14ers.com

eagrnnr wrote:I agree that the amount of people on Everest is a problem, but some people seem to be putting them down for even wanting to do Everest. What's so bad about wanting to climb something? Who cares if it isn't some cutting edge climb? I've been hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park for nearly a decade, and the entire time Long's Peak has been looming over me. I want to know what it's like to see the world from that summit. I want to test myself against the mountain, and see if it will grant me a few minutes up top. Is that so bad? Who cares if a lot of people want to climb it? That doesn't make it less special. (Although, I don't like peak baggers at the same time)

Also, on the subject that it should be illegal to have that many people on a mountain. You try telling an amazingly poor nation that one of its main money makers is going to be restricted by outside forces. It won't go over too well. Noble intentions, and I hate to see this many people spoiling the mountain, but Nepal needs the money. They will not do a single thing about this.

I'll climb Longs with you anytime. Let me know.

cwm191 wrote:

wegerje wrote:Conga line. Congo is the country name.

Are you sure? I thought it was book by Michael Crichton and a movie with Tim Curry

The legend of the white ape is true!

Alan Arnette wrote:

eagrnnr wrote:I agree that the amount of people on Everest is a problem, but some people seem to be putting them down for even wanting to do Everest. What's so bad about wanting to climb something? Who cares if it isn't some cutting edge climb? I've been hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park for nearly a decade, and the entire time Long's Peak has been looming over me. I want to know what it's like to see the world from that summit. I want to test myself against the mountain, and see if it will grant me a few minutes up top. Is that so bad? Who cares if a lot of people want to climb it? That doesn't make it less special. (Although, I don't like peak baggers at the same time)

Also, on the subject that it should be illegal to have that many people on a mountain. You try telling an amazingly poor nation that one of its main money makers is going to be restricted by outside forces. It won't go over too well. Noble intentions, and I hate to see this many people spoiling the mountain, but Nepal needs the money. They will not do a single thing about this.

I'll climb Longs with you anytime. Let me know.

Alan, it would be quite the pleasure!

Jim Davies wrote:So would Vern Tejas: http://7summits.com/statistics/Tejas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Vernon Tejas' poise and overtly gentle nature seem incongruous with the challenges he presents himself. From riding his bike up Aconcagua (the site of Vernon barreling down 22,835' of the highest mountain in the Americas must have caused quite a stir) to paragliding off Mt. Elbrus, Europe's highest point, he takes his ventures very seriously and with calculated risk.

I'm wondering--has anyone biked all of the Colorado 14ers yet, from the trailhead to the summit and back?

The majesty of the mountain cannot be transformed, only abused.
I personally plan to climb Everest one day, but I'm in no hurry so long as I've got Colorado's greatness in my back yard. (Not to mention of course, the dollar amount )
My heart goes out to those families and individuals. Success can come with a great cost, and in the grand scheme of things, capitol is not of real value. Not in this case. I cannot condemn another person's endeavor for it is not my place, I can only point out the fact that it sucks people died trying to do something they wanted to.
Call it bragging rights, call it what you will, but do you not think they were explained of the danger before the start of the expedition???

I guess you could say it's like marching into war without bullets (for an inexperienced person to climb Everest), but if they really wanted it, I hope they were willing to die for it. Because Mountains like Everest simply demand that type of dedication.

Seriously, you'd have to be quite simple minded to think climbing Everest is a guaranteed walk in the park.
I salute the people who tragically died after getting to where they were going: The top of the World.

All things aside, the day I'm heading up, you can bet your a** I'm willing to die to get there....

I'm not jealous of the money spent. Lord knows I have at least $65k of junk in my basement! What puts me off is that the majority(not all) of the people on that mountain seem to be there with feelings of entitlement rather than passion. IMO
To put almost any of those people who are on Everest right now in a classification of mountaineer or adventurerer would be wrong.
Would you put Ashton Kutcher is the same classification as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin just because he paid the $200k to go into space for fifteen minutes?
I'm more jealous of the fact they are able to get the time off work! I work for a large company in Boulder, and even if I had the $50K+ to climb Everest, my job only allows an hourly scumbag like myself to take 9 consecutive days off work. NO exceptions for any hourly employee, unless you can somehow classify it as FMLA.

winmag4582001 wrote:What puts me off is that the majority(not all) of the people on that mountain seem to be there with feelings of entitlement rather than passion. IMO

I'm curious how you came up with that opinion? Seems like a big assumption to make of a large group of people that you couldn't possibly know all of.

JB99 wrote:

winmag4582001 wrote:What puts me off is that the majority(not all) of the people on that mountain seem to be there with feelings of entitlement rather than passion. IMO

I'm curious how you came up with that opinion? Seems like a big assumption to make of a large group of people that you couldn't possibly know all of.

opinion........ that's why I didnt claim it as a statistical fact.
I also have the opinion that Ashton Kutcher is not an astronaut no matter how much he pays to get into space. :D

14erFred wrote: I'm wondering--has anyone biked all of the Colorado 14ers yet, from the trailhead to the summit and back?

Impossible. And possibly not allowed- not sure on that one.

djkest wrote:

14erFred wrote: I'm wondering--has anyone biked all of the Colorado 14ers yet, from the trailhead to the summit and back?

Impossible. And possibly not allowed- not sure on that one.

not impossible...definitely not allowed on a lot of them, especially longs.

Death rate for climbing CO 14ers: 1 in 75,000
21st century death rate for climbing Everest: 1 in 50
Some 8000m peaks are much worse than Everest

Wow. Reading some the comments blew me away.

If I want to pay someone to guide me up a mountain, and both of us understands that there is a risk of death, then what's the big deal???

And furthermore, who's to say its cheating to use fixed ropes, how does that take away from the accompplishment??? I'm climbing to get to the top, so please don't tell me what is or isn't an accomplishment for me.

I think there are just waaaay too many nosey people butting in where they shouldn't. If you feel crappy climbers are a risk to you and your team, then choose a different route.