Death on Everest

[SwanTiger]

But anyway, Inglis situation wasn't a sea-level decision to walk past a sick man.

No, his story is that he let another individual decide for him, like everyone else on the mountain and associated with Inglis.

Help and oxygen were in fact given. No-one stayed with him to die.

The Sherpa's involved with Inglis expedition attempted to assist Mr. Sharp by offering Oxygen. After a discussion the leader of the expedition made the decision and gave the order to leave Sharp for dead.

It would of been possible to attempt a rescue of Mr. Sharp, there have been reports of climbers been taken down from the summit with 14 or less people.

When you have 15 year olds climbing Mount Everest it really puts perspective on things. My opinion is that the mountain itself is not dangerous; it quite easily takes advantage of human stupidity.

Proving an Opinion
I'm sick of all this shit such as that from Marty, if climbing Mount Ruapehu in the middle of a wintery storm is going to validate my opinion then in a round about way, by saying that all you are doing is validating it for me.

FACT
Inglis failed as a human being, like everyone else who failed to show morales that day.

[marty]

No, his story is that he let another individual decide for him, like everyone else on the mountain and associated with Inglis.



The Sherpa's involved with Inglis expedition attempted to assist Mr. Sharp by offering Oxygen. After a discussion the leader of the expedition made the decision and gave the order to leave Sharp for dead.

It would of been possible to attempt a rescue of Mr. Sharp, there have been reports of climbers been taken down from the summit with 14 or less people.

When you have 15 year olds climbing Mount Everest it really puts perspective on things. My opinion is that the mountain itself is not dangerous; it quite easily takes advantage of human stupidity.

Proving an Opinion
I'm sick of all this shit such as that from Marty, if climbing Mount Ruapehu in the middle of a wintery storm is going to validate my opinion then in a round about way, by saying that all you are doing is validating it for me.

FACT
Inglis failed as a human being, like everyone else who failed to show morales that day.

one of those 15 year olds died though.

and saying climbing everest is not dangerous, is the most uneducated, unintelligent comment on this site that i have seen in a long time, and that's saying something.

when i talk of being on ruapehu in a storm, and being on the ice at 5500 metres thinking i wasn't going to make it home, i am speaking from my own experiences, which include bringing nearly dead, and dead guys off mountains, both in nz and overseas. if you wish to minimise those from the comfort of your laptop, fine, i know what i know.

just so we can add value to your comments, your experience on the ice is....?

[SwanTiger]

just so we can add value to your comments, your experience on the ice is....?

Haha, I'm not going to compare dicks with you.

If you think I need to prove myself I'll let you know when I next go walk about. You can tag along.

[Smorg]

Haha, I'm not going to compare dicks with you.

If you think I need to prove myself I'll let you know when I next go walk about. You can tag along.

Ill compare dicks!!!!!

[marty]

i'd show you mine, but......

[Motig]

What pisses me of is that Inglis had already lost his lower limbs due to frostbite and then he does his best to lose his fingers. I'm afraid I dont think that shows a tremendous amount of intelligence, pig headiness yes, stupidity yes. As for the climber left to die, well I spose you had to be there to really know the rights/wrongs. It does show tho how our moral standards have declined over the years. Everest 1954 compared to Everest 2006.

[TonyB]

From an article in The Press today
- no one has ever been rescued successfully from above 8000m
- those that have been rescued from lower down the mountain have been concious and able to assist in their own rescue ie they can climb down with help
- a climber rescued from lower down required 8 sherpas from one team and 10 from another. The climber could assist. It took 36 hours to get him to safety. 36 hours.
- The climber who died was almost completely unresponsive- all they got from him was a flicker of the eyes. This was after administering oxygen.
- Rob Hall died 10 years ago because he refused to abandon Doug Hansen, his client.
- Andy Harris died because he went up the mountain to try to talk Rob Hall down.

Would that have been a better outcome?

[Grahameeboy]

From an article in The Press today
- no one has ever been rescued successfully from above 8000m
- those that have been rescued from lower down the mountain have been concious and able to assist in their own rescue ie they can climb down with help
- a climber rescued from lower down required 8 sherpas from one team and 10 from another. The climber could assist. It took 36 hours to get him to safety. 36 hours.
- The climber who died was almost completely unresponsive- all they got from him was a flicker of the eyes. This was after administering oxygen.
- Rob Hall died 10 years ago because he refused to abandon Doug Hansen, his client.
- Andy Harris died because he went up the mountain to try to talk Rob Hall down.

Would that have been a better outcome?

I have climbed all over Scotland and the rules are different on the mountains and this is a valid point......sad but Ingliss and his pals followed the code, just that groundlevel dwellers do not understand, which is fair enough.....of course how often do we hear about people ignoring cries for help..those who caste stones eh?

[Grahameeboy]

What pisses me of is that Inglis had already lost his lower limbs due to frostbite and then he does his best to lose his fingers. I'm afraid I dont think that shows a tremendous amount of intelligence, pig headiness yes, stupidity yes. As for the climber left to die, well I spose you had to be there to really know the rights/wrongs. It does show tho how our moral standards have declined over the years. Everest 1954 compared to Everest 2006.

Nothing to do with morals, it is called greater media attention...Climbers are a different breed and just going up Everest could be considered stupid etc......they know the risks but still want to climb..same as we ride bikes even after crashing...and there are probably a lot more pig headed bikers...

[Winston001]

It would of been possible to attempt a rescue of Mr. Sharp, there have been reports of climbers been taken down from the summit with 14 or less people.

Rescues around 26,000 feet are rare and only possible with a concious person who can place his feet and grip a rope.

When you have 15 year olds climbing Mount Everest it really puts perspective on things. My opinion is that the mountain itself is not dangerous; it quite easily takes advantage of human stupidity.

This is a canard which exists in the climbing community too. Everest in fact isn't a difficult technical climb and K2 is much more dangerous. The number of expeditions on Everest every spring contributes to the lie, that it is easy. It isn't.

The reality is that Mount Everest is 29,035 feet high. That is 785 feet higher than the next highest - K2. At those altitudes every step is exhausting, taking the climber further into danger and away from the lower slopes. How else do we explain the number of people who die there - experienced climbers too, not just thrill seekers. Rob Hall and Scott Fischer for example.

Above the South Col, there is no easy way up or down Everest.

[oldrider]

i think his ego is a bit overblown.. hes lost both legs and now the tips of some fingers and he still goes on..pretty soon , he's going to be a disembodied head in a bag, being carried up mountains by the Sherpas

(Correct and don't forget all the ACC we pay on our bike registrations to pay for his rehabilitation.)


but to let another human being in obvious stress die alone is just .... well... he's going to whatever hell he believes in.. i hope that man's frozen face never leaves him in peace... $$$ shouldnt matter at that altitude..

(I don't believe he did this, he did the best he could. I think this accusation is wrong)

Now that all the facts are known:
The journalists who massaged the facts for a headline sensation on this are the real villains here!
especially the journalists who exploited the jealous nature and reaction of a frail, senile old man in order to create a headline.
Hillary was just trying to protect his rice bowl. (stay away from my mountain! After all,I am the hero here, we did things right in my day!)
Bad journalism has won the day on this one and New Zealand, as usual, sucked up the bait!

[Ixion]

I have climbed all over Scotland and the rules are different on the mountains and this is a valid point......sad but Ingliss and his pals followed the code, just that groundlevel dwellers do not understand, which is fair enough.....of course how often do we hear about people ignoring cries for help..those who caste stones eh?

It seems that the rules and the code have changed since Sir Edmund Hilary's day.

I have never had any interest in climbing mountains. If such be the code of mountain climbing I wil gladly stick to groundlevel . A pastime that is based on such a code is not one which I would wish to follow.

I hope that I never live to see the day when motorcycling follows such a code or such rules.

I wonder though why mountain climbers who proudly proclaim their code of leaving other climbers to die, should expect non mountain climbing tax payers to foot the bill for rescue expeditions and SAR? Might we not also say to those in trouble in the mountains "Follow your code, and die, unaided. " ?

[KATWYN]

Hillary was just trying to protect his rice bowl. (stay away from my mountain! After all,I am the hero here, we did things right in my day!)
:

Yea thats probably right.

and Hillary also had two legs for a start - could crush someones ego a bit

[Skyryder]

I think there is more here than meets the eye. I noticed that both Hilary and Inglis have conflicting views on the commercerialization of Everest. Hilary wants less while Inglis wants more. Anyone for some leftover sour grapes.

Skyryder

[Lou Girardin]

Lincoln Hall was given up for dead a few days ago, he was found the next day and brought down. He is suffereing hypoxia and cerebral oedema, but is alive.
I think it was from 8,200 metres.
This is quite a co-incidence really. Happening as it has just after Sharp was abandoned.