Everest Attempt

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ThuChad
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Everest Attempt

Post by ThuChad »

No not me.

Image

This was in my local paper last week and I couldn't help but shake my head. This 52 year old mother of 3 will attempt to climb Everest in May. While I admire her courage, the story just makes me angry for some reason. The article states she's climbed Denali and Cho Oyu, obviously guided, but nothing else. It says she runs , bikes, lifts and does yoga for exercise... and if you don't know, Edmond, Oklahoma is a flat 1000 ft. of elevation.

I really don't know if this woman "deserves" to climb everest or not. That's an internal conversation she needs to have with herself but I think it's sad what Everest has become. This takes away from the many great mountaineers that came before us who relied on themselves and a few others. Maybe I'm just being cynical but felt the need to vent on the interwebs. If for some reason Mrs. Wedel is a 14ers.com member, I mean no disrespect to you directly.
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by I Man »

Oh man - this thread is going to get ugly... =D>

Having Denali and Cho Oyo under your belt probably puts you in better shape than many who attempt Everest these days. Many might look down their noses at Cho Oyo, but it is an 8000m peak. If she got guided up Denali and Cho Oyo, what's wrong with her trying to get guided up Everest?

As for your comment about it being sad what Everest has become...that's old news. It is sad, but what's done is done. If you are looking for the "old magic" of Everest there are still many options. Climb in the fall season, or try a non standard route, etc...
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by Bean »

I Man wrote:Having Denali and Cho Oyo under your belt probably puts you in better shape than many who attempt Everest these days.
Yup.

If she's not "good enough" to attempt Everest, who is?

I run, bike, lift weights (well sometimes), and do yoga (once in a great while) for exercise. I do those things far more than I actually climb. Am I qualified to do anything more than walk up Grays between July and September?
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by ajkagy »

ThuChad wrote: I really don't know if this woman "deserves" to climb everest or not. That's an internal conversation she needs to have with herself but I think it's sad what Everest has become. This takes away from the many great mountaineers that came before us who relied on themselves and a few others. Maybe I'm just being cynical but felt the need to vent on the interwebs. If for some reason Mrs. Wedel is a 14ers.com member, I mean no disrespect to you directly.
so what makes anyone "deserve" to do anything? Everybody has their dreams and if that dream is climbing Everest I say more power to them. How is it taking away from the great mountaineers? Would that be the same thinking as a jaded colorado "native" who says that 14ers are too crowded now and it takes away from the experience? Maybe it sounds like jealousy that someone has the resources to travel the world and do these types of things :-D
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by I Man »

ajkagy wrote:so what makes anyone "deserve" to do anything? Everybody has their dreams and if that dream is climbing Everest I say more power to them. How is it taking away from the great mountaineers? Would that be the same thinking as a jaded colorado "native" who says that 14ers are too crowded now and it takes away from the experience? Maybe it sounds like jealousy that someone has the resources to travel the world and do these types of things :-D
I hear this a lot, and I do not think it is a fair criticism. There is no doubt that the current commercial situation on Everest takes away from mountaineers...but neither group "owns" the mountain. At the end of the day we must learn to share. Everest is a big peak, there are many different opportunities for varying degree of skill/ambition/risk etc
You can touch the void, just don't fall into it.

I fly a starship across the universe divide....and when I reach the other side...I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can. Perhaps I may become a Mountain Man again.
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by GregMiller »

This comes to mind:

It has frequently been noticed that all mountains appear doomed to pass through the three stages: An inaccessible peak - The most difficult ascent in the Alps - An easy day for a lady.

- Albert Frederick Mummery

While I disagree with the "a lady" part, I see what he's getting at - things become well enough known and serviced that any reasonably fit person can make it up. I imagine that, given a couple years of training and being sufficiently guided, I could make it up Everest. Should I? Personally, my "line" is that I'd have to huck all my own gear. Thusly, while I'd be able to do Denali someday (and it is creeping its way onto my list), I have no business on larger/longer expedition peaks.

However, that only applies to me. If that's the rules she wants to play by, and she makes it, who am I to question her?
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by ajkagy »

I Man wrote:
ajkagy wrote:so what makes anyone "deserve" to do anything? Everybody has their dreams and if that dream is climbing Everest I say more power to them. How is it taking away from the great mountaineers? Would that be the same thinking as a jaded colorado "native" who says that 14ers are too crowded now and it takes away from the experience? Maybe it sounds like jealousy that someone has the resources to travel the world and do these types of things :-D
I hear this a lot, and I do not think it is a fair criticism. There is no doubt that the current commercial situation on Everest takes away from mountaineers...but neither group "owns" the mountain. At the end of the day we must learn to share. Everest is a big peak, there are many different opportunities for varying degree of skill/ambition/risk etc
It's like any mountain/area/spot that becomes popular over time. The experience of it being a relatively quiet and unknown wild place is diluted to the people who came early, to the outsider and someone just discovering it, it becomes an exciting new experience. I believe that is the beauty of the landscape around us in the fact that is can be recycled into new experiences for everybody as long as people are good stewards of the land. The latter is just someone jaded about change in general...the only constant is change.
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by ThuChad »

I Man wrote:Oh man - this thread is going to get ugly... =D>

Having Denali and Cho Oyo under your belt probably puts you in better shape than many who attempt Everest these days. Many might look down their noses at Cho Oyo, but it is an 8000m peak. If she got guided up Denali and Cho Oyo, what's wrong with her trying to get guided up Everest?

As for your comment about it being sad what Everest has become...that's old news. It is sad, but what's done is done. If you are looking for the "old magic" of Everest there are still many options. Climb in the fall season, or try a non standard route, etc...

Didn't mean to open a can of worms. Sorry.

I can't really comment to what's wrong with her trying Everest because I don't truly know her ability. I'm not saying Denali or Cho Oyo are small accomplishments either, but my initial reaction after reading the article is "WTF, this won't end well."
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by gdthomas »

Successfully raising three children presents emotional obstacles Everest never could. The fact that she's fit and has climbed two difficult peaks including one above 8,000 meters is icing on the cake. It sounds to me as though your ideal candidate must be young, male, single and living at altitude which suggests your problem with this person is largely her age, sex and marital status. Either that or you simply did a piss poor job of expressing your true concerns.
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by pvnisher »

Can we just copy and paste half the comments from this thread:

http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... it=everest
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by I Man »

ajkagy wrote:It's like any mountain/area/spot that becomes popular over time. The experience of it being a relatively quiet and unknown wild place is diluted to the people who came early, to the outsider and someone just discovering it, it becomes an exciting new experience. I believe that is the beauty of the landscape around us in the fact that is can be recycled into new experiences for everybody as long as people are good stewards of the land. The latter is just someone jaded about change in general...the only constant is change.
They say that every adventurer fears they were born too late. It has been my pleasure to discover there are still innumerable opportunities out there.
ThuChad wrote: Didn't mean to open a can of worms. Sorry.

I can't really comment to what's wrong with her trying Everest because I don't truly know her ability. I'm not saying Denali or Cho Oyo are small accomplishments either, but my initial reaction after reading the article is "WTF, this won't end well."
Its all good. Everest is just a hot topic. If you think she unqualified, you should see some others.

Last year a women died using 9 bottles of Oxygen....NINE. (Most use 2-3)
You can touch the void, just don't fall into it.

I fly a starship across the universe divide....and when I reach the other side...I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can. Perhaps I may become a Mountain Man again.
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ThuChad
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Re: Everest Attempt

Post by ThuChad »

ajkagy wrote: so what makes anyone "deserve" to do anything? Everybody has their dreams and if that dream is climbing Everest I say more power to them. How is it taking away from the great mountaineers? Would that be the same thinking as a jaded colorado "native" who says that 14ers are too crowded now and it takes away from the experience? Maybe it sounds like jealousy that someone has the resources to travel the world and do these types of things :-D
Hence my disclaimer - only she knows if she deserves it. And heck yes I'm jealous but that's straying from the topic.
pvnisher wrote: Can we just copy and paste half the comments from this thread:

http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... it=everest" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I actually thought about posting it there but didn't for some reason. Feel free to move.
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