The mad dash to scale Everest: Video shows huge 'traffic jam' of climbers snaking up ice-covered slopes in 'weather window rush hour' as two more go missing days after Brit, 40, and Sherpa disappeared near summit

UK Daily Mail ^ | May 23, 2024 | David Averre and Elena Salvoni

[C19fan]

The route to the summit of Mount Everest is jam packed with eager climbers frantically rushing to reach the world's highest point - even as several adventurers and their guides were killed or went missing this week.

Shocking video shared to social media showed how a string of dozens of climbers snaked up the glacier in the high-altitude 'death zone' - so called because the air is so thin that most have to rely on supplementary oxygen to survive.

The 'human traffic jam', captured on May 20, came as the mountain enjoyed a 'weather window' - a brief period of clear conditions in which successfully reaching the summit is a less perilous task.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Rescue people I have known like to do rescues, and take great pride in bringing off a difficult one. It might be a form of thrill-seeking too, but for a worthwhile purpose.

[rlmorel]

Those people are nearly insane with bravery, IMO. The ones who went into North Vietnam in CH-53s to recover downed pilots...

No braver. No better.

[oldtech]

I think it is foolish possibly squandering your life that way, but let those try it who feel like they just have to. Myself I can think of better ways to spend my money if I had any.