Mountain Project Logo

Ueli Steck and Simone Moro attacked by sherpas on Everest

Original Post
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-2…

"The climbers believe that the lead Sherpa felt that his pride had been damaged as the climbers were moving unroped and much faster,"
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

And Jon Griffith, who is the man

James Xu · · Moab · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 283

inb4 Everest debate rises from the dead.

M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911

putting a group of people in harms way deserves a good beating.

news.sky.com/story/1084165/…

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

Are you saying they deserved it? From what I can tell they didn't put anyone in harms way by soloing next to a sherpa fixing a rope...

If anything they were lessening the bottleneck at these fixed ropes by blasting on ahead, making the entire situation less dangerous. Methinks the sherpa didn't like looking like an amateur next to people from Switzerland, Italy, and Britain.

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

The article, at least in the smartphone version, didn't mention the south col (trade route) route. Are you sure they were on the "standard" route that is notorious for getting backed up? I'm just curious.

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520

I'm not sure...one article suggested they were trying a new route, so I have no idea. Maybe someone with some Everest experience or knowledge of the sherpas can chime in

txclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 10

From what I've read, Hell yes they deserved it. The Sherpas were putting up fixed lines, which I'm sure each of those chumps have used dozens of times. They asked the Stecks' crew to wait until they had this tasked completed. They told the Sherpas to f-off and went around and above them on a new unclimbed route. During this selfish move they were kicking ice and snow on the sherpas and everyone below them, risking avalanche and killing everyone beneath them. I would have taken them to task as well.

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
thebmc.co.uk/into-the-death…

Written by Ed Douglas

I don't buy the whole "they risked everyone's lives" argument. Most of the people going up Everest are in the congo-line anyway, above, below, in between groups of hundreds. I doubt 3 of the best climbers in the world were recklessly knocking ice down on the guided groups and sherpas...I feel that they are probably pretty respectful
GonnaBe · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 135
Ben Brotelho wrote:https://www.thebmc.co.uk/into-the-death-threat-zone Written by Ed Douglas I don't buy the whole "they risked everyone's lives" argument. Most of the people going up Everest are in the congo-line anyway, above, below, in between groups of hundreds. I doubt 3 of the best climbers in the world were recklessly knocking ice down on the guided groups and sherpas...I feel that they are probably pretty respectful
Then also consider that the Sherpas are certainly aware of how they earn their income and I doubt that someone leading a team of them to fix lines would risk their livlihood and the wellbeing of their family lightly. When's the last time you organized a mob to lynch somebody because your pride got hurt? There's got to be two sides to this story almost certainly.
M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911
txclimber wrote:From what I've read, Hell yes they deserved it. The Sherpas were putting up fixed lines, which I'm sure each of those chumps have used dozens of times. They asked the Stecks' crew to wait until they had this tasked completed. They told the Sherpas to f-off and went around and above them on a new unclimbed route. During this selfish move they were kicking ice and snow on the sherpas and everyone below them, risking avalanche and killing everyone beneath them. I would have taken them to task as well.
It takes quite a bit to get an average Buddhist involved in a beat down. I can only imagine the real story here.

Who would you equate HUGE egos with, rich white dudes or Buddhist Sherpas?
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
Wannabe wrote: Then also consider that the Sherpas are certainly aware of how they earn their income and I doubt that someone leading a team of them to fix lines would risk their livlihood and the wellbeing of their family lightly. When's the last time you organized a mob to lynch somebody because your pride got hurt? There's got to be two sides to this story almost certainly.
The other night at the bar someone called me ugly so I got a nice little lynch mob together to beat them up. Just kidding.

I'm sure there is another side of the story, unfortunately I don't think many of the sherpas are on the interwebs very much, so we may not hear it, at least directly.
txclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 10
Ben Brotelho wrote:https://www.thebmc.co.uk/into-the-death-threat-zone Written by Ed Douglas I don't buy the whole "they risked everyone's lives" argument. Most of the people going up Everest are in the congo-line anyway, above, below, in between groups of hundreds. I doubt 3 of the best climbers in the world were recklessly knocking ice down on the guided groups and sherpas...I feel that they are probably pretty respectful
This assumes they were on the same well traveled "congo-line" every article I've read states they were attempting a new, unclimbed route. Every new route I've ever been on has loose rock/snow/ice and unforeseen, unpredictable dangers. You must consider the whole picture not just that which supports your argument.
Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
Fall Guy wrote: It takes quite a bit to get an average Buddhist involved in a beat down. I can only imagine the real story here. Who would you equate HUGE egos with, rich white dudes or Buddhist Sherpas?
Never met a Buddhist Sherpa, so I have no idea. Just being from a typically Buddhist population or group of people, or even professing to follow that religion doesn't mean you actually adhere to the tenets of said religion. Just look at the Westboro Baptist Church
Ross Henry · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 55

Considering we know nothing about the sherpas, and we know a considerably a lot about the Europeans, we know that the Europeans are known well for there etiquette in the mountains. the articles even say, that Ueli attempted to help them with there line fixing.

I have been passed both in the mountains and rock climbing, people have gone under my ropes or over. I dont think that they deserve to die because they did this.

Alex Washburne · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 65

Ueli Steck is at it again, pioneering a new brand of alpinism fitting for the 21st century. Known for his dramatic fast and light free-solo of the Eiger's north face, and more recently for combining paragliding with mountaineering to make for YOLO descents of challenging peaks, Ueli is now pushing the limit of 21st century athletics by combining mountaineering with battle-royale cage fighting... on Everest.

Patrick Vernon · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 965

I wonder if they were mistaken for the Wolfroms?

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Usually there is a cohesion (from all the accounts/books I've read, never from working with sherpas) between the climbers proper and the sherpas.

Hopefully this isn't a sign of a negative turn in the relationship between climber and sherpa.

csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330

I don't know what happened, but I do know that we'll almost certainly have a bunch of internet armchair climbers who have never left their country, met a Sherpa, or climbed above 6000m (let alone 8000m)tell us all about what happened and/or let us know lame it is to "walk up" Everest anyway!

Ben Brotelho · · Albany, NY · Joined May 2011 · Points: 520
csproul wrote:I don't know what happened, but I do know that we'll almost certainly have a bunch of internet armchair climbers who have never left their country, met a Sherpa, or climbed above 6000m (let alone 8000m)tell us all about what happened and/or let us know lame it is to "walk up" Everest anyway!
I am writing this from the comfort of a wheeled library chair, but the other allegations are correct. I hope someone with some more knowledge of the culture up there can say some words and clear the air.
Patrick Vernon · · Grand Junction, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 965

Aww csproul, if everyone around here was just, fair, and correct in their assessment of the world this place would be boring. I like reading the dissenting arguments and trolls even if I disagree.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
Post a Reply to "Ueli Steck and Simone Moro attacked by sherpas…"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.