11 people have died in the past 10 days on Mt. Everest due to overcrowding.

[Goat]

NEW DELHI — Ed Dohring, a doctor from Arizona, had dreamed his whole life of reaching the top of Mount Everest. But when he summited a few days ago, he was shocked by what he saw.
Climbers were pushing and shoving to take selfies. The flat part of the summit, which he estimated at about the size of two Ping-Pong tables, was packed with 15 or 20 people. To get up there, he had to wait hours in a line, chest to chest, one puffy jacket after the next, on an icy, rocky ridge with a several-thousand foot drop.
He even had to step around the body of a woman who had just died.
“It was scary,” he said by telephone from Kathmandu, Nepal, where he was resting in a hotel room. “It was like a zoo.”
This has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Everest, with at least 11 deaths. And at least some seem to have been avoidable.

The problem hasn’t been avalanches, blizzards or high winds. Veteran climbers and industry leaders blame having too many people on the mountain, in general, and too many inexperienced climbers, in particular.

‘It Was Like a Zoo’: Death on an Unruly, Overcrowded Everest (Published 2019)

This has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons on the world’s highest peak. Veteran climbers blame increased permits for climbers, including many who are inexperienced.

www.nytimes.com

Madness.

 

[verreauxi]

It's insane that these rich narcissistic instagram a-holes are getting as much media attention as other actual tragedies that are occuring day to day.

(edit: not to detract from your thread and all)

 

[navidson]

Bellends

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

 

[Walken]

At least they died doing what they loved, queuing up on a big snowy hill

 

[Kurt.]

There’s people dying there for the first time of their lives

 

[Osamabindiesel]

A lot of these national parks have gotten a bit sad. I feel sorry for the ones that actually see these as romantic journeys- there is such a high volume of people that any hint of accomplishment/adventure is dead.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Madness.

Discussed this with someone a few days ago. I get the allure of Summitting Everest, although it doesn’t appeal to me. But this is madness. And while I don’t wish death on anyone fulfilling a desire like this, I give about 0 Fs. This same will happen with early commercial space flight.

Of course a solution is to charge more and limit permits. And bring in a 2nd Starbucks so the line is shorter.

 

[Nymzee]

It’s not quite the achievement it once was IMO and is just now for those with a few pennies. My work mate did the base camp and said all you ended up doing was stood queuing to move to the next spot.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

It'll be Snowdon next. Or maybe the cafe and train help?

 

[anjelikaferrett]

Watch the film Everest about the 1996 expeditions when 8 people died. It's a decent movie but the thing I took away from it was that Everest is littered with dead bodies, and some are now markers for how far up you are. There's one poor person called Green Boots -" the name given to the unidentified corpse of a climber that became a landmark on the main Northeast ridge route" I also discovered this after watching the film: "Around 26,000 ft up the historic peak lies The Danger Zone. Why is it called The Danger Zone? Due to the fact that oxygen levels at that altitude are so low the human body simply cannot survive unaided. Sadly when climbers don’t have enough supplementary oxygen they will slowly suffocate and die. As a result, Mt. Everest is littered with the mummified remains of climbers that did not complete the trek to the top of the mountain, or faced challenges on their way back down. This specific region has gained the nickname “The Rainbow Valley” in reference to the brightly coloured clothing worn by the unfortunate climbers"

Can't see the attraction myself.

 

[chrismpw]

All these people responding to the attraction of doing something that few people have ever achieved..... and joining an enormous queue to do it.

To me the pull would be to achieve that and bask in the solitude of being on the top of the world. No chance of that, so no attraction. If I were so inclined I'd be hearing off to K2 with a step ladder or two to make the peak taller.

 

[GrumpyBlue]

RIP Seamus Lawless.

One of the recently lost and one of 'us'

 

[anton66]

There’s people dying there for the first time of their lives

I bet they won't go back.

 

[COYBL25]

It’s not quite the achievement it once was IMO and is just now for those with a few pennies. My work mate did the base camp and said all you ended up doing was stood queuing to move to the next spot.

My brother did the base camp a few years ago for charity.

He trained really hard for it and said it was a major disappointment, due to the sheer numbers of people , the incredible amounts of litter and also the fact that there was piles of sh1t literally everywhere.