I’ve watched the documentaryies. The latest climbers are no more qualified to climb Everest than me, and my tallest climb was a 12 foot ladder.
They Said It Could Not Be Done - By Benny Hill
They said that it could not be done,
He said, “Just let me try.”
They said, ‘Other men have tried and failed’,
He answered, ‘But not I.’
They said, “It is impossible,”
He said, “There’s no such word.”
He closed his mind, he closed his heart...
To everything he heard.
He said, “Within the heart of man,
There is a tiny seed.
It grows until it blossoms,
It’s called ‘The Will To Succeed’.
Its roots are strength, its stem is hope,
Its petals inspiration,
Its thorns protect its strong green leaves,
With grim determination.
“It’s stamens are its skills
Which help to shape each plan,
For there’s nothing in the universe
Beyond the scope of man.”
They thought that it could not be done,
Some even said they knew it,
But he faced up to what could not be done...
.....And he couldn’t bloody do it!
Getting to the base camp at around 17,500 ft can probably be done by most people in good physical condition, but the last camp before attempting the summit is around 26,000 ft. I can’t imagine most unqualified people making to that level much less the summit.
More people die falling off ladders than Mt. Everest :)
Well, I wouldn’t go that far. If you haven’t scaled a 7km high mountain you aren’t getting a permit to attempt everest.
But yes, there are people who are likely far less skilled and capable than in the past, as folks pay for treks where they are essentially carried (not literally, but true climbers and guides charge them large amounts of money to get them up one of those mountains) up those mounts. That are now trying to climb Everest, but this isn’t exactly a new phenomena either.