Not books, not dogs, but the mountain. Everest. Sagarmatha. Twelve sherpas were killed today in an avalanche, with three more injured and seven missing. This comes immediately prior to a very short window of optimal climbing weather if you wish to summit. Now, I am not, nor have I ever been a climber, but I have been fascinated by Everest for decades, which is why I post now. A number of years ago I seriously investigated expeditions that take you *to* Everest, but not UP Everest. Ive read about Everest, watched films about Everest. I still want to go there, but probably never will. What most people dont realize is that very few climb Everest on their own. If they do, they are solo climbers. The expeditions you read about (but only when tragedy strikes) are facilitated by sherpas. They set the routes, the ropes, the ladders; they carry 80 lbs of supplies up to the various base camps. Clients carry nothing more than oxygen, energy bars and fluids, dex to boost flagging physical resources. This is not to say thats easy, but its nothing compared to what the sherpas do--and they may even do it several times a day. Despite living at extreme altitude, sherpas are also vulnerable to HACE and HAPE, falls, heart attacks, any number of other injuries. Without sherpas to do 98% of the work--including physically hauling some clients up the mountain when they cant make it on their own--very, very few people would summit. Many more would die than already do. Everest is littered with bodies lying beside the routes, because its physically impossible to bring them down. These men are not vehicles into which you pour gas. They are humans who are paid *maybe* $6,000 a year to haul supplies up the mountain for Westerners. And they die every year so people can spend 5-20 minutes on top of the world. (To stay longer courts death. Literally.) Im not saying its not a worthy goal, to stand atop the world. Heck, I just want to go to base camp! I get it. But too many dont know, or forget about the sherpas and their sacrifices. After all, it wasnt Edmund Hillary who was the first to reach the summit. It was his sherpa, Tenzing Norgay. History was edited. Sherpa blessing for those who are gone: May you always walk gently With your head amongst the stars and your feet firmly on the ground And may the gods guide the steps you take.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 01:25:58 +0000
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