Almost dead on a mountain

Rocketdork · Post by **Rocketdork** » Thu May 25, 2006 11:40 am

What would you have done?

Me, I wouldn't have climbed the damn mountain.

Eve · Post by **Eve** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:22 am

I'll stay behind in the bar with you.

Climbing Everest is a life-threatening experience period.

I just finished reading (well listening to the audio book actually, unabridged) called The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt. It's the other side of the "Into Thin Air" story/movie from the perspective of one of the guides.

Until I read that, I didn't really understand how life-threatening that climb is. Gawd, they've even classified sections of the climb into various "zones". These "zones" are common knowledge to climbing folks, and I guess the "death zone" was named appropriately.

It's well and good for the lounge-chair experts to talk about whether someone should have been left for dead or not, but to the actual Everest climbing folks, it is UNDERSTOOD that WILL be left to die in various circumstances. It's impossible enough to get down as an individual, let alone trying to help someone else.

Anyhow, if anyone's interested in the audiobook, PM me and I'll let you know where you can legitimately purchase it.

Rocketdork · Post by **Rocketdork** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 9:42 am

I saw another news story, but I can't find it anymore, about this guy. It seems somebody was able to rescue him. He is/was in the hospital, with frostbite etc.

Seems their call wasn't a good one.

Post by **bio** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 10:43 am

Any "extreme" activity like this comes with an inherit risk of death or bodily harm. Everyone who partakes of this type of activity knows the risks and has accepted them.

I don't feel bad for the guy who died up there, he knew that the possibility of dying on the trip was a distinct possibility. Between 1921 and 1999, Everest has been climbed by more than 900 people from twenty countries. More than 150 have lost their lives, the odds being one-in-six of not making it down alive.

As for the ethics of the other climbers: they knew the risks as well. It's fun to play armchair quarterback, but until you've actually been there, hanging on to the side of mountain in -32 degree weather (plus the windchill) in air too thin to breath, it's probably best not to judge.

I think the story of the "dead" survivor that Rocketdork was looking for is here

Encap · Post by **Encap** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:17 pm

http://www.nelsonrocks.org/disclaimer.html

Rocketdork · Post by **Rocketdork** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 5:07 pm

I think it was actually the guy they left...David Sharp? I distinctly remember that it was him...but I'll be damned if I can find the article now.

Encap · Post by **Encap** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:29 pm

So... according to Everest News, 40 people walked by him as he was dying.

Either he was dying for a long time, or theres enough foot traffic to open an Arby's.

Post by **miftah** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:33 pm

You know, someone's gotta die. Otherwise the girls aren't impressed. Which is the real reason men climb a mountain. Not because it's there, but because they're there. Meanwhile, back at the ski lodge...

I enjoy a thrill or two from time to time, but somehow a difficult death march up the side of a mountain doesn't sound like a thrill. More like digging out my Cutlass Supreme in mid-January -- yuck. Sure there's the sense of accomplishment at the top, but you should see me celebrate the simple task of fitting all the dishes in the dishwasher. I make those Everest guys look like librarians.