what other recreational activity involves climbing past dead bodies and a 1 in 10 chance of dying?

[Demovictory9]

It was an unforgettable sight as Ed Dohring made his way to the top of Mount Everest for the first time a few days ago. It was clear and the rising sun cast an orange glow over the world's tallest peak.

But as he stood on the flat part of the 29,000-foot summit, a spot Dohring described as about the size of two Ping-Pong tables, there was another 15 to 20 people jostling for the perfect angle to take a photo.

"I several times was elbowed, pushed aside, shoved," Dohring, a 62-year-old spine surgeon from Arizona, told ABC News in an interview Tuesday at a hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. "It was scary because, if you lose your footing, potentially you're going to slide off the summit."

“After about 20 minutes I said, 'OK, this is enough.'”

As this year's climbing season draws to a close, overcrowding has been blamed in part for one of Everest's deadliest seasons on record.

Dohring, who scaled the mountain's popular south slope on Nepal's side with a small group of other climbers and a veteran Sherpa guide, said that he passed the bodies of several dead climbers. Among them, was a woman who appeared to have just died and was still clipped to the safety line.

He also saw Sherpas dragging several people down the mountain who had collapsed from exhaustion, were sick or injured.

“You can’t do anything about a person who’s dead and it just -- it shook me inside," Dohring told ABC News. “It was unexpected. I mean, I know people die on Everest. But as you’re moving along the safety line and it’s dark and you’re only seeing a few feet in front of you and all of a sudden that circle of illumination has a dead body in it, it’s very unnerving.”
https://abcnews.go.com/International/american-recalls-unnerving-sight-dead-climbers-mount-everest/story?id=63319546

[dhol82]

1. I think I would look for another way to prove my manhood.

Talk about Lord of the Flies.

[Iggo]

11. I've always tried to keep a healthy amount of space....

...between me and someone trying to prove his manhood.

A fella could get hurt.

[dhol82]

12. Totally!

[FreeBe]

13. Better yet, not have anything to prove at all.

But ya, I hear you.

[Iggo]

16. I'd like to think that most of us grow into that.

The not-having-anything-to-prove, that is.

I strongly suspect it comes with age.

[FreeBe]

17. Ah the freedom of. Yes.

[Blue_Tires]

39. How much manhood is even being proven here these days?

Especially since the guide companies these days swear they can get *anyone* up to the top, even if they've never climbed anything higher than an elementary school jungle gym before...

[Snackshack]

2. None.

This is absolutely insane.

[RainCaster]

3. Politics comes to mind

Lots of ruined reputations, divorces, etc.

[aikoaiko]

4. Not recreational, but it sounds like the tenure and promotion process.

[UniteFightBack]

5. They finally got green boots down. This is a normal thing on Everest. nt

[dhol82]

14. This is not normal

The government has recently seen a golden goose and they seem to be in a rush to kill it.

[UniteFightBack]

20. Yes there are more deaths this year etc ...but walking over and seeing dead bodies is normal

on Everest!

[Iggo]

15. "This is a normal thing on Everest."

And there you have it.

[Codeine]

23. I hadn't heard that.

Green Boots had attained landmark status.

[Thomas Hurt]

6. Affluenza

[llmart]

8. Most correct post regarding this obsession.

Some people have too much money and not enough brains.

[customerserviceguy]

18. At least the symptoms of this affluenza

don't involve going to an exotic location and killing a beautiful animal.

[Hekate]

36. No. Just a beautiful mountain.

[marble falls]

7. Its not as high as one in ten.

[Skittles]

9. fuck these rich assholes

fucking morons

[dalton99a]

10. +1. I have zero sympathy or respect for these fetishists with too much money

[smirkymonkey]

25. Neither do I.

I think this is just sick. It's all about ego.

[MicaelS]

21. Saw an interview on DFW CBS Channel 11.

Local woman said she spent $70k to climb Everest.

[Skittles]

32. definitely would say "climb"

seems like they pay for a LOT of help

[Blue_Tires]

40. A shady bare-bones guide can get you up for $25k evidently...

From what I can tell, most people are paying in the $35-50k range, and folks who want all the bells and whistles fork out up to $100 grand

[Flaleftist]

19. She stayed for 20 minutes after she realized a real chance of falling off

the summit. She stayed 20 minutes to take pictures. I hope I wasn't supposed to feel bad if she would have fallen off the summit.

[Iggo]

28. I'll give him some credit for realizing how fucked up it was on the way to the summit.

And then coming down and basically telling us, "Hey, people. This is some gruesome pointless bullshit."

[Blue_Tires]

41. I'll give him no credit for not doing some cursory research before going

You'd think he would at least know that much better climbers than him have perished... Even world-class, famous climbers.

[milestogo]

22. Base jumping is probably equally dangerous

although you don't usually pass the dead bodies on your way down.

[Codeine]

24. 6.5% if you're curious. nt

[Mendocino]

26. I've done a smattering of climbing.

One thing that I did learn is that most climbers are arrogant narcissists.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

27. You should google

Bodies on Everest.

There are a lot of them. They are not usually shown anywhere, and apparently it is quite shocking to the climbers how many bodies they pass.

Keep in mind that it is almost impossible to bring bodies down from the Death Zone.

[Blue_Tires]

35. +1

[Cartoonist]

29. I used to respect that

I figured it took some skill and courage. No more. I saw a line of tourists walking a trail as if on an amusement park ride.

Now if someone were to tell me they climbed Everest, I would yawn.

[dalton99a]

30. +1. Just follow the crowd

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/sep/16/everest.cyclingholidays

[Demovictory9]

31. wow. Looks cold, uncomfortable and dangerous.

[Blue_Tires]

38. Yeah, Everest has lost its street cred

you'd think rich folks would find some new challenge that isn't so played...

[hunter]

33. They need to build an aerial tramway to the top...

... with pressurized cabins and an observation deck.

Climbing to the top of the mountain and seeing some overweight guy wearing an "I climbed Everest!" tee-shirt on the other side of the glass might take the thrill out of it.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

42. Build a hotel near the top.

It would make a great honeymoon destination, don'tcha think?

[suffragette]

34. It's odd seeing Disney-like lines going up Everest.

[Blue_Tires]

37. He's surprised to see corpses?

Had he done thirty fucking seconds of web searching before undertaking this expedition, he wouldn't sound so naive...