The MountainWorld™ Blog

Sean Swarner (CancerClimber) throws first pitch in Cleveland

Sean Swarner - 7 Summits climber and, more importantly, 2-time cancer survivor - can add one more thing now to his already impressive resume: he threw the opening pitch at last night's Indians - Yankees game at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

And, he did it in his down suit from Everest! Not bad, Sean!

If you don't already know about Sean and his story, be sure to check out his website, CancerClimber Association, to learn more about this inspirational guy and the great work he is doing for cancer patients and survivors around the world.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

A climb of Everest...by Mill Creek Elementary 6th Graders!

OK, so it's not an actual climb of Everest, but a group of 6th graders from Mill Creek Elementary put together these videos of their imaginary climbs of Everest's Northeast Ridge Route. And, they did a pretty good job of it!

Good work to all of them, and thanks for the North Side climb, especially since this season no one but the Chinese with the Olympic Torch will be climbing from Tibet this year!

Keep climbing!

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Everest: Closed for Business, Part II

Update - March 15, 2008

On today's Weekend Edition on NPR, host Scott Simon shared an insightful and powerful commentary on the situation in Tibet, based on the emerging news of many deaths and violent riots in the Tibetan capitol, Lhasa, yesterday, and a state of complete lockdown in the city today, noting:

The protests of monks and others may not deliver freedom to Tibet anytime soon, but freedom is an effervescent ideal that can't be bottled up forever.

Audio of Mr. Simon's commentary will be available on the website in the next few hours. As always with Scott Simon, it is on target, bold, and emotional. Listen in!

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If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent.    - Henry Commager

Nepal: Everest CLOSED
May 1-10

According to the New York Times, Associated Press, and The Guardian, and many others, Nepal had officially caved to Chinese pressures and imposed its own ban on climbers going above 17,600 foot Khumbu Basecamp from May 1 - May 10, 2008, to avoid the potential for protests while Chinese climbers carry the Olympic torch to the summit from the Tibetan side of the mountain.

The move comes as Tibetan independence protests in Tibet, Nepal, India, (see images of the Tibet protests here) and elsewhere have been forcefully put down by authorities.

The implications of this ban reach far beyond the disruption of the climbing season on Everest. Sure, some climbers will be out of luck, their plans thwarted and summit hopes dashed. More importantly on that micro scale is the livlihood of countless Nepali and Tibetan support staff - climbing Sherpa, Rai, Limbu, Tamang, Gurung, and Magar cooks and porters, ethnic Tibetan yak herders and climbers - who will not have the lucrative Everest business to prop up their annual earnings.

And, more importantly, as I mentioned in my earlier post, it shows how nervous China is about any action marring its rosy pre-Olympic persona.

Unfortunately, what China does not see is that the Olympic spirit - the spirit they hope to embody and embrace for these upcoming games - does not ask for perfection. Rather, the Olympic spirit is one which asks for the greatest of effort to be the best one can be, to accept our shortcomings and strive to overcome them.

There has yet to be an Olympic host whose nation was the embodiment of perfection, for all nations have their imperfections, their mistakes and sad histories. In this regard, China is no different.

Rather than waging a war against dissent, against those speaking out for change, in an effort to sanitize the Games and the attitudes of those visitors who attend them, China could make a far stronger move by acknowledging its failings, be them social, environmental, political, or otherwise.

According to the China Daily, attendees of the upcoming games might be greeted by quotations from one of China's greatest and most well-known people, Confucius. Perhaps China would do well to read some of his thoughts:

An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.

Or, perhaps a quote from Chairman Mao Zedong would be more appropriate:

Criticism is a part of the Marxist dialectical method which is central to Party improvement; as such, communists must not fear it, but engage in it openly.

Be sure to check out the excellent coverage on MountEverest.net and articles on The Adventure Blog and The Adventurist.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Everest Closed for Business

Everest is a no go from
Tibet this spring

Without reasonable explanation, the Chinese authorities have officially close the north, or Tibetan, side of Mount Everest to all expeditions this spring, save for their own Olympic Torch relay to the summit.

And, in a move of political coercion, they are also trying to get the Nepali government to do the same and close the south, or Nepal, side of the mountain.

One can only believe that this unprecedented move comes as a knee-jerk reaction to the Free Tibet protests on Everest last spring (see YouTube video here), and a deep fear that the same would happen again this spring, threatening to spark discourse on not only the issue of Tibet, but also on China's other minority groups, such as the Uygur people of Xinjiang Province.

Official Chinese document
explaining Everest closure

The Chinese government denies this, officially stating their reasons for the closure as:

Concern of heavy climbing activities, crowded climbing routes and increasing environmental pressures will cause potential safety problems in Qomalangma [Everest] areas.

But, as MountEverest.net points out, numbers on the Tibetan side of the mountain were actually down this year compared to previous seasons due to expeditions obeying China's demand that teams be nationally oriented and apply for permits months ahead of time to allow for adequate political screening. So, with numbers down already, the argument of concern for safety and the environment of Everest falls short.

Also clouding the official reasoning is not only the demand that Nepal close its side of the mountain,

Cho Oyu: Closed as well

but also the closure of nearby, the world's 6th highest peak lying some 10 miles to the west of Everest.

With these two additions, it becomes painfully apparent that China's concerns are not for safety of climbers, nor for protection of the local environment, but rather to eliminate the risk of their historic Olympic torch relay to the Top of the World being tainted by someone holding a "Free Tibet" (or "Free Xinjiang") banner in the background.

And, China's recent actions in Tibet and elsewhere show their trepidation about protests marring their image before the Olympics. According to Radio Free Asia and several other news outlets,  on Tuesday Chinese authorities and armed police used teargas to break up the second day of protests by monks in Tibet's capitol city, Lhasa. Additionally, the Chinese government has made claims about terrorist threats to the Olympic games...claims which many see as a smokescreen for Beijing's increased crackdown on the Uyghurs.

And Nepal - who relies heavily on Chinese support and trade for its survival as well as on Everest climbing and expeditions - has not completely caved in, but has compromised, allowing climbing expeditions for this year but keeping people from going to the summit when the torch is making its historic run to the top.

In the immediate timeframe, it is climbers, expeditions, and support teams who will suffer. Expedition leaders like Russel Brice - who brings expeditions to the Tibetan side of Everest every year - and Eric Simonson, who has been frantically reorganizing an Everest Basecamp trek he had booked. The clients of these leaders, who have planned and paid for their trips and alotted the time to do them, will also be left out in the cold. And, of course, the Nepali and Tibetan support teams, from yak herders to high-altitude Sherpas and Nepali climbers, will be out of a season's worth of work, which is a bigger issue than all the others combined.

But, longer term, China's decisions will impact China itself. Sure, in the short-term they may succeed in sanitizing the issues going on at home, the political angst and dubious human rights situations. But, long term, China's covering up of its imperfections rather than admitting them and working hard to deal with them, will only succeed in showing its desire to pretend.

Greatness comes from striving for perfection while simultaneously admitting our shortcomings and working to correct them.

What do you think about the Chinese decision to close Everest this spring? Please comment below.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed

As any of you who visit The MountainWorld Blog know, ethics on Everest is a very important topic to me and one I've written about at length here and elsewhere. From the tragedies of 1996 (made famous by Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air) to the recent incidents involving David Sharp and Lincoln Hall in 2006 and Usha Bista in 2007, ethical dilemmas continue to play out on the slopes of Mount Everest.

And, sadly, as more people flock to the mountain each year, things will likely get worse before they get better.

In 2004, I was on Everest for my 5th expedition, this time with my good friend Dave Hahn. It was a busy season and ours was a small team amongst armies of big expeditions, but early on we met a great guy, Michael Kodas, who was there - like Krakauer 8 years earlier - to climb the mountain and document the expedition for his home paper, the Hartford Courant.

And, again like Krakauer's trip in 1996, Michael's trip would become quite...interesting. I won't go into all the details as I only know a shadow of them.

However, the expedition sparked Michael to delve into the subject of ethics on Mount Everest, and the issues its recent popularity have brought to the fore. Several years of work and research have finally yielded a book - High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed. And, if the web chatter is true (which I'm quite sure it is), it will be a great read and one which will spark needed dialogue about the fate of climbing in the high Himalaya.

Michael is now on a book tour, and will be coming to Colorado this week for two engagements where he will speak and sign copies of the book. Be sure to come by one of these locations and hear for yourself about High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed:
   
    March 6, 7:30 PM
    Boulder Book Store
    Boulder, Colorado

    March 8, 7:00 PM
    Steamboat Mountain Theater
    Steamboat Springs, Colorado
    Tickets free with book purchase, $10 without

Hope to see you at one of the events...They should be great!

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Mallory returns to Everest...

Well, no, not the George Mallory of Everest fame, lore, and legend, but the Mallory family of Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

Yup, that's right, the Mallory family - Dan, Barbara, Adam, Alan, & Laura - will head to Everest this spring to attempt to climb the peak via the traditional Southeast Ridge route. They'll be climbing with Summit Climb and, if successful, will certainly find a place in the record books as the first family to climb Everest.

Unfortunately, the Mallory's of Barrie have no relation to the Mallory's of Everest history, or at least none that they know of.

Nonetheless, I wish them luck...Climb high, climb safe, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey!

Visit the Mallory Expedition website.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Sir Edmund Hillary, 1919-2008: Everest, Exploration, & Humanitarian Legend

The world has lost another great figure in exploration and Everest history with today's passing of Sir Edmund Hillary.

Hillary, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, made climbing history when, on May 29th, 1953, they became the first people to reach the summit of Everest, the world's highest peak. It was an amazing feat to say the least, and gave both Hillary and Tenzing well-deserved places in the history books.

To me, however, Hillary's legacy extends well beyond his exploits as Everest "conqueror" or Antarctic explorer. Sure, he climbed Everest, but I would be willing to bet that to him that accomplishment was more a footnote to the stunning humanitarian accomplishments that followed.

In the years after Everest, Hillary, more than any climber before him and more than most that followed, dedicated his time, efforts, and the powers of fame to better the lives of the people who made his ascent possible: the Sherpa. After his 1953 ascent, Hillary founded the Himalayan Trust, a non-profit dedicated to bettering the lives of the Sherpa...and quite successful in its objectives. From the Khumjung School and Kunde Hospital to innovative forestry and infrastructure projects, the Himalayan Trust has helped to create a modicum of wealth, health, and overall prosperity in this once desperately impoverished mountain area.

And, Hillary did it all with his usual modesty and sincerity - in his words:

I first visited the Khumbu area on the south side of Everest in 1951 and developed a warm respect and affection for the Sherpa people who lived there. Their life was a tough and hardy one but they had a most vigorous sense of humour. It was impossible not to like their cheerfullnes and generosity.

Over the next ten years, I developed many Sherpa friends and became of the things they lacked in their rugged existence - no schooling for their children and no medical treatment for the ill. I often felt there was much we could do to help them but never got beyond the stage of talking and dreaming.

I only got to meet and speak with Hillary once, back in 1997 as he visited Denver. But, I remember it well, mostly for the simple fact that Hillary took the time to speak with me, a young climber hoping to some day get to the big peaks. But, fortunately our brief conversation focused more on the people and struggles of Nepal than on our climbs. Everest was only mentioned in passing - the focus was on the people who make our climbs possible.

Modest from beginning to end, Sir Edmund Hillary leaves a lasting legacy of how we all should act on our climbs and in life, as climbers, people, and stewards of the mountains.

Thank you, Sir Ed, for the memories, and dhanyabad from the mountains and the people of Nepal.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Bob Bates: 1911-2007...The Passing of a Legend

It was with sadness that this morning, through my friend Greg Glade who runs the excellent Top of the World Books, I learned of the passing of another mountaineering pioneer and legend, Bob Bates.

Truly a pioneer alongside other greats like Charles Houston and the Harvard Five (Bob Bates, Ad Carter, Charles Houston, Terris Moore, & Bradford Washburn) Bates had a stunning career in the high mountains, including:

    - K2 Expeditions, 1938 & 1953
    - Mount McKinley, 1942 (3rd ascent)
    - Mount Lucania, 1932 (1st ascent)
    - Ojos del Salado, Chile, 1956
    - Mount Ararat, Turkey, 1970
    - Ulugh Muztagh, China, 1985

From a climbing standpoint, it was probably the famed 1953 K2 Expedition which was the most noteworthy of Bates' career. Along with Charles Houston, Pete Schoening, Dee Molenaar, Art Gilkey, Bob Craig, and others, the team climbed high on the world's second highest peak. In a tragic turn of events, Art Gilkey was lost during a valiant and heroic self-arrest of the entire team by Pete Schoening. (See my article on Charles Houston here for more information.) Schoening's arrest stands as one of the most famous survival tales from the high mountains.

But Bates, like so many of the climbers of his generation (the aptly-called Golden Age of Mountaineering), was far from mono-dimentional. He was also a scholar, profesor, and humanitarian. Educated at Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard, and with a PhD from Penn, Bates went on to teach at Phillips from 1939-1976. Later, at the behest of Sargent Shriver, Bob and his wife moved to Nepal and began the Peace Corps program there, running it from 1962-63. Bates also served as president of the American Alpine Club and was an honorary member of the famed 10th Mountain Division. Please see the full obituary for Mr. Bates by clicking here.

Bob was also an author, and wrote or co-wrote several books (all available at Top of the World Books), including:

• Five Miles High
• K2: The Savage Mountain
• Mountain Man
• The Love of Mountains Is Best
• Mystery, Beauty, and Danger
  

It is indeed sad to hear of the passing of another climbing great. Bates and his colleagues represent unique era of American mountaineering, one where ambitious firsts were attempted (and often accomplished!) in tandem with, to borrow from Charles Houston, the ethic of The Brotherhood of the Rope. Bates and his climbing companions accomplished great things in their lives, and often did so with characteristic understatement.

As Bates' obituary tells us, he dismissed praise of his "amazing life" with the casual reply: "I've had an interesting one."

Interesting indeed. Thank you, Bob, for the memories...

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

The Absurdity of Everest

My friends and I often laugh at some of the stunts and "firsts" people try to pull off on Everest - and elsewhere around the world - these days. It seems that the days where climbing mountains for personal joy, challenge, and growth are somewhat behind us and we have transitioned into a world where each climb must be a media spectacle incorporating some sort of first.

The first fondue party on Everest, 2002.
This was evidenced most poignantly last spring by the efforts of "The Iceman" Wim Hof who attempted to climb Everest wearing only sandals and shorts. An impressive attempt was made, but to me begged the question: What is the point? Was it to prove something to the world? To gain notoriety? To impress a girl?

We may never know, but we do know that the era of firsts on Everest and beyond are just beginning. More will come with each year. I do not fault people for figuring out clever ways to get to Mount Everest, but do question the ethic of "creating" a first just to include that in one's CV.

Climbing has traditionally been about process, about growth and challenge, about personal, inward exploration in an environment which never ceases to humble, to point out our weaknesses and faults, strengths and successes.

When this ethic transitions - as it has recently - into one of pushing to gain the spotlight, climbing solely to make a buck, complete a "first", or be the star of the most recent reality TV series, the discipline of climbing is cheapened.

And, more importantly, poor decisions are made and lives and limbs are lost.

George Mallory put it eloquently back in 1911:

Have we vanquished an enemy? None but ourselves. Have we gained success? That word means nothing here. Have we won a kingdom? No...and yes. We have achieved an ultimate satisfaction...fulfilled a destiny. To struggle and to understand -- never this last without the other; such is the law.

If you want to read a good article on Everest follies - and get a good laugh - be sure to check out Ben Vernon's article Climb Every Mountain in today's Townsville Bulletin from Townsville, Australia.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Paving the way to Mount Everest

In his blog China Rises, McClatchy newspapers Beijing bureau chief Tim Johnson writes - as many others have recently - about China's plans to pave the 67 mile road from Tingri (click for an image) to Everest Basecamp.

As seems to be customary, the Chinese government is couching this latest project in the language of development and benefit for the masses. In his blog, Johnson quotes Tibet Autonomous Region chairman Qiangba Puncog:

...we are building the road in order to facilitate visitors to Mt. Everest.

An MSNBC story on the proposed road quotes Tibet Mountaineering Association (TMA) chairman Zhang Mingxing:

It is a good thing for the local development and the local people, because more tourists and mountain climbers will be attracted to the region.

So, what is the truth? Will the paving of the road help tourists and bring development to the region? I doubt it.

For starters, let's keep in mind that the road from Tingri (two of them, actually - one direct and one going over the Pang La Pass) has existed for many years...and has been recently improved. While on the 2001 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition, our team awoke each morning to thunderous explosions. These weren't avalanches - which one would expect to hear near Everest - but rather the sound of dynamite as workers blasted a new road cut from the top of the 18,000 foot Pang La to the village of Tashi-dzum and on to Rongbuk.

This was a proud feat of engineering, the road replete with guardrails and signposts as it made delicate switchbacks down the mountainside. But, did it serve its purpose of making the journey to Rongbuk better? According to TMA officials and locals I spoke to in 2004, not at all. Truck drivers were frustrated that the new road was many miles longer than the old road due to the new switchbacks, and thus they burned more fuel getting to Basecamp and instead took the old, direct (and bumpy) road from Tingri.

Will paving the road make it easier for tourists to reach Basecamp? Probably, as the Toyota Land Cruisers which are standard transport on the Tibetan Plateau will be able to make the journey on smooth blacktop. But, getting to Basecamp - at 17,000 feet - quickly is not really a good thing.

Already, many tourists arrive at Basecamp during the climbing season, hop out of their vehicles, and find themselves almost immediately feeling the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Many don't enjoy their stay as a result, and others try to tough it out only to have their condition progress to the more severe altitude ailments of High Altitude Pulmonary or Cerebral Edema (HAPE and HACE, respectively).

As the snail's pace of an Everest expedition demonstrates, taking your time when ascending to high altitude is always the best recipe.

On the topic of bringing development to the region, I must admit I have my doubts. While strides have been made in recent years in Tibet with more economic benefits coming to the Tibetan people, the vast majority of this has happened in urban areas like Lhasa, Shigatse, and Gyantse.

In the rural hinterlands of Tibet, most Tibetans find their situation has changed little since Chinese occupation aside from the loss of many monasteries and the introduction of electricity in some areas. Even in easily accessed areas like the towns along the major north-south trade route, the Friendship Highway, Tibetans have seen very little development and most businesses are controlled and run by ethnic Han Chinese. And, finally, there are very few people who live along the route of the proposed road; there are only a handful of tiny settlements culminating in the famed Rongbuk Monastery, once a place of quiet meditation and pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists.

Personally, I am willing to bet the paving of the road to Basecamp is nothing more than a prelude to the building of hotels, restaurants, and other additions of "civilization". While Qiangba Puncog may deny plans to build hotels at Basecamp, there have actually been plans at least since 2001 to build a permanent hotel at Basecamp, and the Chinese already constructed on immediately across the road from Rongbuk Monastery.

Personally, if I thought the road to Basecamp would better the lives and condition of local Tibetans, I would be all for it. But, sadly, I think this is a stunt by Beijing officials to bring in more tourists and - literally - pave the way for the Olympic Torch to go to the summit of Everest in 2008.

If you have thoughts or comments on this, please submit them!

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.