18 replies to this topic

[Spiderfish]

Canadian Dies On Everest

Sad to hear that a Toronto woman has died trying to summit Everest. With the increasing number of people pushing for the summit each year, and the relative experience of these people decreasing proportionally year after year, one can only expect more of the same in the future. The question has to be asked, if you don't have the experience or the business being up there, are you putting others at risk being in a place you don't belong? It's hard enough getting your own butt up the mountain and back down without having to worry about trying to rescue people who have the money, but not the experience to rise to the challenge.

A team went up yesterday and retrieved the body and brought it back down where it was air lifted out. It's good to hear the rescuers are safe and the heli rescue was successful. It seems to me however, that in the interest of everyone's safety on the mountain, their needs to be a restriction on permits or some measure of competence shown, in both the skill of the climbers and the guides, when issuing permits.

[TimG]

If they are not putting others in danger let them do what they want.

If the rescuers have concerns for their own safety they can always leave the body up there.

[GostHacked]

It's like other dangerous sports or hobbies. Climbing Everest is not an easy task and does result in death if you are not prepared or experienced in some way.

[Moonlight Graham]

I wouldn't ban/restrict it, just let them know that people won't be obliged to try to rescue them after they've gone a certain height.

[fellowtraveller]

If they are not putting others in danger let them do what they want.

If the rescuers have concerns for their own safety they can always leave the body up there.

Leaving the body is the normal course of things on Everest. There is no search and rescue organization, if you get in trouble you are very likely to die. I don't think that is a surprise to anybody on the mountain.

And climbing on Everest is restricted to those that can afford it

[wyly]

Canadian Dies On Everest

Sad to hear that a Toronto woman has died trying to summit Everest. With the increasing number of people pushing for the summit each year, and the relative experience of these people decreasing proportionally year after year, one can only expect more of the same in the future. The question has to be asked, if you don't have the experience or the business being up there, are you putting others at risk being in a place you don't belong? It's hard enough getting your own butt up the mountain and back down without having to worry about trying to rescue people who have the money, but not the experience to rise to the challenge.

A team went up yesterday and retrieved the body and brought it back down where it was air lifted out. It's good to hear the rescuers are safe and the heli rescue was successful. It seems to me however, that in the interest of everyone's safety on the mountain, their needs to be a restriction on permits or some measure of competence shown, in both the skill of the climbers and the guides, when issuing permits.

it's a moot point, it's not our country or mountain we have no say who can or can not go up and it brings in a lot of income for the Nepalese...like any sport or occupation people know the risks going in, if you don't like the odds don't do it...

[Spiderfish]

Leaving the body is the normal course of things on Everest. There is no search and rescue organization, if you get in trouble you are very likely to die. I don't think that is a surprise to anybody on the mountain.

And climbing on Everest is restricted to those that can afford it

But in this case, the body was not left on the mountain, it was retrieved and flown out from base camp by helicopter, a very dangerous and risky manouver at 18,000 feet. I've heard rumblings already that the family expects the Canadian government to pick up the tab for this.

I have no trouble letting people take the risk in trying to climb the mountain if they know what the stakes are, I climbed for 15 years myself and can appreciate the experience. I've been on the side of a mountain roped up only to look across the ridge at some tourist stuck on a ledge with their chihuahua wondering how they were going to get down. I've had people actually ask me at 10,000 feet on a knife edge ridge if they could "borrow" my rope because they didn't bring one but needed one (and I knew full well that they would not know how to use it even if they had one).

The problem comes when people put themselves into compromising or dangerous situations, and expect people around them to help. People around them feel an obligation to help out. It's one thing to lend a hand to some gorby on the side of some peak in Banff, but when it's the highest mountain in the world, it puts the people's lives around them at risk, as well as their own chance at success in which they paid dearly, both in money and physical effort to try and achieve.

[Spiderfish]

it's a moot point, it's not our country or mountain we have no say who can or can not go up and it brings in a lot of income for the Nepalese...like any sport or occupation people know the risks going in, if you don't like the odds don't do it...

I wish it was that simple...

[wyly]

I wish it was that simple...

I understand your point about competence of participants but Everest is not in our country and we have no say in the matter...if the authorities were to send a bill to rescued climbers in Canada then that's another matter worth discussing...in the Everest death the husband paid the full cost of the body retrieval...

Edited by wyly, 29 May 2012 - 06:18 PM.

[Spiderfish]

I understand your point about competence of participants but Everest is not in our country and we have no say in the matter...if the authorities were to send a bill to rescued climbers in Canada then that's another matter worth discussing...in the Everest death the husband paid the full cost of the body retrieval...

You're right, we have no say in how Nepal or China runs their tourism or other business matters. Perhaps the guides should be more accountable. Our government is only too happy to regulate the health and safety of companies domestically almost to obsession, maybe more responsibility needs to be put on the guiding companies who take these unqualified participants into such a potentially dangerous activities.

Funny...I can't hop on my bicycle without the government forcing a helmet on my head, but I can let anyone drag me up the side of the worlds highest mountain for a fee and leave me there to gasp my last feeble breath at 8000 metres (hey, maybe this is a legal way around assisted suicide laws.) Considering how litigious society has become, I'm surprised the lawyers haven't gone after this low hanging fruit.

[TheNewTeddy]

If you get on your bicycle, here in Canada, without a helmet, fall, and hit your head; taxpayers will end up paying for your health coverage while you lie as a vegetable for years upon years.

If you die on Everest, nobody pays nothing for nobody.

[Boges]

If you get on your bicycle, here in Canada, without a helmet, fall, and hit your head; taxpayers will end up paying for your health coverage while you lie as a vegetable for years upon years.

If you die on Everest, nobody pays nothing for nobody.

As it should be. The Canadian taxpayer shouldn't be on the hook for tourists that risk their lives abroad. Especially if they're already dead.

As for the helmet argument. As soon as the Canadian government allows people to pay for their own healthcare then all these arguments about restricting OHIP or whatever to people who smoke, are obese, do dangerous sports etc are pretty moot. If it's the only system you're offering it's got to be available to everyone regardless of the risks.

[Michael Hardner]

As it should be. The Canadian taxpayer shouldn't be on the hook for tourists that risk their lives abroad. Especially if they're already dead.

That is not even in question here, though.

[guyser]

The problem is the traffic jams and bottle necks, people getting held up to allow others passage.

They need to restrict the numbers, not the people.

[eyeball]

The problem is the traffic jams and bottle necks, people getting held up to allow others passage.

They need to restrict the numbers, not the people.

They need a waiting list is all.

I imagine in the future that someone will build a high speed pressurized gondola that will whisk people up and down like it was the CN Tower.