Time to un-bolt Mount Everest?

Is anyone sick of the stories of traffic jams on Mount Everest from all the high altitude tourists? I think we need to raise funds and have those fellows that chopped the Compressor route go to Everst and pull the ladder from the Hilary step. After all you aren't free climbing if you use a ladder and its obviously damn difficult to get around it if you are willing to stand in line for hours freezing to death just to use it.

I wonder how many people have free climbed Everest?

thedailybeast.com/articles/…

Couldn't agree more, but will it happen? Hell no. Too much money, and not enough people like Russel Brice.

I'm pretty sure I once read that the actual climbing required on Everest is no harder than 5.6, it's just the lack of oxygen that makes it difficult.

Uhhh... someone way more qualified than me can respond to this thread:

"Who really cares about the trash up there (have you ever been to India or Nepal where a rubbish dump is called ‘the other side of your garden wall’!). Who’s bothered about the fixed ropes, pegs and bolts apart from those who see them and have to trust them? You can’t rape a mountain you idiot, only an idea, and when that idea is simply “X is higher than Y” then who cares?"

andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/v…

i just realized that more money is spent each year climbing everest than some countries GDP's.

slim wrote:i just realized that more money is spent each year climbing everest than some countries GDP's.

Yup, check out page 2 of this
mountainguides.com/pdf/Ever…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_W…

Conrad Anker said it went at like 5.10. And Leo Houlding said it felt 5.9 but he was on TR.

The shit storm post ripping the ladder off would be worth it in and of itself! Considering the jokers that have bought their way up that thing the accomplishment has certainly been deminished. Now, when peoeple are asked "Why?" they say "Because I'm rich and bored."

The Dread Pirate Killis wrote:I'm with you, Nick. I'd take ladders down just to go down in history as "that guy." Maybe I could get you+Ken Nichols to sign on to a Fuck All Posers Worldwide Everest expedition, we could trundle anything not made of snow, ice, or rock off. EPIC TRUNDLE! Really though, Everest sounds a lot like Rifle crossed with a Mormon swimming pool-just gene pool draincatch fiesta, kinda hard to want to be there even to bum out the tourons. Ya think they'll get a solar-powered escalator up there eventually?

since you bring up your idol Ken Nichols Killis, tell us which 5.12!!!!SPORT route it was that Misty saw you furiously hangdogging on. would Ken have been hangdogging at a sport crag?

rging wrote:Is anyone sick of the stories of traffic jams on Mount Everest from all the high altitude tourists? I think we need to raise funds and have those fellows that chopped the Compressor route go to Everst and pull the ladder from the Hilary step. After all you aren't free climbing if you use a ladder and its obviously damn difficult to get around it if you are willing to stand in line for hours freezing to death just to use it. I wonder how many people have free climbed Everest? thedailybeast.com/articles/…

Classic arm chair mountainerring - ranting - confusion of "Steps" on the north and south sides of Everest. Thinking bolts are involved. Why don't you all read a little more and post a little less? At least until you can get a few facts straight.

Who cares if they are "free climbing" it? You are welcome to climb it without the ladders, if you choose.

Come to think of it, this whole rock climbing thing is too dangerous. Inherently so. :)

Conrad was on the second step on the north ridge, not on the Hilary step... they both have ladders for the tourests though. Trundle away. How did you know I was in an arm chair?

Alpine or seige tactics both still in use. The problem is that too many non-mountaineers can afford the huge price tag and get to go no matter what. Dragged up/down Everest is nothing to brag about it seems. Just too many people per season now days, pre monsoon at least.

They'd better not mess with that ladder, way too many insurance conferences will be deprived of a keynote speaker.

camhead wrote: andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/v…

By far the best thing I've read written by a climber in a long time.
I think that Andy, in a lot of ways, touches on many of the arguments going on in the climbing world with what he says.

Makes me think of an old quote about the realm of academia.
"The battles are so fierce because the stakes are so low." -HK

matt davies wrote:They'd better not mess with that ladder, way too many insurance conferences will be deprived of a keynote speaker.

Best comment ever.

Has anyone noticed battlenet is down? wtf already Blizz?

Some admin appears to be either butthurt or responding to a brah's butthurtedness. As The Proj Turns.

The Dread Pirate Killis wrote:Is it bad if I hangdog a 5.3 and someone sees it?

I whipped on Kiener's (off) Route- true story.

cool I finally have a fan in my club, welcome killis! if you would like I'll send you more pics of myself in Maple, AF, Ibex, Joes Valley, the Gunks AND Indian Creek to save you the time of stalking me. just PM me bro, let the haters hate!

Just curious, but how many folks in this thread have been above 20K before? I'm guessing none.