Death on Everest

Just before I begin the main body of this post I'll just tell you about our trip down to Gorak Shep. We set off with the sun blazing and a deep blue sky which has been typical of our stay here. It took us about twenty minutes to get to the entrance of BC and then it was along one moraine which is fairly level. After this the ground undulates quite considerably as the path weaves its way down the valley. We bumbled along chatting and taking in the views reaching Gorak Shep an hour and forty minutes later.

Unfortunately the Internet connection wasn't great but it allowed me to get up todate and I hope I've answered most people's emails/twitter. If I've missed you I'm sorry.

During lunch it started snowing and by the time we left, quite heavily. Phil said 'I'm going back slowly', well his fast must be a sprint as we made it back in one hour and fifteen minutes (don't forget that's uphill). To be fair it felt a lot easier than when we first arrived two weeks ago so we must be acclimatising. The snow continued and then we heard thunder which I normally only associate with heavy rain back home.

Ok so my earlier post hinted at 'Death on Everest'. Well that title was to get you interested as there is a morbid fascination with the mountain.

I've been meaning to write this post for a while. Easter Sunday was a possibility but I somehow don't think I'll be resurrected as a saint!

Well we are now four weeks into the expedition and hopefully within another four if all goes according to plan we will all be safely off the mountain and making our way home. (So I can continue making Caroline's, my wife, life a misery - after all I've managed for the last 26 years and I'm sure there's more left in me!!).

To be fair l could have also called this post 'Why climb Everest'.

Let's consider the statistics (I've studied them carefully as believe it or not I have no death wish). Now I don't have them to hand but can say that in recent years more Sherpas have sadly given up their lives in pursuit of other's dreams than have non Nepalese.

The north side of the mountain has historically had a higher death rate than the south in relation to the proportion of people attempting to climb the mountain. (Been there, done that and thankfully comeback).

Depending upon the years that you look at, the side you look at and whether you look at all deaths I seem to recall that the percentage varies between 5 and 12% (I'm sure they'll be some one out there who will want to take me up on these figures but I am doing this from memory).

Of course there will be the disaster years, the most recent of which was 1996 when 15 or 16 people died ( I can't recall the exact number). Thankfully in recent years the well resourced expeditions (I'm on one) have an excellent safety record and there have thankfully been only a handful of non Nepalese deaths.

In an earlier post I said that I thought there were possibly up to 400 climbers hoping to summit. Well 5% of that is 20. I have to preface this with 'todate' but thankfully there's never been a death toll anywhere near that.

Obviously statistics are great unless of course your number is up and you become one of them. I accept that's were the argument falls down.

Now sadly people die everyday through no fault of their own and every death is a tradegy especially for those left behind.

So why increase the odds by putting yourself in a dangerous situation and your loved ones through the
emotional stress of it all? 

Firstly there is no doubt that climbing at any level is a selfish past time as no one else can get the same pleasure (or pain) from it as you can.

I've looked at the statistics and have decided (in my own selfish way) that the risk is acceptable in relation to the sense of personal satisfaction I'll get from summiting.
After all every time you leave the house something may happen to you.

There's no doubting the immense physical and psychological challenge of climbing Mount Everest and it's one I want to prove to myself I'm capable of.

Surely it's better to have died trying to do something than go through life wishing that perhaps you should have done something. After all we only get one life, this is no dress rehearsal. 

Another reason (probably quite wrong I'll be told upon my return) is that I will have achieved something that neither of my brothers have - who incidentally have done extremely well both academically and in their respective careers, so that may make my parents proud of me (blimey this is turning into an episode of ' in the psychiatrist's chair'!!).

Ok so that's the why, what about the what if 'I don't comeback'? 

I promise to keep this short as you've done very well to read this far.

Firstly and most importantly I do plan on coming back. So I've not written a letter to Caroline to open if the worst happens. This is actually the closest I've got to one. 

So to Caroline I love you deeply. I couldn't have asked for a better wife but beyond that you have been and still are the best mother Victoria and Henrietta could ever ever have. For that I am eternally grateful. Please keep it up (sounds like a school report - obviously not one of mine!). To Victoria and Henrietta I love you dearly. Please do whatever you want to do with your lives and most importantly be happy in what ever that is. To Mum, Dad, Saxon and Neil lots of love and look on the bright side that's a couple of presents less each year to buy! Finally please shed no tears.

Phew the end (well of this post!).

Ps if it does all go belly up I've only one request. Please play 'Only the Good Die Young' by Queen. Somewhat self indulgent as I'm not good and I'm not young but it reminds of our family trip to London prior to me leaving on the expedition. 

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow with more on the work of the 'ice doctors' .