The hikers who died on Everest and what it says about the Instagram Era

bad atmosphere wrote:

Banana Bread wrote:

I don't get how you could just die on the top if the weather was meant to be good. Maybe some of the people climbing it are weak and have underlying diseases which will kill them anyway and they want to do something amazing before it happens. I would never let myself just die while relaxing on a rope in a queue with a view

Even when the weather is good, it's awful cold up there and there ain't much oxygen.

Yep, it’s referred to as the “Death Zone” for a reason.

I wouldn't die just sitting there doing nothing. If they have oxygen tanks to breath into and light a campfire or something while they are in the queue than I don't get how it is possible for anyone to die. Some of these people are crazy. I'd prefer to go to Georgia and go up the Caucasus peaks or the Julian Alps in Slovenia or the Oral mountains in Russia

The guy from CO was completing the seven summit club and was an experienced climber as were a bunch of the other climbers who died recently. The problem on Everest is lax regulation on the number of climbers aloud up the Nepal side and on the experience of the climbers and outfitters who are taking people up. Nepal issued too many permits this spring and then shortened the window for the ascent. Then, once you are up there, it is every man for themselves. Everyone piles up when there is a short window of good weather for the final ascent as was the case this year. The Chinese figured out that things were out of control, cut the number of permits, shortened the season and starting cleaning up all the trash. Unfortunately, the tourism industry has too much sway with the Nepalese government to stop what everyone knew would be a disaster.

If you wanted to blame technology, it would be GoPro instead of instagram. The instagram crowd doesn't have the time, money or commitment to do serious mountaineering. But thanks to GoPro and the wide availability of videos from back country thrill seekers, we now have tons of videos and pictures from places where you would previously need to spend a few hundred thousand to get helicopters and crews out to get footage. So, there are way more people out their chasing back country thrills and going after Denali and other big ascents then there were 20-30 years ago. Naturally, Everest is number one on the mountaineering bucket list and demand is out of control.

I agree that people collecting shots for their instagram account is annoying and narcissistic. But it has reignited interest in our national parks at a time when certain government officials are not acting in the best interest of our natural wonders. So, if millenials help save the national parks from the current administration and help protect and expand the parks, then that isn't such a bad thing.

Banana Bread wrote:

I wouldn't die just sitting there doing nothing. If they have oxygen tanks to breath into and light a campfire or something while they are in the queue than I don't get how it is possible for anyone to die. Some of these people are crazy. I'd prefer to go to Georgia and go up the Caucasus peaks or the Julian Alps in Slovenia or the Oral mountains in Russia

I was thinking about taking the stairs to the top of Trump Tower. Wanna come?

Oh, I know you do wrote:

Banana Bread wrote:

I wouldn't die just sitting there doing nothing. If they have oxygen tanks to breath into and light a campfire or something while they are in the queue than I don't get how it is possible for anyone to die. Some of these people are crazy. I'd prefer to go to Georgia and go up the Caucasus peaks or the Julian Alps in Slovenia or the Oral mountains in Russia

I was thinking about taking the stairs to the top of Trump Tower. Wanna come?

Maybe we should get to know eachother a little better first

Banana Bread wrote:

Oh, I know you do wrote:

I was thinking about taking the stairs to the top of Trump Tower. Wanna come?

Maybe we should get to know eachother a little better first

We're off to a good start

One would think that the "businessman" at the helm these days would recognize to invest more in one of his most popular assets, like the national parks. But that would make too much sense.

Hikers on everest

I see the hikers going up on like a Conga line......nothing majestic or noble about the line of people......I appreciate how

difficult it is but it is sort of like watching the 4 hour marathoners rolling in at 60 per minute......not worth dying for.

00j wrote:

I see the hikers going up on like a Conga line......nothing majestic or noble about the line of people......I appreciate how

difficult it is but it is sort of like watching the 4 hour marathoners rolling in at 60 per minute......not worth dying for.

People, stop calling them hikers. If you have full-shank mountaineering boots, crampons and an ice axe as you ascend a glaciated peak, you aren't hiking. Maybe you aren't climbing a super technical route, but you are still climbing, not hiking.

What do you think of this woman, jamin?

Altitude adjusted in a tent, then went over and knocked it off in a less than two weeks.

#baller

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/28/mount-everest-climb-often-takes-two-months-california-climber-just-did-it-two-weeks/?utm_term=.e79d4372f67d

Jamin, you’re an idiot. You think millennials are the ones who can shell over 100k for this?

This post isn't really anything original, it's just jamin being his extra-judgmental self.

Donnasummer wrote:

Jamin, you’re an idiot. You think millennials are the ones who can shell over 100k for this?

There are plenty of millennials working in tech in places like Seattle, Silicon Valley, and Austin who can afford that lifestyle, especially the older ones (millennials date back to 1982). Not to mention finance in NYC, and the big consulting and law firms. The top one percent of millennial earners are 800,000 people.

Banana Bread wrote:

I wouldn't die just sitting there doing nothing. If they have oxygen tanks to breath into and light a campfire or something while they are in the queue than I don't get how it is possible for anyone to die. Some of these people are crazy. I'd prefer to go to Georgia and go up the Caucasus peaks or the Julian Alps in Slovenia or the Oral mountains in Russia

Most are probably breathing out of the tank, not into it.

Also firewood is scarce on the Mountain.

killermike wrote:

00j wrote:

I see the hikers going up on like a Conga line......nothing majestic or noble about the line of people......I appreciate how

difficult it is but it is sort of like watching the 4 hour marathoners rolling in at 60 per minute......not worth dying for.

People, stop calling them hikers. If you have full-shank mountaineering boots, crampons and an ice axe as you ascend a glaciated peak, you aren't hiking. Maybe you aren't climbing a super technical route, but you are still climbing, not hiking.

Hikers or climbers or whatever I agree that the pics don't align with the mystique. Reminds me more of tourists waiting for the latest ride at Disney.

Mickey M wrote:

killermike wrote:

People, stop calling them hikers. If you have full-shank mountaineering boots, crampons and an ice axe as you ascend a glaciated peak, you aren't hiking. Maybe you aren't climbing a super technical route, but you are still climbing, not hiking.

Hikers or climbers or whatever I agree that the pics don't align with the mystique. Reminds me more of tourists waiting for the latest ride at Disney.

Unless they are earning a living from climbing they are only hobby climbers.

The bigger problem is how they all went D1, never contributed to their team and then shiit on all the other climbers choices. That's the real issue.

Plus, if the climbed cho-oyu across the valley they could eat hot dogs.

That's why they call it (for) "Ever-rest"