Mount Everest - The Death Zone

Last night I stumbled across a news article on my phone talking about the insane traffic jams that are created on Mount Everest on weekends like this one, where the weather conditions are good and it presents an opportunity to reach the summit - possibly the last opportunity for the season.

Hundreds of climbers scramble single file from the camp at 8000 meters, to the 8800 meter summit, in a dangerous environment that is up to 35 degrees below 0, an oxygen deprived final strip of the mountain nicknamed "The Death Zone" for how many lives it has claimed over the last few decades.

I found a news story by CBS that covers the exact story I read:



I've been watching videos on Youtube all morning and I find this extremely fascinating, as I was not aware of how bad the conditions on Mount Everest really are and how many people die during their trek to the top. Bodies are rarely able to be recovered, and so climbers making their way through The Death Zone have to traverse the maze of dead bodies and garbage left by previous campers in an attempt to reach the top.

The conditions are terribly dangerous and the high altitude environment leaves people exhausted, exposed, and hardly able to breathe or think. But so many people every year risk EVERYTHING just to reach the highest point in the world.

Does anybody else find this as interesting as I do?

 

Yes! I am glad I finally come across someone else who finds this as fascinating as I do. Even though I would never even consider the climb myself I have spent hours of reading about people who did the climb, people who died, people who risked their lives to save others, and people who had to abandon their friends near the top. Reading stories about this really touches me, and I'll see if I find some of the great stories I have read back in the day. There are some interesting stories about 'K2' too, the mountain with the highest death rate.

 

very interesting article.

i want to climb the top of the mountain too...

 

Yeah, I remember watching a video on Mt Everest a few weeks ago and it talked about all of the dead bodies you see on the way up. Pretty interesting.

 

I've always imaged the climb up Everest as being a treacherous, challenging experience, something that is only for the strongest and most skilled climbers. I never really knew just how dangerous it was and how many people die trying to conquer the mountain.

I have found a ton of cool videos on Youtube this morning, including some documentaries about teams doing the climb, and videos taken by regular climbers that want to document the view, the dangerous conditions, and pay tribute to the fallen climbers whose bodies they encounter along the way.

Totally fascinating. Do you know any good books written by climbers who have conquered Everest?

 

Your video has embedding disabled

 

I'm guessing there is no way to fix that and that you have to go to Youtube to watch it? If there is a way to fix it, please let me know

Here is another fascinating documentary I've just started (checked this one to make sure it plays):

 

Watch this video. Your mind will be blown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piNRRg7WuG8 I've got some more info about this guy and about how he ended up, if you're interested.

I've read tons of articles and Wikipedia pages, but the only book that I read is Into Thin Air from Jon Krakauer. (who, if I remember correctly what I read on wikipedia a long time ago, died later by climbing K2. I'll check this for you in a min) Man, you have to read this book. I can't find one adjective to describe it, but it's amazing and scary. It's fascinating and disturbing.

EDIT: Looked Krakauer up on wikipedia and he's actually still alive. I was mistaken.

 

Excellent! I will check out that video shortly, just finishing part 1 of this documentary first

Btw - Isn't John Krakauer the man who wrote "Into The Wild" about Christopher McCandless? I remember his name from when we read that book for a novel study during Grade 12 English. That was a fascinating unit, and I always wanted to read Into Thin Air (which if I am not mistaken, he references a few times during Into The Wild).

I'll see if I can get it from my local library. I've got 2 books taken out right now that I have to finish, but that will give me something to read when I am done. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Yes! Krakauer wrote Into The Wild. I've read that too, equally fascinating. I have yet to see the movie though, but this is a reminder that I have to do so soon. You're welcome, and if you have any books like Into The Wild (or Into Thin Air) I'd love to get the titles from you since I enjoy reading books like these so much.