Ski the Himalyas?

by Erik Olsen on

A very interesting post over at Luxist bout efforts to build a ski area in the Himalayas. Now, being the tallest mountains in the world, you might have thought that there were already gazillions of ski areas in these mountains, but it seems most of the really rich people who go to ski areas are in North America and Europe, so it hasn’t exactly been easy to get there. Also, when I say the Himalayas are high, I mean it. It’s one thing to get a headache when skiing Vail, which is at about 8,000 feet. It’s quite another thing to carve turns at 14,000 feet and above.

But folks are going to try anyway. The Himalayan Ski Village is the project of Alfred Ford, the great grandson of Henry Ford. He’s throwing cash and his name muscle at a $250 million project to create a five-star resort in the Kullu Valley. They got permits and the go ahead from the Himachal Pradesh state government and will begin work on the project by end of this year. They say it should take three years to complete.

Ignoring the Critically Sick on Everest

by Erik Olsen on

The effort to climb Everest takes much more than physical exertion. It also requires a lot of preparation and money. Peak fees to scale the tallest mountain in the world can run you more than $50,000. So is it a surprise that for some who climb the mountain, the site of an ailing person would get no more than just a glance? The fate of a British climber who died as other climbers passed him is an interesting case of how brutal and competitive climbing Everest can be.

Take a look at this piece at the Seattle Times that examines the fate of David Sharp, a 34 year-old British climber who, says the piece, sat in a stultified state as 40 or so climbers  haled themselves past him, some of whom had to be aware how badly off he was.  Says the piece, “the few who stopped to check on him – and at least one team did give him oxygen – said he was so near death there was nothing that could be done.”

Unfathomable callousness or reasonable behavior?

Sir Edmund Hillary Blasts Climbers Who Failed to Assist Dying Man

by Karen Walrond on

Erik Olsen told use yesterday of the three climbers who died on Everest recently — and Sir Edmund Hillary, the first climber to summit Everest, had strong words to say about it.

Sir Hillary today said that he was shocked that dozens of other climbers left a British mountaineer, David Sharp, to die while on their own treks on the mountain.  Apparently more than 40 other climbers are thought to have seen Sharp as he lay dying of oxygen deficiency.

“Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain,” said Hillary in an interview with the New Zealand press.

Three Everest Climbers Die

by Erik Olsen on

Mount Everest, the granddaddy of all mountains continues to claim victims. According to recent news, it looks like three climbers have died recently (this being the beginning of the big climbing season up there). Oddly, they died while descending..OK, that’s not THAT odd, but it sure seems rather tragic that they’d make it to the summit and then die on the way down. But it’s been a busy season so far. Last week, officials said 42 climbers took advantage of improved weather to reach the summit from its Nepalese side.

Hiking Everest, Sans Legs

by Erik Olsen on

All I can say is wow, double wow.

You’d think that climbing Everest is hard enough with all your limbs, but the guy in this story, a Mr. Mark Inglis climbed the mountain with no legs at all. The New Zealand-born double amputee lost both legs years ago in another climbing accident, one where he got frostbite and had to have the limbs removed. But rather than have that be some kind of deterrent, some kind of message that climbing is dangerous, very dangerous and perhaps you might find another vocation, this ballsy dude went ahead and reached the top of the tallest mountain in the world, no legs be damned. Amazing.