Everest

Each climber pays the Nepali govt $100,000 ($33+ million this year alone), each Sherpa makes $3000-$5000 for 3 months work. They don't have insurance or any kind of compensation if they are injured or killed. The Government takes the rest.

Each climber pays the Nepali govt $100,000 ($33+ million this year alone), each Sherpa makes $3000-$5000 for 3 months work. They don't have insurance or any kind of compensation if they are injured or killed. The Government takes the rest.

Ummmmm …

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/14/nepal-slashes-cost-climbing-mount-everest

Nepal slashes cost of climbing Everest
Fees for single climbers cut from $25,000 to $11,000, but veterans warn of increased cost of safer group expeditions

I thought more money would have gone to the Nepalese. I wonder what percent of the income the guiding groups have to give back in the form of taxes.

The tax is applied in the form of a climbing permit which needs to be purchased for each climber. For years, the permit for a spring climb of the standard south col route on Everest ranged from $25,000 for a single climber, to $10,000 per person for groups of 7 - 15. Next year, the cost of a permit will change to a flat rate of $11,000 per person. Each team also has to hire a liason officer, pay a garbage deposit and other fees.

Here is a good breakdown of the costs to climb Everest.

Given the fact that I am not a mountaineer, I might be a little ignorant here… Wouldn't it be more rewarding if you and a close group climbed something else on ones own?

Most climbers would say yes, and that happens all the time. Pick up a copy of the Canadian or American Alpine Journals, or a copy of Alpinist magazine, to read what small teams of skilled and experienced climbers are doing.

In the late 70s and early 80s, it was possible for small teams to do do trips to Everest. Many would say the epitome of that was Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler's ascent without oxygen in 1978, or Messner's solo climb, without oxygen in 1980. Goran Kropp's solo, oxygenless, ascent in 96 was probably the best modern effort, but with so many other people on the mountain, there was no way for him to avoid using the established infrastructure.

Since Dick Bass did his 7 Summits climb in 85, effectively creating an Everest guiding business, it has steadily become a commercial gong show.

Into Thin Air is a good read, as is The Climb, for a different perspective on the same events.

Ummmmm …

My bad … the permit is $10k-$25k (its changed recently), but that's just the permit to ascend the mountain. With expenses its typically $65-100k (for additional things like guides, a doctor, supplies and gear)… I saw the $100k figure quoted in other places.

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/climbing/mountaineering/everest-2013/What-Does-it-Cost-to-Climb-Everest.html

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/04/everest-sherpas-death-and-anger.html

A good artical ^^ by Krakauer

of course its a tradgedy for so many people to die but notice that pretty quick everyone is talking about money

the sherpas need the money and have better lives for the dangerous jobs of getting the rich sahib up the mtn in much the same way a sweatshop garment worker in Bangaladesh has a better life making walmart clothing its just that high alltitude sherpa sounds way more sexy than sweatshop factory worker

nobody sez we should quit shopping at walmart when a factory burns to the ground killing hundreds of garment workers

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2014/04/everest-sherpas-death-and-anger.html

A good artical ^^ by Krakauer

of course its a tradgedy for so many people to die but notice that pretty quick everyone is talking about money

the sherpas need the money and have better lives for the dangerous jobs of getting the rich sahib up the mtn in much the same way a sweatshop garment worker in Bangaladesh has a better life making walmart clothing its just that high alltitude sherpa sounds way more sexy than sweatshop factory worker

nobody sez we should quit shopping at walmart when a factory burns to the ground killing hundreds of garment workers

People definitely say that we should stop shopping at walmart when a factory burns to the ground. Unfortunately, our (western) way of life is dependent on cheap goods from those factories, so other than the most dedicated activists, the outrage dies off as soon as the 6 o'clock news is finished. No one wants to have to actually start paying more for their stuff to save the life of a factory worker, they just want to feel good by posting "RIP" on facebook.

On the other hand, it's easy for everyone to get behind the Sherpas because their danger comes from supporting the pursuits of the wealthy, an easy target for the average person.

For the record, I don't believe that the Sherpas deserve any more or less sympathy and rights than a Bangladeshi factory worker, but it is interesting to compare the reactions to each case.

when a sweatshop burns way more than a doz people get killed but in any case rather than rights or sympathy or whom is more entitled I am pointing out how the rich western sahib can and has changed the lives of a poor far off country forever and the genie isn't about to be stuffed back in the bottle

when a sweatshop burns way more than a doz people get killed but in any case rather than rights or sympathy or whom is more entitled I am pointing out how the rich western sahib can and has changed the lives of a poor far off country forever and the genie isn't about to be stuffed back in the bottle

13 people died and all you can think about is your period

I just bought some Tibetan prayer flags to hang up in front of the man-cave …hopefully it will also keep the Mo Mo's away

Somehow "buying" prayer flags seems off to me,but hey,theyre all the rage with the affluent outdoors people around here,so it must be cool. I'd bet you could make a tidy sum selling prayer flags up here. I just need a connection in a Bangladesh sweatshop to produce them at a decent price.

We got box #'s and never use street adresses so I keep forgeting my street adress, I want to be able to just say "its the house on columbia with the prayer flags man"

I was gona steal some flags from the skyline hut up at the ski hill but I figured that was karmicly depraved so I bought a set only 19.95 at mtn eagle book, BTW mtn eagle is your local connection for coffee Chai, incense,used books cd's ect and prayer flags if you are into that kind of thing

duncan , i just read an article in outside magazine ( august 2013 ) and it is all about the plight of the sherpas who work on everest .

the long and the short of it is , that while they are relatively well paid by nepali standards , they are miles behind the western climbers they work with .

in recent years it has become standard ( mandatory ) practice for the outfitters who actually employ and contract out the services of the sherpas to hold an insurance policy which pays out to their survivors upon their death in the line of work. the problem is the amount is not sufficient to cover their funeral costs which are apparently quite extravagant affairs. in addition it is quite common for the income of that one climber to be supporting an extended family .

the dollar figure was recently raised to 4600 $ .

A number of sherpas have left basecamp and gone home. Several of the largest guiding companies have cancelled their expeditions on the South Col route.

There is a good chance that no one will summit Everest, or Lhotse, from the south this spring. The acclimatization window is closing, and most of the equipment and supplies that would have normally been higher on the route by now are still in basecamp.

This is likely going to have a huge impact on the future of climbing Everest, as it should.

I just heard that the Nepalese gov't has closed Everest for 2014.