Sorry, but the "status" of being the 715th (or whatever) person after Hillary and Tenzing to climb Everest seems to be very minor compared to the potential loss of life and the impact on the environment of the Mountain.
Creepy, as is the main story about leaving the guy to die.
I've gotten into an argument with someone over this because he said the guy was going to die anyway. I don't see the evidence fo that. There've been plenty of cases of people surviving "certain death" if given medical attention, and I am no bleeding heart, but $35k or "he's not in our group" or "He was stupid" or no--you don't just step over a dying man and go on with your pleasure climb when you could share oxygen and get him to safety.
"Ten climbers have been confirmed as having died on Everest so far this season."
What have we become.....?
Gee, China not being a good enough nanny-state for ya? People want to live on the edge of exteme, but have big brother ready to rescue them.
"What it would involve to launch a rescue would almost be beyond the brain capacity of a person at high altitude."
Sorry, but this sounds like CYA bigtime, like the John Kerry stories of soldiers who "can't control themselves" and kill innocent people.
The excuse here is basically "You lose your mind on the way up and just keep going"? BS
Some people are saying that it would've been impossible to save him, but since they didn't attempt to save him, no one will ever know. Regardless, it seems to me that there are those situations in which it's better to save your soul and lose your life than save your life and lose your soul. They should've tried. Just mho.
this is horrendous
40 climbers passed a dying man. two hours from camp. not one of them would pass their chance for glory to care for this man? 2 hours from camp? these climbers were many more than two hours from their summit. they had many more than 2 hours worth of time to help.
excuses? brain deprived of oxygen? so they must push on? right.
disgusting.
every climber who passed that man should have his/her name posted on the internet so the world can know what he/she did to get their moment of glory.
their everest conquest should come with a asterik dipped in blood.
Most likel;y they would all be alive if they had stayed the hell off the mountain. Its a bit like Bungy jumping, if the cord breaks thats your ass. You buys your ticket, you takes your chance. people involved in extreme sports are asking to die, I cant see risking other peoples lives bcause they are stupid.
Most of these people (the climbers) are arrogant and selfish. They lacked the proper flow of oxygen before they left home. However, in some way it seems like God's way of kulling those that attempt this.
Mrs Arnold recalled the moments when her husband Rob called her from the summit shortly before he died.
You can't breathe or eat or drink, but you can make a phone call.
Gee, lets all jump off a bridge.
But we all could die.
OK, but survivors can just swim away and try to die again tomorrow.
Let's go mountain climbing.
But we all could die.
OK, but survivors can just climb down and try to die again next year.
Lets ride motorcycles in traffic.
But we all could die.
OK, but survivors can come back and try to die again later.
Right or wrong, Mountain Climbing is about to be tear jerked into oblivion.
Large thread on this...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1636848/posts
They're all nuts to be there in the first place, and I really don't care what they do or don't do, or whether they survive. Just to get to Mt. Everest, and buy all their supplies and their permit, they all flew over thousands of dying third world people (including many children who are starving or dying of easily curable ailments and could be saved a dollar a piece) and spent gobs of money that could have saved many of those lives that they flew over. Why do people suddenly get upset when a few of these egomaniacs walk past another one dying in expensive pursuit of his egomania? If you're going to take huge risks with your life, you should do it for something worthwhile -- join the military and fight to liberate a country from a brutal dictator, or join a group that infiltrates North Korea and gets people out or gets documentary film out, etc. But climbing a stupid mountain???
This story simply confirms that uneasy feeling.
I just can't get all worked up about this one way or the other. If you are stupid enough to risk your life like that I am not going to stress about the exact circumstances under which you died. In addition, I don't think you really have any expectation in such a situation that everyone else should have to risk their lives (above and beyond the dumb risk they are already taking) to save you.
The book, Into Thin Air by Krakauer, covered all this. It's been going on for some time. The surgeon mentioned in the book was left to die twice and both times got up on his own willpower and walked to safety. Krakauer said everyone was surprised to see him both times as they had already wriiten him off.
Everybody who attempts Everest should know what's in store for them. Unfortunately, there's been an overe-commercialization of Everest. People who have no business being there are making the trek, relying largely on their guides. They get a very rude "awakening".
Other climbers, who spend years of training and tens of thousands of dollars to make the climb, have no interest in delaying or denying their dreams and goals because of a few climbers who should have known better.
If they were my friend, I'd definitely stop and do everything I could.
If they were another "tourist" making the trek, they're SOL.