The Call of Everest | Nat Geo Live
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- Fifty years ago, Americans summited Mount Everest for the first time. To celebrate this anniversary, climbers Conrad Anker and Emily Harrington, writer Mark Jenkins, and naturalist Alton Byers meet to discuss the history and future of the world's highest peak.
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The Call of Everest | Nat Geo Live
• The Call of Everest | ...
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Leave your pride at the base. If the Sherpa tells you turn around and descend, you do exactly as he says, you turn around and descend.
mag 1981 Descend and live
Whilst I agree whilst laying on my bed watching this, If i were at 200 feet from the summit with limited brain capacity I do not know what I would do and guess what , neither do you
@@anyexpat plus you paid more money to climb than that sherpa will earn in a lifetime... many climbers would tell him to f@#% off.
They believe they can do anything because they have been successful in one thing $ £ in life. They see failure as weakness and not part of a learning process. They have arrogance and no humility at all.
@@richardhelliwell1210 you clearly don't understand, for maybe 10% or less that climb money is their sole objective in life. Most are successful in their own fields, money is just a by product of being good at your job, the better you are the more you earn. The problem is that they are given a choice on what to do on something they have little knowledge on, very few have experienced any real risk in their lives and don't realise how quick they will die and that no-one will help them near the top, so when a sherpa is saying they are not climbing fast enough and are probably going die they don't realise the actual danger and believe it to be a warning, especially as their body is lacking oxygen as similar to that of a drunk person. The sherpas and leaders need to take more control and demand them off the mountain, no real leadership or decision making has lead to their deaths, especially as they pay the experts £35k+ to be taken up the mountain, if it's clear the person is incapable of climbing it they should be more forceful in making sure they don't climb it with their expedition. And i think you actually need to look at the list of people who have climbed it, a good majority are environmental and aid workers that clearly have less arrogance and more humility than you.
Respect to the Sherpa people ✊
Don't forget Andrew"Sandy " Irvine he climbed w Mallory on that fatal expedition in 1924 .Bolth deserve equal credit as mountaineering legends ❤👏thanks for the great video 😊
I think it's amazing, the flack that Emily Harringon gets, as if she was just a random kid, shopping at Walmart one day, came across an article and decided climb Everest. She was a professional climber and was invited. She was also a 5 time national champion climber, and among her many achievements, she placed 1st or 2nd in multiple international climbing competitions, even being ranked 1st or 2nd among the world's elite climbers multiple years. She was also a member of The North Face Climbing Team...all PRIOR to her invitation to climb Everest. She was no random business person with more money than sense. As a side note, she has made multiple 5.14 climbs, and has since FREE CLIMBED El Capitan! Yes, FREE CLIMBED it and in under 24 hours. I believe less than 25 people in the world have done that. Just a little perspective for those who got the impression somehow that she was just some random spoiled kid who's bank account got her up Everest. She is legit.
She just said she nevrr climbed mountsins
@@mreality7017 she didn’t have any big mountain climbing experience but she has a ton of rock climbing experience. She is legit.
I am Nepal,Kathmandu...seriously I respect every tourist who r climbing everst...even everst base camp is a challenging thing for non professional climbers like us..
Lots die at Everest base camp
@@bulletproofguy5112 really?
@@ryano460 yes.
The dead Nepal-born Canadian woman at 5:53 is Shriya Shah-Klorfine, and a prime example of some one who should never of set foot on Everest led by a guide company that should never have been given a licence.
She also lied about summiting and photoshopped herself onto a mountain.. Sad.
She refused to turn around several times. The company did nothing wrong
This was probably the most interesting piece ive watched in my month long Everest binge. Good stuff.
Hi. I'm on an Everest binge as well.
🙋🏻♀️same
A year or 2 later but me too! Lol
Me too! Ahah
Holding a trophy that required someone else to risk their life for is NOT ethical. Everest ASSISTED summit.
lol so true. Assisted summit is still an amazing achievement for all involved. Should be called mini expedition with all receiving recognition?
And someone who has climbed Everest like 100 times with heavy loads don't get recognised....So weird...
There was a new record on everest!!! the first South-Asian Canadian Student from GreenField county EVER to reach the top!!!
@@bestelectronicmusicfromnew5189 --what was his Sherpa's name?
@lawomann Well good to know that..If they don't go for video and money than probably it's just thrill or to save humanity 😊
Wow, she went to the Summit and then back down to Camp 2 in the same day. Then base camp the next day. Must have had excellent weather and she must have been in excellent condition.
She's a professional rock climber, so yes she's in extremely good shape and used to challenging herself! I agree though, going down to camp 2 after summiting is fantastic!!
2019 traffic jam brought me here....🙏
We don't have to climb it now we've seen the top ;)
What happened
Scrabbleking, Emily Harrington IS an expert climber... rock climbing, specifically. Her 14+ years climbing, even if she's been only doing ice & mixed climbing for the last few years makes her viewpoint not only valid but interesting.
I was thinking I’m surprised she didn’t choke on that silver spoon 🥄! Never once thanked the Sherpas that got her up that mountain 🏔 pathetic.
SHE admits she "had no idea what I was getting into", So you agree, growing up in the core (rock) climbing community doesn't give one about much insight into mountaineering the highest peaks in the Himalayas. Kinda like climbing plastic inside for years would leave you clueless as to what it takes to aid El Cap. Years of framing houses in Nebraska might be a better background.
Kinda diminishes the point that only experienced mountaineers should climb Everest, though.
So enjoyed this. Presenters were so well spoken and the pictures were fantastic. The reality of challenging 8000+metre was well presented. I can't believe how many people stand for hours waiting to move inches.
They don't have a life!!! They need one
Look at the stars, Wow!
I think whatever mess we make of 'her', Chomolungma will always prevail as something pure, raw, wild and mysterious. Amazing still to imagine her rising from an ancient sea to be the tallest mountain on earth. (At least above sea level).
Respect to sherpas 👍
My dads friend just got back from his second trip up there and this time he was finally able to summit. To talk to someone who's actually gotten to the top and hear their experience is the most incredible and fascinating thing. Makes me love that mountain even more.
I know that a lot of world class climbers have summited (and died on) Everest, but I have only two words: Reinhold Messner.
I can't understand why anyone would choose to criticise any of these individuals
That's a big nope for me. I can barely climb out of bed everyday-and I don't have to crawl over dead people.
I am planing to take an Uber Taxi to the summit
a bus would be great .lol...
The auto road will be done by 2017
+Brian Richardson yah! I'd take that money and buy the next 25 expeditions to the summit for everyone that wants to go but don't have the experience
Good idea and then book a room at the new hilton on base camp then dine at the Mc donald and get a latte at starbuck on camp 2
god bless america
i am from Nepal, never been to Everest :(, now working in the Netherlands, the country with no hills :)
6 years later, where are you now?
Quite a difference in scenery, isn't it?
We have the Vaalserberg in the South! 322meter above sea-level! ;)
@@MyGodZach still in Holland.
@@ojanazizi5752 yes, Flat sceneries 😂😂😂
There are plenty big mountains left that you don't have to queue to get on the summit of, more than plenty actually. Best to leave Everest alone now.
Its all about conquering the HIGHEST POINT ON PLANET EARTH. So that reason alone would be the ultimate conquest for a climber.
Climbing K2 is way more impressive than everest but people don't do it as much because
1. It is much harder
2. The death rate is 23%
@@truecp5 Is k2 8848 mtrs tall???? You can not drink a cup of hot tea if your heart wants a bottle of chilled water mate.... No offence😑😑
why ?
@@premsangtamang4029 k2 is way, way more difficult to climb.. height isn't everything when it comes to mountain climbing is it.
there should be a limited amount of permits each year.
Leslie Martinez yup...limited entry. Just like hunting. Cow only.....
Leslie Martinez there already is
or a cv of mountains you must have climbed before passing
then again think of the sherpa people who nowadays depend on it. The fact they education means that it will take atleast a whole generation before they notive the effects
@@Del1Dub ; There already is !
There are limits on the North side, but not the South.
The way things are going there, in another 50 years they will have ski lifts up and a zip line going down.
77chonyc The way things are going Earth will turn into Mars in next 50 years, Thanks to ignorant jokers like you.
77chonyc LOL! You're comment is fucking hilarious, but unfortunately its probably true.
jo l i guess that has to do with your definition of ruined. for some people that could be people being carried up on the back of sherpas and for others a ski lifts. i think all climbers agree that money has been a net negative
+Abhi Batra helloo stop swearing especially with a profile picture of a goddes but yes i do agree with the possibilities but people would be really really pissed
+77chonyc Well at least it would be safer!
Just slap on an oxygen mask and take a ride!
Very well-rounded presentation. Wonderful speakers and I loved hearing about their chosen topics.
Thanks for the piece. I am Nepalese but didn't know so many things that this video told. Thanks NG!!
"I never really climbed mountains before" This is all you need to know about the state of climbing Everest.
i thought the same thing
She was a professional rock climber... So she had more skills than many
Thanks, this is an amazing documentary
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I'm glad there are only two routes. It confines the damage caused to a smaller area. Like when you're hiking, you don't start a new trail by hiking in the vegetation next to the trail but stay on the well-worn trail. I think that the Nepal government needs to place heavy restrictions on who can climb even if they don't make as much money. They are endangering the lives of their people (the Sherpas) along with contributing to the pollution on that mountain.
RN B ; There are more than two routes !
I can't say people deserve to get injured of worse ,I don't wish that on most people ,but this blonde is a perfect example of why some many inexperienced climbers pass away ,she said " I've never really climbed a mtn before "... The sherpas are the heroes and deserve much more pay and to be taken care of !
L
Love 💕 Conrad Anker!!! My favourite climber!!!
Emily your words were incredibly moving and captivating
Amazing video! thank you very much!
Same here bro!!! I am from Nepal too.
Congratulations on your summit!!!! What kind of back pack did you use? Yes, bring oxygen. Smart girl. Did you rent your down one piece or buy? What about the rest of your equipment (own or rent)? What did you have on your feet? What company did you use? How long did you take to summit? Thank you for sharing your experience.
He's right about the various routes. That could be the solution to the problem if the Nepalese government assigned a certain number of permits per particular route. It wouldn't be too hard to enforce. If "climbers" don't like it, there are 13 other 8000 meter peaks available.
I was not aware that there had been an alpine-style ascent of Everest. I'm definitely fascinated by the event and if anyone has any details or info or pointers to same please comment.
Threat_Dynamics Reinhold Messner, solo, North side, during the pre-monsoon 1980. Read the book "Crystal Horizon".
Just Pick Up The Hard Copy Today & Cant Wait To Read This Book... Its Breathtaking... thank you xo
well said heinz......narrow minded and selfish people r truely never respect other, even they r dangerous for his own country also......we nepalese people have ofcourse poor an pitiful life but when once u met them u will always see their smiling face and warm hearts . even when u r in heigh mountian area those uneducated dirty people shows u what is the happiness of life ....
Well said bro
uneducated and dirty? nice Are you clean and educated?
@@Scott-hr8xt :)
I can't believe that young girl made it to the summit! Incredible that she can say that when not many can. How impressive and strong she is. I would love to say I've done it but...I don't know...
+Tony Gareth Impressive? How impressive is Everest when on one day alone 250 people made it to the summit?
Yeah, it ain't easy to get to the top of Everest. But when you've got people cutting steps, fixing ropes, setting camps, carrying your stuff (including your bottled oxygen) and taking the most dangerous risks for you ... it's not nearly as hard as it REALLY is.
+NickFalacci Have YOU been to Everest? If going the Nepal route is too easy for you, try going from Tibet; then come back and tell me how easy Everest was.
+Jesse Bains I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. If you look at my post, my second sentence is, "Yeah, it ain't easy to get to the top of Everest." Everything else I wrote is about the relevant context of climbing Everest in the current era of the major commercial guiding industry.
I said nothing about the "Nepal" route. I take it you are talking about the southeast ridge route. There are several routes accessible from the Nepal side, but I'm guessing you are referencing the southeast ridge as that has become the "trade route" for guided clients.
The Tibet side of Everest offers many different routes as well. Again, I'm guessing you are making reference to the North Col to the upper northeast ridge. That route, too, has become a "trade route" for guided clients. Slightly less of a circus at Base Camp on the Tibet side, but still well-populated with guides and their clients.
Again, if you read my post, nowhere do I say Everest is easy. It is not easy. By any route. But we are talking about relative conditions and difficulty when talking about climbing. It's one thing to pay a guide $65,000 to provide all the support you need to climb the southeast ridge route and it is a completely other thing to climb the entire northeast ridge route with a small alpine-style team. It's entirely another thing to climb the mountain solo in winter without oxygen as Messner did.
My main point is this:
It is difficult to climb Everest. Its sheer size and altitude are major obstacles. Any person attempting to summit Everest needs to be in excellent physical condition. However, the southeast and north col routes are not technically challenging -- given the fact that these are the two main routes the Everest guides use to get clients to the summit. Thus, these two routes are well-equipped with chopped steps, fixed ropes and ladders.
The difficulty of climbing Everest by these two routes, accompanied by a guiding company is mainly one of physical fitness and how well your body reacts to the high-altitude.
When Hillary and Tenzing climbed the southeast ridge, there were no fixed ropes. All steps were chopped by Hillary and Tenzing.
When a person climbs Everest these days by way of a guided expedition, that person relies on experienced mountaineers and Sherpas to lead the route, fix the ropes, cut the steps, haul all the food and oxygen and gear that person needs, set ladders in the Khumbu Ice Fall and take on the greatest amount of risks for that person by allowing the client to travel through dangerous sections (like the ice fall) only a minimum amount of time. I.e. the clients do not have to make repeated haul loads through dangerous sections.
When people talk about the "impressiveness" of climbing Everest by way of a guiding service, it must be placed in context. The context is HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of people have summitted Everest this way. 250 people reached the summit in one day alone.
I am not sure why it matters, but no, I have not been to Everest. However, many years ago, where there were NO GUIDING SERVICES, I too, like so many others, was overwhelmed by the desire to climb Everest. I read every book about Himalayan climbing, I watched every documentary film about the mountain. And I started taking the first steps in pursuit of my Everest dream. Back then, there was no amount of money you could pay to get someone to guide you up Everest. You had to simply become a climber and gain enough experience to get so good as to get *invited* on an Everest expedition. So I started to learn how to climb. I became a rock climber and since I lived in NYC at the time, I did most of my serious climbing in the Gunks. After several years, I became a competent lead climber, leading traditional-style routes in the hard 5.10 to 5.11 range. On top-rope and sport routes I was climbing in the 5.12 to easy 5.13 range.
As for my Everest dream, it took a backseat for a while, as I fell in love with pure rock climbing. I still took other steps toward that dream, though. I started ice climbing and learning glacier travel. I climbed the Grand Teton.
I still have that original Everest dream. But reality keeps getting in the way. I did not devote enough of my personal life to high-altitude mountaineering to become a truly competent Himalayan climber. My personal career took up most of that time as I pursued other goals in life. And more importantly, the era of commercial guiding started on Everest. The first time I saw a photo of dozens of guided clients standing at the bottom of the Hillary Step waiting in line to go up the fixed rope really stabbed my Everest dream deep in my heart.
I don't know about your own climbing experiences and philosophy ... but the idea of standing in line with dozens of other clients/climbers on the summit ridge ... is antithetical to what I want out of climbing and mountaineering. It's not the notion of hiring a guide. That is a long established mountaineering tradition. But standing in line to climb. That is something I cannot stomach. In fact, the strongest motivation I had to climb harder and harder routes was because easier routes tend to have lines and WAITS to climb.
To me, climbing is about being out in nature. With your partner. Or a small group of climbers. Climbing self--sustained, self-reliant, placing your own gear, adventure. If I want to stand in a line, I can go to the bank.
+NickFalacci a true outdoorsman no doubt.
Sherpas are underpaid and exploited.
Union?
Sherpa are exploited. Economically, colonially.
Well, if you're underpaid for task at hand doesn't it naturally follow that you're being exploited? I don't disagree with either of your comments. However, what they do have is a choice. They have the means to ascertain whether or not they wish to undertake what's being asked of them and then make a choice based on that means.
No, they are not. They are paid well and restpected. I have been on 19 expeditions in Nepal and summited Everest last May 23rd 2019. My best friends are Nepalese.
You?
You don’t know anything about climbing. The sherpa aren’t slaves, they make the choice to be Sherpa
My foreigners friends please climb at least one time in mount everest 2020 visit 🇳🇵 nepal.. Thanks national geographic for the vedio.
I learned a lot from this documentary.
You should have at least 4-5 mountain climbs under your belt to even get a permit to climb Everest.
You need to have claimed a couple of the largest on earth to get a permit now.
The problem is that of the largest mountains everest is almost the easiest.
Amazing, loved this.
Everest isn't the only place where you can feel as the girl says ... there are other, less dangerous mountains that give you a similiar feeling. No need to take such a high risk.
"It's Lonely at the Top"
Obnoxious people ruin everything.
If you mentioned Mallory, you should not forget Irvine. If you talking about first ascents - how can you forget about first winter ascent? Come on... you are climber, man.
I think i'll stick to climbing one of the Hong Kong mountains complete with steps
Excellent presentations.
9:40 Unreal.... This sums it all up.
These idiots have no business being up there in the first place, without the Sherpa's they would not even make it to base camp. No respect from me.
Mauro R. I concur!
@Mountain Gentry messner does
I took part in a rather brutal "Expedition" a couple of years ago to the summit of Stone Mountain in Georgia..........Didn't reach the summit myself though, but it was still like way super awesome.....lol.
i made that climb, wasnt summit fever...it was 93 degrees!!!!
went to base camp last year which was amazing ! and would love to climb Everest some day
After 7 years, did u make it? Did u make it back alive?
@@arenlaozukum8099 never went back to everest I'm afraid
The Canadian lady at 5:54. I just finished watching a documentary of her. Sad but should be something people should watch before attempting to summit Everest.
really inspiring
I am honestly saying I have not ever been to interested in Mt Everest before. I felt compelled to watch this due to the recent news reports of the lines going to the top. Listening to the climbers speak you get a sense of why they do it. It looks beautiful but extremely difficult.
The thrill of the climb I guess.
Wow just fascinating😃
I have a dream to climb Mt Everest aka Sagarmatha one day! and yes do make the environment clean near Everest to all the climbers.
Great show.
I agree 100%!!!!
WOW!! my country NEPAL
Dipesh Gyawali YES! NEPAL! Every one thinks I'm Indian :|
how a person that says "i had no idea what i was getting into" and "i had never really climbed mountains before" decides to climb everest is just BEYOND ME, and, frankly, makes me so angry on behalf of the sherpa. (also, what kind of climbing community is she from where people say climbing everest isn't hard? the same one that expects a professional photographer at the summit?) i say make each one of those clowns make the climb without a sherpa's assistance, carry their own equipment, swap their own oxygen bottles, set up their own tents, cook for themselves. this, of course, AFTER they made multiple climbs up the route to bring up equipment, oxygen tanks, to fix the safety lines and ladders. you can do all that? willing to risk your life for it? enjoy the summit, babey! if not, i expect the traffic jams to clear up reallllll soon.
This whole documentary is extremely hypocritical.
She's a professional rock climber, and an acclaimed award winning one. She was newer to ice climbing and mixed climbing. Her community climbs rock faces so they typically think any 'climbing' that is walking is not real climbing... Just different viewpoints from different climbing disciplines. They all know and respect each other as their elite community is small.
@@JoleneDaviesITKWJ Anyone who thinks that climbing that is just walking is not real climbing might be in for a rude awakening at 8000 meters. No matter how experienced a climber she is, it was irresponsible not to climb some 6000ers and 7000ers first. An experienced and responsible mountaineer would never start with Everest.
@@KatGlos I don't know all her alpine experience before that climb. But I don't think that Conrad Anker would have invited her if he didn't think she was capable. I'm sure the altitude is an eye opener for everyone up there! 😀
99% foreigners climbed on the back of sherpa.
Lakpa Sherpa I don’t think it’s possible without a sherpa to climb Everest.
Let foreigners do it all then. Similarly, let Americans pick their own pesticide laden crops and not migrants fr C & S America who have no money should they get sick fr pesticides.
@@nathans6852 wrong.
Jordan Adkins it’s very far fetched. Sherpas are probably the only race that is fit to prepare a crowd of climbers for a season. I don’t think any other group of climbers is smart enough to set a route through the khumba icefall
You know American people
Cannot carry their tent and other stuff
But Sherpa people carry their own and American's load too
That's how my parents describe going to school was when they were young..
"1986 first alpine ascent"? Ummm, Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner in 1978, what about them?
Only Americans count lol.
Its not only lesson in adventure but lesson in anthropology and history as well.
Marriott should open 4 hotels - one for each base and hire sherpas for piccolos.
Well done!
I can't believe when you were talking about the $50,000 it was costing them, you made mention of them spending it in different ways, such as, GOING TO AFRICA AND KILLING ANIMALS...........and then....... Risking Their Own Lives.
That's their own choice, the poor animals in Africa HAVE no choice.
I know this may sound Trivial to some, but, think about it.,
I thought he meant shooting animals in Africa as in photo shoot.
I think that’s the point. He’s listing things that are worse than climbing Mt. Everest.
go to africa and walk around lions and see if they share your same mentality LOL
Love it,niceeeeee.
I rappeled down to the summit
Thenk You :)
We now know that INFACT Ladies and Gentlemen an iPhone does work at 28,000 ft.
29,035 ft.
Learned another wonderful thing that climbers are doing by chipping in 100.00 for free medical care for Sherpas. I think that's about the best recent thing I've discovered and it makes my heart 💓 very happy for these Nepalese people who so richly deserve it. That is one of very few things climbers can do for these Sherpas while climbing. There is probably more room for help but this is a good start. I love Sherpa because of their beliefs and their humongous ❤️. Now, what else can climbers do for these kind of poor people who are Sherpas and trying to make a way to take care of their families.?? How can we show our love and support like they show to us??? 🤔😍
how much have you donated?
Yeh !! Mt. Everest is one of the most adventure place . So Nepal is like a one piece of heaven fall in the earth . That's why it is high.
i wonder what route is the most beautiful, because when im older that will be the route i take
They are tourist not climbers!! Is very easy to climb when u pay over 50.000 dollars.
+pinkspacca No. It's not aaas difficult as doing it without support, but it's still bloody frickin' hard. No guiding company accepts anyone who does not have extensive mountaineering experience and most people train for years before making an attempt. And still every year people die - the mountain is littered with dead bodies, some of them being used as waypoints.
+AGH331 I'm not sure you can make the argument that no guiding company accepts clients without extensive mountaineering experience. Most of the good guiding companies do require a good amount of experience. But every year there are stories of the smaller, less-established, guiding companies bringing clients that barely know how to put on crampons.
It's also important to point out that no amount of physical fitness can completely prepare your body for high-altitude. Some of the most experienced Himalayan climbers have succumbed to high-altitude sickness. Once you're above 26,000 feet, the body starts deteriorating. Nothing can stop that process ... except descending to lower altitude.
I also doubt that dead bodies are used at "waypoints." The route up the Khumbu ice fall, the Western Cwn, Lhotse face, south col to southeast ridge is well-populated with well-known features.
+pinkspacca There is no way a common tourist could summit the mountain, Even for a million dollars, You need to prepare by climbing smaller mountains such as Mt Hood, And work your way up.
+NZpnw I think you might be taking pinkspacca's use of the word "tourist" a little too literally. We are not talking about overweight Disneyland tourists with no climbing experience and no conditioning. The word "tourist" is being used in a relative manner.
Before guiding began on Everest, the only way someone could get on the mountain was to mount an expedition of their own, or to be invited on an expedition. Either way, it meant that a climber had to have an impressive resume of high-altitude mountaineering. It wasn't enough to have simply climbed Mt Hood or even Rainier. Only the best of the best, the most accomplished mountaineers could get an invitation on an Everest expedition.
When commercial guiding began on Everest in the mid-90s, that requirement was thrown out the window. My guess is that initially guiding began as a way to help (and profit from) experienced climbers get a chance to summit Everest that they might not otherwise due to the popularity of the peak and the hassle and issues of dealing with permits and logistical support -- despite the fact that around the same time, the best mountaineers had begun tackling Everest by means of "super alpinism" style climbs (i.e. small 2 to 4 man teams climbing light with minimal number of established camps). In the movie Everest, this is how Scott Fischer's company is presented. A guiding company that only took climbers who were very experienced mountaineers. The truth about Fischer's expedition is that while almost all his clients had extensive mountaineering experience, roughly half of them had not had experience on 8,000 meter peaks. Still, many of his clients were extremely competent and experienced in the Himalaya ... including Pete Schoening. The one person on Fischer's expedition that could have been considered a tourist is Sandy Hill Pittman. She had climbed six of the seven highest summits in the world. (She was also famous for having brought an espresso machine to base camp and to make progress high on the mountain, she had to be short-roped by her Sherpa.)
However, as also noted in the movie, Rob Hall's clients were generally less-experienced. Only one member of Hal's expedition had extensive Himalayan experience. (Two other climbers - Frank Fischbeck and Doug Hansen - had previously been on Everest, but had very limited mountaineering experience beyond their previous guided attempts.)
Far too many clients on these guided Everest expeditions are folks who were chasing the Seven Summits. These are people who are not truly climbers. They did not spend any part of their lives developing the various skills of climbing. Most of them are people approaching middle-age and become smitten with the idea of taking on a major physical challenge -- and the idea of reaching the highest seven summits of the world was what brought them into the world of climbing. The problem with this is that the other six summits, while difficult in terms of conditioning, do not and can not prepare you for Everest. Five of these six summits are essentially very long, brutal hikes. The second highest peak on the list, Aconcagua, is a full 7,000 feet SHORTER than Everest. The only peak that truly has any conditions similar to Everest is Denali. However, with guides, Denali is very doable by non-climbers who are willing to condition themselves into excellent physical condition. And quite frankly, we're not talking about super human conditioning. You don't have to be able to do the Tour de France or even an Iron Man Triathlon to climb these six peaks.
Which brings us to Everest. A massive mountain that presents two very non-technical routes. One route in particular that when fixed with ropes and when steps are chopped by experienced mountaineers, is climbable by non-climbers in excellent physical condition.
There is nothing on the southeast ridge route that requires more from guided clients than the most basic of mountaineering skills. Skills that can be taught in a two-day class on Rainier: using crampons, ascending a fixed rope, descending fixed ropes and self-arrest techniques. Before guided expeditions, these minimal skills would not be nearly enough to be able to climb Everest. But when you pay a guiding company $65,000, they will doing all the lead climbing. They will hire porters to carry most of your stuff, they will hire Sherpas to lead the ice fall and set the ladders and ropes, they will create all your camps, setting up your tent, cooking your food, melting water and brewing you tea, fixing ropes and chopping steps up the Lhotse face, fixing more ropes on the high traverse on the summit ridge, fixing ropes at the Hillary Step, carrying all the oxygen you will need for the climb.
Seven summit chasers, for the most part, have never been in the Death Zone. They've dealt with altitude up to 22,000 ft, but on Everest, that is basically Camp Two. On Everest, you'll go another 4,000 ft and into the Death Zone on the South Col. From there you will have to ascend another 3,000 vertical feet in roughly 20-24 hours.
There is no denying the fact that high-altitudes such as these can debilitate even the most experienced Himalayan climber. It is something you cannot predict. However, all guided expeditions make ample use of oxygen. And this makes a climber's time in the Death Zone so much doable and safer ... it gives them so much more energy than they would have without it. Again, this is not to say climbing the southeast ridge is easy. It is hard. But there is a stark difference between what experienced Himalayan mountaineers are capable of vs what guided "tourists" can handle. For most guided clients, getting to the top of Everest will be the hardest physical challenge they will ever have in their lives. For the experienced high-altitude climber, this is simply not the case. You can get a measure of this by looking at the number of times experienced Himalayan climbers have summited Everest. Ed Viesturs has has climbed Everest 7 times. Other western climbers have climbed Everest more than that and Apa Sherpa has climbed Everest a record 21 times (by 2011) and holds the record time to go from Base Camp to the summit ... just over 20 hours.
The disaster of 1996 caused the guiding companies to take a long look at who they were guiding to Everest and how much support these clients required. Nowadays, most of the western guiding companies will assign TWO personal Sherpas to each client. They now are far more diligent about required experience. Still, you do NOT have to be an experienced Himalayan mountaineer to get a spot on an expedition. And there are the other, cheaper and less reputable guiding companies from other countries that are far more lax in requiring real climbing experience. For reference, check out the Discovery channel reality series from a few years ago that follows guided clients on guided expeditions. These people are generally not climbers. They have a dream. Some of them have the Seven Summits dream and some of them simply have the dream of climbing Everest. But outside of these middle-age quests, these people do not climb. They are not climbers in experience or in their approach to life. Outside of the seven summits or Everest, these people have no desire to climb anything.
So yeah. Maybe it would be better to call these types of people "climbing tourists." But it's the "tourist" part that best defines them.
And here's one last perspective. Non-climbers with seven summit and/or Everest aspirations, have read Into Thin Air, and the various other accounts of the 1996 disaster. They look at the photos of long lines of climbers ... hundreds of them ... the photos of a dozen climbers sitting around at the base of the Hillary Step waiting to get their turn to go up the fixed rope. They look at all this stuff and they think, "Cool. That is so cool. I want to be there."
Whereas people who are true climbers, people who have devoted a good portion of their life to learning how to rock climb, ice climb, mountaineer ... years and years of their lives climbing cliff faces, waterfalls, the Tetons, the Rockies, the Alps ... they read Into Thin Air, they look at the photos of hundreds of climbers in a line on Everest ... and they shake their heads. They find it sad. They find it alien. They find these images of hundreds of guided clients on Everest to be completely incongruent with their notions of what climbing means.
Standing in a long line to wait your turn to ascend a fixed rope ... having others take the greatest risks of the ascent for you ... requiring others to lead all the difficult sections ... all that stuff that guided clients do on Everest ... and then to have no desire to climb any other mountain or cliff or anything other than Everest ... or a seven summit list ... this is NOT climbing. It's high-altitude tourism.
+NickFalacci Good point, But you're still climbing on your own power, You still have to be fit enough to climb it, Just because it's now "High altitude tourism" doesn't mean you're not climbing, And not everyone has the chance of doing so.
Can we use something like "Fulton surface-to-air recovery system" to rescue people from Everest?
The way things are going there, in another 50 years they will have ski lifts up and a zip line going down.
권혁민 with the commercialization going on and the helicopter taxis, I wouldn’t be surprised if this prediction came true
@@user-wv1wg1yb1n you have to climatize at those altitudes. You can’t just ride up the mountain.
@@user-wv1wg1yb1n comical but you’d triple/quadruple the death rate doing that. You have to acclimate and adjust slowly. If you took a chair lift up you’d pass out. You’d also need the chair lift to be pressurized.
Or para rescue...
Why is it OK for many climbers to leave behind their garbage on Mt Everest (and others) and get away with this. If we have gate keepers, and they take an inventory of what you bring and what you leave behind... And charge these people for the clean-up... How many tons was it that somewhere I read that was left behind on this mountain buy climbers.... WOW!!
What is the mode of transport to base camp and how far and how long does it take from town to get there.
5 years from now there will be a McDonald's and a KFC at base camp...
Cleve Carpenter if you leave it all up to the new Sherpa generation, for sure...
Ever been in Nepal? at On Everest?
+Damien Francois no, leave it up to opportunist Americans like that last speaker. Americans and their need to be everywhere and exploit/capitalize off of everything, especially shit that doesn't belong to them is what's going to destroy the mountain. And what's worse is it will all be under the guise of "helping" the indigenous people, who ironically have lived there longer than the U.S. has been a country and have been just fine without them. They didn't have these issues on the mountain until egotistical Americans started showing by the waves trying to pursue their selfish interests while desecrating the land all along the way. No respect.
hate to break it to you, but its not just the americans... mankid as a race always strives to want to know more and do more about everything in life... we are consumers...thats part of the reason you see fat office workers line up to climb Everest...
+heatmopwho Yup, cause EVERY climber on Everest is an American. Nice try man, but climbers come from all over the world. Your government charges for a license to climb the mountain. You want to preserve it... talk to them and limit the licenses granted each year.
+Cleve Carpenter lol
You are awesome.
The body at 5:55 is Shriya Shah Klorfine. She was a Canadian Nepali
wel come to everest treking
i love my nepal if any one want to come to nepal contact me we gonna have a lot of fun
15:52 respect
Amazing really amazing
everest is a dream !!!!
Is the Publish date of this current with the filming? If so Conrad's bit seems quite ironic given the climber v. Sherpa fight that would have been days maybe a month earlier.
10:20 is that whoville down here
Emily says: 8:36 "So I grew up in the climbing world, and I had a preconceived notion of what Everest was like, people in the core climbing community ...." I am thinking we are going hear from an expert here, a minute later she says 9:40"I had never really climbed mountains before, so I had no idea what I was getting into" Core climbing community, ah right!!!!!
Shes a professional rock climber with multiple sport climbing titles.... she just hadn't mountaineered
It is just like interaction programs
Nice
6:20 ARROGANCE!! Wow... just wow 😲
I couldn't believe this stinking yuppie. Why couldn't he die up there? Lol
thats what i was thinking!
Will start training will be my next adventure
I just want to climb for the beauty view
Thinking photos can substitute for the reality of nature is what's stupid. There are plenty of other treks in Nepal with amazing views nearly on a par with Everest
The three people who died the week before that dude climbed should be testament to the fact that climbing Everest is not just a domesticated holiday outing. As everyone knows it is not just the mountain you are overcoming, but also the obstacles of your own self, mind or spirit or whatever you want to call it. Yes it would be nice to have less traffic and more routes. Regardless, everyone summiting must break the 26000 foot death zone barrier and if you binge watched as many Everest UA-cam vids as myself, you know that at that altitude anyone ( strong people, non egocentric people, etc etc) can get struck down dead, (after pulmonary or cerebral edema, storms, avalanche, slips etc etc etc ) randomly so it is said. I could not and will not ever climb Everest.
Just imagine standing at the base camp and staring at the Everest, a structure rising in front of you is roughly 3.5 times Burj Khalifa ..