Mount Everest

[Dunnoburt]

I'm probably really late to the party here and I suspect its because I have some kind of OCD but I've lately become absolutely captivated by Mount Everest and the individuals who attempt a summit, not being anywhere near inclined to attempt my local hill let alone this beast , I never realised just how many failed attempts there are, the sheer danger, the death zone, and the bodies, that lay there, preserved. The Sherpas, who in my opinion are the absolute stalwarts in laying lines/ladders etc. are risking their lives to fulfill the wishes of the wealthy, I'm really torn with how to feel about the whole Everest attempt. I dont even know why I'm posting (nobody home to share a thought with I suspect) but I've written so much now that I'm gonna post it anyway.....is it a case of the rich exploiting the poor?

After a bit of digging, I found a BBC version on YouTube. I am not sure if this is the same as the film I saw though, as it was over 10 years ago and Google tells me there are two different documentaries.

Great, another obsession.... thanks lol...I didn't even realise K2 was so high!!!

And how fucking ignorant of me to not know there are literally a couple of hundred meters between the two.

It's one of the 14 "Eight-Thousanders"

Just reinforcing that ignorance 🤣 I had no idea x

K2 is the mountaineers mountain , with Everest being a bit of a circus these days. over 7 and a half K people have climbed Everest whereas the number for k2 is 800.

Into Thin Air is great. I've also read a number of accounts by people mentioned in the book. Interesting to note the different spin put on by different people.
Mountain Queen on Netflix is also something a little different.

Yes.

And the Sherpas doing all the dangerous work for them, plus carrying their bags etc.

I also find it fascinating but find it very distasteful the way it is done these days.

The other highest peaks in the world get nowhere near the volume of climbers of Everest, all purely because Everest is "the highest", but it's not even the most challenging climb.

Sorry, I should say Into Thin Air is a shocking and upsetting story, but it definitely highlights the perils of mountaineering.

There's a fab podcast on the K2 disaster I have been listening to:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0027h5r

I'm the same though, I love reading/watching about Everest et al, there are some fab documentaries on Disney+, Netflix etc. There's a good one on YouTube by Business Insider on the cost of climbing Everest and the subsequent clean-up efforts.

How would you know this, though? I mean, K2 doesn't get nearly enough attention, apart from it being more lethal. I first became aware of it at school, when someone from my village died on the return. I didn't know the person, personally, but we had an assembly on it. Tragic mountain, really. BTW that documentary is shocking and upsetting as well, just as a warning.

It's one of my special interest areas, I read an article years ago about all the rubbish. I'm always reading about it or watching you tube videos when I go to bed. I think it's fascinating partly because I can't imagine wanting to climb it.

Also - not climbing but caving - I watched a video this week about the caver who died in the Nutty Putty caves - another video tangent to go off onto!

Interestingly I've just finished the podcast series on the Y2 2008 disaster where 11 very experienced climbers died in one day. Some of it (most of them tbh) preventable as they all pushed on ahead when it was clear they shouldn't have.

Extreme: Peak Danger on BBC Sounds.

That is such a horrific, tragic story.

Absolutely - I felt sick with nerves watching it and the fact he's still there is just heartbreaking. I can't imagine anything more terrifying tbh!

Nahh it's about rhe 1996 diaster that Into Thin Air is written about. Such a sad story/film/event.

I recently read some comments from one of the team who tried to rescue him.

It honestly makes me feel ill, just thinking about it.

Alan Arnette writes an excellent blog every year with news on the Everest “climbing season” and other ascents…

www.alanarnette.com/blog/

Saw a video on YouTube about that and just sounded so horrific!

I fell into the same rabbit hole. It’s so nice to find I’m not alone and someone else might understand the excitement I felt on ordering yet another version of the same events (“doctor on Everest” by Kenneth Kamler was the latest!).

And if you haven’t read Touching the Void, OP, that would be right up your street I think. Interesting ethical dilemmas in that one. The film is good but nowhere near as powerful as the book imo.

Noting down the recommendations here with interest. Has anybody watched the alpinist, with marc leclerc? What a great, humble guy he seemed. His girlfriend brette is still doing some incredible climbs.

No it's nowhere near that.

Was Alex Honnold interviewed in this one? I loved watching Free Solo!