[vulturedoors]

The problem with retrieving bodies from Everest is not the cost. The problem is that helicopters don't work at that altitude, so you have to climb. The mountain's snow and ice cover shifts all the time, unpredictably, so you can't know if the body you're looking for will even be there when you arrive. It might be buried.

In cases where a climber is in trouble and the others fail to rescue him, remember that conditions would have to be very poor for this to happen in the first place. Almost-zero visibility, no clearly defined trail and trail markers may be invisible despite being a few feet away. In such situations, people have to decide whether they can afford to risk becoming lost themselves, and being unable to find their way back because of hypothermia and oxygen deprivation making them behave irrationally.

[AboveAverage]

Very interesting.

[Piper]

Originally Posted by dooflotchie ↗

I go to Wikipedia every day, especially when I'm bored. I usually start doing something I call "link hopping" there and it's led me to all sorts of interesting things. My husband just shakes his head and says, "You read some weird shit."

Finding out about the dead climbers left on Mt. Everest surprised me and seeing pictures of them makes me feel sad. There are plenty of stories out there that tell of people on their way to the summit finding others near death and just leaving them to die while they keep going on. One man, Beck Weathers, survived being left for dead during a 1996 climb which turned out to be the year with the most Everest deaths ever. In 2006 the first double amputee to reach the summit was also heavily criticised for leaving an English climber(David Sharp) to die.

A lot of people say it's just too dangerous to remove the bodies that are visible, but I have to wonder if it's more about the tens of thousands of dollars being spent by the climbers who would not want absolutely anything to ruin their chance at getting to the top of the highest mountain in the world. Just getting a permit to climb from the Nepalese or Chinese government costs between $25,000 and $50,000. Then there's the money for expensive climbing gear, transportation, food, oxygen and hiring Sherpas to mule all that stuff up to the base camps.

I guess all that is worth more than a person's life, huh?

first of all thanks to Maneater for this thread. it is so interesting.

I know many different nations work to accomplishthis feat and have different ways to train and do it. (china,nepal)

when it comes to leaving a mate, i always wondered how one would do it, but i am sure they have an agreement before starting. so many factors to consider, both die? or one? do you go and accomplish the summit for pride but leave your friend to die? i don't think it is that simple. do you relinquish and die together? i think it all depends on circumstance. i know when those boys were on the mountain in BC and snowmobiling and an avalanche hit...twice.. one of them went to get help and he watched all of his mates die. one of them yelled for him to help him but he knew he would die as the second avalanche was going to start. i would hate to be in that situation. i say, i would die with my friends in both instances, but when the time came i don't know what i would do.

[savagefurai]

nice

[malaysianbest]

Wow! great pictures

[Dagwood]

History of bad-ass men is cool. Now it's just junkies and yuppies. Shackleton would kick their ass. -but noble is Mr. Woodall. thanks for the lesson!

[Viking64]

Well, I spoke to Mr. Everest personally and he is not at all happy with the title of this thread.

[whitehendrix]

what a horrible, sad, lonely way to go.

[sepsis_rotten_out]

Originally Posted by Nyckname ↗

At least they died doing what they love. Me, I want to die doing who I love. So's I can come and go at the same time.

fuck yeah!!

[StiffyWood]

I had to look at this thread again, outstanding, again.