Nepal/China - 10 People in 9 Days Die on Mt. Everest as 320 pack dense trail "death zone", May 2019

Not unlike a couple who climbed Everest several years ago, both died, leaving their child an orphan.

I remember that. Crazy.
With training, travel, gear & base fees, some of these people are spending a big chunk of change to die. Almost paying to commit suicide.
I think all these deaths will entice more to attempt to make it. I do t think this will deter anyone.
Anderson Cooper covering it now.
 
Yes, I can see this happening one day. To get the ultimate family selfie. Kids will be correctly strapped in their snow-stroller, right?
Snow-stroller! As long as their snow-stroller fits through the turnstile at the top, they are free to dangle their family from the precipice for the ultimate Facebook selfie bragging rights.
 
From the twitter feed of @EverestToday.

This is the scene of Khumbu icefall on April 19, as several climbers were on their way up high camps for the first rotation. buff.ly/2IEUstH #Everest2019

swxz6f.jpg
 
I hope someone is buying life insurance for these poor sherpas.

I read that a lot of the older Sherpas are no longer going up, and the young ones, are getting education and getting out. The ones going now are "fake" Sherpas, some don't know anything about mountain climbing. I wonder if that is a contributing factor in more deaths.
 
Absolute insanity.
With this many people attempting to and actually succeeding in reaching the summit, how does this then remain a unique experience. I found an article stating that 800 people summited last year (2018). And as of 2018, there have been 9,058 total summits, of which 4,320 have been sherpas. 2019 stats are not yet in as season is wrapping up now.

Bragging rights or foolishness??
 
I read that a lot of the older Sherpas are no longer going up, and the young ones, are getting education and getting out. The ones going now are "fake" Sherpas, some don't know anything about mountain climbing. I wonder if that is a contributing factor in more deaths.

Great. Kinda like going to the doctor but seeing a nurse.
Wonder if they reduce the rate, lol.
How astute can a Sherpa be in determining if a person should continue on? If the person paid, I guess the Sherpa
allows them to make their own decision.
 
I've been in the occasional wicked-long line at the grocery store, and watched seemingly rational adults become apoplectic. I can only imagine the degree of stress, anger and high blood pressure trapped in a line in the death zone.

Wouldn't surprise me if those same types of physiological issues perhaps added to the other dangers, like hypoxia, cerebral edema, etc

No thanks! As someone without kids, I find myself judging (probably unfairly) those who are parents, and yet, so cavalier about losing their lives. IMO
 
Gillian Lee is an Australian who had tried to climb Everest four times before and failed, and on this attempt he decided oxygen was holding him back.

In a tweet he said his goal was to climb 14 mountains higher than 8000m without oxygen tanks or any drugs assistance.

When someone on Facebook asked him about not using oxygen, Mr Lee said if he were climbing with oxygen “I might as well chop 50 per cent of the mountain height off.”

So he thought, "I failed four times already, what can I do differently? Maybe breathing has been holding me back! Rich people don't need air. No oxygen this time!" He also had a persistant chest infection he ignored. He passed out and had to be dramatically rescued .

So he's bumbling about the mountain, oxygen deprived, suffering from a chest infection and passing out because of his own idiocy.

Aussie’s ‘rough’ tweet, then Everest save
 
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