Based on this and other films it is clear that the foreign expeditions include some real arses.
shareThe line from one of these arses "Do we know who these owners of the four or five (inciting Sherpas) are?" Says exactly how entitled they feel. Slaves perhaps? What I don't get is why these arses just didn't go and climb the mountain without the Sherpas if they were so sure about their talents "they worked $o hard for".
shareNo Shxx... I think some one needs to start a sherpa union! If the owners of expaditions have to pay a 33% tax to the Government the the sherpas need to strike till they get what they want... If the avg rate to climb is around 80k they need to make it 120k.... Im all for mountain climbing, Im into it! But if they're already able to afford 80 or so for a chance to climb a mtn, they can certainly afford 120.....
sherpa's should make enough that they don't have to climb 21 times to make enough money to retire on, or that they don't have to worry about starving to death if they skip a season
there's so many people climbing now that if they increase the price then maybe that will help create less traffic jams, or perhaps they should only accept climbers who have tackled the smaller mountains to climb, it seems now they let anyone on if they pay enough, 13 year olds, 80 year olds, blind people, double amputees, aren't they risking everyone's lives when they do that? I don't get it
"how's a fella go about gettin' a holt of the police?" -Karl
I do not doubt that there are western climbers that do not show proper respect to the local people and their ways. However, the three climbers at the center of the entire debacle, would not fit that description at all. They are experienced alpine climbers, that do not employ the use of Sherpas, but have done much to aid in the local economy and well being of the local people. The fact that these three independent climbers do not use Sherpas surely factored into the resentment and subsequent violant encounter. The way the entire system is set up, one must pay the Nepalese government to climb, and these men did just that. The Sherpas argument should be more with their own Government, and not those that support their economy.
shareI have a feeling you haven't seen this movie.
shareYeah, but the sherpas hold all the cards, they should get a bunch of money for doing it one time! If its fufilling a life long ambition for some dude from California to climb the mountain and the mountaineering company nets 50, the Sherpas should at least be able to split 25% of that 50... Like if they get 1k thats not much considering they could shut the entire operation down, and I wish they would... Actually they should get 50%.... Its bs, and one more thing, that dude that refered to the mountaineering companys as their owners ( of the sherpas) is a duche) fyi.... Thats no way to think about those dudes......
shareI wonder if it's possible to get insurance for the sherpas. It's quite appalling that the govt. pays the family a pittance when the sherpa dies, even though it collects 1/3 of the revenue from the expedition companies.
I don't think the expedition leaders are to be blamed. It's more a governmental issue and the sherpas should be taking their demands to the government.
However, they are paid highly (relatively to others not in the climbing industry) and I guess many of them think that the risk is worth it.
Threatening to shut the operation done may work, but I bet that there will always be those willing to continue working and climbing because they desperately need the money.
The expedition leaders are in a position to insist that the Sherpas be treated well -- and have a moral obligation to do so.
shareThe dude who compared his situation to 9/11 really needs to come back in the next life as a yak....
shareYeah it's pretty disgusting and disrespectful of some of the foreigner climbers to act like that. I know they put a lot of money into ithe climb but 16 people died and 16 families are now forever affected by it. You just can't say, "oh well, it happens. Talk to the other camp leaders and have those protesting sherpas removed and let's continue the climb." The foreigners need to be understanding and more respectful. Some of them acted like they were the only ones being inconvenienced and even compared the sherpas to 9/11 terrorists. Unbelievably spoiled attitude. They failed to understand that climbing Chomolungma is not about having hot towels, tea and selfies at 29,000 feet while sherpas carry their things for them. Climbing the mountain is not a right, it's a privilege and it takes mental, physical and spiritual awareness to reach the summit for personal reflection... and not bragging rights.
I really think the 2013 fight put a lot of bad luck on the mountain, the foreigners and the sherpas. Violent fight 2013, Avalanche 2014, Earthquake 2015. :(
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That one Western guy called the Sherpa's employers for "owners". I kinda get why the Sherpa's are fed up by Western people who call them various names. I would be really mad if people talked about me that way.
shareYeah, a classic Freudian slip. I'm sure he didn't mean it quite that way but summed up his total sense of entitlement and his resentment of the "terrorists" who were preventing him enjoying his expensive adventure.
Came across as an absolute douche.