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EBC,

 

I'm not sure that walking past a person is a money thing. You could also say, wealthy people could afford to pay again to come back and it is the people who have to save for a coupleof years who would be less inclined to stop - perhaps they should ban poor people? ;\) -

 

Here is an article from today's Australian by another climber who was on the mountain that day:

 

Climbers dispute claim of desertion

D. D. McNicoll

May 26, 2006

THE climbers accused of leaving a stricken Englishman to die just below the summit of Mount Everest spent more than 90 minutes in a futile effort to revive him, putting their own safety at risk in the process, an Australian who reached the summit that day said last night.

Businessman Bob Killip, 52, from Kangaroo Valley in NSW, said British climber David Sharp was frozen from his knees and elbows down and had stripped off his jacket and gloves when they found him.

 

Mr Killip said that because Mr Sharp had climbed without Sherpa support, no one at the final camp on the mountain was aware he had failed to return on May 14.

 

"We climbed past him on the way up at about 2am on May 15 but we thought it was the body of a Polish climber who has been frozen there for years.

 

"We didn't know there was a climber missing."

 

Mr Killip said that later, as his group was headed back down from the summit, one of the climbers noticed signs of life.

 

"A bloke called Max, from Lebanon, saw he was alive and immediately started trying to give him oxygen," Mr Killip said.

 

"He wouldn't respond. He was frozen from the knees and elbows down and his jacket and gloves were off.

 

"Max spent 90 minutes with him but he eventually realised there was nothing we could do. He was devastated and he didn't want to leave him.

 

"Our Sherpas also gave him oxygen. They don't like death - and if they could have got him down, they would have.

 

"We were walking on ridges no wider than a row of bricks and if you slipped, you wouldn't stop for 3000 metres.

 

"To get someone down - even if it was your wife or your brother - would have been impossible."

 

Mr Killip, who was making his second attempt at scaling the world's highest mountain, said his expedition was already helping down two of its own climbers.

 

He said Mr Sharp, who was making his third attempt to climb Everest, had purchased infrastructure to take him to the base camp but had no one looking after him from then on.

 

"To blemish the reputations of 30 climbers by saying they didn't help is terrible," Mr Killip said, "We did everything we could."

 

Mr Killip's party included New Zealand double amputee Mark Inglis, the first man so handicapped to reach the summit.

 

Mr Sharp, 34, an engineer, had climbed alone, after leaving England on March 27 to travel to Everest's base camp. He had only two oxygen bottles, rather than the five carried by most climbers, and no Sherpa support.

 

Edmund Hillary, who was first to conquer Mount Everest 53 years ago, on Wednesday said the incident raised questions about the ethics of modern mountaineers. Sir Edmund said his expedition would never have left someone to die while they "plugged on towards the summit".

 

"I've got the utmost respect for Ed Hillary but someone has given him the wrong steer on this," Mr Killip said, "We wouldn't have abandoned one of our own party."

 

Mr Inglis arrived back in Christchurch yesterday to face criticism over the decision to leave Mr Sharp. Speaking to the media from a wheelchair, Mr Inglis said Mr Sharp did not have oxygen or proper gloves and that, at 8500m, it was extremely difficult to keep himself alive, let alone help anyone else.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by eskimobasecamp:
Here's a slighty more comprehensive write up of the events -

http://www.skiingmag.com/skiing/online_exclusive/article/0,12910,1196784,00.html
"There wasn't a lot of snow and Thomas's ski cracked behind the binding. Entering a snowfield further down, they tried to fix the ski using tape to make it more stable." eek.gif
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Yup, it's really hard to say what happened. The article says that other climbers saw him playing with his oxygen setup, but Inglis say's he didn't even have oxygen. He was obviously suffering from some type of altitude illness seeing how he stripped some of his clothing, which would most likely mean that he was climbing without oxygen to begin with especially since he didn't have sherpa support. They also said he started to climb the previous day, since most climbers start their summit attack very early morning he was most likely exposed for over 24hrs. without oxygen. If all that's true there would be a very, very slim chance for survival. Hillary said "In our expedition there was never any likelihood whatsoever if one member of the party was incapacitated that we would just leave him to die," That says it all right there, he says if any member of OUR party... It seems that most accidents on Everest has these problems where everyone is blaming everyone else, and nobody agrees on the facts just like in 96'.

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Damn it, wrote that post before seeing yours RD.

Great read, thanks for that article I can't believe he only took 2 bottles, it prolly would have been safer to use none at all due to the rapid loss of acclimatisation that would have occured when the gas ran out.

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Yup, used to be my life.

 

I've always been interested in climbing since I was a kid ****in around in trees. Moved to Colorado in Jr.high and went off, skippin school to go climbing for the rest of my school days. I try to take a trip at least once a year these days, but I've been section hiking the AT which has been eating up all my vacation.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Rag-Doll:
EBC,

I'm not sure that walking past a person is a money thing. You could also say, wealthy people could afford to pay again to come back and it is the people who have to save for a coupleof years who would be less inclined to stop - perhaps they should ban poor people? ;\) -
yo yo yo rag-doll... not quite what i'm saying, just commenting on the general scene on everest these days... and like i said i don't know anything about the people who were there that day. very interesting to read the account from the aussie paper.
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JPc

Really? I used to do quite a bit of rock climbing but didn't ever make the natural move on to mountaineering. Any thoughts about having a crack at Everest? What is/are the AT?

 

Sorry to be banging on about this climbing thing everyone, but this is pretty amazing, it's a follow up story about the Aussie guy, left for dead by his team the day before and who was found to be still alive by another team. Seems like another rescue attempt is being made. Most of it seems to be lifted from the mounteverest.com site.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/australian-climber-still-alive/2006/05/26/1148524861296.html

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The AT (Appalachian Trail) is a 3500km. hike from Georgia > Maine.

 

IMO the best thing to do is to join a mountaineering club, and take a mountaineering skills course which may be offered from that club and then get some climbing/glacial travel experience by climbing some smaller glaciated peaks over 6000m. Many say if you can go 6000m you can prolly go 8000m. Then follow the natural progression to bigger peaks. Lot's of amazing easier climbs in the Andes that would take you up to just under 7,000m. Since you have climbing experience maybe take a mountaineering skills course and attack the 7 summits working up to Everest. As far as just going to Everest and seeing what happens well it's def. been done before with success. If theres a will theres a way I guess. I def. want to have a go at Everest, but can't decide if I want to buy a house or climb Everest.

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BTW, I've heard theres a guy in Tokyo that's summited several 8000m peaks and has a buisness for High Altitude training using some crazy equipment in a chamber that replicates the high altitude experience. Can anyone type Japanese good enough to run a search on that? I can't find anything.

 

Googled this up, but I thought theres a permanent training center in Tokyo

http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka_e/highplace_e/07/07.html

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"but can't decide if I want to buy a house or climb Everest."

 

Mate, for me that decision was made long ago. That is why I say I used to do a lot of climbing. With a wife and young daughter these days, even without the dangers involved there isn't much chance of me reaching the mountain fun park. It might sound corny but if the life on the edge stuff means that I might miss out on seeing my baby grow up, then I'm happy to give it up.

 

The AT is quite a big thing in the States isn't it. How long will it take you to complete it? What's next, the Iditarod?

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I started my first section last spring, put in 2 mths., just got back from a 2mth. hike a couple weeks ago, and in late summer I'll finish. Then I'm gonna wait a year and thru-hike it in Spring 08'. The AT is a a bit popular in the states, but alot of people come from other countrys to hike it as well. It is a major commitment to through hike it taking most 6 mths. to finish it. After the AT in 08' I plan to hike the PCT from Canada to Mexico (4023 km.) in 09', and then onto the CDT, also from Canada - Mexico (4828 km.)in 10' The AT if def. the easiest one consisting mostly of rolling hills with many resupply spots.

 

Def. feel ya on the newfound values upon marriage, if I had a little one I too would surely settle way down, so I'm gonna wait abit.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by JPchucky:
BTW, I've heard theres a guy in Tokyo that's summited several 8000m peaks and has a buisness for High Altitude training using some crazy equipment in a chamber that replicates the high altitude experience. Can anyone type Japanese good enough to run a search on that? I can't find anything.

Googled this up, but I thought theres a permanent training center in Tokyo
http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka_e/highplace_e/07/07.html
you're not talking about naoki ishikawa are you?
http://www.straightree.com/
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Man, I could never do a triathalon though, I think that's amazing. I just love being on the trail taking my time meeting kind folk.

 

Yo cheese, Did you ever listen to String Cheese Incident? They must be right up your alley, and they're coming to Fuji Rock this year, I love that band.

 

EBC, Thanks that might be the guy. Even though I've been here for a third of my life, I can't read/speak any Japanese so... Did you hear that kids stay away from mass psychedelics!!!

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the stories on this article are changing rapidly that it sounds more like a cover up. too many people are saying too many different things. Climbing everest has now become a rich mans sport really, this event pretty much shows that.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Toque:
 Quote:
Originally posted by eskimobasecamp:
Here's a slighty more comprehensive write up of the events -

http://www.skiingmag.com/skiing/online_exclusive/article/0,12910,1196784,00.html
"There wasn't a lot of snow and Thomas's ski cracked behind the binding. Entering a snowfield further down, they tried to fix the ski using tape to make it more stable." eek.gif
I heard about Thomas training for Everest during the season. In his opening posts to his blog he mentions the great powder session in the 'dream forest' at Grand Montets. I was into the forest as well that day and had a blast, best day I have ever had on a snowboard. You can read his short blog from Dec 24th up until the recent bad news. This guy didn't just die trying, he died doing it. Although it is sad for his family, I admire people with that much commitment and courage to win. Same comments apply to another Chamonix man lost on Everest a few years back, Marco Siffredi.

http://everytrail.net/blog/tomas/2005/12/
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 Quote:
Originally posted by Fattwins:
the stories on this article are changing rapidly that it sounds more like a cover up. too many people are saying too many different things. Climbing everest has now become a rich mans sport really, this event pretty much shows that.
Yup, that's exactly what I was thinking as soon as I saw that article. Something seems a bit phishy confused.gif
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