Get Off My Lawn!<\/h3>\n
It is easy to let the haters, including many in positions of responsibility in the adventure community, weigh on your accomplishment. I’m always surprised when leaders in climbing clubs, outdoor magazines and even some well known Everest guides\u00a0feed the press with negative stories of why Everest is no longer a challenge; that only the rich and inexperienced are there and that “anyone can walk the “yellow brick \u00a0road” to\u00a0the summit.<\/p>\n
But my favorite is the ‘climber’\u00a0who summited any year prior to yours and proudly states\u00a0“Well, Everest is not like it was when I did it. MY summit was earned, unlike those people this year.” Kind of reminds me of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino<\/a>.<\/p>\n Amazing that those who share in an rare accomplishment are so fragile that they cannot give a simple word of congratulations.<\/p>\n Now; I accept, and make myself,\u00a0many of the arguments and criticism around Everest including the ones about inexperience – members, Sherpas and guides – but to generalize is lazy and a negligent\u00a0mistake – especially for anyone who is writing an article\u00a0that may appear in well known publications.<\/p>\n Now that you are back home from Nepal or Tibet and going thru all the emotions that comes\u00a0from summiting Everest that I went thru a few days ago in my Climber’s Depression<\/a> blog post, I simply want to say CONGRATULATIONS!<\/p>\n It was a good year on Everest by almost any standard as I summed up in the 2016 season summary<\/a>. Looking at the historical stats on the Himalayan Database<\/a>, from 2000 to 2016, the summit rate was 56% for members so this year at 69% \u00a0was well above average! Way to go! Many of the long time commercial operators had greater than 80% success rates. In fact, all but one team had at least one person (member or Sherpa)\u00a0on the summit. A longer than usual series of acceptable weather days made it possible.<\/p>\n But of course, five people lost\u00a0their lives, so as always it is a muted\u00a0celebration. And there is real trouble brewing on Everest with way too many inexperienced climbers, and guides.<\/p>\n But let’s stay focused on you. Hey, you set an ambitious goal, trained hard, climbed smart to the summit and returned home. You earned that\u00a0summit and have every right to be proud of it – full stop. Ignore the haters, stop reading the outdoor magazines and websites for a few months. You know what you did, and you know better than\u00a0someone who has never been out of their zip code what Everest demands of people.<\/p>\nMost Everest Climbers\u00a0Deserve Respect<\/h3>\n
![\"everest_2002_544\"](\"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/everest_2002_5441-225x169.jpg\")
<\/a>So, where is all this headed? Yet another Everest Deserves Respect<\/a> article\u00a0as I have been know to do from time to time? Nah, just a few words to my fellow summiteers\u00a0and those aspiring to next year.<\/p>\nMost Everest Climbers\u00a0Deserve Respect?????<\/h3>\n
![\"everest_2008_1326\"](\"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/everest_2008_13261.jpg\")
So with this backhanded complimentary article thus far, what about next year’s aspiring climbers? First, it is going to be crowded. Nepal extended the 2014\u00a0and 2015 Everest permits and some come due next year.\u00a0And don’t think going to the North is the solution, the line is forming on that side already.<\/p>\n