Survival is number one
Mount Everest rises to over 29,000 feet above sea level. Everest has been climbing since 1953, when it was first climbed by a group of climbers. A group of skilled climbers, often with Sherpas’ help, can reach the summit. Even though the group is large, reaching the summit of the highest peak in the world can still be difficult and has resulted in many deaths. Climbers must not only climb to the highest altitude possible, but also to the summit in the most difficult conditions. They must climb at subzero temperatures and with strong winds. Additional difficulties include breathing in very low oxygen levels, also known as “thin” air. Many have died trying to reach the highest point on earth. The ethical dilemma is whether to abandon a sick climber to climb the summit or to help them. Helping injured climbers is risky. They risk losing the large sum of money they have paid, and they will be more likely to die on the mountain. Climbers with life-threatening altitude sickness like HAPE, AMMS, or HACE should not be prevented from continuing their expeditions.
High Altitude Pulmonary Embolism (HAPE) can cause fluid buildup in your lungs. This decreases oxygen intake. This makes it more likely that death will occur. HACE, High Altitude Cerebral Embolia, is another form of acute mountain sickness. HACE refers to a condition in which the brain is affected by high altitude. AMS is caused when climbers attempt too fast. These conditions can often cause death and are extremely serious. High altitude sickness (Basnyat, Murdoch) is also a leading cause of death on Mount Everest. This will increase the chance of getting sick from high altitude sickness. If you help another sick climber, it could lead to them all suffering from high-altitude sickness. High altitude sickness is a serious problem. Expeditions should not be stopped to save climbers. The unpredictable weather on Everest makes time crucial. It is impossible to predict what the future holds for nature. Everest’s weather can be unpredictable, and it is impossible to predict what will happen. Krakauer experienced the unpredictability that Everest offers. He was caught in a hurricane. Krakauer was struck by the unpredictable nature of the weather, which changed rapidly in just a few seconds. This put him in an extremely difficult situation. Nature is unpredictable. Anything can happen at any moment. Weather can change rapidly. The next minute, it could be clear and sunny. Climbers shouldn’t waste time trying to save other climbers to reduce their risk of death.
Another reason expeditions shouldn’t be stopped is to increase success rates of the rest members of the team as they descend. The ascent is more dangerous than the descent. From 1921 through 2006, 56% perished while ascending Everest. Only 10% of those who died ascent-side (Firth and Paul G. It is clear that climbing is more dangerous than ascenting the summit. Krakauer’s 1996 Everest disaster account shows that all his team members, including Yasuko Naamba, and Rob Hall, perished during the descent. Even for experienced climbers such as Yasuko Naamba and Rob Hall, the descent proved to be very difficult and even fatal. Shriya Shah Klorfine (Death of Everest) was another Canadian climber who was also killed in the descent.
Climbers are less likely to fall because they have already expended a lot of their energy during ascent. They are much more likely to climb the summit if they have to get down.
Climbers in this category must deal with the same conditions but with less energy. This means that they must be prepared to descend the summit. Rob Hall realized that getting down the peak was the most important aspect. He said: “Anybody can get up this hill. However, the trick to getting back down alive is the hardest part” (Krakauer 153) The most difficult part of the climb is getting down the peak alive. If you are unable to share your achievements with others, it is pointless to reach Everest’s summit. It is essential to make it to the top and return alive in order to share what he did with the world. To safely reach Everest, climbers must make sure they have enough energy to last them the distance. It would be a great benefit to the team to leave incapacitated climbers behind. This can help the team continue their descent and allow them to reserve their energy for what is most important.
Expeditions shouldn’t be stopped because other climbers have paid an incredible amount to reach the summit. Sixty-five thousand dollars was the cost of reaching the summit in 1996 (Krakauer27). While it may seem small, sixty-five thousand dollars is the equivalent of buying a Ferrari. Today, climbing the summit is more expensive. Consider that climbers have already spent a lot of money and should receive the summit. Some climbers may have made this their third or fourth expedition after failing to succeed on the first attempt. It could have been because an injured climber was being saved by the expedition. They would feel disappointed and cheated that they couldn’t climb the summit again after spending so much money. Doug Hansen, Krakauer’s colleague, died in the descent. Doug Hansen, a Washington postal worker, was not able to raise the money necessary to climb Everest. Unfortunately, his attempt to climb Everest failed after he finally succeeded. He would feel very disappointed if he didn’t succeed on his next attempt. Krakauer said so in his book. It would be devastating for him if he fails the next attempt after all his hard work. Shriya Shah Klorfine, a Canadian climber and entrepreneur, was another example. In order to make the one-hundred thousand dollar trip to the summit, she borrowed money on her second mortgage. This fee did not include equipment, airfare and tips (Death On Everest). You can imagine how much she needed additional money to pay for the mortgage she got and the one hundred thousand dollars she earned. These are just two examples of people who had to struggle to pay for Everest’s summit. However, no matter how difficult it may be for someone to raise the funds to pay the summit fee, everyone is still paying the same enormous amount. Therefore, it is important that expeditions are not halted in order to rescue injured climbers.
Expeditions should not stop in the interest of saving climbers from serious illness. First, the safety of the entire team should be ensured. Second, not to disappoint anyone who has paid an enormous amount of money for the chance to climb the summit. The success rate of descents will increase if there are no halts to rescue the endangered. The result will be fewer Everest climbers dying and more people feeling satisfied with what they paid thousands of dollar for. This will lead to Everest becoming more popular, and Nepali climbers will earn more from their mountaineering activities. More money will be available to construct schools and hospitals. The result will be an increase in the standard and quality of life for the Nepalese people. It is important not to stop the expedition because it could mean that the lives of others are at stake. One team member’s death is less important than the death of the entire team.
