Taller Than It Used To Be
Sir Edmund Hillary had it easy; when he climbed Mt. Everest, it was 14 inches shorter than when people ascend it today. Ok, that’s hardly a big deal, but when you are within a little more than a foot of the summit, that 14 inches can make a big difference.
What’s it like for your vascular system? Well, think of it this way: Your blood becomes as thick as motor oil, perhaps a better brand of 10W-30, and if that were acceptable, you’d get it checked at a gas station instead of a physician’s office.
The Tibetans believe there is a Mother God who holds an animal that vomits wealth. Don’t laugh; they make a bundle off the explorers who attempt to climb The Mountain. The vomit-spewing animal is puking coin of the realm, specifically the Renminbi, and the locals are scooping it up by the bucketful.
What happens to those who don’t make it, squared? That is, they don’t make it to the top and they don’t make it to the bottom. They stay put, where they are, and become part of the mountain; nobody will risk taking them down those dangerous slopes. It may sound inhumane, but that’s how the mountain is.
The other one? That’s K2, known as the Savage Mountain for the difficulty of getting up there and, incidentally, due to the little fact that for every four people who make it, one dies trying. Just in case you wanted to. It has the second-highest death rate after Annapurna, which comes in at 40%.
What’s it like for your vascular system? Well, think of it this way: Your blood becomes as thick as motor oil, perhaps a better brand of 10W-30, and if that were acceptable, you’d get it checked at a gas station instead of a physician’s office.
The Tibetans believe there is a Mother God who holds an animal that vomits wealth. Don’t laugh; they make a bundle off the explorers who attempt to climb The Mountain. The vomit-spewing animal is puking coin of the realm, specifically the Renminbi, and the locals are scooping it up by the bucketful.
What happens to those who don’t make it, squared? That is, they don’t make it to the top and they don’t make it to the bottom. They stay put, where they are, and become part of the mountain; nobody will risk taking them down those dangerous slopes. It may sound inhumane, but that’s how the mountain is.
The other one? That’s K2, known as the Savage Mountain for the difficulty of getting up there and, incidentally, due to the little fact that for every four people who make it, one dies trying. Just in case you wanted to. It has the second-highest death rate after Annapurna, which comes in at 40%.
posted by Tom Carten at 9:21 PM
2 Comments:
What I find strange is the Cherpas who carry the luggage up for the rich 'n famous. Nobody talks about them.
Exit 318
I often wonder just who was the first one up: Hilary or a Sherpa?
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