Annual Everest Thread: Well they always told me getting high was dangerous.

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Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Welcome to the neverending Something Awful Everest thread!

Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. 8848 metres of rock.

It was first knowingly ascended by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary in 1953. Since then more than 4000 people have summitted, and around 250 have died trying. A lot of those people are still up there, and have become landmarks for other hopeful climbers. The most notable one is known affectionately as 'Green boots', and resides in a cave close to the summit.

Dorje Morup aka Green Boots

There is a lot of controversy about the bodies on Everest, and every year people ask why they can't get the bodies down. For a start, even though climbing Everest is much 'easier' these days thanks to modern technology, you are still battling conditions at an altitude of cruising jets, with 30% of the oxygen you are used to. Your body is actively eating itself and you have to climb A fixed line that is also being used by loads of other climbers of varying skills, under an incredibly strict time window. It is not a place where rescues happen easily, let alone chipping decades old bodies from a rock face. The air is too thin for helicopters - the highest ever rescue took place in 2013 and that was a struggle at 7000 metres.

Everest has been a source of fascination for me since the first thread I read on SA back in 2011, and I have read and digested more than I care to remember.

A good place to start is to read 'Into thin air' by Jon Krakauer which is about one of the most famous years on Everest. 1996 was the year that 15 people died, 8 in one night when they were caught in a terrible storm. It was made into a tv movie and was made into a movie which wasn't quite as good as it could/would/should have been, but did have some Barely Noticeable shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZQVpPiOji0

2006 was another bad year, with another large death toll, including one David Sharp who was stranded next to Green Boots and left to die while people passed him by to get to the summit. The 2006 year has a lot of footage available for us to watch, as there were at least 2 tv crews up there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZLCIpovtkU

This is a good tv show but you will hear a LOT about Tim Medvitz's injuries. Also 'Ever-ever-ever-ever-rest rest rest' There are 3 seasons of this, the first two are definitely the Most Unexceptional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_CMD4R0ufk
This series follows some guys from the British army attempting to try to climb the quite frankly MODERATELY UNCOMFORTABLE West Face, which has only been successfully climbed by 19 people, and it has killed 21 people.

2014 was hotly anticipated by goons after some notable failures in previous years, including this unfortunate Canadian Lady in 2012 who photoshopped herself into some mountain scenes as part of her climbing preparation.

It didn't end well.

Unfortunately for everyone the 2014 season was abruptly cut short when an avalanche killed 16 sherpas, making it the deadliest year in Everest's history. The remaining Sherpas refused to work out of respect for their colleagues, and probably knowing it was next to impossible to do without them, all expeditions were cancelled. This included a crazy bastard who wanted to Base Jump from the summit.

2015....well, terrible for everyone. There was a massive earthquake which devasted Nepal, and also set off an avalanche which swept through base camp killing 18 people, and taking out 21 in total. This effectively closed the mountain for the season, and fairly as the sherpas needed to get back to their family and look after their own. There is a lot of MODERATELY UNCOMFORTABLE footage of the avalanche on YouTube to peruse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JC_wIWUC2U

So, bring on the climbers!! The avalanches!! The endless arguments about why they can't 'put a slide at the summit'!!

Also feel free to talk about other mountains, such as Everest's slightly smaller but much angrier cousin, K2, known affectionately as 'The Killer Summit' - it will eat you and Figuratively chew you up, depositing your remains at its feet. Also caving, diving and any other sort of extreme sport which we can get freaked out by.

I have a youtube playlist with some more mountain documentaries on here-
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...BnY01-OKSEuG1eT
Previous Threads-
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
I can't wait.

Oh, and mountain pug!

An Barely Noticeable computer game!

Xibanya posted:

Time for the full pitch

Get the runtimes
If you don't install the XNA runtimes linked on the download page the game won't work and it's not gonna be my fault.

Get Outfitted

You can't take any more than what you and your three teammates can carry between the four of you. With inventory space limited, bringing one item means leaving another. #Everest is a game of opportunity costs. you must balance your selection of the props that will get your selfies to earn the most likes with the equipment needed to survive the trek to the next great photo op.

Be unique...ish! Change up the colors of your gear and play as either a dude or a lady.
(Voice of Michael A. Zekas)
(Voice of forums poster Xibanya)

Make your mark

Time waits for no mountaineer in the unforgiving altitudes of the mountain locals refer to as "The Holy Mother." Take too long trying to get the perfect selfie and you won't be able to make camp before temperatures plunge at nightfall, but make sure you don't lose your cool because if you forget to pack anything back up, it will be lost on the mountain forever.

There's no garbage collection service on Mt. Everest. Carry your trash with you or dump it on the mountain. It's your choice.

Post selfies

The player character will be posting to their fictional in-game social media accounts throughout the game, but you can choose to post the pictures you take in-game to the player character's real twitter account, @HashtagEverest or connect your own twitter account and post to it through the game! How's that for meta?

Ziggy Starfucker's Guide to Chilling on Mt. Everest

Make sure each character has enough food, half rations reduce your health/stamina regen and running out completely will slowly deplete your health
Most status ailments will go away after enough rest. Having a medical kit in someone's inventory will help, resting at landmarks and especially the camps will help too
Having a sleeping bag for each character and a tent for the whole party increases health and stamina regen while resting
Having lots of crazy and heavy junk in your photo will get more likes and comments. Make sure you retrieve your junk before leaving the photo screen
Water bottles aren't necessary but prevent any chance of dysentery. Having a water treatment kit in someone's inventory reduces the chance of dysentery but doesn't prevent it
Wearing goggles greatly reduces the chance of snowblindness and retinal hemorrhaging, but wearing shutter shades for your photos gives more likes
Climbing around bottlenecks will probably get someone killed, but having climbing harnesses and ascenders equipped reduces the chance. Having fixed lines in someone's inventory and an icepick equipped on at least character helps further
Traveling at night reduces movement speed and increases chance of hypothermia. Try resting at landmarks until daybreak
You can get a rough estimate of your travel speed by looking at the walking animation speed of your party
Blizzards inflict damage and increase the chance of hypothermia and snowblindness unless you rest at a landmark with a tent or at a camp
Prevent/heal hypoxia with a breathing mask and oxygen bottles. By default oxygen use is disabled so you don't burn through your bottles at lower altitudes

...I should probably make an actual website for this game.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE
=======================

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS THREAD

We are morbid fuckers and there will be tasteless jokes, , pictures of dead bodies and general disrespect for the dead. Climbing this mountain is something that really ceased to be necessary after Norgay and Hilary summitted to anyone other than scientists, doctors and researchers who can test effects of high-altitude and the like. It is dangerous, unpredictable (as the last few years in particular have shown) and there isn't really much honour in getting local people to do all the heavy lifting for you for an embarrassingly small amount of money.

Remember this, and if you find it offensive, well. You're in the wrong forum really.

Rondette fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Apr 12, 2018

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 13:06

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 19:16

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Ahh bugger, I forgot about the icon. Any way that can be changed?

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 13:12

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

elwood posted:

As posted in the last thread:

First goon to die from mt dew and cheetos withdrawal at everest base camp 2016 here I come...if no one else beats me to that before november.

Yeah I'm genuinely excited to have a Goon go up there! Be sure to take lots of piccos pls.

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 13:16

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Xibanya posted:

Time for the full pitch

Added to the OP

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 19:14

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Xibanya posted:

By the way I'm gonna put my money on 15 dead this year. A little more modest than previous years; my thought is that Everest will use this year to get everyone's guard down so that next year it can consume even more hapless climbers than before.

I'm going for 6. Same prize from me as last year, I'll draw you atop the mountain! I'm eagerly awaiting BaronVonVaderham's photo to do his!

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 21:23

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

LivesInGrey posted:

The playlist link in the OP isn't working

Hrm, looks like a lot of the links have been deleted since I made it. Grr. I've taken the deleted ones off now, try it again. If anyone has recommendations to put in it I will.

drat. How do you make videos urls not automatically turn into PLAYLIST

# ¿ Jan 30, 2016 22:55

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Alan Smithee posted:

In the interest of success stories can OP have a picture of the Frenchman who flew his chopper to the top because gently caress ALL BITCHES

haha, I forgot about that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Bx7NyUdRM

# ¿ Jan 31, 2016 11:43

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Cojawfee posted:

Then the Sherpas took her corpse picture with her own camera. So her family could go through the slideshow. Here she is at the top. Here she is at the top again. And again. Yet another one at the summit. And here she is dead. And here they put the Canadian flag on her.

Masters of the mountain, and the Troll.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2016 15:53

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

bradzilla posted:

In for 6 dead along with all the schadenfreude money can buy.

I picked 6 but seeing as I'm one of the prize-givers you can have it as an entry too!

I'll have to tabulate these at some point I guess.

# ¿ Jan 31, 2016 21:01

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Nether Postlude posted:

I'm picking 23 for the Death Count because it hasn't been taken yet. And it's one of those numbers you never suspect until it hits ya. Like an avalanche down the Lhotse Face!

Wondering what numbers have already been picked? I went through the list and this is what's been chosen so far. If you see multiple names next to a number, it is because people are bad at picking numbers. I can't remember how we dealt with that last year because I'm snow tired.

CURRENT DEATH COUNT PICKS FOR THE 2016 EVEREST CLIMBING SEASON
Your grandmother would be so proud.

-1 stab, elwood
0 Literally Kermit, Pvt Dancer, PostNouveau, Minrad
-1+1 Robo Reagan (Mom dies but baby lives)
1 CaptainOblivious, Fumble
2 empty baggie
3 Troublemaker, Shinjobi, Alan Smithee
4 The Light Eternal, StoneOfShame
4.5 Popeahuntis
5 Microwaves Mom, Cliff Racer
6 Rondette, bradzilla
7 Anya, Vintimus Prime, The French Army!
8 Electrical Fire, Nuggan, ranbo das
9 SaNChEzZ, SteveVizsla
10 Quinctia, Shwqa
11 Robo Reagan, Bob Loblaw
12 slinky triscuits, Dr.Smasher
13 Crusty Nutsack
14 Tambaloneus, Dead Precedents
15 Xibanya, Lasca
16 Comrade Koba
17 Day Man, BlueBlazer, Quantum Finger
18 BisonDollah, Picnic Princess
19 Nostalgia4Butts
20 Teddybear (�smallest available positive integer�)
21 Cymoril
22 Stars War
23 Nether Postlude
25 Arcsquad12
27 MorgaineDax
30 Cowman
35 mike12345
37 Anoia
69 Nooner
162 Happy Hedonist
666 soy
Mtn The Goatfather
All Chinatown, Mega64

Ahh, thanks for saving me a job! I'll add this to the OP.

# ¿ Feb 2, 2016 12:42

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Platystemon posted:

I think that climbing 8000‐m peaks without supplemental oxygen is dumb.

I can respect taking harder routes, climbing in the winter, and things like that.

Declining to use bottled oxygen, though, doesn�t make the thing you�re doing more challenging, it just makes you suck more at doing it.

I�m sure it would be harder to climb Everest if you put on fifty kilograms beforehand or if you brought nothing to drink but brandy, but those handicaps aren�t laudable, they�re foolhardy.

Also, it's a complete crap-shoot as to whether you are able to handle high-altitudes. You can be the fittest Ussain Bolt athlete out there but your body just might not be able to handle high altitudes. It's totally arbitrary. Interestingly, women tend to do better at high altitudes.

http://www.bodyresults.com/e2r_fuelusage.asp

# ¿ Feb 4, 2016 14:13

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Faux-rear end Nonsense posted:

how did you people become like this?

6 years of Everest threads man.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2016 17:52

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

haha yeah maybe that should just be the OP now.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2016 21:22

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Why cookie Rocket posted:

It's very weird to find this thread for the first time and 10% of posts are about how great it is every year and how they learned so much, and 90% are just lame death pool predictions. Does it kick into gear during climbing season or something?

This is a yearly event now, a lot of us have been following it for years...the deathpool and joke posts will die off soon (like a Canadian lady) and we'll start posting SERIOUS stuff. At some point I will take photos of the rather large collection of Mountain books I have accumulated and do review type thingies. If you want to get started, Into thin Air is the best book to set off with, it is a first-hand account of the 1996 disaster which signaled the start of the crazy ego driven and summit-chasing maniacs dying on a yearly basis.

If you want to watch something, Ever(ever-ever-)est-Beyond the Limit is a good start. Get used to hearing about Tim Medvitz's injuries though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZLCIpovtkU

# ¿ Feb 6, 2016 22:09

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Deadly Mongoose posted:

I'll take straight 50 on the death count.

Do deaths at Base Camp count?

oh god, are we gonna have to start doing boundary maps?! Base Camp counts as far as I am concerned.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 10:33

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

SHISHKABOB posted:

Sherpas are the real heroes of this mountain climbing stuff. None of these mountain climbers would have even had a chance if they didn't have all these people helping them. Like not even the dumb rich people, everyone who goes there has to rely on the Sherpas. If Everest had a government I would vote for the Sherpa party.

I watched the Everest film recently (and actually FELL ASLEEP during the storm part) and I thought the real 'heroes' were the pilots who managed to fly a helicopter to an as unyet attempted height, at great risk to their own safety, to rescue an American guy who wanted something to tick off his bucket list.

IDK why mountaineering films rarely work- I suppose the main problem is that none of the people doing it (In the Everest film anyway) are doing it for any cause other than Ego. It's kinda hard to empathise and root for people in that situation. It's a shame it was such a disappointing film, I was really looking forward to it.

Rondette fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Feb 7, 2016

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 20:03

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Gringo Heisenberg posted:

The best mountaineering documentary. The re-creation climbing bits are really good too.

Yeah it's the only cinema-released film that I would say is a good Mountaineering film - and it's more documentary than film.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2016 22:58

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Nether Postlude posted:

UPDATED DEATH COUNT PICKS FOR THE 2016 EVEREST CLIMBING SEASON
As of February 17, 2016
_{These green boots were made for walkin'}

-1 stab, elwood
0 Literally Kermit, Pvt Dancer, PostNouveau, Minrad, Mnoba
-1+1 Robo Reagan (Mom dies but baby lives)
1 CaptainOblivious, Fumble
2 empty baggie, Cojawfee
3 Troublemaker, Shinjobi, Alan Smithee
4 The Light Eternal, StoneOfShame, gannyGrabber, Vape Bag, Sanguine
4.5 Popeahuntis
5 Microwaves Mom, Cliff Racer
6 Rondette, bradzilla, koreban
7 Anya, Vintimus Prime, The French Army!
8 Electrical Fire, Nuggan, ranbo das, sesame_samuel_
9 SaNChEzZ, SteveVizsla, ALL-PRO SEXMAN (�between 8 and 13�), Rolo
10 Quinctia, Shwqa, Hogge Wild, Jonesy (7 westerners and 3 sherpas)
11 Robo Reagan, Bob Loblaw, Amgard, GiantAmazonianOtter, SLICK GOKU BABY, Ziggy Starfucker
12 slinky triscuits, Dr.Smasher
13 Crusty Nutsack, Leperflesh, Velkest
14 Tambaloneus, Dead Precedents, Cuckoo
15 Xibanya, Lasca
16 Comrade Koba, LongDarkNight
17 Day Man, BlueBlazer, Quantum Finger, twit666
18 BisonDollah, Picnic Princess
19 Nostalgia4Butts, Carl Seitan
20 Teddybear (�smallest available positive integer�)
21 Cymoril, Sanguinary Novel
22 Stars War
23 Nether Postlude, Ars Arcanum
24 Cthulu Carl, pr0k
25 Arcsquad12
26 meiram
27 MorgaineDax
28 ChrisHansen, Mihai Zetta, c0ldfuse
29 Switzerland, Bip Roberts
30 Cowman, h3r0n (bonus option: LL Bean)
31 IKillForPie
32 Chicken Doodle
33 RCarr, Romes128
34 a messed up horse
35 mike12345
36 Koil
37 Anoia
38 fuctifino, ZombieLenin
39 DerekSmartymans
42 blowfish (bonus option: execution), Random Hajile (bonus option: explosion)
50 Deadly Mongoose
69 Nooner
88 tentative8e8op
162 Happy Hedonist
666 soy
42069666 ghostter
Mtn The Goatfather
All Chinatown, Mega64
Sidebet: DumbparameciuM (hypoxic tourist suplexes a Sherpa off the Kangshung Face)

Thanks! Will update OP

# ¿ Feb 17, 2016 17:16

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Tou get a drawing by me!! Btw guy who 'won' last fear, still waiting for your pic....

# ¿ Feb 18, 2016 01:01

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

EXTREME INSERTION posted:

Why was my prediction not added to the OP

because I'm lazy. Hold up I'll do it now.

edit is it this one-

EXTREME INSERTION posted:

I would like to place a unique bet: that there is going to be another physical fight on the mountain this year. Someone is going to have their rear end(es) kicked on Mt. Everest. Bonus points if it's a tourist vs Sherpa throw down like the one that happened a few years back

Double edit-

:siren:

TIM MEDVITZ IS GOING UP AGAIN :siren:

http://theheroesproject.org/the-founder/

quote:

Tim Wayne Medvetz has always sought adventure, born and raised in the Great State of New Jersey, Tim realized early on in life that he wanted to see the world {and see the world he did} a lifelong wanderer and nomad, a natural extreme athlete, Tim has traveled all over the world. He rode his chopper across the country to Los Angeles in 1998 where he parlayed his love of bikes and the open road into a successful career selling and building custom motorcycles for Hollywood�s elite at the world renowned Bartel�s Harley Davidson.

Tim became a member of the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle club and traveled all over the world with the club, some of the best times he�s ever had. Then on September 10, 2001 he was racing his motorcycle through the San Fernando Valley when he was hit by a truck in a catastrophic accident that left him physically devastated, partially paralyzed and fighting for his life. He required 8 surgeries to save his foot, which doctors feared needed to be amputated, 2 metal plates and 20 screws to repair his cracked skull. A 9 hour surgery to repair his shattered back with a titanium cage, plates and screws to put his knee back together and additional surgery to fuse his finger. He was not expected to walk again or to fully recover. But no one told Tim that.

He awoke in ICU on life support alone and in pain in the hospital on September 11, 2001 just moments before the planes hit the World Trade Center. His room was crowded with doctors and nurses, all riveted to the burning buildings on tv, his former home. The world had changed forever and so had Tim�s.

For six long months Tim struggled to regain the use of his legs, work through excruciating pain, and find some meaning in his life. He was adrift, and not accepting the loss of his old body and his old life. One day in September 2002 after a year long self destructive binge sitting in his one bedroom apartment in Hollywood, he looked up at his bookshelf and saw Jon Krakauer�s book �into thin air� wedged in the corner. The book had been a gift that was given to him four years prior where after finishing he vowed to climb Mt Everest one day. but he was in no condition to make such a journey. So thirty days later he gave up his apartment and booked a one way ticket to Nepal and slowly and insistently began to put his body and his life back together living amongst local Sherpas in the foothills of the Himalayas in preparation for his attempt of the summit of Mt Everest. It took him 4 years to train, much of it spent climbing numerous peaks in the Himalayas and boxing in a muay thai boxing camp in the south of Thailand to get back into fighting shape.

Tim has climbed Mt. Everest twice, which by happenstance was filmed by the Discovery Channel in a 14 part epic series (Everest Beyond the Limit) one of the highest rated shows on Discovery Channel.

Tim returned to LA and once again found himself at a crossroads. He knew he wanted to keep climbing, he already proved to himself nothing could stand in his way, summiting Everest on May 21, 2007 was about his own personal recovery, but he felt he needed a reason to continue, a purpose beyond his own individual satisfaction. Again inspiration came from an unlikely place, a news broadcast on veterans day about disabled and disfigured returning veterans struck a familiar and powerful cord. Tim realized he had something to offer these brave soldiers and marines, the chance to put their lives back together through the challenge of climbing.

Tim contacted all of his previous sponsors from his prior expeditions. His goal was to take a wounded veteran with him on his next climbs. He realized that if he could renew his faith in himself on the summit of a mountain, he could help others do so as well.

It didn�t take him long to raise the funds with the help of Chrome Hearts, Equinox Fitness Clubs, Cher Charitable Foundation, Eddie Bauer, and some private financial donors who always believed in Tim from the beginning. He embarked on two major expeditions in the summer of 2009 to Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa and Mt Elbrus, Russia with two injured war veterans. Tim with his friend and Cameraman Ken Sauls captured on video all the determination and perseverance of both heroes to provide inspiration and hope for future returning injured soldiers to watch.

There was no turning back this time, in the fall of 2009 Tim founded The Heroes Project, a foundation dedicated to raising funds to help more wounded warriors climb the worlds highest peaks and find a renewed purpose and belief in themselves. The foundation is predicated on the idea that we can make a difference and change the lives of our wounded veterans, marines, soldiers and their families one soldier, one marine, one family at a time. For Tim and the men and women of The Heroes Project, the real journey is just beginning. Hence The Heroes Project was born.

Rondette fucked around with this message at 14:47 on Mar 18, 2016

# ¿ Mar 18, 2016 14:38

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

I'm a little embarrassed to have only just found out about this film.

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/30/sherpa-norbu-tenzing-on-the-everest-circus-and-the-inevitability-of-another-disaster

quote:

It was a little before 7am on 18 April 2014 when Jennifer Peedom was woken up by the sounds of an avalanche.

The Australian film-maker was in her tent on Base Camp at Mount Everest, on location with a camera crew to make a documentary exploring the lives and working conditions of Sherpa people. They are the Nepalese climbers who for decades have escorted tourists up and down the mountain: incredibly risky work for a very small share of the reward.

Peedom, 40, was told there had been an accident but only learned the extent of it later. Sixteen Sherpas had been killed, at the time the worst tragedy in Everest history (a year later 18 people perished in another avalanche). The director and her team, specialists in high altitude photography, picked up their cameras and continued filming.

�There was never any hesitation in how or why to do that because we were there to make a film about the disproportionate risk that Sherpas take in taking foreigners to the summit of Everest and back down again,� she says.

�You�re kind of running on adrenaline and every now and then you stop yourself and realise how upsetting the whole thing is. But then you say, this is what I am here to do. You snap yourself out of it and keep going.�

The end product is very likely the most majestic looking industrial dispute film ever made. The seemingly omnipotent beauty of Everest provides awe-inducing backgrounds for a truly disturbing examination of worker�s rights.

Having taken notice of 2013�s so-called Everest brawl, and having worked on projects on the mountain for the good part of a decade, the film-maker says she could sense things reaching a tipping point and felt a strong urge to be there.

�I could never have anticipated that an avalanche would come and kill 16 people. I could never have anticipated that,� she says. �But it felt for me that where things were at politically, tension really was at the point where it felt like anything that was going to happen was going to be the straw that broke the camel�s back.�

Norbu Tenzing, who works in San Francisco as vice-president of the American Himalayan Foundation, is a champion of Peedom�s documentary and features in it.

He describes Sherpa as �a big, big gift for the mountaineering workers and Sherpas. This is a subject that has always played in our minds and hasn�t been talked about much. This film has given that issue a voice.�

Tenzing, 51, is the son of history�s most famous Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay. Along with Edmund Hillary in 1953, Norgay � described by Time as one of the most influential people of the 20th century � became the first person known to have reached Everest�s summit.

On the question of what his father might think of the current state of affairs, Tenzing pulls no punches: �I think he would be quite horrified with the way things have turned out. Since the time he was climbing there�s been a complete change, a shift in the way people climb Everest and what motivates them.

�The sense of people going on an adventure, working together, doing something nobody�s done before, with a sense of comradeship and working together � that spirit doesn�t exist now.

�It�s just a total service industry, where you�re fulfilling the egos of western climbers and people from south Asia who want to test the limits of how close they can get to death, at great expense of the Sherpas. I don�t think my father would want to be alive to see the circus that Everest has turned into.�

While praising Peedom�s documentary as an exercise in awareness raising, Tenzing says that since the 2014 tragedy almost nothing has actually changed for Sherpas other than a US$5,000 increase in their life insurance (from US$10,000 to US$15,0000). This, according to Tenzing, �barely covers the cost of the funeral�.

I don�t think my father would want to be alive to see the circus that Everest has turned into

�The working conditions haven�t changed. The pay increases haven�t changed. The ways to reduce risk haven�t changed.�

Neither Tenzing, Peedom nor the Sherpas themselves advocate shutting down commercial operations on Everest. Sherpa people have limited employment opportunities and rely on tour operations for their annual income.

But with few safeguards put in place by the government, and a general reluctance to speak out for fear of repercussions, the terms of their employment are largely dictated by owners of expedition companies. Tenzing describes this as �the foxes minding the hen house�.

Out of respect for the victims of the 2014 avalanche, the Sherpas took an unprecedented decision and refused to continue climbing for the season. They also did not climb in 2015, when expeditions were cancelled because of the earthquakes.

�The Sherpas are on their way to Base Camp now to start setting up for a new season,� says Peedom. �They have lost two seasons� income so they are under a lot of pressure to make sure as much as they can that the season goes without incident. Let�s hope that it does.�

Tenzing, of course, hopes for the same, but is not optimistic about long-term prospects: �It�s just a matter of time before something like this happens again, because the safety measures are so poor.�

�The bottom line is this industry is a massive enterprise. It seems like it�s the wild west, where anybody can do anything and the government rakes in royalties and turns a blind eye to anything else that goes on.�

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn2vfS6bbK0

quote:

In the 1950s, Tenzing Norgay, who along with New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary became the first person known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest, popularised the stereotypical image of Sherpa people as smiling, tranquil, can-do workers happy to escort foreigners across precipitous native land.

Australian director Jennifer Peedom set out to make a documentary capturing a detailed picture of people who, as she remarked at the world premiere of her film Sherpa at the Sydney film festival, are often left on the cutting room floor in depictions of voyages to the top of the earth�s highest mountain.

Peedom�s idea came about in the wake of a violent confrontation between Europeans and Sherpas in April 2013 � the so-called Everest brawl � which made international headlines. Norgay was a campaigner for the rights of his people, who are now more outspoken after decades of being allocated a disproportionate share of the risks involved in climbing Everest�s treacherous slopes � and a disproportionate portion of the reward.

The director and her team, including cinematographer Renan Ozturk (a climber and specialist in high altitude photography) have fashioned what is very likely the most majestic-looking industrial dispute documentary ever made, the icy blue environment an awe-inspiring backdrop for a film largely about employment conditions and worker�s rights.

The intention was to make a documentary depicting the 2014 climbing season from the Sherpas point of view. The filmmakers weren�t to know they�d be on location when horrific tragedy struck � an avalanche down Everest�s perilous Khumbu Icefall, which killed 16 Sherpas.

This marked a turning point in the dispute over better employment conditions for a multimillion-dollar industry that has long boosted the Nepalese government with a cash bonanza but left those on its frontline poor. As one Sherpa puts it: �We can�t risk our lives just because foreigners can afford to pay.�

Peedom finds balance by sharing the film�s focus with New Zealand mountaineer Russell Brice and his clients. Brice is the owner of a major expedition company and advocates for the best interests of his business but also appears to genuinely care for his employees.

It�s hard to have much sympathy for foreigners whose holidays risk being ruined while Sherpas risk being killed � one outraged American goes so far as comparing the impending strike to being held ransom by terrorists � but Peedom remains more or less impartial.

The spiritual focus of her film is hooked on Sherpa culture and way of life. Had tragedy not struck, we probably would have seen more of the story of Phurba Tashi, a would-be protagonist on the precipice of breaking the world record for the number of times Everest�s summit has been reached in one year.

Peedom and her team responded to disaster with a steady hand, in more than one sense, and fulfilled a rare opportunity to make a responsive documentary that is large, beautiful, captivating and exhibits deep respect for the people and environments it photographs.

Here's a picture of Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. I just like it.

ETA- Here is a longish interview with the director

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIIey35rhEY

Rondette fucked around with this message at 08:52 on Mar 30, 2016

# ¿ Mar 30, 2016 08:19

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

a trolley posted:

Just wanted to say I saw this movie last year at a film festival and it's fantastic. All of you who are interested in the insanity of the climbing industry should absolutely go see it. I think its general release date was March 31, but that might be just in Australia. I hope it'll get a Netflix release or something but if you can see it in a cinema it's totally worth it, the cinematography is mind-blowing.

I would if I could, looks like the UK cinema release date was back in December, and I can't find any sort of DVD release date. I would pay to watch this film.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2016 15:32

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Yeah I get the impression a lot of your time on the mountain is spent melting snow to make tea.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 03:54

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Updated the DeathPool in the OP.

Tim Medvitz as a guide just makes me :ughh:

# ¿ Apr 18, 2016 12:58

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Alan Smithee posted:

Mansplain plz

I can Ladysplain.

The long story is contained within the Discovery show 'Everest:Beyond the Limit' in which walking 'RUFTY TUFTY USA BIKER' stereotype Tim Medvitz attempts to scale Everest. He was in an accident (which iirc was on Sept 11 2001) which the show tells you about at least 3 times a show, and is packed full of metal pins, staples and other stuff, so that makes him SPESHUL. He is climbing with Russell Brice's Himex outfit, regarded as the best on the Mountain. However being an American Stereotype he thinks he knows better than the leader and veteran Brice and frequently ignores his demands to come back and generally pises Brice off with his 'If you can dream it you can do it' attitude which people like Brice are not fans of, especially if it leads to a fatality on the mountain and a spot on Brice's (so-far) spotless 0 Fatalities rate.

Here is a video with his INJURIES montage included which you will see a lot if you watch the show (which is, having said that, is a Good Show)
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/everest/videos/everest-beyond-the-limit-tim-medvetz/

He's not a BAD GUY, he treats the Sherpas with respect and knows a bit of Nepalese, but, he's the antithesis of everything that Brice is. (edit-oh yeah he got to the top of Everest the next year, breaking his hand in the process and neglecting to tell base camp who surely would have told him to return immediately)

You could also watch this video-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikOpVGeGKFs

VVV Ha ha yeah drat I had forgotten that VVV

Rondette fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Apr 18, 2016

# ¿ Apr 18, 2016 18:59

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Outrail posted:

Can we crowdfund a 'behind the scenes' documentary of Everest from the underpaid but highly experienced sherpa's point of view? Constant face palms and eye rolling as these stupid rich fuckwits do everything in their power to commit expensive unwitting suicide on their holy ground.

Subtitle the inner thoughts.
*Oh poo poo did he just forget to clip in before the ice bridge again? He always loses his balance how could he forget again?! I should just let him fall... No, I've got a wife and three kids we need this money*
"John! John! Wait! You need to clip in, haha no it's ok. Do you need more oxygen?"
*gently caress, how much oxygen do we have left anyway?*

There was a film made last year called 'Sherpa' which was filmed in 2014, the year of that avalanche. From what I have read it is basically what you have described. It only had a limited release but might crop up on Discovery soon. I hope so coz I want to watch it.

# ¿ Apr 24, 2016 05:23

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

twit666 posted:

"Is there no way to talk to their owners?"

Just finished watching Sherpa (beautifully filmed and extremely moving, with BONUS appearance from thread favourite Tim Medvitz) and our jaws dropped when that douchey climber said that. I mean, holy poo poo dude. None of the Westerners came out too well in that film.

Edit: ahah Jeff Brown is that guy. His website is a wall of shite that I could barely be arsed to skim through, it's like the most obnoxious round robin ever. He also compared the Sherpa's walkout to terrorism. I hope Everest eats him this year. Even if he is not climbing. I hope Everest come to his door and eats him.

http://www.brownanddoherty.com/jeff-browns-adventure-bio.php

Rondette fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Apr 25, 2016

# ¿ Apr 25, 2016 22:09

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Feel like I should put him in the OP as an example as to why this thread is the way it is.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2016 08:23

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

To be fair until a few years ago when I got into the annual Everest Death-watch I couldn't have pointed it out on a map.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2016 18:51

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Is she the one that put her crampons on backwards?

# ¿ Apr 27, 2016 06:41

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

~Coxy posted:

He meant the climbers. It could be an unfortunate translation issue. Or they could be native english speakers and just rude as gently caress.

Definitely the latter. Jeff Brown is that self important attorny we were all laughing at on the previous page. The one who needs a visit from an angry Everest.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2016 05:09

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

The film was only put on limited release December last year wasn't it? Watching it I knew it was coming but it was still shocking because of the casual way he said it and his utter lack of regard for the fact that 18 of the Sherpa's colleagues had died and he was annoyed that they didn't want to climb and help him out.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2016 07:16

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

I agree about Brice, although I do not envy him having to become the defacto 'leader' of that mess. How do you even begin to marshal that sort of scenario? Having to juggle the needs of your extremely entitled rich-gently caress clients, and the dudes that basically do literally ALL of the heavy lifting and background work. I don't know how much money he takes home each year but I hope it is worth it.

Tim Medvitz comes out of one of the more decent people from the Westerner's 'side' which tells you all you need to know really.

I love this quote from Jeff Brown's TERRORIST blog entry which sums up his attitude-

:smuggo:

quote:

First Tibet was taken over and now so is Nepal. A Sherpa way of life is ending. And for some reason I am in the epicenter of it.

ALL ABOUT HIM, AGAIN.

Edit- here are more Mountain songs,

this one actually about Everest but not about the death and douchebags.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhgfzEm3CWU

and one about Kilimanjaro, a South African mountain. With the video filmed in South America. But it's a fuckin wicked tune and the video is pure Bollywood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Q8InfNpMo

Rondette fucked around with this message at 18:07 on Apr 30, 2016

# ¿ Apr 30, 2016 17:47

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Switzerland posted:

Woah, now!

lol.

This song is from the film 'Endhiran' which also contains this action scene that was doing the rounds on the internet a while ago. It's such a random weird film. I love it. I wish Western films would break into non-sequiter 5 minute long song and dance scenes. :allears:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yysbbPStfWw

# ¿ Apr 30, 2016 18:33

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Sanctum posted:

Also I remember him eating an entire pizza on his last night in base camp.

Bahaha, I'd forgotten about that. Nothing like a stomachful of carby, doughy, cheesy junk to get you up a mountain. Jesus gently caress.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2016 19:08

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

redreader posted:

I love how nobody in this thread noticed that Kilamanjaro is not in South Africa, at all, in any way.

Derp. Ok yeah my bad. Tanzania.

# ¿ May 1, 2016 02:12

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Behold, the lav!

They're gonna carry all the poo poo back from base camp, on a Yak. So...that's nice, I guess!

# ¿ May 1, 2016 11:55

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

He's part of Tim Medvitz's expedition which I think are all combat veterans who have lost body parts in action, so I'll bet it's a prosthetic. Can't help feeling they'll be losing more under Tim's 'care' too.

Edit vvvv I thought that too. Maybe it starts next year..vvvv

Rondette fucked around with this message at 17:26 on May 1, 2016

# ¿ May 1, 2016 17:05

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

Cojawfee posted:

I thought Nepal wasn't letting disabled people climb the mountain?

The only articles I can find after a cursory search (now I'm not phone posting) say that they were 'considering it' in September last year, but I can't find anything after that. Given the pathetic way they appeared to handle the Sherpa situation in that film, it doesn't surprise me that nothing further was done.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2020966/what-everest-climbing-restrictions-mean

quote:

On Monday, the Nepali government announced a major step in keeping Everest safer: it will consider placing restrictions on age, experience, and ability on those who can climb the world�s highest peak. �We want to make the mountains safer for everyone, so we have to insist on some rules,� tourism department chief Govinda Karki told the AFP.

Currently there are no restrictions in place and any climber who can pay the $11,000 permit fee is able to purchase one. The proposed measures, which could be in place by the 2016 season, would require a previous 6,500-meter summit by each climber, ban disabled climbers who can�t climb on their own, and forbid those younger than 18 and older than 75. (In 2010, China introduced an age requirement of 16 for summit attempts from the north side.)

Especially young or old climbers have rarely caused any issues�the youngest person to climb was 13-year-old Malavath Poorna, a teenage girl from India, and the oldest was Yuichiro Miura, an 80-year-old from Japan. Disabled climbers have routinely made successful attempts on the mountain, as well�Mark Inglis, a double amputee from New Zealand, successfully summited in 2011. It�s the experience requirement that could make the biggest difference in safety.

# ¿ May 1, 2016 17:37

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 19:16

Rondette: Nov 4, 2009; Your friendly neighbourhood Postie.; Grimey Drawer

redreader posted:

No

Yes. I suppose it wouldn't matter if South Africa were not a country. But it is, and if you say "south Africa", even with an uncapitalized 'south', it refers to the country.

Hey man I admitted my error, I think writing South America threw me off a bit in my haste to share that absurd video. Kilamanjaro is in Tanzania. A country on the continent of Africa.

# ¿ May 2, 2016 06:56

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > General Bullshit > Annual Everest Thread: Well they always told me getting high was dangerous.

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