Everest

[ozzy72]

Well on this day in 1959 Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay conquered the highest point on Earth.
This last week Everest has been in the news a lot due to "climbers" leaving people to die on the mountain. Alas Everest is now a rich buggers playground. A real climber would never leave another behind!

[Hagar]

A real climber would never leave another behind!

Thanks for confirming that.

[ozzy72]

It makes me sick everytime I read something like this. It is against the ethos of the sport Doug.
An excellent book on making the ultimate decision is Joe Simpsons Touching The Void. His friend had to decide to cut the rope and let Joe drop to save his own life. It is one of the most horrifying but blunt and honest autobiographical accounts I've ever read. I just hope I never get into the same situation...

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

Climber's leaving others behind...? Now that's just mean...what is this world coming to? :-/

[ozzy72]

Like I said Ashar these people are just rich berks! It costs more than 20,000 pounds just to set foot on Everest. Then you've got all the kit, porter hire, flights etc etc etc.
Everest is now a rich mans playground. Oddly enough that is why there has been an increase in deaths there 'cos these people don't have the skills and experience necessary to cope
This is why Everest is NOT on my list of climbs. However the north face of the Eiger is another matter

[Hai Perso Coyone?]

Like I said Ashar these people are just rich berks! It costs more than 20,000 pounds just to set foot on Everest. Then you've got all the kit, porter hire, flights etc etc etc.
Everest is now a rich mans playground. Oddly enough that is why there has been an increase in deaths there 'cos these people don't have the skills and experience necessary to cope
This is why Everest is NOT on my list of climbs. However the north face of the Eiger is another matter

I know...so shameful what people will do to gain money... :-/

[expat]

Everest aside,
is it better to be a dead hero, or for your children to have a father?

Matt

[ozzy72]

Aye Matt. Alas the average climber is an obsessive maniac with an ego the size of N.Dakota! Trust me I know 'cos I'm an above average climber (nobody mention the drunken ice-axe episode!)... I've been at the rocks for over a decade and done some brown-trousers stuff! Hence my Eiger problem... I think once that is done I'll just retire to climbing the stairs..... oh and teaching Mini-mod to take my place as the nuttiest climber in Europe. I've climbed with some of the top European (read worlds) climbers and loved it but there comes a time when you have to come off the big faces and just do sport climbing on a rope so you get home a little scuffed up but happy

[H]

I've gone up quite a few hills and mountains faced with a shear rock cliff. Of course, I went around to a side where the cliff wasn't -- I was more concerned with getting to the summit than messing around with ropes, etc., and, perhaps, never getting there.
It reminds me, though, that I was the second fastest rope climber in my particular class (only a 30' rope). Nowadays, I doubt I'd make second slowest (especially right now because I jumped up over a of pile boxes and landed my shin on the metal framework of a barbecue grille -- hurt like mad by the time I got off of work; now it's hurting and itching )

Everest aside, is it better to be a dead hero, or for your children to have a father?
Matt

Back to the side of Everest, if they are all like those Ozzy mentioned about in the past week's news, it's questionable :-/ -- not that I wish they hadn't but, maybe, the wrong ones made it back.

[expat]

It reminds me, though, that I was the second fastest rope climber in my particular class (only a 30' rope). Nowadays, I doubt I'd make second slowest (especially right now because I jumped up over a of pile boxes and landed my shin on the metal framework of a barbecue grille -- hurt like mad by the time I got off of work; now it's hurting and itching )

I slipped whilst exiting the E&E compartment of a 737 at work, and bent my left hand middle finger back to 90 degrees (standby Saturday night finger). That was 7 weeks ago now. The first two weeks off work was fun, it is all just a pain in the rear now. Just had the plaster removed yesterday. Swollen and stiff, I would trade your shin in a heart beat

As far as the rock climbing, I am not really that good with heights. If I open the door of a 737 and the steps are not ready, I get that wooooooo, steady on tiger feeling. My dad on the other hand, before I was born, was really into rock climbing. He has even climbed with Chris Bonington. However, he decided enough was enough when he had his own brow trouser moment climbing chalk. Found he could not go up and could not go back down. It was a very log day of going sideways. Probably a good decision, because my mother was insistent that I came into the world.

Matt

[H]

I would trade your shin in a heart beat...

Wouldn't you look a bit strange, even obscene, with a shin attached between your other fingers?

[expat]

Wouldn't you look a bit strange, even obscene, with a shin attached between your other fingers?

May hold possibilities. Bound to be a fetish website somewhere that would pay good money to see it  :o

Matt

[beaky]

Everest aside,
is it better to be a dead hero, or for your children to have a father?

Matt

To paraphrase Robert Heinlein: "It is said that it's better to be a live jackal than a dead lion... but it's even better to be a live lion,  and usually easier".

[flymo]

im a sports climber (bouldering)  and am starting to go into the world of mountaints. im currently looking into the 3 peaks!
and also i agree totaly ozzy. most people attempting everest these days are just rich b****s with no clue what they are attempting.

[ozzy72]

I think this proves not everyone on Everest is a selfish twerp... http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/s ... 72,00.html