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.
> 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.
AFAICT most mountaineers deplore the current Everest situation, though it pays well at $60k+ a head. While it will never happen, I wish they would simply outlaw paid guiding and the use of bottled O2: a few people with the genes and skill could still climb these peaks, but rich tourists couldn't even try.
I had a go at climbing from Tibet a few years ago - got to 8100 meters but my O2 packed up. I think mountaineers are a bit conflicted - on the one hand it's messy having the place covered with tourists / so so climbers but on the other it's nice to be free to climb mountains and not have it restricted to the anointed few. Stopping the use of O2 would probably cause a lot of deaths - bodies tend to pack up at that altitude without it. I'm not sure stopping guiding would make much difference. I went 'unguided'. You still plod up the thing. If you had to carry all your own kit rather than getting Sherpas to lug the ropes and tents it would make it much harder.
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?
Anytime Everest comes up I'm reminded of this quote from Reinhold Messner about his first solo ascent of Everest.
When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath...I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will.
There are risks but the last couple years have been exceptionally deadly.
Prior to 2014 the deadliest day was May 11, 1996 (8 deaths). In the 1997 through 2013 seasons the average season death count was only 5 with a median of 4 compared to 22 in 2015 and 17 in 2014.
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.