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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

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Ki ki

tempmailtest mail wrote: »

€218,000 now, is there a mechanism to refund that money, or can it be used for other purposes, eg donated to charity?

I donated to gofundme yesterday morning. I was tired and emotional and felt I was helping. I saw sense a few hours later and requested a refund from the website.
When the refund was confirmed, I donated the same amount to Barretstown.
I believe that was a far better cause and hope it's what Seamus Lawless would have wanted.

Still waters

Augme wrote: »

Eh, why would a GoFundMe page be set to search for the ger Duffy? That would be fairly bizarre.

Where did I say that ?

tuxy

EricPraline wrote: »

From what I can see, Olivia Waters is the Communications Manager at the ADAPT project in TCD, where Seamus works. That seems like a sensible person to organise something like this.

I disagree.

Crusty Jocks

EricPraline wrote: »

Genuinely wondering, what has possessed you to go on such a crusade against this particularly fundraiser? If there's evidence of wrong-doing, you should really provide it immediately.

From what I can see, Olivia Waters is the Communications Manager at the ADAPT project in TCD, where Seamus works. That seems like a sensible person to organise something like this.

It's sad that some people here treat a tragic event as some kind of game and/or conspiracy theory.

Additional lives are being put at risk. They are very desperately poor people who risk their lives for summit attempts but this is for some hapless “rescue attempt”. at no point during fund raising has it been clarified that it is going to be purely the (futile attempt) to recover a body. At worst, this is a horribly deceptive fund raising campaign, at best, and if it is genuine the organiser is at a shameless and ill informed idiot who needs to know how many other lives are at stake.

NIMAN

tuxy wrote: »

Apart form misinformation and false hope what is she organising? What is the money for? No amount of money can bring him back alive but the gofundme would have you believe otherwise.

Look, I have no doubt that the money in the fund will be used one way or the other, be it used for a search, handed over to the widow etc, or given to Barrettstown.

There's no way this woman Waters is going to pocket it, as some are hinting at.

I am wondering how she came about setting the target at €750,000 to begin with though?
It appears to have been one of the most successful Irish gofundme's, raising €200k in 2 days basically. I think it will slow down rapidly now though. She has no chance of getting the 750k.

kurtainsider

NIMAN wrote: »

Look, I have no doubt that the money in the fund will be used one way or the other, be it used for a search, handed over to the widow etc, or given to Barrettstown.

There's no way this woman Waters is going to pocket it, as some are hinting at.

I am wondering how she came about setting the target at €750,000 to begin with though?
It appears to have been one of the most successful Irish gofundme's, raising €200k in 2 days basically. I think it will slow down rapidly now though. She has no chance of getting the 750k.

Probably the same way that they calculated that there would be €250,000 left over for the Barretgstown kids when the Everest expedition had covered all their holiday expenses.

Wildlife Actor

Don't want to distract but on the theme of burials in the mountains, an interesting and poignant story. I'm sure its somewhere online but i read about it in a book so working from memory.

Willi Unsold was the third American to summit everest when he and his partner climbed a new route, the west ridge, the same day the first two Americans climbed it by the south col route. Serious mountaineer. Lost his toes to frostbite in the way down but made it.

He always wanted to climb a sacred Indian mountain called Nanda Devi, but it was closed to climbers for years by the indian govt. Unsoeld had even named his daughter after it.

In the 70s, Nanda Devi was reopened to climbers (briefly) and a team was assembled. By now Devi Unsoeld was 19 or 20 and an accomplished climber for her age. Father and daughter joined the team. The expedition was a mess and there feuds and general bad luck. Anyway, at high altitude, Devi got severe oedema and rapidly deteriorated. She died with her father and her team wrapped her body and left her on the mountain she was named for.

There's no shame in leaving a body on the mountain.

NIMAN

Had never heard that story before, just checked it out.

There are some really interesting, and heartbreaking, stories based around mountain climbing, isn't there?

Wildlife Actor

NIMAN wrote: »

Had never heard that story before, just checked it out.

There are some really interesting, and heartbreaking, stories based around mountain climbing, isn't there?

There are, but for the most part it's good stories, good friendships, no drama. Just doing something well and getting great views of the world. That doesn't sell as many books but there are some great ones that arent all blood and guts.

Link to Devi Unsoeld story:https://people.com/archive/i-am-going-to-die-whispered-nanda-devi-on-the-mountain-she-regarded-as-her-own-vol-6-no-14/

"The chairman of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation wrote a letter to the co-leader of the climb, Adams Carter of Milton, Mass., which said, “Was it the mountain’s love for her or her love for the mountain that was greater? One will never know.”"

Nobelium

Wildlife Actor wrote: »

Don't want to distract but on the theme of burials in the mountains, an interesting and poignant story. I'm sure its somewhere online but i read about it in a book so working from memory.

Willi Unsold was the third American to summit everest when he and his partner climbed a new route, the west ridge, the same day the first two Americans climbed it by the south col route. Serious mountaineer. Lost his toes to frostbite in the way down but made it.

He always wanted to climb a sacred Indian mountain called Nanda Devi, but it was closed to climbers for years by the indian govt. Unsoeld had even named his daughter after it.

In the 70s, Nanda Devi was reopened to climbers (briefly) and a team was assembled. By now Devi Unsoeld was 19 or 20 and an accomplished climber for her age. Father and daughter joined the team. The expedition was a mess and there feuds and general bad luck. Anyway, at high altitude, Devi got severe oedema and rapidly deteriorated. She died with her father and her team wrapped her body and left her on the mountain she was named for.

There's no shame in leaving a body on the mountain.

jimbobaloobob

Ki ki wrote: »

When the refund was confirmed, I donated the same amount to Barretstown.
I believe that was a far better cause and hope it's what Seamus Lawless would have wanted.

My sympathies to his family, I would hope anyone participating in something like this would know and understand the dangers and the real possibilities of it not going to plan. In doing so i would hope that they leave instructions for what to do in the event of something going wrong and their body going missing in such an area.

There was a mountain rescue member on RTE radio 1 today at 1pm news. His picture of the whole search and rescue didnt sound very optimistic. He mentioned that a similar effort was made few years ago and they only managed to move the body a few 100 metres such was the terrain and the exertion at such heights.

Fotish

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Firstly I'm guessing you you say "bight" you meant "bright"

Secondly in a thread with some really really distasteful comments about this man and his family that (possibly)none of us have never meet the one above really jumps the shark I think.

It's one thing to question the guys motives but neither you, I nor anyone else on this thread has just had their loved one go missing thousands of miles away, so lets not start questioning their intelligence.
You have no idea what is going through his wife's mind right now, so don't say she is "not very bight"

God help you if you ever found yourself in such a situation.

If you set up a Go Fund Me Page looking for 750,000 euro ,you can expect people to comment and in my opinion you are inviting comment.

What surprised me most ,was the speed that the page was set up, in such at short time, he was only missing a few hours when the page was set up.

I would expect a period of turmoil for a few days and then start to make plans and look for help.

Indecent haste in this case ! How was the figure of 750,000 arrived at ?

NIMAN

This is a very interesting programme, about the 33 yr old Canadian woman who climbed Everest but who died on the return from the summit.
She was very inexperienced but managed to do it, against the advice of the sherpas, but it cost her her life.
A lot of her own video footage is in the piece.

Tokyo

theballz wrote: »

I have climbed Everest. The death zone is an unforgiving place, I haven’t been really keeping up on this but I believe he fell. God bless him and his family.

Really? Trying to claim valour off the back of a thread about a likely deceased climber? That's about as low as you can get IMO.

tuxy

NIMAN wrote: »

This is a very interesting programme, about the 33 yr old Canadian woman who climbed Everest but who died on the return from the summit.
She was very inexperienced but managed to do it, against the advice of the sherpas, but it cost her her life.
A lot of her own video footage is in the piece.

Yes very interesting video. It really takes the glamour out of it seeing all the inexperienced climbers queuing up barely able to move being baby sat by sherpas.
Two important points were raised near the end of the video.
There are no negative consequences for the Nepalese government when someone dies so they will continue to issue as many permits as possible.
Also the more people that die on the mountain the more people there are that want to try it.

NIMAN

To be fair, its not the Nepalese governments concern if rich, untrained Westerners want to hand over a small fortune to climb a mountain.

When you are an adult, its no-ones responsibility to babysit you, especially when experts warn you to do the right thing and you refuse.

Eircom_Sucks

Fcuk him

Selfish as fook

I watch all everest documentaries so know how hard it is , deserve what you get when you step foot on that mountain , sure he has 200 + neighbours up there

Mod

Thread banned

Yurt2

Utterly charming comment. Glad to hear you watched all the documentaries. Your YouTube mountaineering expert certificate is in the post.

AlphabetCards

mike_ie wrote: »

Really? Trying to claim valour off the back of a thread about a likely deceased climber? That's about as low as you can get IMO.

That is an over the top reaction, and completely misrepresents what was a respectful post.

tempmailtest mail

^ context:

Snow Garden wrote: »

theballz wrote: »

Human beings are not built to function at the level of a crushing 747 plane.

As mentioned I have climbed Everest. When you reach camp 4 the shocking reality is there’s really very little you can do up there other than try survive. The air is so thin that even with supplemental oxygen every minute that you spend above 26,000 feet – in what’s known as the Death Zone – you’re basically dying. The human brain becomes confused and even small movements require Herculean efforts.

Recovering a body requires a lot of effort, not to mention risk, and so most of the time they’re just left there.

If you climbed Everest, why did you copy&paste the parts in bold above from this website? Word for word.

https://mpora.com/mountaineering-expeditions/the-gruesome-truth-about-the-climbers-who-die-on-mount-everest#LdQ6QOx8p2EMZ87X.97

Actually you copied your entire post. Except you spelled cruising wrong. Probably on purpose.

I think you are a fraud. Sad.

.Charlo

It really is dog eat dog on Everest,I watched a documentary yesterday about a group from New Zealand who were climbing Everest in 2006. On their way up they passed a dying climber and then again on the way back down passed him again without trying to help him.

Not sure they could have done much to help but they were vilified in the press and by Sir Edmund Hilary.

Graham_B18C

mike_ie wrote: »

Really? Trying to claim valour off the back of a thread about a likely deceased climber? That's about as low as you can get IMO.

Um, what?! So this person has actually seen and experienced what being at 8000+ meters is like and you say all they're looking for is valour? Would you give over.

Hundreds have died trying to climb Everest and nearly all lie wherever they fell. Attempting to bring them back is too dangerous and any climber that attempts Everest knows it. There's no denying that it's a tragic accident but lets not send more people to possibly die on a virtually impossible mission.

prunudo

Not everything people say on the internet is true folks. Go easy jumping on mike_ie!

Hoboo

Graham_B18C wrote: »

Um, what?! So this person has actually seen and experienced what being at 8000+ meters is like and you say all they're looking for is valour? Would you give over.

Hundreds have died trying to climb Everest and nearly all lie wherever they fell. Attempting to bring them back is too dangerous and any climber that attempts Everest knows it. There's no denying that it's a tragic accident but lets not send more people to possibly die on a virtually impossible mission.

This person has seen nothing. Page 40.

Blaizes

.Charlo wrote: »

It really is dog eat dog on Everest,I watched a documentary yesterday about a group from New Zealand who were climbing Everest in 2006. On their way up they passed a dying climber and then again on the way back down passed him again without trying to help him.

Not sure they could have done much to help but they were vilified in the press and by Sir Edmund Hilary.

Yes I read that comment by Hilary as well basically saying that climbers first priority should be helping those in trouble even if it means abandoning their plans to reach the summit. I suppose after spending so much money on their adventure and wanting to achieve this big thing they don’t care or won’t let me themselves care. Horrible though and passing the dead along the way why would anyone possibly want to do that it’s ghoulish.

I was reading about one climber who did turn back though as he couldn’t handle what he’d seen .The more I read about it the more I wonder if Everest should be closed to this kind of tourism too many people dying.

recedite

Stark wrote: »

If you want to experience what it feels like to be on the highest point on the planet and have strong economic background to compensate for your old age, weak physical condition or your fear of risks, you can sign up for the VVIP Mount Everest Expedition Service offered by Seven Summit Treks and Expeditions.

Yikes.

If only I had the money, I'd be the perfect candidate.

[Deleted User]

Blaizes wrote: »

Yes I read that comment by Hilary as well basically saying that climbers first priority should be helping those in trouble even if it means abandoning their plans to reach the summit. I suppose after spending so much money on their adventure and wanting to achieve this big thing they don’t care or won’t let me themselves care.

In the Sherpa documentary some of the clients are furious when the sherpas go on strike (due to 16 deaths in an avalanche). One of them likens them to terrorists. It's shocking how selfish some of them are.

Previously you see the sherpas make dozens of trips at night while the clients sleep in their tents. Going ahead with gear and oxygen bottles. One particularly dangerous part of the route, the organizer says the clients will do twice. The sherpas will do it 20-30 times.

maxsmum

I had no idea of the treacherousness of Everest or of the financial exploitation of the Sherpas. After watching all these documentaries over the weekend I cannot comprehend how anyone with a 4 year old child took this on, knowing the risk of death and that his body would not be returned to his family if he died.
I just don't get it.
Very, very sad.
How is this ever going to be explained to the child?

Lillyfae

Deleted User wrote: »

In the Sherpa documentary some of the clients are furious when the sherpas go on strike (due to 16 deaths in an avalanche). One of them likens them to terrorists. It's shocking how selfish some of them are.

Previously you see the sherpas make dozens of trips at night while the clients sleep in their tents. Going ahead with gear and oxygen bottles. One particularly dangerous part of the route, the organizer says the clients will do twice. The sherpas will do it 20-30 times.

This is exactly it. These people are egotistical maniacs. This man left a pregnant partner and young child at home to tick off a "before 40" bucket list aspiration to summit a mountain. If one has no dependents go ahead, it's your life, but if you have people that rely on you this is not on, nor is this recovery effort. He risked his own life, no one else's should be risked in trying to recover a body- I believe this should be a rule on Everest.

BarryD2

BowSideChamp wrote: »

This is the crowd that Shay Lawless signed up with - https://www.sevensummittreks.com/trip/vvip-everest-expedition-service

Basically, you pay for some poor local Sherpas to carry you and all your gear up the mountain so you can take an Instagram photo.

No doubt that the sales pitch on this site is OTT but you must put it in the context that there's a long tradition of mountain guiding in mountainous regions. It's a source of income and a way of life even. The idea of hiring mountain guides goes back to the Golden Age of Alpine mountaineering in the 19th century, gentlemen and ladies in their tweed jackets and hob nail boots climbing the Alps under the guidance of local guides. So if it's OK in Europe, so it should be OK in Asia or wherever. Indeed we have a number of Irish professional mountain guides whom you can pay to assist you in climbing peaks.

The 'Seven Summits' thing though is a different can of worms, the challenge idea of climbing the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. The general theme is that whilst several of these climbs are physically & logistically difficult, they are not overly technical in terms of steep climbing. That they can be in the scope of the ordinary man or woman who is sufficiently fit, motivated and financed. Started in the 1980s and obviously whilst relatively few people do it, there's a small touch of the 'caminos' about it. Hard to know whether it's a good concept in that it breaks down barriers and allows people to take on challenges that seem impossible. Or a unhelpful concept that lures people into a falser sense of safety than prevails in reality.