Really Good Documentary Calling Out Those that "Climb" Mount Everest When Sherpa Do All the Work

acadia wrote:

To true mountaineers, Mount Everest has lost it's appeal. It's basically a glorified tourist trap nowadays. Look at the lines of people going up the mountain. Where is the honor in that?

Ahhhh, the No True Scotsman argument...

Although I know mountaineers who have summitted Everest and say it is not the most technically demanding peak to climb.

Luv2Run wrote:

acadia wrote:

To true mountaineers, Mount Everest has lost it's appeal. It's basically a glorified tourist trap nowadays. Look at the lines of people going up the mountain. Where is the honor in that?

Ahhhh, the No True Scotsman argument...

Although I know mountaineers who have summitted Everest and say it is not the most technically demanding peak to climb.

That's true! K2 is much more challenging and just a little bit lower in elevation. Annapurna is a deadly mountain that has killed many climbers.

John Utah wrote:

Bad Wigins wrote:

Why should I know that? Some musician or fictional character you're a fan of?

Try not to take the internet so seriously.

What? You are the one getting bent out of shape about people climbing mountains.

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

rabble rabble rabble wrote:

John Utah wrote:

What? You are the one getting bent out of shape about people climbing mountains.

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Everyone in the let's run community, circle up! This looks like it's going to be a good one!

1. Everest isn't easy. It doesn't matter if you are a rich tourist or an alpinist who is trying to repeat the Hornbein Couloir. Sherpas setting fixed lines and ladders reduces the risk, but you are still responsible for getting to the top and getting down. No one is carrying anyone else at 8000m. That's ridiculous.

2. There are a lot of routes on Everest, and some have either never been climbed or have not been repeated many times. To say "Everest is a joke" is only true if you are referring only to the two commonly-guided routes, which 98% of climbers attempt.

3. I think there is a big mix of people climbing the standard routes. Some are certainly checklist "climbers" who are trying something like the seven summits or just want to knock off Everest. I'm not sure I would call these people mountaineers because they primarily care about just getting to the summit; they don't view climbing mountains as their sport. But there are plenty of mountaineers mixed in as well. I'm quite certain that a lot of people who have done real mountaineering routes like the Cassin Ridge on Denali have also summited Everest via the South Col.

4. Everest is significantly safer today than it was even twenty or thirty years ago for several reasons. First, weather forecasting has gotten much better. This has been a blessing and a curse. It means hoards of people try to summit on one or two days each year, which creates bottlenecks. Gear has gotten much better as well. Also, and not many people talk about this, but dexamethasone is widely used for acclimatization purposes. All of these things have combined to create a scenario where the death:summit percentage is roughly 1.5%. When compared to mountains like K2 and Annapurna (both ~25%), Everest's standard routes are incredibly safe now.

5. Everest's non-standard routes are really hard and not safe. The historical death:summit percentage on those routes is around 25%, and there's no reason to think they've gotten much safer in recent years.

When compared to mountains like K2 and Annapurna (both ~25%), Everest's standard routes are incredibly safe now.

I watched a video of a guy climbing K2 through the hard sections. He just clipped in to some ropes and pulled himself up bit by bit. Piece of cake. Basically, someone else did the work for him. There's a ton of inexperienced climbers that do K2 now with no skills to climb without fixed ropes. Expect another tragedy especially with the crowding too.

K2's about the weather, but if someone else is fixing the ropes and you are relying on that and have good weather, it isn't hard. If you can't fix ropes or free climb, you have no business doing it, but pay the big money and someone will promise to do this for you and carry up all the oxygen you need. Not impressed by either.

Many services are offered wrote:

Former Mt. Rainier Guide wrote:

I'll have to watch this before commenting. I will say this though, you still have to get yourself up and then back down on your own power. That's one thing the Sherpas and the porters don't do for you.

I'm not sure that's even true anymore. There's been several 70+ yr old people who have been essentially carried up the mountain.

Short roping.

Jon Krakauer writes about seeing the Sherpa Lopsang Jangbu dragging the socialite Sandy Pittman up the mountain.

erewwerr wrote:

There is another one called Sherpa on the discovery channel or nat geo.

‘Sherpa’ was excellent!

If this documentary does not prove to you that most wealthy are narcissistic and highly dismissive and disrespectful assholes- then nothing will.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Standing at the highest land point on the Earth is a pretty arbitrary goal anyhow. Big deal. What's wrong with 7300 meters? Why should higher be better?

I would be happy just standing at sea level with you on a tropical beach paradise, watching the sunrise and sunset, cuddling and listening to the gentle waves crash.

The only people who have truly "climbed" Everest are the people who did it themselves, without oxygen, and without anyone else carrying their stuff. Sure, a lot of people have "reached" the summit. But without A LOT of help from others, there's no way 99% of them reach the summit.

Not to mention all the reachers leave behind tons of garbage, constantly put themselves and others at risk due to their inexperience and have created an unsustainable economy in one of the world's poorest places.

k2 perspectives wrote:

When compared to mountains like K2 and Annapurna (both ~25%), Everest's standard routes are incredibly safe now.

I watched a video of a guy climbing K2 through the hard sections. He just clipped in to some ropes and pulled himself up bit by bit. Piece of cake. Basically, someone else did the work for him. There's a ton of inexperienced climbers that do K2 now with no skills to climb without fixed ropes. Expect another tragedy especially with the crowding too.

K2's about the weather, but if someone else is fixing the ropes and you are relying on that and have good weather, it isn't hard. If you can't fix ropes or free climb, you have no business doing it, but pay the big money and someone will promise to do this for you and carry up all the oxygen you need. Not impressed by either.

I'm not sure who died and made you the arbiter of who has the right to climb K2 - or anywhere else - but there isn't "a ton of inexperienced climbers that do K2 now". In 2018 there were 62 that reached the summit. Is free climbing more impressive than using fixed ropes? Of course. But your arrogant dismissal of all others is just that - arrogance - and unfounded to boot.

Over 60 ascents of K2 in one season (31 on a single day!) is crazy...but then there is this:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1747792675317346

That is just mortifying.