August 21, 2011
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Mt. Everest: Life or Death
Many dream of climbing this mountain of wonder and perseverance, but many don’t think past their daydreams. In fact, majority of people probably just view Mt. Everest as the world’s tallest mountain.
I found this article on the deaths on Mt. Everest, and many people (including myself) have never really thought of the lives lost on this mountain. Seeing this article gave me a realization that there are so many lost people on that mountain, that their families must be devastated. Their bodies are also unable to be recovered due to the harsh weather that Mt. Everest entails. The article stated, that because the bodies of the lost are unable to be recovered, their bodies are used as landmarks on the mountain.
They call this man green boots.
The causes of these deaths have actually surprised me. Some of these people have died from taking naps and simply never waking up. Imagine, having your soul set to reach the top..but you’re just so exhausted you tell yourself “just fifteen minutes of rest, that’s all I need, I can do this!” and just dying in your sleep.
Another cause of death isn’t as surprising, but it still shocks me. That cause of death being, instant frost bite. It’s so cold in Mt. Everest, that some of the bodies there have been deceased for over 50 years, but show very little decay.
One of the most heartbreaking things I’ve read though, is that many of these people die alone. There have been several occasions where they’ll call to passerbys to help them, but no one helps them.
Comments (2)
That’s pretty surprising to learn that hardly decomposed bodies still lie on the mountain. I know my uncle is set on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in the future. Not sure if he will achieve that but I know he would want to try.
@makesenseofmadness - Right??? I was completely shocked. It’s sad that these people will never get a proper burial.