Brawl on Mount Everest: Sherpas vs. climbers.

It appears that an Italian and Swiss climber ignored the advice of the native Sherpas as they attempted to climb and summit Mount Everest in Nepal.

The incident began when the arrogant behavior of the climbers ended up with ice being kicked in the faces of local Sherpas, who assaulted the foreigners when they returned to camp two.



After several sport's scandals (notably Armstrong and Pistorius) perhaps this is the latest in a series of incidents that have given some South Africans (and perhaps others) cause to reconsider the esteemed role of the "sport hero".

Why are these people given such an esteemed role in society?
Should the mass media really care about their masochistic and forgettable achievements?
Is sport just a deflection from political and social problems, as rugby writing was under apartheid in SA?

Why do people forgive violence and the worst of self-centered patriarchal behavior when it is connected to sport?

Why would any country still care who summits Everest?

A few years back it was already considered unfashionable when the congealed crap and frozen pollution left by foreigners on Mount Everest was highlighted.

Now the adrenaline junkies are seemingly back in vogue.
Why?
Hoarders are also obsessive, but they hardly get a medal for it.

It seems like neo-colonial landscape "conquest" in the press, but I'm sure dealing with some of these Western people cannot be very pleasant for the natives.
OK, the "climbing Everest" obsession provides some jobs and an industry for the locals.

But why on earth should we care so much about "athletes" and sportsmen/women?
Rock stars get a very bad reputation, but most of them perform for longer and better without boring us.

I'm with the Sherpas on this one, and without their help all those famous Western mountaineers could have stayed at home.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

If I was in the employ of inexperienced climbers and felt the safety of them and my fellow guides was at risk because of simple egos, I'd be teaching another lesson as well.

The lesson of listening to those that have been where you wish to go and have returned safely to do it again.

The Sherpa are right on this.

Peace

More on the incident, according to my last Huffington Post link above.
www.huffingtonpost.com...

A mountaineer on Everest described the "terrifying" scene of two famous European climbers fighting with Nepalese guides in a high-altitude brawl that has sparked a police investigation.

Ueli Steck, a Swiss national who holds climbing records, and Simone Moro of Italy, who has climbed Everest four times, were approaching the 7,470-metre (24,500 feet) Camp Three on Saturday when the bust-up occurred.

The American eyewitness, speaking to AFP by telephone and on condition of anonymity, said Steck and Moro were asked to wait on the mountain while a group of Nepalese rigged up some ropes.

The Europeans, accompanied by a photographer recording their attempt to climb the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain by a new "undisclosed" route without supplementary oxygen, ignored the request and carried on, the eyewitness said.

"The Sherpas told the team not to climb above them while they were fixing the ropes but they did it anyway. Then some ice fell and hit the Sherpas, which made them angry," he said.

Later in the day, a furious mob of Nepalese stormed up towards the climbers' tents and pelted them with stones until the men came outside, after which a loud argument ensued and punches were allegedly thrown.

reply to post by halfoldman


I'm with the Sherpa's to, if the folk felt that superior to the Sherpa's they should have gone of on there own they sound like compete assholes if you ask me tut.

This is what's wrong with folk they think "ah simple Sherpa's telling us brilliant climbers how to climb" tut maybe it's because the simple Sherpa's have climbed the mountain more times than Mr wonderful has sneezed, this gets me so mad at times. Just because Sherpa's live in a wooden house doesn't mean they are thick as two short planks Sherpa's are brilliant climbers they no the area because they live there daaaaa and they no the way the mountain works.

Oh look at me i'm from Europe and went to school, we'll Mr Wonderful so did the Sherpa's only they work for a living treking up mountains to keep you smart asses safe!

Halford thanks for sharing and letting me blow my top off lol (my daughter left dishes again) s/f

reply to post by halfoldman


The climbers sound very arrogant, and honestly I'm not surprised. Everyone wants to view the guy at the top like he did all the hard work, imagine how hard the Sherpa's work to carry all his gear.

When you're climbing a mountain like Everest, you listen to the Sherpas.

Everest is no joke, and the death zone is very real. Everest is 9,000 more ft than Mt. McKinley! Combine the weather with the extreme lack of oxygen and you have a deadly combination.

Some of the world's best climbers have Sherpa backgrounds. Tenzing Norgay comes to mind:

Tenzing Norgay OSN GM (late May 1914 – 9 May 1986) born Namgyal Wangdi and often referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese Indian Sherpa mountaineer. Among the most famous mountain climbers in history, he was one of the first two individuals known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest, which he accomplished with Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953.[1] He was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Wikipedia

Climbing on that level requires respect for the mountain -- and the people helping you climb it.

reply to post by halfoldman


It show's you how stupid these climbers were

Sherpas are from Nepal

Gurkhas are from Nepal

Ask any one who has served in any military and they will tell you

Don't mess with a Gurkha.

Rest in Peace Ueli.

-Alee


PS. sorry I know this is an old thread, I've been on an Everest kick for like 4 days.