Will You Be Able to Climb Everest?

Will You Be Able to Climb Everest?

In the article “Everest: The Mess At the Top of the World,” by Mark Jennings, he states, “Many recent deaths on Everest have been attributed to a dangerous lack of experience” (par. 9). Since Everest is becoming a hot tourist spot rather than a sacred climbing place, it is causing more people to climb, ultimately leading to severe pollution on the mountain. A limited number of permits should be given per year because fewer inexperienced climbers would try to climb the mountain and a limited number of permits would mean fewer people, which would lead to less litter; however, critics could argue that many permits should be given because if someone wants to pay to climb the mountain, they shouldn’t be turned down.

In 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stepped foot onto the summit of Everest for the first time in history (Rosenfeld et al). The climb with Hillary and Norgay was more of a political battle between the countries they were from, to see who could get there first, but they, personally, decided to climb together (Rosenfeld et al). To do this, though, Hillary and Norgay had to have a fair amount of experience. They proved themselves mentally and physically by performing this strenuous activity.

To be able to climb mountains, climbers need to have endurance. Alex Staniforth, a former climber who attempted to summit Everest in 2014-2015, says, “It’s more about endurance, not how good you are in the gym.” Fewer inexperienced climbers would climb Everest if fewer permits were issued. This would lead to fewer deaths for a couple of reasons. First, there would be less crowding. Second, those climbers who were allowed to climb Everest would be more experienced and have more training at high altitudes, therefore leading to less death. Mount Everest is in danger due to pollution and overcrowding with inexperienced climbers (Jennings). Some climbers tend to go toward cheaper outfitters, for many reasons that one could assume. “Another factor: Low budget outfitters don't always have the staff, knowledge, or proper equipment to keep their clients safe if something goes wrong. The cheaper operators employ fewer Sherpas, and those they do hire sometimes lack experience" (Jennings par. 19). If the client does choose the cheaper outfitter, that could ultimately lead to their death.

Some people are suggesting handing out less permits, which would mean better for the mountain overall. In the article “Demystifying Everest” by Pradeep Bashyal, he states, "Over 800 climbers, including Sherpas, are waiting for the window to climb Everest this season. The government of Nepal has issued climbing permits to 373 climbers, the most since 1953 in a single season. Given that there aren’t many parameters for issuing a climbing license, it has become a herculean task for the government to vet the strength and caliber of people wanting to conquer Everest. Western companies, generally, ask for a climbing resume. But with the influx of a number of Nepali agencies running