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?