Is it selfish to climb Everest?

Beautifuly written piece on how the cash, drama & sorrow of Everest, Inc look from a Sherpa village

I have always felt more than a little disturbed by the toll that is taken by the pursuit of mountaineering. It is not hard to understand the attraction of it to some people - the challenge, the sense of achievement, the views etc. But I always feel uncomfortable about the risk to those people who have to try and rescue them when they get into difficulty. On a lesser scale locally, the mountain rescue teams have to go out frequently onto the Brecon Beacons, putting themselves at risk to save those who very often have set out irresponsibly. I do think that those who engage in high risk sports must not expect others to risk their lives to save them.

Yes it is- there was a documentary a few years back on the BBC about how selfish and rude so many of the clients are- putting the lives of the sherpas even more at risk (for instance leaving some of the material they have to carry themselves, as per contract- because they are tired, forcing sherpas to take even more weight and unbalance- especially as they rely on tips.

The areas around are also littered with tons of rubbish and debris of every kind- creating an ecological disaster up there.

Mountain rescue teams are made up of mountaineers who love the mountains, and understand why people want to do it. You can't stop people wanting to enjoy the wilder parts of the outdoors. Neither should you try to. Would you rather they all stayed indoors and played on screens?

I think that there is always a delicate balance between local economies and local environments and 'tourism'. The world is more accessible and so greater numbers of people travel (and trample) all over the place. In some places exploiting the local people and in others being exploited.

Difficult to know how you can 'choose' or limit who should/should not be allowed to visit places/climb mountains/ swim the coral reef etc etc!

The trouble with 'sustainability' is that we need to think about potential issues before things happen and not after!

we digress a bit- because mountain rescue in Scottland or the Alps is a very different kettle of fish to Everest. Agreed with your premise to a large extent- but there is a limit. This is often discussed here- as there is ... risk- and totally stupid senseless risk. Why should, say, a young father with kids risk his life to mountain rescue a bunch ot **s who go walking in high mountain roads without any experience, research or basic equipment- or those who go skiing or snowboarding off-piste- even when the avalanche risk is extreme and well publicised. Accidents can happen to the best, most experienced and well trained and equipped people- and that is what mountain rescue if for- and this is the risk that mountain rescuers understand and accept, because they know, that one day it could be them. But there are limits, surely. Many town kids now become really very quickly excellent snowboarders- but have no knowledge or sense, or respect, training or understanding for the mountain- set off in max danger conditions, then others have to put their lives at risk to rescue them. NO, ENOUGH.

Rosie Thomas has written a god novel 'White'. A bit romantic, but large chunks were about the challenges of climbing Everest. Filled in a lot of unknown knowledge. I felt I'd also claimed it, by the time I'd finished! X

It seems to me the Sherpas are the real heroes - lugging people's stuff around and taking risks for them. I find it sickening.

Far too often the people who undertake these death defying feats have a self righteous and overweening idea of their right to undertake these activities.

The number of times mountain rescue teams are called out in winter to find walkers who have insisted on walking in remote areas when the weather forecast shows seriously deteriorating weather, far exceeds the number of times they are called out to well trained and equipped walkers/climbers who have been cut off by an unexpected deterioration in weather or by an accident.

The same applies to Everest climbers, too many are there for vanity and are too dependent on the help they get from sherpas, travel companies and the like

The article written by Gemima Diki Sherpa is a fascinating read about life in a Sherpa village. A view from the other side, so to speak. It is indeed written beautifully. Thanks for the link B.

J52 even your name sounds like a mountain!
As others have said, sometimes sherpas are asked too much of, and not given enough credit either, as are other mountain rescue services. However, I think of the selfishness of men who have wives and families and still put themselves at great risk. So, Daddy conquered a mountain, but he chose to do that over over 'being there' for his own children did he?

Maybe a more balanced approach is needed, and I'm sure there are people who do this climb for reasons of status etc. Perhaps there should be a climbing season, or a strict limit on numbers? I imagine that some Sherpas rely on the income from this, so to stop it altogether could be detrimental.
But Everest to them is a sacred place and the world is taking too much advantage of it nowadays.

Just come back to the thread; it was a real Freudian slip that the word 'climbed' was replaced by 'claimed' in my previous post!! I don't think I'm fit enough to do either. I also support the plight of the sherpa's. After finding out what happens when there are fatalities on Everest, maybe it is time to leave it as a memorial to those whose final resting place it is? X

Henetha there is both the things you mentioned. Climbers have to be checked, cleared and only so many are allowed to try the climb in any given climbing system. These sherpas were killed when setting out base camps etc for the start of the season. All climbers also have to pay a large charge to the Nepali government for their Everest permit.

Nepal is a poor country and there must, understandably, be a tendency to want to maximise income both for the government and sherpas that means, too many people are trying the climb and sherpas are tempted to take risks.