A while ago, I read Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer’s account of the 1996 storm on Everest that hit when many groups had already ascended quite high. His group leader, Rob Hall, died as did 3 group members and 4 other people. I will never forget reading about how sherpas risked their lives trying to rescue climbers, Hall’s satellite call to his pregnant wife, and my disgust when I reached the end of the book.
I understand setting physical goals and challenging yourself to the limit. But I don’t understand doing it in a way that has a significant chance of death, even with proper conditioning and training. I kept thinking about his wife, at home and pregnant with their first child, and I can’t see climbing Everest for non-sherpas as anything other than vainglorious and self-centered.