Mount Everest

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JABQ04
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10:04a, 10/29/24
AG
Ever since they announced they found the remains of Sandy Irvine who disappeared in 1924 with George Mallory I've been all into that expedition. Lots of stuff I never knew and some interesting conspiracy theories that the Chinese found them during expeditions in the 70s. But the real question is, did they reach the summit? No definitive proof had yet been uncovered. Mallory's body, found in 1999 was missing a photograph of his wife he declared he would
Leave on the summit, and Irvines (partial) remains offer no new clues. The hopes of finding a Kodak pocket camera and being able to develop 100 years old film is what everybody wants to find, but some believe the Chinese found the rest of Irvine and the camera in the 70s and are keeping it a secret. Either way, cool story and the balls it took and still takes to tackle that monster.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sandy-irvine-body-found-everest
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CT'97
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11:25a, 10/29/24
AG
The majority, over 80%, of climbing deaths occur on the decent. It's usually a result of summit fever causing people to push beyond their limits to reach the summit and then not having enough left in the tank to get back down safely. That they had made several other trips up towards the summit and turned around for various reasons makes me think they pushed to the summit and then fell and died on the return trip.

Unless the Chinese have something hidden we likely will never know. If that camera still exists on the mountain it's likely been crushed by shifting ice and ruined the film. So I'm not putting a lot of stock in that idea.

For me the most amazing thing is the comparison of their equipment versus modern equipment. It's amazing what they were doing with little more than what you can buy at a modern Walmart and Lowes.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
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AllTheFishes
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1:48p, 10/29/24
AllTheFishes
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1:49p, 10/29/24
AG
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Sapper Redux
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6:53p, 10/29/24
The limited reading I've done on their expedition made it sound really, really unlikely that they made the summit. The time of day when they were last seen and the distance from the summit made it seem difficult to near impossible to reach the summit in daylight and descend to a safe position.
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Jabin
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In reply to Sapper Redux • 11:27p, 10/29/24
Good point, although in hindsight, it seems obvious that they were not able to descend to a safe position.
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JABQ04
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In reply to Sapper Redux • 8:42a, 10/30/24
AG
That's just it. I think they were close enough they said screw it and went for it. There's a lot of confusion on where exactly they were seen last, but some think according to eye witnesses they were seen in a brief period of clear conditions around noon approximately 800 vertical feet from the summit. (Near what they now call the second steppe)Not exactly sure how that translates to actual distance, but they were quickly swallowed again by fog and a few hours later when the weather cleared again they were no longer in view. I'm still digesting everything I can on this so tons more out there. I hope one way or another it's cleared up whether they made the summit or didn't, I don't know how that would happen but still a cool mystery to solve. Also, for what it's worth, Kodak has said there is a decent chance the film could be developed. Obviously a lot of luck in the conditions of it would have to happen, but it seems very doable.
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AllTheFishes
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9:12a, 10/30/24
AG
Remember in reading that for a long time the idea that Mallory and Irvine sumitted was almost sacrilege. It was really weird how it was handled in the 60s and 70s. Hillary and Norgay were still alive and the British climbing society wanted to support them and their claim to being first probably had something to do with that.
Mallory and Irvine climbing on the north/Chinese controlled side also added to the lack of information.

I think the good weather reports and the potential sighting on the second step, although questioned, Mallorys wifes photo wasn't with him when his body was found, and of a late return to camp all point towards them getting caught in summit fever pushing beyond their abilities to summit then falling on a late return in the dark.
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one safe place
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1:32p, 10/30/24
I had a client who had three sons who were very much overachievers in many ways. All of them did one or more things that few people do. One of them climbed Everest three times, but never summited. I don't know the details, but it was my impression he did not intend to summit, but to make it to one of the camps on the way to the summit.

Once I found out about his climbing, I started watching things about Everest and there is no way I'd ever want to try that. Seeing them walk on a couple of ladders lashed together to span a crevasse would do me in, lol.
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jdgilberg
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2:05p, 10/30/24
AG
This drone video shows the whole route and is WILD

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one safe place
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In reply to jdgilberg • 11:27p, 10/30/24
jdgilberg said:
This drone video shows the whole route and is WILD
Thanks so much for posting the video. As the drone flies past the various camps and the people below that can be seen walking and the ropes that are in place, it becomes more evident the enormity of it all. And then once they expend all that effort to get to the summit, they have to turn around go back down. I could never do it.
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Langley
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12:15a, 10/31/24
Why is there conspiracy theories and secrecy on these deaths?
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Sapper Redux
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In reply to Langley • 6:45a, 10/31/24
The secrecy is because we literally don't know much. Not even the other members of the expedition knew much, and it took so long to get back to that stage of the mountain in any numbers that the ability to learn what happened is compromised. Add in the location of Everest and the geopolitics surrounding China and you've got a conspiratorial stew.
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CT'97
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In reply to Langley • 9:00a, 10/31/24
AG
I first asked this question my self. I still marvel at the intensity of some of the people pushing the different theories. These are some very strong personalities and then add to in the grandeur and awe inspiring nature of Everest that seems to reach through time and space to grab people.

In addition to what Sapper Redux said, which I agree with, I think initially it was about money. More recently I think personalities take a big role as there are a couple of people with large type A personalities in the Everest climbing world who want to be right.

For instance, the most recent expedition that found Irvine's boot and sock with the foot in it. That expedition was there to shoot a ski decent of a section that has only been attempted once before and that person died in the attempt. Most look at it as impossible to ski and a death wish. At least that's what China approved. China hasn't approved any climbs to search for the bodies in recent decades. So the immediate speculation is that Jimmy Chin and his crew got approval to video a ski decent that they never really intended to conduct and really were there to use a drone to search for Irvine or other evidence. The Chinese are also very tight on approval of flying drones by anybody, anywhere and especially for foreign journalist. So why did they approve this one now?

We don't know the whole story of this expedition. Nat Geo is not letting much out because they want Jimmy Chin's movie to be huge when it releases so this leads to more speculation and gives room for conspiracy theories.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
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CT'97
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In reply to jdgilberg • 10:19a, 10/31/24
AG
That's the south route from Nepal. The north route from Tibet is in China so there won't be any drone footage of the route. It's much more approachable of a climb to high camp but less well supported and far less chance of a rescue if something goes wrong.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
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Stive
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In reply to jdgilberg • 12:26p, 10/31/24
AG
jdgilberg said:
This drone video shows the whole route and is WILD

That's freaking breath taking.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to jdgilberg • 7:51p, 10/31/24
AG
Amazing video. I wouldn't have believed a drone could fly at 29,000 feet
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Stive
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 7:59p, 10/31/24
AG
I wondered the same thing. The air is thin but I guess they're such light weight that they don't need much to get the required lift?!?
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Stive • 8:34p, 10/31/24
AG
Maybe. Wonder if it is modified. It's hard to believe you could take a normal drone and just go 6 miles straight up
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P.H. Dexippus
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 8:59p, 10/31/24
AG
CanyonAg77 said:
Maybe. Wonder if it is modified. It's hard to believe you could take a normal drone and just go 6 miles straight up

Must have a giant battery pack and extremely long range antenna…did the whole mountain in a single flight.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to P.H. Dexippus • 9:52p, 10/31/24
AG
Which would make it heavy and even harder to hit high altitude
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CT'97
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In reply to P.H. Dexippus • 8:42a, 11/1/24
AG
I would guess that they didn't fly it in one pass. That's got to be multiple flights with really good editing to put it together.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
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BQ_90
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In reply to CT'97 • 9:06a, 11/1/24
AG
CT'97 said:
I would guess that they didn't fly it in one pass. That's got to be multiple flights with really good editing to put it together.
you can see where they did fade ins, so i agree it was several flights. And in one case they fade in and it's dusk or reduced light compared to early video.

so my guess is this was stitched together from several flights
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Ryan the Temp
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In reply to one safe place • 9:30a, 11/1/24
AG
one safe place said:
I had a client who had three sons who were very much overachievers in many ways. All of them did one or more things that few people do. One of them climbed Everest three times, but never summited. I don't know the details, but it was my impression he did not intend to summit, but to make it to one of the camps on the way to the summit.
There are a lot of people who just make the journey to Everest Base Camp. It's a strenuous, but non-technical climb. I wouldn't mind doing that one day and maybe Kilimanjaro.
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CT'97
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 11:02a, 11/1/24
AG
Kilimanjaro is great. I encourage anybody who wants to do international climbing to do it first. Very approachable as long as you have the physical fitness and your body doesn't reject the altitude. Do the long route and enjoy the entire experience. It has much better acclimatization and if the altitude is going to give you a problem you have lots of time to figure it out before high camp.

The hike to Everest basecamp is on my list for sure. I'd love to do several other mountains in the Khumbu valley as well but those might be beyond my ability to fund them.
Texas A&M - 148 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
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aalan94
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11:05a, 11/1/24
AG
Watched a show recently on YouTube on all the bodies they find there. People die and can't be recovered, and sometimes, they're just sitting there perfectly preserved along the trail for decades. There was this German girl who died in the 80s, and was sitting there preserved like she died five minutes ago, her blonde hair blowing in the wind, until the wind finally caused her body to fall.

To me, this is just a sick monument to pride, and I think it's stupid for people to climb. I get the first guy. But all these folks now are just stoking their own ego. They should take all that dedication and hard work and all that and build a business, help the homeless, or just be a good mom or dad. What a stupid waste of a life.
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P.H. Dexippus
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In reply to CT'97 • 1:50p, 11/1/24
AG
CT'97 said:
I would guess that they didn't fly it in one pass. That's got to be multiple flights with really good editing to put it together.
winky face
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Stive
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2:00p, 11/1/24
AG
You can clearly see the video edits/transitions at pretty much each camp. The final clip it's clearly earlier in the day with it being poorly lit when the drone started.
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one safe place
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In reply to Ryan the Temp • 10:26p, 11/1/24
Ryan the Temp said:
one safe place said:
I had a client who had three sons who were very much overachievers in many ways. All of them did one or more things that few people do. One of them climbed Everest three times, but never summited. I don't know the details, but it was my impression he did not intend to summit, but to make it to one of the camps on the way to the summit.
There are a lot of people who just make the journey to Everest Base Camp. It's a strenuous, but non-technical climb. I wouldn't mind doing that one day and maybe Kilimanjaro.
Yeah, this guy went higher than the base camp, but I don't recall at which camp he stopped.

And yep, I wish I had gone to the base camp back when I could have handled that. And also wish I had hiked the Appalachian Trail. I am too old to handle the base camp climb and can't see investing 5 months or so to hike the AT. Missed my chances! I am considering doing the Coast to Coast walk across England next year though.
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