It was 71 years ago to this day, May 29th, that Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, was first summited by Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay. An amazing feat to be able to claim to be the first to get to the top of that very dangerous mountain. Over the years thousands have taken a stab at the Everest summit and, by this point, a thousand plus have summited. The challenge of enduring the cold, the wind, the high altitudes and its resultant tolls felt by the climber’s body and brain persist but it seems that due to the vast amounts of people making the trek, the mountain has become something of a mess. Trash has accumulated, human waste is in abundance, routes are clogged with human traffic and some of the less fortunate climbers who have lost their lives on the mountain litter the landscape as well. Oh, yes. And it is very expensive to share in the adventure. Everest seems to have been conquered by the sheer amount of human intrusion on its slopes.
Watch the video attached to get an idea of the state of Mount Everest in this day and age.
The limits of endurance are tested for those who choose to scale the highest spot in the world, Mount Everest. The pitfalls involved include the mind and body altering effects of high altitude, sudden, unpredictable onslaughts of violent weather, fending off the encroaching cold and avoiding frostbite. Climbing the mountain has always presented a formidable challenge for those who attempt to reach its summit. Along came Rob Hall who devised “Adventure Consultants”. This was a venture that presented a group ascent of Everest under his, his assistants’ and his team of Sherpa’s guidance. The venture proved to be both profitable and influential as a score of similar businesses also offered their services. Now, those less trained and unaccustomed to the rigors of climbing could receive a helping hand, for a sizable fee, to attain the distinction of having scaled the legendary Everest. And the crowds of climbers appeared. But this overcrowding would lead to some very dangerous and deadly situations.
This movie is based more or less on Jon Krakauer’s record of the 1996 doomed climb, “Into Thin Air”. No better an authority on the story as he was a member of Hall’s team. I think this is a pretty engrossing film. A sense of wonder and expectation for Everest petrifying into despair, dread, nightmares.
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