Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

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Steve Climber
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Steve Climber »

Apparently, everyone involved has signed a peace treaty and sworn not to ever have a repeat of this event.

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2013/04 ... armistice/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EDIT: An interview with Ueli Steck regarding his POV on the events. I would LOVE to see something from the sherpa's side as well. I agree that anything short of someone trying to harm you physically is no excuse for violence, but I have to imagine the sherpa people (as prideful and happy as they appear) have to have some unflattering opinions of westerners and the way some of them treat the entire region. It's easy to generalize and stereotype based on a few bad apples. That goes for BOTH sides.

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Sh ... d=35670568" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by Steve Climber on Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Guitarzan
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Guitarzan »

jomagam wrote:
Jim Davies wrote:By first causing the Sherpas to go on strike, and then doing their job for them by fixing some of the lines, Steck was both embarrassing them and probably costing them money. I'm not surprised they were so angry at him. You don't mess with a man's livelihood.
You cannot seriously condone lynching somebody over the Sherpas' alleged grievances. And imagine how many of them would lose their jobs if the Sherpas' image would go from nice and humble to an angry mob, causing way fewer tourists to pay to get dragged up Everest.

My thoughts exactly. It sounds like this could have easily resulted in someone being killed. I honestly hope that the sherpa's responsible for inciting this riot do in fact lose their livelihood.
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Scott P
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Scott P »

It seems like each year Everest becomes more and more of a $h!t show. So sad
Only because the media/websites/blogs/etc. makes it out to be that way and digs up every little bit of dirt that they can. I'd bet a lot more @#$% happens on the Colorado 14ers, for example, it just doesn't make national news.
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Steve Climber
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Steve Climber »

Scott P wrote:
It seems like each year Everest becomes more and more of a $h!t show. So sad
Only because the media/websites/blogs/etc. makes it out to be that way and digs up every little bit of dirt that they can. I'd bet a lot more @#$% happens on the Colorado 14ers, for example, it just doesn't make national news.
I know you and Kessler made a trip out there Scott P (thoroughly enjoyed the SP reports), but I don't think this argument holds weight. It's apples and oranges (or Rainiers and Denalis for the sake of recent forum relativity).

I have to imagine you're right in there being a higher number of issues that happen in any given season on the CO 14ers simply based on shear traffic alone, but CO 14ers are not as iconic and internationally known (therefore subject to media exposure). I think it would be hard to argue that Everest has been overcrowded for a few seasons now. With overcrowding, you're always going to see more trash, more disrespectful people, and more flared tempers leading to more coverage of the 'sh*t show".

This incident, however, transcends the day-to-day issues and IMO truly bridges the gap into full-blown sh*t show.

I'm fairly certain the day I see a mob of 100 angry dudes trying to kill someone at the bottom of Quandary is the day I sell all my gear and find something else to do.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Scott P »

This incident, however, transcends the day-to-day issues and IMO truly bridges the gap into full-blown sh*t show.
It was a single incident though and at least a few differing stories. I'd bet that in the scheme of things, concerning how many people were on the mountain, it was at least a somewhat rare incident.

There are plenty of "incidences" that happen in the Colorado mountains. I've experienced at least a few.

For example, when we were camped at Rollins Pass, a group came up and started shooting a semi-auto all over the place (including right over where we were sleeping). 3-4 am I think? When we went to ask them if they would stop shooting in our direction, I still feel lucky their boxer (someone eventually restrained it) didn't tear us apart.

You can read about the incidence below from the person whom I was climbing with:

http://www.summitpost.org/the-devil-s-r ... ven/170264" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Although less intimidating, many 14ers.com member can also attest to the middle of the night shooting experience at South Colony during the Humboldt gathering.

I'd bet than any of those incidences would have been broadcasted all over national and international news if they happened on Everest.

Such incidences in the recent Everest story do happen, just as incidences in Colorado also happen, but overall, it seems that they are somewhat rare. They will make the news when happening on Everest, but not on other places. Yes, @#$% does happen on Everest, but it happens other places as well, including Colorado.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by viejo »

[quote="aboynamedmargrette"]

"EDIT: An interview with Ueli Steck regarding his POV on the events. I would LOVE to see something from the sherpa's side as well."

Garrett Madison, an AAI guide has provided his narrative of events which appears in ExplorersWeb and also on Alan Arnettes blog. It provides perhaps something closer to the perspective of the Sherpa teams that were fixing ropes.

Not sure that we'll ever know which narrative is closer to the truth, nor if it's really our business to know. Either way, there you go...
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Alpineair »

Here's the link for that.
http://www.explorersweb.com/offsite/?so ... 2F&lang=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Alpineair »

I meant to type Ms. Arnot, sorry.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Wooly Stick »

Oh vell, I go to da Andes now.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by jeremy27 »

Wooly Stick wrote:Oh vell, I go to da Andes now.
=D>
Bravo.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by Steve Climber »

Wooly Stick wrote:Oh vell, I go to da Andes now.
so good.
Dave B wrote:And/or line thy helmet with tin foil and realize this is a freaking mountaineering website.
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Re: Fisticuffs at 7,000ft (Everest)

Post by uwe »

Hmmm, new gear requirements: boxing gloves?
Anybody thinking about climbing Mt. Everest Northeast Ridge via Tibet in 2015?
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