NYT: For Female Climbers, Dangers Go Beyond Avalanches and Storms

"Women are increasingly reporting sexual harassment and abuse in the sport, including accusations against the renowned climber Nirmal Purja"

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/sports/mountaineering-sexual-harassment-abuse-nims-purja.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wE0.zu6h.DKmiixRrhGbx 

Also includes some discussion (nothing that we didn't already know) about Barrett. 

if you don't have a times subscription, here's a gift article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/sports/mountaineering-sexual-harassment-abuse-nims-purja.html?u2g=c&unlocked_article_code=1.wE0.Gp_4.FltrosGlAqg9&smid=url-share

I thought the link I posted was a gift article.... maybe I'm dumb. Anyway, thanks for the additional links, folks. 

Kate Michelle wrote:

I thought the link I posted was a gift article.... maybe I'm dumb. Anyway, thanks for the additional links, folks. 

You did post a link to an article I was able to read without a subscription. Unless you updated since I clicked. You aren’t dumb, you are just in a “Men Explain Things To Me” type world. Thanks for the clickable link to an interesting article.

Tom England wrote:

Gift articles cannot be read by multiple people because once someone clicks the link the gift is used up. 

Stop explaining things man!

Don no one even explained anything they just posted additional gift links chrissake

Tom England wrote:

Gift articles cannot be read by multiple people because once someone clicks the link the gift is used up. 

This does not seem to be true.

NYT states here (https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360060848652-Gift-Articles-for-New-York-Times-Subscribers) that:

You can share each gift article with multiple recipients

Kate's link works for me btw and I'm not a subscriber. It works for me in incognito mode on different computers and it's obvious that gift articles can in fact be read by multiple people.

It is sad that the only comments here are about the link, though I get it, a hard topic to talk about. Thank you to those who came forward. We know that there are many who didn't.

Do better guys.

There's a similar thread over at UKC. 

I posted over there, but I'll just cut-and-paste my comments here.

It will be interesting to see is how his sponsors react. 

Reading the article, I was struck by how similar these stories are to so, so, so many others. 

Now the whole circus will begin: accusations, counter-accusations, protests about innocent until proven guilty, claims of racial bias, culture wars, and so on.

But in the end...do we really have any doubt?

Dissapointing, frustrating, infuriating.

Also to add: the whole guide-client relationship, especially on a mountain like Everest, with all that is involved (big money, teams, sponsors, etc) seem like the perfect power-dynamics for this kind of thing to happen.  The famous guides are powerful, the female clients will likel;y not be beleived, and so on.

Bruno Schull wrote:

Reading the article, I was struck by how similar these stories are to so, so, so many others. 

Now the whole circus will begin: accusations, counter-accusations, protests about innocent until proven guilty, claims of racial bias, culture wars, and so on.

You forgot "locker room talk."

Totally agree with you, Bruno. It's horrifying how common these stories are. And they're the tip of the iceberg. 

Bruno Schull wrote:

Also to add: the whole guide-client relationship, especially on a mountain like Everest, with all that is involved (big money, teams, sponsors, etc) seem like the perfect power-dynamics for this kind of thing to happen.  The famous guides are powerful, the female clients will likel;y not be beleived, and so on.

Completely agree, Bruno. Someone compared the power dynamic here to something like a doctor/patient relationship - clients lives are literally in the hands of guides. Add to that the imbalance of fame and clout here and it was truly ripe for abuse. 

Bruno Schull wrote:

There's a similar thread over at UKC. 

I posted over there, but I'll just cut-and-paste my comments here.

It will be interesting to see is how his sponsors react. 

Reading the article, I was struck by how similar these stories are to so, so, so many others. 

Now the whole circus will begin: accusations, counter-accusations, protests about innocent until proven guilty, claims of racial bias, culture wars, and so on.

But in the end...do we really have any doubt?

Dissapointing, frustrating, infuriating.

Also to add: the whole guide-client relationship, especially on a mountain like Everest, with all that is involved (big money, teams, sponsors, etc) seem like the perfect power-dynamics for this kind of thing to happen.  The famous guides are powerful, the female clients will likel;y not be beleived, and so on.

I'd argue that the same power dynamic can happen to new climbers everywhere, not just in mountaineering/guiding coz climbing relies heavily on direct mentorship. Now I always warn the newer climbers about this (think twice about the intention and quality of your "mentors", don't blindly trust them in intellectually and emotionally), and myself not to exploit it. 

Stoked Weekend Warrior wrote:

I'd argue that the same power dynamic can happen to new climbers everywhere, not just in mountaineering/guiding coz climbing relies heavily on direct mentorship. Now I always warn the newer climbers about this (think twice about the intention and quality of your "mentors", don't blindly trust them in intellectually and emotionally), and myself not to exploit it. 

Well, yes, but it's much more stark if a person is literally dependent on their guide or mentor for their LIFE. Or if there are decisions the guide can make like who gets to go on the summit push or not. High stakes, high-cost mountaineering like Everest seems particularly ripe for this kind of abuse. 

Andrew Rice wrote:

Well, yes, but it's much more stark if a person is literally dependent on their guide or mentor for their LIFE. Or if there are decisions the guide can make like who gets to go on the summit push or not. High stakes, high-cost mountaineering like Everest seems particularly ripe for this kind of abuse. 

It’s literally “the implication” from IASIP

Lots of interesting background here:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/ukc/the_new_york_times_publishes_sexual_harrassment_and_abuse_accusations_against_nirmal_purja-771548ommunity

Some conclusions:

1) Sounds like this has been going on for some time and was a bit of an open secret. 

2) Nims might not be Gods Gift to the Sherpa Community as he is always protrayed.

3) He seems like an awfull human, for lots of reasons.

@ Nick, 

Dude...you need to read the article.  

You can talk about differences in culture and experience all you like, but these stories have nothing to do with anything you wrote.  

We're not talking about comments that make people feel uncomfortable...we're talking about sexual assault, getting into tents with women and forcing himself on them, getting women into rooms and masturbating in front of them, and so on.  

Additionaly, what you write is an excuse for soliders and others with a military background to assault and abuse others.  Do you think all veterans would support your views?  

There's a difference between respect and support for veterans, and recognizing and punishing predatory behavior.

Last, I call you out for macho posing. I think it makes you feel like a "hard man" to write the way you do, and I think you are waaaayyy of base.

Bruno Schull wrote:

Lots of interesting background here:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/ukc/the_new_york_times_publishes_sexual_harrassment_and_abuse_accusations_against_nirmal_purja-771548ommunity

Some conclusions:

1) Sounds like this has been going on for some time and was a bit of an open secret. 

2) Nims might not be Gods Gift to the Sherpa Community as he is always protrayed.

3) He seems like an awfull human, for lots of reasons.

The ukclimbing site appears to be blocked atm. 

Great to read that a lot of high profile mtn athletes are supporting the women reporting Nims abuse. 

https://explorersweb.com/climbing-community-reacts-to-nyt-article-on-nirmal-purja/

Nick, you sound clueless (and I guess you agree since you’ve deleted your post … Nick B, btw. :-)

Hi Terry, 

I just tried the link, and it seems to be working for me, but I'm in Europe, so maybe that plays a role?

Anyway, if you go to UKC I think the article/newstory with accompanying contributions is on the home page with the title:

NEWS: The New York Times publishes Sexual Harassment and Abuse Accusations against Nirmal Pu

The comments there provide an enormous amount of background information. 

Bruno, I'm in Europe too now. Found access this way to the UK Climbing site: https://archive.ph/KjVSx

This is an interesting story mentioned there:

https://www.michaelkobold.com/post/the-harvey-weinstein-of-mountaineering

Bruno Schull wrote:

Do you think all veterans would support your views?  

I'm a veteran and I do not support those views.  Those are the same views that have allowed sexual assault to cause so much damage within the ranks of the Armed Forces.  

Dunno if Nick Budka deleted his own post or if the mods did, but he needs to get his head out of his ass. It's exactly that type of thinking that perpetuates a culture of rape, whether its in Yosemite or the Solukhumbu. Color me shocked that he's been accused of sexual harassment himself. 

The Outside article is from 2022 and has probably been discussed on MP. (Sorry, I don’t know how to share a gift article because I don’t care to learn.)  NYT doesn’t provide much detail on Barrett’s attacks and how he was caught.  The Outside story covers violent episodes: beware.

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/guidebook-author-arrested-sexual-assault-yosemite/