in the end.

I'm not sure what mountaineers you've talked to but most I know don't like the
current state of Everest and how its become a tourist attraction. Most I know
support the restriction Nepal is considering of restricting permits to those
who have climbing experience on other significant peaks.

> Honestly, I don't think anyone really has any business up there.

Well, no one has any business being up on any mountain; yet we do it.

> you can find better, more challenging climbs that are still safer.

Yes and no. Though your statement is true I'm not sure you realize how safe
Everest is. Everest has about a 4% death to summit ratio. Though its not the
lowest rate among the 8000m peaks considering the masses of inexperienced
climbers who climb Everest the fact its so low is amazing to me. If Everest
was climbed by the same type of people who tackle K2 or Nanga Parbat (26.5%
and 20.3% death:summit) I'd imagine the ratio would be significantly lower on
Everest. Even so, Everest has a low fatality rate.

However, it is also not technically challenging (the challenge is the altitude
not the climbing) so because of that finding something more challenging and
safer shouldn't be a problem.

Its also worth mentioning that there is more than one route up Everest, the
Southern Col is the most popular and easiest and thus sees the traffic jams up
Lhotse face and at Hillary's Step. Other routes don't see the same traffic.

~~~
japhyr
Are you describing these ratios correctly? A 20% summit:death ratio would mean
1 person summits for every 4 who die, right? Is this really death:summit, or
is it summit:attempt?

~~~
username223
Probably death:summit -- IIRC K2 is about 1:4.

------
tim333
Everest out did that in 2015 with 19 killed on the day the earthquake
happened. I guess there will be risks.

~~~
Someone
Also, _nobody_ will summit Everest in 2015
([http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150513-everest-
cl...](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150513-everest-climbing-
nepal-earthquake-avalanche-sherpas))

