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gdthomas wrote: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.
I think good for her. She could waste that money many more annoying ways in my opinion. I hope she pulls it off. However, she likely won't gain much respect from the climbing community as a guided trip takes about 80% of the difficulty away from a climb. Many mountain dabblers touting their accomplishments don't get that.
RoanMtnMan wrote:a guided trip takes about 80% of the difficulty away from a climb.
That varies based on location, outfitter, trip type, duration, etc.
Sometimes it involves (from what I've read) having tents set up for you, food cooked, gear hauled, water brewed, etc. Other times it is no different than going with a more experienced partner to belay you on the hard pitches.
RoanMtnMan wrote:a guided trip takes about 80% of the difficulty away from a climb.
That varies based on location, outfitter, trip type, duration, etc.
Sometimes it involves (from what I've read) having tents set up for you, food cooked, gear hauled, water brewed, etc. Other times it is no different than going with a more experienced partner to belay you on the hard pitches.
Yes, I should have clarified, I was speaking about big mountain expeditions, as was the topic.
RoanMtnMan wrote:I think good for her. She could waste that money many more annoying ways in my opinion. I hope she pulls it off. However, she likely won't gain much respect from the climbing community as a guided trip takes about 80% of the difficulty away from a climb. Many mountain dabblers touting their accomplishments don't get that.
I agree with this. Although, she probably doesn't care what the "climbing community" thinks about her attempt or success. I think I'm just angry because of my failed attempt at La Plata Saturday. If I can't summit La Plata this lady shouldn't be able to summit Everest.
Good for her. If its her dream, then by all means go and get it. At least she's climbed Denali & Cho Oyu and likely has an idea of how her body handles higher altitudes. If these big guided commercial outfits didn't exist, its likely many climbers' dreams would not be realized on the big peaks. Guided or unguided - to each his/her own. I am friends with and have experienced many climbers/clients with much, much less experience than she. Hope she is safe & sucessful!
What was the point of this thread? This is armchair mountaineering, ThuChad. Unless you have other experience, why should 11 14ers make your opinion matter on what Mrs. Wedel wants to do?
ezabielski wrote:What was the point of this thread? This is armchair mountaineering, ThuChad. Unless you have other experience, why should 11 14ers make your opinion matter on what Mrs. Wedel wants to do?
Fair questions. To the first, the point of this thread... My gut feeling when I first read this article was "this is ridiculous". It scares me to think there are less prepared people that attempt Everest. I was wondering if my initial reaction was justified or if I'm just being a little too cynical. To the second... My opinion shouldn't matter to anyone but myself. Feel free to make your own judgement. I don't care what people on the interwebs think of me so Mrs. Wedel shouldn't either.
ezabielski wrote:What was the point of this thread? This is armchair mountaineering, ThuChad. Unless you have other experience, why should 11 14ers make your opinion matter on what Mrs. Wedel wants to do?
Fair questions. To the first, the point of this thread... My gut feeling when I first read this article was "this is ridiculous". It scares me to think there are less prepared people that attempt Everest. I was wondering if my initial reaction was justified or if I'm just being a little too cynical. To the second... My opinion shouldn't matter to anyone but myself. Feel free to make your own judgement. I don't care what people on the interwebs think of me so Mrs. Wedel shouldn't either.
Do you believe Edmund Hillary was experienced enough to attempt Everest? Before you answer, consider this - He was UNSUCCESSFUL in his 1952 attempt to climb Cho Oyu, one year before he stood on Everest's summit.
jbchalk wrote: If these big guided commercial outfits didn't exist, its likely many climbers' dreams would not be realized on the big peaks.
Think about all the legitimate AMGA and IFMGA guides that would never have the opportunity to climb big peaks. There aren't too many professional climbers that have the resources for an Everest permit. Much less a trip to Antarctica. Then the field of climbers on the worlds great peaks would be reduced to those that can climb, and have a ton of money. A very small number. I think that is a worse scenario than the way things currently are.
gdthomas wrote:Do you believe Edmund Hillary was experienced enough to attempt Everest? Before you answer, consider this - He was UNSUCCESSFUL in his 1952 attempt to climb Cho Oyu, one year before he stood on Everest's summit.
I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the info.
snowypeaks wrote:Link to the story from the Edmond, OK Sun: