How easy is Mount Everest? (1 Viewer)

[Caveman33]

Two recent stories about Mount Everest got me thinking. (Link below if you are unfamiliar with these stories. They are sort of interesting).

Chinese woman and her Mount Everest rescuers feud over $10,000 fee

A woman rescued by two climbers and a Sherpa is refusing to pay a $10,000 rescue fee, the latest incident to unfold following a record-high season of summit attempts.

www.yahoo.com

How easy is it to climb Mount Everest in 2023? I kind of think that if the wifi stopped working and the router was located at the summit, the average FBG would hand a few beverages to a Sherpa and then scamper up that hill. What do you guys say?

 

[Desert_Power]

I'd say the average FBG would die within or before the Death Zone. A couple would be lost crossing the Khumbu icefalls alone.

 

[Desert_Power]

Real Fantasy Footballers climb K2. Rumour has it the secret to value based drafting is only found when looking from the peak into China at sunset.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I admittedly haven't been following the last few years, but I went through about a 5 year stretch where I was obsessed with stories about Everest. Read all the books, watched all the documentaries, hung out on the forums, etc.

"Easy" is relative. It's easy for real, rugged mountain climbers, because it's not very technical. For the average person, it would 100% be by far the hardest thing they've ever attempted. The majority of FBGs wouldn't make it past the first step, the icefall, because it was too scary looking. Nor could they handle weeks in the freezing cold without respite other than tents. Nevermind the altitude issues.

I do a lot hiking to the tops of peaks here in the Wasatch range in Utah (nothing that requires ropes), and when you get to a good class 4 scramble or "knife's edge" ridgeline that goes 20 yards the majority of people turn around. Everest would be visually 10x as scary for 1000x longer, while freezing cold, while wearing all kinds of cumbersome gear, after weeks of fatigue, and that's the part that's so easy people don't even talk about it because we haven't even started talking about the altitude yet.

All the "elevator to the top" crap is complete nonsense. It's easy by mountaineering standards. Insanely difficult by "regular person" standards.

 

[General Malaise]

Need at least $50-75K in throw away money and 2 months of time to even get to base camp.

How many of us have spouses who would say "yeah, sure....leave me with the kids for 2 months and throw away $75K to climb a big rock that's full of frozen dead bodies. And oh yeah, that life insurance policy? Doesn't cover death from Everest".

 

[Major]

FBGs making the 10 day hike to base camp seems like a better challenge. I don't think anyone in here is climbing Everest.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Seems pretty easy

 

[jvdesigns2002]

I know somebody that twice tried to scale it 15-20 years ago. Based on what he told me—I would say that “easy” is not a word that I’d use to describe it. The sheer elevation, unpredictable weather, avalanche and crevace risks will always be present even if you go on one of the super expensive “luxury” tours. To put it in perspective—my buddy that tried to scale it is a big time climber and a body builder. He trains hard every day—BUT—him being a bigger/stronger guy is not necessarily an advantage—as that’s more body weight to take up the mountain. He explained to me that on some of the more “luxury” tours that are crazy expensive—that the ratio of Sherpa’s to climbers in those groups is higher. He told me that there are crazy expensive tours where often times you’ll have 2 climbers with 2 Sherpas go up together—and the sherpas do the vast majority of the work. With that said—just being up in those conditions is not easy. One of his attempts got cut short by altitude sickness. He also suffered some temporary snow blindness at one point. Keep in mind that even the luxury tour climbers are subject to things like bottlenecks on the way to and from the summit.

Another thing that he mentioned was how surreal it was to see victims of the mountain literally frozen in time . He said had seen the dead bodies of climbers from decades ago frozen still in clothes from the era. I was fascinated when he was telling me about it.

 

[Caveman33]

I admittedly haven't been following the last few years, but I went through about a 5 year stretch where I was obsessed with stories about Everest. Read all the books, watched all the documentaries, hung out on the forums, etc.

"Easy" is relative. It's easy for real, rugged mountain climbers, because it's not very technical. For the average person, it would 100% be by far the hardest thing they've ever attempted. The majority of FBGs wouldn't make it past the first step, the icefall, because it was too scary looking. Nor could they handle weeks in the freezing cold without respite other than tents. Nevermind the altitude issues.

I do a lot hiking to the tops of peaks here in the Wasatch range in Utah (nothing that requires ropes), and when you get to a good class 4 scramble or "knife's edge" ridgeline that goes 20 yards the majority of people turn around. Everest would be visually 10x as scary for 1000x longer, while freezing cold, while wearing all kinds of cumbersome gear, after weeks of fatigue, and that's the part that's so easy people don't even talk about it because we haven't even started talking about the altitude yet.

All the "elevator to the top" crap is complete nonsense. It's easy by mountaineering standards. Insanely difficult by "regular person" standards.

80-year-old claims new Everest record

An 80-year-old Japanese adventurer, Yuichiro Miura, becomes the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

www.bbc.com

This 80 year old dude with heart problems made it to the top.

Boston Marathon - Vanessa O'Brien

The North Pole Expedition was completed by Vanessa O'Brien. The North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth and is found at latitude 90° North.

vobonline.com

This lady ran the Boston marathon in over 5 hours and then conquered K2 a few months later.

I know we are all getting a little older and softer, but let's give ourselves a little credit. It's not too late to do a ~67 Hard and then enjoy some biscuits and bubbly with the rest of us at the peak of Everest.

 

[Caveman33]

I know somebody that twice tried to scale it 15-20 years ago. Based on what he told me—I would say that “easy” is not a word that I’d use to describe it. The sheer elevation, unpredictable weather, avalanche and crevace risks will always be present even if you go on one of the super expensive “luxury” tours. To put it in perspective—my buddy that tried to scale it is a big time climber and a body builder. He trains hard every day—BUT—him being a bigger/stronger guy is not necessarily an advantage—as that’s more body weight to take up the mountain. He explained to me that on some of the more “luxury” tours that are crazy expensive—that the ratio of Sherpa’s to climbers in those groups is higher. He told me that there are crazy expensive tours where often times you’ll have 2 climbers with 2 Sherpas go up together—and the sherpas do the vast majority of the work. With that said—just being up in those conditions is not easy. One of his attempts got cut short by altitude sickness. He also suffered some temporary snow blindness at one point. Keep in mind that even the luxury tour climbers are subject to things like bottlenecks on the way to and from the summit.

Another thing that he mentioned was how surreal it was to see victims of the mountain literally frozen in time . He said had seen the dead bodies of climbers from decades ago frozen still in clothes from the era. I was fascinated when he was telling me about it.

Yea, the Sherpas who are repeatedly climbing with heavy packs deserve a modicum of respect. I do wonder about the frozen bodies. Considering how much importance I've seen people place on recovering remains in other situations, I would think that the families of the dead, who I assume have financial means given the expense of the climb, would offer a reward that would incentivize the Sherpas to bring the bodies down. Or maybe the deceased climbers prefer to be left on the mountain?

 

[Terminalxylem]

I’ve climbed a fourteener (Longs Peak) in CO using ropes. That was child’s play compared to Denali in Alaska, where I reached the high camp . We were forced to descend when one of our expedition members had frostbite.

High Camp at 17,200 feet on Denali is a cold and harsh place. Winds in excess of 70mph are quite common, and temperatures are often -30F and colder. Camps must be well-protected, and block walls must be carefully constructed to protect tents during storms. It is not uncommon for even double block walls to be eroded by the high winds, and High Camp has been the scene of more than one stormbound epic.

It was far and away the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. You start with a 50+ pound pack, and haul another 50 in a sled over miles and miles of glacial terrain, which is entirely snow and ice, with crevasses to traverse, plus ~800 vertical feet of fixed lines, where you need to use crampons and an ice ax. Of note, we followed a party whose leader plummeted off the other side of the ridge in the last photo, which looks to be 1000+ feet.

Denali is considered the second hardest of the seven summits. Everest is the most difficult, even though sherpas do much of the gear hauling.

Maybe some of the long distance running and cycling guys could do it, and @BassNBrew, too. But everyone handles altitude differently, irrespective of fitness. Plus there is a huge element of luck baked into alpine weather.

No one would consider it easy. The average FBG wouldn’t stand a chance.

 

[-OZ-]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

 

[Osaurus]

Like a Sunday morning?

 

[Terminalxylem]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

There are certainly more difficult athletic accomplishments, but an obscure ultramarathon probably isn’t the most apt comparison.

No FBG would finish any of them.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Average FBG has as much chance of climbing Everest as he does beating Floyd Mayweather

 

[Skipdog77]

Trying to cross a big crevasse in the icefall with 2 or 3 aluminum ladders strapped together over it, while wearing crampons and only a couple of small ropes to hang on to? That's precisely when I'd be out.

 

[AAABatteries]

Average FBG has as much chance of climbing Everest as he does beating Floyd Mayweather

I would tag Matsuki but I hear he's climbing Everest as we speak.

 

[massraider]

No, we definitely couldn't.

Bummer, guess I miss out on the frozen dead bodies, mountain of trash, and traffic jam at the top as everyone waits in line for their selfie.

 

[tri-man 47]

No, we definitely couldn't.

Bummer, guess I miss out on the frozen dead bodies, mountain of trash, and traffic jam at the top as everyone waits in line for their selfie.

I was going to mention the large amount of trash and the crowds, which I’ve read about. Then add in some frozen bodies. It’d be a great achievement, but I think it’s one where I’d just be glad that it was over.

 

[Hoh]

Seeing as I have to grab on to the towel bar to get off the toilet, I’ll say it’s more difficult than average.

 

[arrow1]

I'd say the average FBG would die within or before the Death Zone. A couple would be lost crossing the Khumbu icefalls alone.

and a few would be lost at base camp pitching their tent.

 

[zoobird]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

Probably true, I really think you need to give some weight to the consequences of failure to finish.

When you climb Everest, even if you make it to the summit, there's a pretty high chance of dying on the way back down.

 

[the moops]

Average FBG has as much chance of climbing Everest as he does beating Floyd Mayweather

I would tag Matsuki but I hear he's climbing Everest as we speak.

I think he is using the corpse of Pacquiao as a sled as he descends

 

[-OZ-]

No, we definitely couldn't.

Bummer, guess I miss out on the frozen dead bodies, mountain of trash, and traffic jam at the top as everyone waits in line for their selfie.

I was going to mention the large amount of trash and the crowds, which I’ve read about. Then add in some frozen bodies. I’d be a great achievement, but I think it’s one where I’d just be glad that it was over.

Yep
I have a fairly sized bucket list but climbing Mt Everest to the summit is not in it. Mostly for those reasons. I’ll pretend that it’s too easy

 

[-OZ-]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

There are certainly more difficult athletic accomplishments, but an obscure ultramarathon probably isn’t the most apt comparison.

No FBG would finish any of them.

I’d absolutely bet on a couple FBGs finishing one.
At one point, climbing Everest was obscure. Then it wasn’t.

 

[BassNBrew]

I’ve climbed a fourteener (Longs Peak) in CO using ropes. That was child’s play compared to Denali in Alaska, where I reached the high camp . We were forced to descend when one of our expedition members had frostbite.

High Camp at 17,200 feet on Denali is a cold and harsh place. Winds in excess of 70mph are quite common, and temperatures are often -30F and colder. Camps must be well-protected, and block walls must be carefully constructed to protect tents during storms. It is not uncommon for even double block walls to be eroded by the high winds, and High Camp has been the scene of more than one stormbound epic.

It was far and away the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. You start with a 50+ pound pack, and haul another 50 in a sled over miles and miles of glacial terrain, which is entirely snow and ice, with crevasses to traverse, plus ~800 vertical feet of fixed lines, where you need to use crampons and an ice ax. Of note, we followed a party whose leader plummeted off the other side of the ridge in the last photo, which looks to be 1000+ feet.

Denali is considered the second hardest of the seven summits. Everest is the most difficult, even though sherpas do much of the gear hauling.

Maybe some of the long distance running and cycling guys could do it, and @BassNBrew, too. But everyone handles altitude differently, irrespective of fitness. Plus there is a huge element of luck baked into alpine weather.

No one would consider it easy. The average FBG wouldn’t stand a chance.

That’s pretty bad *** Term. Are you going to go back to Denali?

 

[bigbottom]

I’ve climbed a fourteener (Longs Peak) in CO using ropes. That was child’s play compared to Denali in Alaska, where I reached the high camp . We were forced to descend when one of our expedition members had frostbite.

High Camp at 17,200 feet on Denali is a cold and harsh place. Winds in excess of 70mph are quite common, and temperatures are often -30F and colder. Camps must be well-protected, and block walls must be carefully constructed to protect tents during storms. It is not uncommon for even double block walls to be eroded by the high winds, and High Camp has been the scene of more than one stormbound epic.

It was far and away the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. You start with a 50+ pound pack, and haul another 50 in a sled over miles and miles of glacial terrain, which is entirely snow and ice, with crevasses to traverse, plus ~800 vertical feet of fixed lines, where you need to use crampons and an ice ax. Of note, we followed a party whose leader plummeted off the other side of the ridge in the last photo, which looks to be 1000+ feet.

Denali is considered the second hardest of the seven summits. Everest is the most difficult, even though sherpas do much of the gear hauling.

Maybe some of the long distance running and cycling guys could do it, and @BassNBrew, too. But everyone handles altitude differently, irrespective of fitness. Plus there is a huge element of luck baked into alpine weather.

No one would consider it easy. The average FBG wouldn’t stand a chance.

Wow.

 

[glvsav37]

We debated for days about the discipline needed to read 10 pages a day in the 75 hard thread. None of us are climbing Everest. lol

 

[BassNBrew]

We debated for days about the discipline needed to read 10 pages a day in the 75 hard thread. None of us are climbing Everest. lol

I disagree. You have guys in here running 3 hour marathons.

Well actually I agree with you when you add in spending $75k and taking months off work. The climbing part would be the easiest of those 3.

 

[Buckna]

I’ve driven to the top of Pike’s Peak and Rocky Mountain National Park and I know there’s no way I could do it. I get sweaty palms just driving up those touristy routes with sharp dropoffs on the side that are child’s play compared to Everest!

 

[NutterButter]

Something like this is as far as I'd want to go but its on the bucket list

Everest Base Camp Trek | Intrepid Travel

Embark on the trek of a lifetime to Everest Base Camp on this 15-day tour. Fly into Lukla and hike through the Himalayas assisted by your experienced and fairly compensated local crew.

www.intrepidtravel.com

 

[Scoresman]

I think it would be a surreal but morbid experience at this point. Your directions would read something like "Make a left at the dead Canadian in the red jacket, then a quick right at the two black boots stinking straight in that air." I'm surprised they haven't posed the bodies into a position to point you in the direction you need to go.

It's also become the tourist attraction of mountain climbing to the point where you are stuck in a line waiting to get to the top. This can be bad because you really want to limit the amount of time you spend once you hit a certain altitude.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

i don't want to say that Everest is easy, but I hear she'll let anybody mount her.

:rimshot:

 

[Terpman22]

LOL at this thread title.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Like a Sunday morning?

I hear the summit has a free Sunday brunch. Might be worth it just for that.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I nearly died doing the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes with my family a couple years ago. I didn't realize it was so far and didn't bring enough water on a hot day. If not for that old asian woman who noticed my distress and gave me her water as she zoomed past me on the return leg, I'd have probably needed a rescue.

 

[tri-man 47]

I nearly died doing the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes with my family a couple years ago. I didn't realize it was so far and didn't bring enough water on a hot day. If not for that old asian woman who noticed my distress and gave me her water as she zoomed past me on the return leg, I'd have probably needed a rescue.

Sherpa bloodlines?

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I nearly died doing the Dune Climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes with my family a couple years ago. I didn't realize it was so far and didn't bring enough water on a hot day. If not for that old asian woman who noticed my distress and gave me her water as she zoomed past me on the return leg, I'd have probably needed a rescue.

Sherpa bloodlines?

Just happy she didn't send me a $10k bill like our OP's unhappy hiker got.

 

[Desert_Power]

The majority of FBGs wouldn't make it past the first step, the icefall, because it was too scary looking.

Yeah, the icefall would be a hard nope for me. I think the trek to Everest or K2 base camps could be cool though.

 

[fred_1_15301]

I’m able to hang with a bunch of women (several who are grandma age) doing a 60 minute body combat class. The depth of my fitness challenge will not exceed that.

 

[Niles Standish]

I’ve done quite a few 14ers and I’ve hiked and backpacked a whole lot. I’ve done some technical mountaineering. Could I do Everest today? Probably not. I do think most people in reasonably good health could train to complete Everest with a guide. I think the almost 30,000 feet would b hard to deal with for almost everyone without specific training. There are pretty cool machines that simulate altitude. I’ve never had any trouble with altitude but I’ve also never climbed above around 20,000 feet.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I had dreams of climbing Everest in my youth. Then I went to see the imax Everest movie. It became a hard No

And I love the mountains. Cold doesn’t really bother me and I was in damn good shape.

Also climbing the tops of various mountains to ski back bowls and the occasional chute humbles a person. It’s exhausting. Just carrying skis and 15? Pounds of crap. Highest I ever got was just over 13k

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Physical and technical ability is not the same thing as willingness to suffer and endure fear. Even in my peak years there's no way I'd have been able to handle the 2nd two.

 

[Grahamburn]

I wanna mountain climb just so I can hang out at basecamp. You grow a beard, you drink hot chocolate. You walk around. "Hey, you goin' to the top?".. "Soon..."

 

[Terminalxylem]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

There are certainly more difficult athletic accomplishments, but an obscure ultramarathon probably isn’t the most apt comparison.

No FBG would finish any of them.

I’d absolutely bet on a couple FBGs finishing one.
At one point, climbing Everest was obscure. Then it wasn’t.

I guess I don't know running FBGs well enough, but I'll take the under on the Barkley.

It's likely some of us could summit Everest. That said, The average FBG is a sedentary, middle aged, high BMI (from muscle!?!) gambling degenerate, who'd struggle to get to the still obscure high point of Florida.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I’ve climbed a fourteener (Longs Peak) in CO using ropes. That was child’s play compared to Denali in Alaska, where I reached the high camp . We were forced to descend when one of our expedition members had frostbite.

High Camp at 17,200 feet on Denali is a cold and harsh place. Winds in excess of 70mph are quite common, and temperatures are often -30F and colder. Camps must be well-protected, and block walls must be carefully constructed to protect tents during storms. It is not uncommon for even double block walls to be eroded by the high winds, and High Camp has been the scene of more than one stormbound epic.

It was far and away the hardest thing I’ve done in my life. You start with a 50+ pound pack, and haul another 50 in a sled over miles and miles of glacial terrain, which is entirely snow and ice, with crevasses to traverse, plus ~800 vertical feet of fixed lines, where you need to use crampons and an ice ax. Of note, we followed a party whose leader plummeted off the other side of the ridge in the last photo, which looks to be 1000+ feet.

Denali is considered the second hardest of the seven summits. Everest is the most difficult, even though sherpas do much of the gear hauling.

Maybe some of the long distance running and cycling guys could do it, and @BassNBrew, too. But everyone handles altitude differently, irrespective of fitness. Plus there is a huge element of luck baked into alpine weather.

No one would consider it easy. The average FBG wouldn’t stand a chance.

That’s pretty bad *** Term. Are you going to go back to Denali?

I'd love to, but wifey says no. The season I went, multiple people died, including the guy who fell off the high ridge.

Even if I had the green light, I'd not attempt Everest.

 

[Terminalxylem]

We debated for days about the discipline needed to read 10 pages a day in the 75 hard thread. None of us are climbing Everest. lol

I disagree. You have guys in here running 3 hour marathons.

Well actually I agree with you when you add in spending $75k and taking months off work. The climbing part would be the easiest of those 3.

Don't forget the difficulty taking selfies in a blizzard.

 

[Grahamburn]

Definitely not easy. But IIRC the Barkley marathon has a lower success rate of those who actually start.

There are certainly more difficult athletic accomplishments, but an obscure ultramarathon probably isn’t the most apt comparison.

No FBG would finish any of them.

I’d absolutely bet on a couple FBGs finishing one.
At one point, climbing Everest was obscure. Then it wasn’t.

I guess I don't know running FBGs well enough, but I'll take the under on the Barkley.

It's likely some of us could summit Everest. That said, The average FBG is a sedentary, middle aged, high BMI (from muscle!?!) gambling degenerate, who'd struggle to get to the still obscure high point of Florida.

Dude. Not cool. I’m right here.

 

[culdeus]

Let's say you can do a 3:30 marathon and have done a few HIM. What are the gaps in training to get to the top here?

 

[Chemical X]

shuke has done it…..PM him @shuke