Community Chat

[Oznell]

Anyone else here fascinated by Mt. Everest, straddling Nepal and Tibet, tallest mountain in the world?

Love Jon Krakauer's classic 1997 book, "Into Thin Air".  As a journalist and climber, he decided to go to the top and write about the experience.  Unfortunately, he chose a year with extreme, stealthily treacherous weather, which is deadly at the 29,000 foot height of the mighty summit.

A number of his friends and colleagues died up there on that fateful expedition.  The savvy and highly experienced leaders of two of the groups were among them.  Gone, just b/c of a series of wrong choices at the wrong time.   Jon survived, as did the most colorful member of the groups, New York socialite, Sandy Pittman, pal of Martha Stewart among others.

Sandy's husband Bob started MTV, and she had money to burn.  She had all kinds of fancy equipment at base camp, and magazines and gourmet food brought up to her.  She was described as a muscular Jackie Onassis-type.

By the way, it cost about $70,000 then to climb Everest.  Wonder what it would be now?? 

Impossible to imagine inching along like these climbers, on this knife edge--

They're getting closer, and closer...

A favored few make it to the top.

Some of the people who do make it up there, die on the descent. The descent is quite dangerous.

There's a young, bluff American climber named Ryan Mitchell, who made a cheerful video in 2024 about the descent, in real time.  It's harrowing, but so watchable!  This kid has nerves of steel.  Watch the video by googling:

Climbing Mt. Everest- The Descent.

The sheer drop-offs to nothingness, are terrifying.

What I hate, is the need to rapel over these deep cracks and crevasses...

How'd you like to have to step out over this flimsy ladder, your booted foot stepping gingerly on the slick bars, and with a bottomless black well just beneath you...

Gives me vertigo just thinking about it.

Nevertheless, Everest has tempted adventurers since the 19th century, when it was discovered to be the tallest mountain in the world.  With increasingly easily transportable personal oxygen, it became feasible in the 20th century.  The local Sherpas, a Himalayan people from the region, were invaluable guides and leaders. 

The first confirmed to reach the top, were a British- sponsored team, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, later knighted by the Queen, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Indian/ Nepalese background.  It happened on May 29, 1953.

Sir Edmund took this picture below of Tenzing Norgay on the summit.  Wow.  Norgay later graciously acknowledged that Hillary was actually the first to set foot on that prized, precarious and tiny piece of real estate:

What a rush that must have been!!  World fame and accolades ensued.

There's so much to the mystique of Everest, and so much to absorb about it all.  "Into Thin Air" and Ryan Mitchell's astonishing youtube, "Climbing Mt. Everest-- the Descent"  are a good start to all the lore and terrifying majesty of its history.

The awful storms up there, the chasms, the often deadly altitude sickness, the ever-present possibility of human error-- all are daunting.

I would never attempt it, even if I could.  Question--  would you, if you had the resources and the fitness, strength and training required, ever consider it?   I find the psychology of those who do, to be as interesting as the mountain itself! 

Edited to add:   If you like detective fiction, go to message 28 to learn about how Mary Stewart's riveting mystery novel "Wildfire at Midnight", set in Scotland, ties directly in with the Hillary/Norgay 1953 climbing expedition!

[Krimpette]

I, too, have always been fascinated. I remember reading "Into Thin Air" some years ago.  I find it almost fascinatinng when I read about how many attempt this feat.  And how many who have died trying, sometimes along with thir sherpa guides.  A fascinatinng topic, for sure. Thanks for posting all those great pictures.

[haddon9]

No, never would I attempt to do that even if I were younger and in great shape with the funds to go.

I do find it fascinating that others make the attempt.

[LindaSal]

As athletic as I was when I was young I could never have endured what these people have and the idea of a very possible death would terrify me.  I have always been, however, amazed and astonished by the kind of person who even attempts to climb Everest.  I have read Jon Krakauer's book and there is another one that came out called Blind Corners by Dr. Geoff Tabin in 2002.  He also summited Everest as well as all the tallest peaks on the seven continents.  The book tells his story.  He is an Opthamologist and graduated right here in RI from Brown University.

He had actually done a slide show in a theatre here of his climb to promote his book when it came out.

I have a signed copy!    I'm sure you can find it on Amazon, it's quite an interesting read and he is an amazing doctor and person.

Thanks for this thread! @Oznell 

[SilleeMee]

With so many people climbing the mountain over the years, there has been an increasing problem with human waste...poop and pee. So you have to bag it and pack it in/out with you but there is still a lot of it up there from past years. 

I never climbed Mt. Everest but I was an avid mountain climber here in Colorado for most of my life and in fact I was a member of the mountain search and rescue team for a number of years when I was younger. I know about the perils of climbing up high where there are no trees and low oxygen. Can be deadly.

[Sweet Kitties]

I usually don't take elevators when I go places. However, climbing 4 floors is my limit.

[Sooner]

I am going to be really honest about how I feel about it and a lot of mountain climbing (and such) in general, and I think it will not be a popular opinion.

That being said: I read the book when it came out.  And I think, and thought then, what a shame that a lot of people are so very bored with their life that they have to spend tons of money to risk that life on some useless and dangerous activity.

Why not spend that amount of money, effort and risk on your loved ones, a charity, helping someone, making the world a better place.  And you also endanger others who when you are lost up there have to risk their own lives and the stress of their families to go try to drag your butt out of danger.  Do you really think so much of yourself and so little of your life that you'll do this? 

I think anyone climbing higher mountains in this country should have to post a bond maybe to help pay for their rescue--not the taxpayers. Everest is littered with bodies and trash and equipment and some poor souls have to try to clean it up! 

[buyornot]

ME!!!  In fact-fascinating story about perhaps a more  original summit on the ABC news last night. Might have been 30 years before it was presumed to happen. I always thought that I would like to just stay in a base camp for an expedition

[Still Raining]

You can check the pics of all the trash left behind on the mountain.  Certainly not good care of a fragile environment.  

[faeriemoon]

I have absolutely ZERO interest in climbing Everest or any other mountain for that matter.