I have been to base camp and up Kalapathar, but I had no desire to go any further. "To boldly go where everyone else has already been". Now that does not have the same ring to it. I guess some climbing people have a bucket list that they have to check off. If I knew that almost 1 in 8 dies doing a certain activity, would I do it? Hell no! Life is about so much more.

What is the point any more!

Anyone with enough money and partially insane can now go to summit Everest!

It is no longer a status act to die for!

Like walking into a mined field with a map that is not precise!

""“Before you reach the summit you have to wait and every minute counts at the height,” she explained, but cautioned that she could not say if waiting there had caused Bagwan’s death." Of course it caused his death. The "death zone" is the altitude where the human body begins to die. A human can only stay in it so long before they die. He was way too old to be in the zone. As much as I like the documentaries on climbing Everest, I consider all those who do to be stupid shits to risk their lives for no material gain. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. They do it for the "glory", what ever the hell that is.

Yes the Nepalese government needs to do something about it and all the rubbish that is there too.

The unfortuneate risks for the egos bragging rights ,It has been climbed ,leave it alone and what others say clean up the garbage and get it back to pristine,,unfortunealy alot of locals die climbing assisting also plus it is a major income for the locals and goverment..Let them go as far as base camp for the experince of being there and they back down

This really destroys the sympathy for waiting in line at the DMV.

In my opinion, Nepal should close Everest, and K-2, to ALL climbers.
Stop selling permits and discontinue the business of climbing up there.

Clean up the garbage that has been accumulating, and quit the profiting from
death.

"Did you notice we saw no one else on the trail today?" I asked Karen. "Perfect! I love the peace and quiet."

Without other hikers, we hear birdsong, the rustle of small animals, chattering of squirrels and woodpeckers hammering. And get the best spot for lunch.

Photos:

1. Karen swimming in Heather Lake. Too cold for me!

2. Sheepishly getting dressed at Lake Colchuck, after drying my feet on the back of my shirt.

3. Scenic lunch spot while climbing Mission Peak.

It's an obsession for some to have climbed to the peak, but that's no excuse for putting other people's lives in danger as they try to rescue failures.
Maybe they should be told to climb different peaks, using a lottery/experience/adeptness system.