Everest

wrestlemaniac

Hoping for good news. Missing from the descent shortly after reaching the summit.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/trinity-professor-missing-on-everest-after-scaling-summit-1.3894661%3fmode=amp

sk8erboii

"he reportedly fell from an altitude of 8,300 metres."

RIP.

Wibbs

sk8erboii wrote: »

"he reportedly fell from an altitude of 8,300 metres."

RIP.

My thoughts too Sk8, but few enough bits on that mountain are sheer drops. It's more a hard slog against a lack of oxygen above the dead zone. If near the summit were at say 2000 metres it wouldn't be a particularly difficult climb for experienced climbers. So he may have not fallen very far and may be found alive, or at least that's the hope. It has happened before. It dwindles with the hours that pass though. The problem with that damned mountain is that it attracts too many of the adventurers and not so experienced. And the scary weather shifts and operating above the dead zone as far as oxygen goes means even the very best are on borrowed time(you're essentially dying from hypoxia until you get back down) it claims so many lives.

branie2

I hope he's found soon

The Rape of Lucretia

Its a strange fascination. The odds of not getting down alive are 1 in 27. The very high risk is what drives the desire to try to defy it. Sad for those close to the person who draws the short straw, but they know the risks very well.

riffmongous

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

Its a strange fascination. The odds of getting down alive are only 1 in 27. The very high risk is what drives the desire to try to defy it. Sad for those close to the person who draws the short straw, but they know the risks very well.

Other way round, those are the odds of not coming down alive

Timberrrrrrrr

Everyone who died on Everest was once a highly motivated person

ILoveYourVibes

I hope he is found. And if he died he died doing what he loved.

Everest and Nepal in general have had many climbing disasters in recent years. At that altitude, it's highly unlikely he'll be found alive unfortunately. Only 500m below the summit.

maxsmum

I remember watching the movie Everest and telling my husband I'd divorce him if he decided wanted to climb it. I really feel terribly sorry for his family. I hope he is found alive. The period of worry not knowing where he is must be absolutely unbearable.

And no, I don't think people who commit suicide are selfish. That's not the issue here.

Tikki Wang Wang

I think climbing Everest is an incredibly selfish act. Its like playing Russian roulette for adrenaline junkies. Sure there is a charity involved but run a marathon or walk the coast of Ireland or something won’t risk leaving your kid an orphan.

knucklehead6

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

I think they have a point. They could raise money for charity by doing something considerably less dangerous.

Personally speaking I'd consider my responsibility to wife and children would trump anything else.

Everyone is different though, and I'm sure, or hope, they discussed things as a family first.

As for your last comment, unnecessary.

That's your opinion. As a matter of fact my responsibility to my partner and kids would also trump anything else.

But considering the chap spent last summer summiting Mt Denali in Alaska in preparation for the Everest climb, it's not like he woke up one morning over the winter and said "Y''know what, i think i'll climb Everest in May"

The Tetrarch

From a Google search the typical cost of climbing Everest is $45,000.

Tom Mann Centuria

knucklehead6 wrote: »

That's your opinion. As a matter of fact my responsibility to my partner and kids would also trump anything else.

But considering the chap spent last summer summiting Mt Denali in Alaska in preparation for the Everest climb, it's not like he woke up one morning over the winter and said "Y''know what, i think i'll climb Everest in May"

Well yes, that's my opinion, I don't post other people's opinions, or guess them like you did.

circadian

Hope he's found but I doubt they will. Even if he's alive it'll be a near impossible mission to get off the mountain safely. Covering a few hundred metres takes a day up there, it's an extremely slow pace.

Tokyo

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Didn't this happen a few years ago too to some Irish man. Wife and small children at home. I know it's sad, but what a selfish thing to do.

As a climber, I believe that this is far too simplistic a point of view to take. I would factor experience into the equation as a major contributor.

Climbing Everest with little to no experience at high altitude, but climbing because you simply want the prestige of being able to say you climbed the world's highest peak as a box-ticking exercise, could certainly be construed as being reckless/selfish, considering the risks involved.

Climbing Everest as an experienced climber, and not making it down would certainly lean more towards the unfortunate to extremely tragic end of the spectrum in my opinion.

There's nothing in any article I've read so far to persuade me either one way or the other in this case.

Paul_Mc1988

knucklehead6 wrote:

Some people want to live a life less ordinary, it appears Mr Lawless is one of them.

A very short less ordinary life where he doesn't get to see his kids grow up. I would pick my family over a high risk adrenalin rush anybday

batgoat

mike_ie wrote: »

As a climber, I believe that this is far too simplistic a point of view to take. I would factor experience into the equation as a major contributor.

Climbing Everest with little to no experience at high altitude, but climbing because you simply want the prestige of being able to say you climbed the world's highest peak as a box-ticking exercise, could certainly be construed as being reckless/selfish, considering the risks involved.

Climbing Everest as an experienced climber, and not making it down would certainly lean more towards the unfortunate to extremely tragic end of the spectrum in my opinion.

There's nothing in any article I've read so far to persuade me either one way or the other in this case.

Yep, Into Thin Air was originally just supposed to be about tourist climbing and became a far darker analysis of it.. In terms of risky climbing for experienced people, Everest seems in general to be far safer than what the likes of Alex Honnold does with free climbing. (know it's different in terms of altitude issues.) Feel free to disagree as I'm limited knowledge wise.

Tokyo

batgoat wrote: »

Everest seems in general to be far safer than what the likes of Alex Honnold does with free climbing. (know it's different in terms of altitude issues.) Feel free to disagree as I'm limited knowledge wise.

The best description I got of Everest was about two weeks ago, when I was speaking to a past summiter from Canada. "If you're interested in climbing 8000+ metre mountains, Everest is a great place to start."

Everest isn't a technically difficult mountain, which ironically, makes it more dangerous in many ways. The normal filters that apply to serious climbs (the ability to climb technically) aren't there.

batgoat

mike_ie wrote: »

The best description I got of Everest was about two weeks ago, when I was speaking to a past summiter from Canada. "If you're interested in climbing 8000+ metre mountains, Everest is a great place to start."

Everest isn't a technically difficult mountain, which ironically, makes it more dangerous in many ways. The normal filters that apply to serious climbs (the ability to climb technically) aren't there.

In unrelated news, I'm due to do my first high altitude hike soon in Nepal... It's a hike and nowhere near height of Everest with no climbing. The climbing is something I'm just really poor at.

beauf

Paul_Mc1988 wrote: »

A very short less ordinary life where he doesn't get to see his kids grow up. I would pick my family over a high risk adrenalin rush anybday

Everest is more like long distance marathon than an adrenaline rush. Climbing Everest which isn't very technically difficult, is more about endurance and strength of will and character. It's a rite of passage. It's about trying to do something extraordinary.

You are either driven to do these things or you are not. It's part of a person character.

Before being critical of another person's choices it would be wise to be informed about it.

https://irishsevensummits.com/stats-everest/

While it's tragic if he has died and our empathy goes to his family and friends. He was doing something extraordinary and difficult. Not because it's was easy or an adrenalin rush but because it was hard and a personal challenge.

Gwynplaine

suicide_circus wrote: »

thats honestly disgraceful abuse of the charitable goodness in people. little more than a scam.

Exactly. The charity has to pay for it.
"Will you sponsor me to do some mad thing I want to do, the first 30k raised goes to to fund it. Anything above will go towards some hi-tech machine for a hospital"

Me - "why don't i just donate directly instead of funding your rush" chancer. "And then you get killed doing it and we're supposed to feel sorry for you?"
No chance, go home to your family.

Mickeroo

Gwynplaine wrote: »

Didn't this happen a few years ago too to some Irish man. Wife and small children at home. I know it's sad, but what a selfish thing to do.

That was k2 not Everest. Much more dangerous mountain than Everest, less than 400 people have summited it and over 80 of them died on the way down.

Sugarlumps

Poor man, awful way to go.

Everest has become a dumping ground. Bodies, oxygen tanks, tents, equipment strewn everywhere.

beauf

suicide_circus wrote: »

thats honestly disgraceful abuse of the charitable goodness in people. little more than a scam.

You're basically sponsoring the person or event the charity aspect isn't it main purpose. If you want to give 100% to charity there are other ways to do that.

beauf

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Poor man, awful way to go.

Everest has become a dumping ground. Bodies, oxygen tanks, tents, equipment strewn everywhere.

They have a new campaign to clean it up...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/05/02/mount-everest-polluted-tons-trash-nepal-clean-up-team-reports/3649409002/

_Brian

It’s coded into human genes to explore, get to the top of the mountain, cross that sea, see what’s round the next corner.

Without that drive we would never have ventured out of Africa, explored the worlds oceans, gone into space, landed on the moon.

It’s sad what has happened but likely he does doing what he enjoyed in life.

wrestlemaniac

Search postponed for the moment due to poor weather conditions out there.

beauf

batgoat wrote: »

Yep, Into Thin Air was originally just supposed to be about tourist climbing and became a far darker analysis of it.. In terms of risky climbing for experienced people, Everest seems in general to be far safer than what the likes of Alex Honnold does with free climbing. (know it's different in terms of altitude issues.) Feel free to disagree as I'm limited knowledge wise.

It's a very interesting book. There was a TV documentary based around it also.

Tokyo

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Everest has become a dumping ground. Bodies, oxygen tanks, tents, equipment strewn everywhere.

There's a clean-up taking place as we speak. I believe the plan is to remove 11 tons of waste from the mountain this season.

Wibbs

knucklehead6 wrote: »

yes raising 25000 for charity... How selfish of him :rolleyes:

You're probably one of those who looks at suicide victims as selfish as well, aren't you?

Raising 25,000 quid for charity on an expedition that would cost about double that? I'm genuinely not having a go at the chap, of others like him, but too many of those who do stuff like this and those that support them have some oddball cognitive dissonance about such "charity" drives that often cost more to do than they raise. It's like a bigger version of middle class college kids spending an expensive week in the third world building houses for the quaint locals cluttering up their social media with pics of how great they are. Teary eyed selfie with a local urchin for the win. They'd be better served spending mammy and daddy's money on directly supporting local charities and local workers in such places.

Then again too much charity is a bloody scam when you actually break down the figures.