radson wrote:

butitsadryheat wrote:Beautiful photo. Amazing detail in the high res version. Amazing that you can see all the tents. Looks crowded, but plenty of room at the same time

Thanks butitsadryheat.

How can I find that photo/ blow it up to look at it? Very nice, btw.

dskoon wrote:

radson wrote:

butitsadryheat wrote:Beautiful photo. Amazing detail in the high res version. Amazing that you can see all the tents. Looks crowded, but plenty of room at the same time

Thanks butitsadryheat.

How can I find that photo/ blow it up to look at it? Very nice, btw.

Howdy dskoon, it is in my profile under latest images. Then click on original.

I really truly believe that it is sad that most think that climbing the E is supposedly the pinnacle of this entire deal.

Probably why the concept has become so commercialized thus totally polluting it.

Probably why some of us here see it nothing more as a ego booster that must be done at all costs, regardless of experience and technical know how.

Probably why in this case, money talks and everything else means nothing.

Oh, and I love the post about solitude....










Funny how no one that is a proponent of this deal, never exhibits photos of the above very sad reality that exists on that hill.

radson wrote:

Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I don't see how people who love mountains could not want to go there.

The Chief wrote:I really truly believe that it is sad that most think that climbing the E is supposedly the pinnacle of this entire deal.

Probably why the concept has become so commercialized thus totally polluting it.

Probably why some of us here see it nothing more as a ego booster that must be done at all costs, regardless of experience and technical know how.

Probably why in this case, money talks and everything else means nothing.

Sorry Rick but I have to disagree with you here. For some climbing Everest is their pinnacle. Nothing wrong with that if your goal is to climb the highest mountain in the world. For others it's not. Yes it's become commercialized but that's always been the case in alpinism and what's brought our hobby to the point it is today. Money does talk, it's a fact of life, but other things do matter.

As I see it there's only three ways to climb Everest:

1) Be organizationally and technically proficient and have sufficient income to put together your own expedition (few could do this),
2) Be technically proficient enough and have the income to be invited by someone above to join their expedition (there are more people in this category but still not that many considering the costs involved)
3) Have enough money to pay someone above to join them (plenty of people to do this).

For the most part to be truely technically proficient enough to climb Everest without guides and big commercial companies you have to spend a lot of time in the mountains and less at work meaning you probably won't have the money to go. And yes it has gotten very polluted but the Nepalese people need and want the money which is, at this point in their existence, more important than the pollution. Probably why we don't see a lot of Sherpa people posting on our site trying to convince climbers to stop polluting Everest. Like most countries once their GDP is sufficient they'll start worrying about things like pollution.

The Chief wrote:This thread is so frkn stupid!]

Agreed.

The Chief wrote:The dude below never came near Everest but has my fullest admiration for doing climbs harder than 99% most can do.... without the physical extremities below his knees!

Herr made a lot out his life after almost buying the farm on Washington. By all accounts, he was a great climber and did a lot to advance the science of prosthetics. But, I get more inspiration from Albert Dow, the guy who died trying to save Herr and his climbing buddy.

FortMental wrote:All you guys who turned down a free ticket to go to Everest..... you get a big frikkin' FAIL!

As if it were about the climbing? No.... it's about the culture of climbing and you guys missed the point entirely. It's also why you guys couldn't motivate a pregnant woman out of a burning car.

I'm a big fan of F1 racing.... would I pass up free tickets to the Daytona 500?
I could eat caviar and truffles everyday... would I pass up a free meal at Chez Panisse?
I'd ball a supermodel every day... would I pass up a free roll with Demi Moore?

If anyone out there has a free ticket to Everest, sign me up! We'll go over to the Italian tent and make fun of their small salamis, try to outdrink the russians, throw snowballs at the French, teach the cooks to make Rock Soup, fart in the tank-compressor intakes, piss over the Chinese side, Sharpie lewd things on our sleeping hero's faces, and, oh yeah, we'll climb some third-rate snow route with massive hangovers.

FortMental, I want to climb with you but only if we don't discuss Nietzche's intercourse habits.

Brad Marshall wrote:Sorry Rick but I have to disagree with you here. For some climbing Everest is their pinnacle. Nothing wrong with that if your goal is to climb the highest mountain in the world.

So should the goal not be to have the technical proficiency for climbing this mountain, to gain the skills and experience reach this "pinnacle" instead of opening a wallet and following a guide?

I'm guessing that some stamina and endurance are required to climb Everest.

MoapaPk wrote:I'm guessing that some stamina and endurance are required to climb Everest.

And money.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Why worry over someone else's goals, anyway? Can't they have their own?

DMT

Who's worried?

Just don't make one specific greater or the premiere event of this entire game.

Climbing is climbing and each has their own goals. That is fair.

None better nor greater than the other.

Brad Marshall wrote: Money does talk, it's a fact of life....

Only if you choose for it too.

Maybe this is why the true reason some want to do the E deal as the OP discusses.... money/prestige/status (Dick Bass???).

If true, that is absolutely no reason to be in this game. At least not for this dude.

From the start, this thread has really never been about Everest or any other particular mountain. It's been about the penchant some among us have to belittle, criticize, or minimize the accomplishments of others. In an earlier post, DMT mentioned that we haven't yet heard (or words to that effect) from an elite mountaineer on SP. On the contrary, over the years several elite mountaineers have posted on SP. To the person, they all have one thing in common. They don't find it necessary to criticize the lesser achievements of others and they don't find it necessary to include every route they've ever climbed on every mountain or wall on their profile page.

A couple of years ago, I finished the USMC marathon in a little over four hours. When I crossed the line, a fellow who had finished in less than 2:40 was waiting there to congratulate everyone who came in after him. Now, that guy is the kind of elite athlete who matters.

James_W wrote:

Brad Marshall wrote:Sorry Rick but I have to disagree with you here. For some climbing Everest is their pinnacle. Nothing wrong with that if your goal is to climb the highest mountain in the world.

So should the goal not be to have the technical proficiency for climbing this mountain, to gain the skills and experience reach this "pinnacle" instead of opening a wallet and following a guide?

Don't know, that's for the climber and them alone to decide.

The Chief wrote:Climbing is climbing and each has their own goals. That is fair.

None better nor greater than the other.

Brad Marshall wrote: Money does talk, it's a fact of life....

Only if you choose for it too.

Maybe this is why the true reason some want to do the E deal as the OP discusses.... money/prestige/status (Dick Bass???).

If true, that is absolutely no reason to be in this game. At least not for this dude.

Now I'm getting confused. Your statement "climbing is climbing and each has their own goals" I agree with but doesn't your later statement "that is absolutely no reason to be in this game" regarding money/prestige/status contradict this? Sounds awefully judgemental.

Money should not be any reason to be in this game.... at least for not this dude.

When I started this deal, all the dudes I looked up to did it for the life-style. And that life-style was truly based on the tossing all the status quo aspects that society deemed upon us.

Money, prestige, status etc.

They were "Dirt Dwellers" and many were in fact "dumpster diver's". Made their own gear and lived in the back of the laundry mat.

The hysteria of Dick Bass's quest was the beginning of the end for that deal.

Some of those original's saw a path to money and ran with it. The "Industry" was born.

I joined REI in 1971. Gear was minimal yet inexpensive. Now, REI is the worst place to purchase any gear if one is looking for good deals. Just saying.

adventurer wrote:From the start, this thread has really never been about Everest or any other particular mountain. It's been about the penchant some among us have to belittle, criticize, or minimize the accomplishments of others. . . To the person, they all have one thing in common. They don't find it necessary to criticize the lesser achievements of others. . . A couple of years ago, I finished the USMC marathon in a little over four hours. When I crossed the line, a fellow who had finished in less than 2:40 was waiting there to congratulate everyone who came in after him. Now, that guy is the kind of elite athlete who matters.

Thank you Adventurer.

The cultural experience of spending 60 days in Nepal and living among the people is fantasic. The beauty of the Khumbu Region and the Himalayas is worth the trip.

Tent City is what you make it. We were at the top and were apart from it. Trash: there was a huge effort to clean up the mountain and it was clean. I never saw any piles of trash: even at Camp 4. I never saw one oxygen bottle left on the mountain and we were among the last few people coming down. The South Side was closed 2 days after we returned to base camp because it was too dangerous (Khumbu Icefall).

Yes, living for 6-weeks at 17,500 ft and higher is difficult (14 days are at 21,500 ft or higher). There for physiological effects on the body. Yes, a person has to have the stamina to climb at that altutide for days. Using the fixed lines does make it possible for less skilled people to climb it. However, until you have gone through the whole experience: you should temper your opinion of those who have. If you are not interested in climbing Everest - when why are you so critical or upset with those who do?

I do not understand this big money issue. I had a dream and reached for it. I am not rich by any means. I love adventure and nature: it is a priority in my life. I climbed Everest for me: not to impress anyone.

Like some of you had said, this-or-that is not for you. Ok, but do not belittle those do those things. I live in a different world then some of you. I have to work at a job and save up to climb: it is a hobby.

For me, climbing Everest was a once-in-a-lifetime amazing experience.