Everest

Just watched the movie tonight.  I don't think I'd ever risk my life like that.  (I have a cousin in England who summited K2.)  Anyone here done it, or seriously thought of doing it?  

Petronio

I have thought about and researched it...I can't afford the 60k plus and the 3 months or so away..

My biggest fear is getting diarrhea on the mountain..

Could never do it due to condition limiting oxygen to my right leg below the knee, so I'd be toast above 16k feet I'm guessing. Also, I would imagine it would be difficult to afford the time to train for the climb, even if I could qualify medically. Perhaps I'll be able to make an attempt in my next life!

JasonWx wrote

I have thought about and researched it...I can't afford the 60k plus

Got to be way more than that.  Can you attempt Everest without other super high altitude experience?

You need to establish a resume of climbs..You need high altitude experience.
After I was on Rainer I looked into Aconcagua..High altitude but not very technical..
Getting in shape is easy, finding the time and cash is the problem.  

That's why I think 60k is way low.

For that same 60K you could take 5 friends on the heli ski trip of a lifetime, especially this year with the low Canuckistanian dollar. It would be way more fun than slogging up Everest with a bunch of other affluent sheep.

If I go it'll be from the other side with Sick Bird Rider, no sherpa support or supplemental Os.

ml242 wrote

If I go it'll be from the other side with Sick Bird Rider, no sherpa support or supplemental Os.

Ha, thanks for the vote. I am pretty sure we would get distracted by the pow skiing at lower elevations, then spend too much time in the yurt drinking chai.

Climbing is a different kettle of fish..Both experiences are great..

JasonWx wrote

Climbing is a different kettle of fish..Both experiences are great..

No argument there.

So, you want to go on guided alpine climbing experience, that's cool. My question is, would you rather spend a pile of money just to stand (maybe) on the highest point in the world, which these days is often an experience like this moment on the Hillary Step:



Or, go with a small group to some far-off place, climb some cool lesser-known peak, and still have money left over for a ski trip:

Yep everest has become a shit show..
Nice pic of the summit of the grand teton..

JasonWx wrote

Yep everest has become a shit show.. Nice pic of the summit of the grand teton..

It was the best I could on short notice. I was thinking you could go to South America or something but that image summed up the joy of summitting. Before you sign up for anything, you should probably watch this:

We saw the Everest movie in the theatres a month or two ago.  Not terrible, but still kind of cheesy.  Best mountaineering movie that comes to mind is Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void." The book is outstanding and the movie is very solid.

Adk Jeff wrote

We saw the Everest movie in the theatres a month or two ago.  Not terrible, but still kind of cheesy.  Best mountaineering movie that comes to mind is Joe Simpson's "Touching the Void." The book is outstanding and the movie is very solid.

100%...
Simpson has another book , that is very good too...

another great climbing movie is The Summit..It is about the disaster on K2 in 2008.

JasonWx wrote

another great climbing movie is The Summit..It is about the disaster on K2 in 2008.

Agreed. Riveting, and highly instructive regarding the differences between climbing Everest and climbing K2, a real mountaineers' mountain.

Yet, it seems the shitshow that can claim lives on Everest sometimes shows up in even more dangerous territory, as the events covered in the documentary indicate. Suffice it to say, problems seem to occur most often when several climbing teams are on a given mountain but don't share—shall we say—the same "values."

Pretty good piece about the shitshow on Everest this season:

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2019/05/17/too-many-deaths/

The whole peak bagging thing has ruined the wilderness. Go climb Marcy on a holiday weekend with 500 of your closest friends.

The $60 k is just the climbing permit.  Then you have to budget for gear, porters, airfare etc.  I don't have the CV to do something like Everest, and looking at those photos...thanks but no thanks.

The real cost is much higher, if you want to do it right. You should have several big peaks before you do Everest.  You could be into it for half a mil.