ArchieMoses

Because 90% of incidents occur during Takeoff and Landing and they want your undivided attention should something go wrong.

• Do you feel that the Sherpa's are adequately compensated for the work they do and dangers they face?
• How do you feel about the commercialization of the mountain? Long lines of people who could never try on their own, etc?
• What sort of fitness regimen would you recommend for somebody trying to get into climbing?

Do you believe their is life within our solar system? Bacteria, etc?

Congrats on the accomplishment and thanks for the input.

Firstly, Sherpa are a people not a job. They live in the mountains. They have many jobs, many roles. They have lived there for generations. Probably having crossed the Himalayas. I tried to learn as much about them and befriend them as I could both on the trek in, and at base camp. It was a wonderful and enlightening experience and one of the true treasures of the trip for me. When we came to leave we were asked to leave a tip for the Sherpa involved with supporting our expedition. There were guidelines given to us as a group, but ultimately our choice. The Sherpa working have many different jobs, they often start as porters carrying equipment. They then can get promoted into porters carrying equipment further up the mountain - including the dangerous Khumbu icefall where many died not long ago. The climbing Sherpa can end up earning what equates to a vast amount of money for local conditions.

And a remarkable people they are.

What I was referring to was free climbing to set up fixed ropes, climbing with extension ladders strapped to their backs, etc. It seems fantastic that they can make ten times the local average salary, but would anybody ask an average westerner to do what they do for $4,000/month?

The usual response is that it's considerably better fare than they could expect without commercial climbing, but isn't that the same argument sweatshops make?

I often see people talking about the commercialization of Everest as a bad thing for the locals, but I wonder how many who criticize it stop to think how to economically help the Sherpa people if Everest tourism was to be stopped. I know, myself, after the tragedy on the Khumbu in 2014 I donated tens of thousands of dollars to the families involves.

I agree, it seems like the local equivalent of a tourism industry. Not trying to suggest that it should be stopped, just that the way it's portrayed in the media and the eyes of some writers it seems like it's turning into something of a circus? I don't know, maybe it's bias from watching stuff like Everest beyond the limit.

For conditioning, best thing you can do is mountaineering! In the end, I actually did nothing. I still had latent fitness left over from my days in the Army but in the end what got me up their was mental determination, listening to the staff and guides, and excellent logistics. The people who want to "do it own their own" actually end up endangering lives. Everest is a mostly a challenge of logistics. We ended up giving away oxygen to "hipster climbers" who were there not using guides but hiring local porters.

Yeah, no dreams of anything that big for me. I'm looking at the local 12,000 footers in awe, I've been up to six or seven thousand on trails and a little bit of scrambling, but nothing technical, no glacier crossing, etc. Seems to me to be mostly cardio and willpower, not a lot of strength required?

He doesn't appear to be answering any questions.