A recent UKC news item by Kenton Cool, of Dream Guides highlighted the recent decision and action by what he called ‘Western Guides’ to retro bolt to Yellow band on Everest. Now there are several issues that I think are pertinent here the first is that the report mentioned scrapping away the loose rock, and cut away the old rope that had frozen in place.
The rock the bolts went are described as compact, and not loaning themselves to any other form of gear other than a bolt. I would worry that the ‘loose rock’ may mean the bolts are in rock that is prone to freeze thaw, but my guess is those responsible are aware of any issues like that. Similarly some bolts have failed in Arctic conditions due to becoming brittle, and pegs have worked themselves loose due to large temperature changes in the desert. After all it would horrible to think that the bolts were placed in poor rock, or they were likely to fail due to environmental conditions and actually less reliable than a messy knot of rope frozen to the mountain side. These are just my musings though, as I have no idea as to the exact nature of Everest, but if I had been asked to advise on such actions, they would be the arguments I would like to see addressed.
Now the argument many may level at the idea is that they have sanitised the experience on Everest, whilst I don’t move in the circles of Everest veterans, the fact that Kenton Admits to ‘Pulling for Glory’ over this steps says a lot. In fact it says that it is normal behaviour for ascentionists. Whilst us armchair critics may say that we are succumbing the the nature of commercialism on Everest, I would say that we sold out years ago.
The only people who seem to climb Everest now are investment bankers, although I guess a few less of them will be in the queue for the summit this year, although with their bonuses already in the bank and mass redundancies in the market maybe they are having a bumper year on Everest? The other typical would be summitter is of course the documentary film maker, or D list Celebrity. All I can say is thank the Lord Bear Grylls hasn’t been up their yet.
Everest like Snowdon in my beloved Wales has been lost to mountaineers, and is primarily used by those too incompetent to summit a proper mountain. Where Everest has a Sherpa pushing and a guide pulling you up. Snowdon has the only path that is visible from space, and a queue of people from the car park to the summit on most sunny weekends.
Interestingly fitness is not an issue on either summit, as whilst anybody given the determination can walk up Snowdon, after all The Times rated one of the top twenty walks in the UK. Everest is overcome not by determination but by science, and a rather elaborate cocktail of drugs including diamox, nifedipine, dexamethazone and of course sucking O’z like a cheap Vegas hooker.
Now fair play to Kenton for being able to stomach the work, like him I to ‘pimp’ myself out to the highest bidder and climb numerous easy rock climbs and mountain routes in Wales. If you have read Dark Shadows Falling by Joe Simpson, you will probably understand my vicarious understanding of the at times sickening collapse of a moral compass when it comes to high altitude, commercialism and Everest. If making a route safer will help to reduce incidents where it becomes an everyman for himself and the person footing the bill, then I am all for it.
I do worry that the Western decision to bolt this route may add up the the spiritual rape of of Chomolunga , which to me is an issue as important as safety. After all we are just guests in their land, and whilst whoever pays the piper calls the tune, I would hate to feel that we have eroded what were fantastic spiritual belief’s, although I fear the damages is already done, and is irrecoverable.
Bolts or no bolts, Everest was lost to commercialism years ago, and good effort to those taking responsibility of trying to make it safer for their clients.