Teams in 2016 reported the step was still there, and the only changes were that of snow cover - significantly more snow cover than in previous years, making for an easier ascent.

Great thread, love all the insight. I'll be checking out Meru.

Oh, and FSHP.

I watched Meru last night.  Fantastic film.

And teams in 2016-2017 said it was gone and took pictures to prove it. Unless snow removes mass and shrinks boulders into nothing, then they're gone

I'm not sure if there were any summits from the South Col in 2014.  There were none in 2015.  So, after two seasons without meaningful traffic, the Sherpas fixed ropes up a different line than usual, owing to newly formed snow on the step.

The guys that led the step, fixing the ropes for the past two seasons are saying the structure of the step seems unchanged, albeit under more snow than in past seasons.  If the one rock in question had cut loose, it would have created a steeper section to surmount and these guys probably would have noticed when they fixed the lines.

https://www.climbing.com/news/2017-everest-news-crowds-speed-records-hillary-step-mystery-and-accidents/

And yes, snow can "shrink" boulders into nothing.  Go do a climb in a dry year over verglassed rock, and then again in good snow/ice conditions.  The difference can be night and day.

I've read everything I could find about Everest. I don't ever remember reading about fixing ropes around the Step.

Have you? Isn't the Step so exposed that wind blows it clean?

Seems odd that after a massive earthquake and reports of the Step changing that they start fixing around it for the first time, but claim it is unchanged. WTF do I know, though?

Ropes have always been fixed on the step.  There's just no other way to do it.  Trying to do a conventional two man belay takes too long if there are multiple teams on the ridge.  Not only that, but it requires that all team members have the technical and physical ability to surmount the step using a tool-only approach - not just the lead climbers.  That's not a sound bet.  Not at that point in the day.

It hurts a lot less falling up than it does falling down.

Yup.

When you get to the top, congratulations. You got 1/2 way.

I have trekked from Lukla to Everest Base Camp. That was enough for me

sorry, double-tap. The air is pretty thin

Well aware the Step is fixed. The article you posted said they fixed ropes around the Step. Traditionally the fixed ropes went straight up. That was a huge problem in '96 as they backed up at the bottom on the way up, and the top on the way down.

Actually, I think when Krakauer was going down after summiting there were still people trying to go up.

yea, I just do not understand the allure either

If I wanna see the top of that big ass mountain... I will look at it from an airplane

Risking your life on something as unpredictable as a mountain forecast ( 15,000 foot altitude maybe ... 25K feet plus ? not a chance ) just seems like a really bad idea

But hey, to each their own.

They're fixing to the right of the traditional line up the step because the recent snow formations allow for it.  The rocks comprising the step still look to be all there, but the new snow buildup is letting them move more easily onto the eastern side of the ridge, bypassing the mixed stuff on the step.  In prior years, they've been boxed in by a sharp edge to the eastern snow, funneling them up the mixed terrain of the step.

Interesting.  What mountains have you climbed?  I enjoy reading about this stuff, but wouldn't dream of doing it myself.  I'm not much of a cold weather person, lol.

I just watched Meru and I’m blown away. What an amazing documentary, cinematically and story wise.

I'm mostly a rock climber, but have done a few alpine routes.  But, none of the successful alpine routes were particularly noteworthy.

There is nothing in my climbing resume that would get me to Everest.  Nothing.

One guy guy that has reached the summit 4 times said the step is significantly altered. Another who is a 15 time champ said the step is gone. As in the largest boulder of the step is completely missing and you can see fresh rock exposed.

I just finished Meru....holy shit! Excellent film with unbelievable footage.  The guy who had the accident and cracked his skull who finished was an animal.  There was a K2 movie a long time ago that was supposed to be good, does anyone remember or have a recommendation of another good climbing movie?

Rob Halls body on the South Summit.



Adventure Consultants' 1996 Everest expedition consisted of eight clients and three guides (Hall, Mike Groom and Andy Harris). Among the clients was Jon Krakauer, a journalist on assignment from Outside magazine. Hall had brokered a deal with Outside for advertising space in exchange for a story about the growing popularity of commercial expeditions to Everest.

Shortly after midnight on 10 May 1996, the Adventure Consultants expedition began a summit attempt from Camp IV, atop the South Col. They were joined by climbers from Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness company, as well as expeditions sponsored by the governments of Taiwan and India.

The expeditions quickly encountered delays. Upon reaching the Hillary Step, the climbers discovered that no fixed line had been placed, and they were forced to wait for an hour while the guides installed the ropes (Rob nonetheless "fixed most of the mountain in 1996").[5] Because some 33 climbers were attempting the summit on the same day, and Hall and Fischer had asked their climbers to stay within 150 m of each other, there were bottlenecks at the single fixed line at the Hillary Step. Many of the climbers had not yet reached the summit by 2:00 pm, the last safe time to turn around to reach Camp IV before nightfall.

Hall's Sardar, Ang Dorje Sherpa, and other climbing Sherpas waited at the summit for the clients. Near 3:00 pm, they began their descent. On the way down, Ang Dorje encountered client Doug Hansen above the Hillary Step, and ordered him to descend. Hansen refused.[6] When Hall arrived at the scene, he sent the Sherpas down to assist the other clients, and stated that he would remain to help Hansen, who had run out of supplementary oxygen.

At 5:00 pm, a blizzard struck the Southwest Face of Everest, diminishing visibility and obliterating the trail back to Camp IV. Shortly afterward, Hall radioed for help, saying that Hansen had fallen unconscious but was still alive. Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris began climbing to the Hillary Step at 5:30 pm with water and supplementary oxygen.

On 11 May, at 4:43 am, close to twelve hours after the blizzard had started, Hall radioed down and said that he was on the South Summit. He reported that Harris had reached the two men, but that Hansen had died sometime during the night and that Harris was missing as well. Hall was not breathing bottled oxygen, because his regulator was too choked with ice. By 9:00 am, Hall had fixed his oxygen mask, but indicated that his frostbitten hands and feet were making it difficult to traverse the fixed ropes. Later in the afternoon, he radioed to Base Camp, asking them to call his wife, Jan Arnold, on the satellite phone. During this last communication, he reassured her that he was reasonably comfortable and told her, "Sleep well my sweetheart. Please don't worry too much." Shortly thereafter, he died, and his body was found on 23 May by mountaineers from the IMAX expedition. His body still remains just below the South Summit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Hall

Fucking intense shit.  I read that your body feels very warm and euphoric when extreme frostbite sets in......seems like a peaceful  way to go under the circumstances.

It's funny as hell that a Frenchman flew a Helicopter all the way up to the Summit.

David Sharps body. He took a rest next to Green Boots and never woke up.







In 2006, David Sharp’s (an experience climber) death tore apart the climbing community raising questions about the “Code Of The Mountain.” The British mountaineer was conducting his third trek to the summit of Everest without using supplemental oxygen, teammates, Sherpas or radios. He aborted the first two attempts due to the perilous conditions and frostbite that claimed several of his toes.

On his third attempt, he successfully peaked and while climbing down he stopped to rest within Green Boots’s cave. Exhausted and disoriented, Sharp curled up and fell asleep. He was never to awake. Sadly, David Sharp did not die instantly. He was passed by more than 40 different climbers who could all note his distress in his final hours. This caused immense outrage in the climbing community all over the world knowing Sharp was left to suffer and not offered help.

“The whole attitude toward climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying,” said Sir Edmund Hillary against Mark Inglis and his team who allegedly witness Sharp’s distress during their mount to the top. “A human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain.” Climbers share an unwritten code which commands them to abandon their quest if they witness a climber in peril or distress.

A lot of people argue that Everest has caused a “grey area” in terms of morality stating that it is every man for himself out there. This mentality merely pushes summited Everest into more of a civil war than a quest. Inglis states that he and his team found Sharp incoherent, completely frostbitten and too far gone for saving. Some claims surfaced that some climbers attempted saving him to no avail. Others attested that they mistook Sharp for Green Boots. However, a lot of people have raised the claims that Sharp was purposefully left unattended as a result of summit fever and climber greed of others.

I guess I can see both sides.  If you are invested in making the climb, several thousand dollars, training, logistics, leaving family behind etc. are you obligated to just stop everything and help someone in need?  Who exactly is going to compensate you for your losses if you do indeed stop, turn back, and help another climber?  For some, it's a once in a lifetime chance and they only get one shot at completing a life long dream.

$50k is a good starting point.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu........

I just got done watching it from recommendations here. Wow, I have a new respect for the sport now!

Yeah, that looks like it sucks.

When they say 40 people passed him, they were on their way up, including a group with a huge amount of support that was supporting summiting the first double amputee. Based on the initial reports, they all basically stepped over the guy on their way to their own personal glory. (Further details suggest Sharp was beyond help, but those saying so were the ones under scrutiny)

My friends and I were rather disgusted when we heard the news reports on our the door to ski. We mocked the heartlessness by staging a photo on a 13er (that's a 13,xxx ft peak, not an arfcom 13er) where I wore an "oxygen" mask and laid down desperately reaching up for help toward my friend who feigned pissing on me.

After we took the picture we prepared to go up the ridge we were to ski. A guy coming down the ridge asked us WTF are you guys doing?

Turns out he'd been to Everest 4x. He hadn't heard what happened, but was horrified when we told him.

It's a values thing...

Is your life long dream truly reached if you stepping over desperate mountain brothers to get there? If so, I don't give a fuck about your story or you.

"I gave up my summit (to try) to save someone's life in the death zone," is someone who I want to hear from and be around.

In Sharp's case, he might have been unsalvagable.

Damn that guy gorilla climbed Everest with no permits.

That's badass.

Yes, but did he spite his face?

Hillary just can't stop killing people

I will never ever forget this movie. I think about the main character almost every day.

Couldn't recommend this movie any more.

Touching the Void

That documentary on Meru was pretty interesting.  Great movie and since obviously everyone here is interested in alpine climbing, they should definitely watch it.

Will watch tonight if I can find it on amazon or Netflix, thanks for the recommendation.

29,000+ feet.
Mt. Everest is in a place by itself.
Over the years there has been speculation that Mallory & Irvine actually summited the mountain, but both died on the way down, based on location of some of their gear, their bodies, plus sightings of them the day of their climb.
The allure is there. But having too many friends have issues with altitude climbs, I decided early out that Scotland's Munros & New England's Whites were enough challenge for me.
It's easy to see if in other's eyes. I talked a few folks out of summit attempts in the Whites when weather was ugly & iffy. Hard granite is no place to be in high winds & driving snow.

Not a fan of his. I have Into Thin Air and don't even use it as a paperweight. I much prefer other accounts of the events of '96.

And I much prefer reading about the 1986 and 2008 seasons on K2. Actually, K2 is FAR more captivating to me than Everest ever was. There's been a picture of K2 on my office wall for years. There will never be one of Everest. Doesn't mean that it's not a worthy goal. It's just not really one of mine.

Meru was great.

Conrad [Anker] lives 120 miles from me. I have a pic of he and I together and got to talk to him for a while.

Because he's a leftist asshole?

RIP Alex. He was my climbing hero.

And then I found a new one in Ueli Steck. And now he's gone.

Krak is a leftist shill who does some of what he does just to stir shit.

Especially the Rupal Face!

I enjoy reading Tomaz Humar's account of his solo attempt.

NAIL --> HEAD

Krak is a "journalist". 'Nuff said.

And yes, he's done some respectable climbing. But I still wouldn't piss on him to warm his frozen hands.

I guess it is if you're talking about several hundred extra feet (over K2). But K2, Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, and several other 8,000ers are far more treacherous. They just don't have the allure to some because you can't say "I climbed Mount Everest". But as someone who used to do a fair bit of climbing (mostly ice climbing), I can safely say that I'd MUCH rather be able to say that I climbed one of those "mountaineer's mountains", than "I climbed that mountain that those couple of thousand doctors, lawyers, postal carriers, socialites, etc" climbed. And for that matter, I'd much rather be able to say that I trekked solo across Antarctica than that I'd climbed Everest. I'm serious.

There is also a legitimate question about the risk you will be placing on yourself in an attempt to aid somebody else in that environment. This isn't like hiking through a U.S. National Park on a pleasant day and coming across somebody who needs help. By the time you reach "Green Boots" your own body is already pushing itself and you are both physically and mentally going in survival mode. Simply loitering with a person in that condition could put your own life at risk. I am not qualified to judge anybody's actions who was up there.

Again, I am NOT a Climber, I am a Trekker but I have heard enough stories from Nepal to keep me from ever buying a set of crampons and a belaying rig.

Might be a dumb question to some ... but this is a serious question

I live in WA state and we have Mount Rainier ( I think its around 15,000 feet and the highest in the state )- and yea every couple years someone dies up there due to some extreme accident / unforseen problem while trying to ascent the summit.

Anyway ... the entire top of Mt Rainier is glacier / ice covered 24/7 365 days a year. Even middle of summer you can clearly see the top 1/4th of the mountain is all snow and all ice ( doesn't ever melt )

Now if this Mt Everest is 29,000 feet and twice as tall and its colder the higher you go. My question is why all the bare rocks and bare granite I keep seeing in all the Mt Everest pics ? I would think the glacier ice up there is 10 feet thick on everything ??

Because Mt. Everest is in the jet stream for much of the year and the very high winds (over 100mph) blow all the snow and ice off the peaks.  Plus the peaks are above a lot of the precipitation producing clouds.

Just saw a chart showing deaths vs elevation. Seriously, how shitty would it be to die at base camp??