Tuesday, May 22, 2012

This week on Mt Everest

There's lots of coverage of the events of last weekend on Mount Everest.

Outside Magazine's reporting has been superb; let me recommend this article as a starting point: FOUR CONFIRMED DEAD IN TWO DAYS ON EVEREST: Disaster strikes world's highest peak with only human error to blame.

Even now, two days after the chaotic events, the details are foggy. That's because of inherently poor communications and the fact that many climbers are so exhausted and woozy from their efforts at altitude that they have a hard time even remembering what happened during their own climbs, let alone those of their teammates and strangers. With radio communications further hampered by geology and an endless stream of information that’s difficult to verify, it would be easier to report on a moon landing.

My close friend Trudi, who was attempting this climb, but was not on one of the teams that climbed last weekend, has chosen to end her attempt and is on her way home. I'm sure she is sad to miss the summit, but we'll all be ecstatic to have her safely home again.

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