“I have no patience for the people who say Krakauer should have gone out to try to help save others.Do they image that he himself had some kind of guarantee of surviving? Because he had climbed other mountains before? Because he wrote the book? He took the same chance on that as everybody else - the organizers, the guides, the Sherpas, the medical people in lower camps, the reporters, the writers, the dentist and the postal worker.Every single moment all those people spent on any part of Everest they could have kicked the bucket. For multiple reasons, too, it didn't require a storm or lack of bottled oxygen. Everest is not a user-friendly environment; it just became a tiny bit more egalitarian than it used to be fifty years before.We can pay to get in the line to the summit but we are as perishable as we always were. Bottled oxygen doesn't make the climb less deadly than in Hillary's time. We don't have to use archaic (fifty years old?!) equipment for the sake of historical accuracy. Wanting to breathe doesn't make a climber a "loser".They are all elite to my eyes, whether they got to the top or not. I only got to see the movie.”
“I detest that kind of critcism, yest hindsight is 20/20 and we can all say what we'd do if we were in that situation, but we weren't and I don't think we have any reason to lay blame. Every climber there knew that they were gettting into and was taking their lives into their own hands just being there. The Beck Wethers book is a good read as well.”
“a lot about him not being there to help the people that were in need, that as an expert climber he should have helped. THat how come he saved his own life, about writing the article for outside which is why he went to everest in the first place and that he was careless!”
“What was the criticism?”
“Well, having lived in Colorado for several years, and having taken a LONG time to adjut to the altitude ther, I'll jsut say that using oxygen alone wouldn't count you out in my opinion.But putting other people in jeopardy, fellow climbers and guides alike, because you don't really know what you're doing or you're unprepared, well, taht just sticks in my craw.From an Amazon review:"What I found interesting was that reading both really highlights the differing viewpoints of the guides ("We point the way, but you must be able to handle yourself.") and the clients ("I paid $40,000 for you to handle it for me.")."That last kind of attitude sickens and scares me.”
“Hey you! :) I'll throw my answer out for the first question... Everest is becoming commercialized, but in a way that is both protecting people and limiting others. First of all the cost of climbing Everest now is, I think, way up in the tens of thousands of dollars. They also limit the number of expeditions that are allowed to climb each year. But really, what would happen if it didn't cost so much for people to climb? Yes, they'd get some serious climbers who otherwise couldn't afford it, but they'd also get daredevils and crazies that would just make it more dangerous for everyone else. Then again, the way the system is now allows any rich person to do it, or anyone who gets sponsorship... if you can afford it, you're in. I don't think there is any regulations about training, previous climbs, etc. but I could be wrong. It is sad that it's so polluted, I'm not quite sure why they can't fine people for not bringing out their trash...Ok, and maybe the second question too... I think the climbers who used O2 have done just as well as the ones who didn't. Again, it's a safety issue in my mind... those who don't use supplemental oxygen put themselves at risk for oxygen deprivation, making poor decisions, and ultimately put themselves and others in danger. I'm not gonna touch question three... I haven't read the book in a while so I'm having trouble remembering the ending... Have a good weekend Elli!”
“1. Everest in a way is becoming commercialized. If I was a serious climber and went there to work on my dream and goal to climb the world's largest mountain... and there was traffic I would be kinda po.ed. Thats sad that there is so much garbage and stuff left everywhere. I Think the people who came up with the thought to be guides was smart on their part... and prob safer than for people with out much climbing experience to do that than to go by themselves. Which in turn poses another question would ppl without that much experience even consider it of there were no places youcould get guides? and what about the people that are good climbers but don't have the money they have to settle for a cheaper less experienced guide?2. As for the people climbing with supplemental o2... it is kinda hard for me to come to a conclusion because in a way they made it a little easier on themselves to have it. don't confuse this with making everest an easy climb. But they can't really be held at the same level with those that climbed it w/o supplemental o2. The actual feat of doing it is harder... and w/p the help from all the sherpas that some did not have.3. as for the critism he felt when he got back for not helping or trying to save someone..... If I were him I would have told people right where to shove it. There is no way that anyone can understand what those people went through on that mountain and the difficulties that they had, and the state of their brains. Yes he made a mistake with andy harris, but that wasn't something he could be blamed for. The people who go to that mountain understand the resposiblity that they are taking and the chance of survival that they have. Y should anyone else be more upset than the people who put it on themselves. The Euphoria that they got from reaching the top was their goal... and that was ultimately their dream!”
