Sherpas In Into Thin Air

In “The Value of a Sherpa Life” by Grayson Schaffer the argumentative article commands a change for the lives and well-being of the ethnic group known as the Sherpas. The well-recognized summit of Everest demands a lot from a human being but most importantly, it demands Sherpas. Schaffer uses current events not only including the involvement of Sherpas but the significant amounts of death the Sherpa climbing industry endorse. Although Shaffer does not believe that the solution is to stop the climbing industry but to improve the value of these Sherpa’s lives. Sherpa’s deaths are not only a detrimental effect on the climbing industry but more importantly, the families of these Sherpa’s.

In order to continue climbing Everest, many aspects of climbing need to be improved before more people endanger their lives to try and reach the roof of the world. The guides have some areas that need the most reform. During the ascension of Everest the guides made a plethora mistakes that seemed insignificant but only aided in disaster. The guides first mistake is allowing “any bloody idiot [with enough determination] up” Everest (Krakauer 153). By allowing “any bloody idiot” with no climbing experience to try and climb the most challenging mountain in the world, the guides are almost inviting trouble. Having inexperienced climbers decreases the trust a climbing team has in one another, causing an individual approach to climbing the mountain and more reliance on the guides. While this approach appears fine, this fault is seen in addition to another in Scott Fischer’s expedition Mountain Madness. Due to the carefree manner in which the expedition was run, “clients [moved] up and down the mountain independently during the acclimation period, [Fischer] had to make a number of hurried, unplanned excursions between Base Camp and the upper camps when several clients experienced problems and needed to be escorted down,” (154). Two problems present in the Mountain Madness expedition were seen before the summit push: the allowance of inexperienced climbers and an unplanned climbing regime. A third problem that aided disaster was the difference in opinion in regards to the responsibilities of a guide on Everest. One guide “went down alone many hours ahead of the clients” and went “without supplemental oxygen” (318). These three major issues: allowing anyone up the mountain, not having a plan to climb Everest and differences in opinion. All contributed to the disaster on Everest in

As an experienced mountaineer, Krakauer’s childhood dream had been to climb Mount Everest. This lingering dream was triggered with a full blast when he accepted the offer of being on Rob Hall’s leaded expedition as a reporter for Outside magazine. Krakauer had to change his attitude from a free-willed climber to an obedient client on the team and was concerned about his other fellow clients when they were first acquainted. “ In outlook and experience they were nothing like the hard-core climbers with whom I usually went into the mountains”. (Krakauer 39) In previous years, Krakauer had always climbed alone or with some trusted friends. He came to realize that one must completely rely on the guide instead of other clients on a guided expedition. After meeting the other clients, Krakauer develops a sense of superiority as he is one of the most experienced climbers on the team. It shocked him when the author found out that clients Beck Weathers, Stuart Hutchinson, and Lou Kasischke never tried on their mountaineering boots beforehand and Hutchinson even failed to notice his crampons (steel spikes that are attached to the bottom of boots to help with ice climbing) did not fit his boots. As the expedition drags on, Krakauer became more acquainted with the rest of his team members and has a change in mindset. “I learned that between the demands of their families and their high-powered careers, few of my fellow clients had had the opportunity to go climbing more than once or twice in the previous year…. But maybe I’m just being a snob, I scolded myself.” Krakauer admits through this context that he is deeply concerned about his inexperienced teammates although he realized that it is not up to him to worry about such things. He came to realize that although many other clients were extremely unexperienced, their goal to summit the

“A trans-like state settles over your efforts, the climb becomes a clear eyed dream.” Stated Krakauer in The Devils Thumb. Mountain climbing has become a popular interest for thrill-seekers in modern times. It is an immensely challenging activity, involving strength, determination, and the proper mindset. There are many accounts of mountain climbers heroically reaching the summit of mountains, but none more striking than that of Everest and The Devils Thumb. These are gut wrenching, first hand accounts of some of the greatest feats performed in mountain climbing history, although they are each different in their own way. Krakauer was climbing to find himself amongst the frozen rocks and chest deep snow, and Weihnmayer climbed to push his limits, and to accomplish what many thought to be the impossible.

Written by Jon Krakauer, “Into Thin Air” tells the story of a Mt. Everest expedition. Doug Hansen, Yasuko Namba, Rob Hall, Mike Groom, and Beck Weathers were on a mission to reach the summit of Mount Everest; the highest point on Earth. Doug Hansen and Rob Hall passed away early in the journey, when Rob valiantly attempts to save his partner, Hansen. When the group split up, Groom got word that Weathers and Namba were in need of help. Groom left Beck and Yasuko for dead. Weathers and Namba stuck together, but only Weathers survived.

In the book “Into thin air” by Jon Krakauer, Krakauer sought to report and write about his climb up mount everest. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he did not and could not have predicted the barriers and conflicts that were inflicted upon him, by the mountain and it’s atmosphere. Due to these barriers and conflicts, it would be naive to say that the main conflict wasn’t man vs nature. Nevertheless, Krakauer had the worst experience of his life, climbing and fighting against the physical and mental effects of Mount Everest.

On May 10, 1996, nine people perished on Mt. Everest. Jon Krakauer, a writer from Outside magazine, was there to witness the events and soon after write the book, Into Thin Air, chronicling the disaster. Jon Krakauer is not only the writer and narrator of Into Thin Air but is also one of the main characters. Originally Outside Magazine planned to send Krakauer to Everest in order for him to write a story for the magazine. The climb was completely financed by the magazine with one of the leading Everest guide groups led by Rob Hall, an elite climber. Krakauer divides the people on the mountain into two main categories, tourist and elite. The elite being guides and Sherpas like Hall, Harris and Ang Dorje,

Into Thin Air tells the story of the tragedy where in 1996, several climbers died on the slopes of Mt. Everest. This was all witnessed by Jon Krakauer, a journalist and one of the climbers who reached the summit that year. Krakauer and the team he climbs with becomes separated through a series of accidents and a change in weather resulting in five teammates dead. Scott Fischer leads an expedition as well, and in that expedition he also loses climbers on the storm, including himself. Krakauer narrates the affairs of the expeditions and attempts to explain how the climbers could have been caught on the mountain when they could have turned and remained safe. He also communicates how he played a role in the events.

In Nepal, Mount. Everest is referred to as Sagarmāthā. The Nepalese are constantly referring to the mountain as if it were living, breathing, and capable of feeling. The Nepalese give human-like traits to the mountain with their Buddhist religion as a type of rhetorical device. In 1996 after the may tenth tragedy on Mount.

Mount Everest is 29,092 feet tall. Imagine climbing this mountain with little to no experience. Would you survive? In the nonfiction novel Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Krakauer and his recruited crews try climbing this mountain. With many deaths along the way to the top, readers are quick to blame characters in the book. However, character stands out from the rest: Krakauer. In the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Krakauer is the most responsible for the other character’s deaths because he recruited and dragged along inexperienced mountain climbers, pushed them harder than they should’ve been pushed, and watched them suffer.

Have you ever wondered what kind of hardships come with climbing the tallest mountain in the world before? Expectantly, the book Peak by Roland Smith and the movie Everest have a lot of similarities with some exceptionally prominent differences. From personal conflict and character conflict to the general aspect of climbing Mt. Everest, the book and the movie explore all different types of similarities and differences. Being similar, in both the movie and the book, the mountain always decides. The morals were constant and everyone experiences the same deal in similar ways. One significant difference came between Peak, the main character in the book, and Rob(5th summit attempt), the main character in the movie.

Sherpas are faced with many dangerous situations while assisting climbers hike Everest. In the article , “Exploiting The Sherpas” , Billie Mandelbaum says , “ Sherpas are placed in dangerous situations so that wealthy , novice climbers can summit the world's most famous and romanticized mountain” (1). Sherpas also face the dangerous weight they have to carry for the wealthy climbers.

The Sherpas of Everest have become a valuable asset to expedition climbers. They are able to higher withstand the altitudes on the mountain. Sherpas “guide climbers, set up the safest paths, help get them across crevices, and abysses, and carry heavy loads of fuel, food ropes, oxygen, and tents for their clients.”( Morrow 3) The Sherpas have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The fatality rate is higher than miners and fisherman. However, they make little money for the hard work and haphazardness of their career. Sherpas make anywhere between 3 to 4 thousand dollars per climbing season. Annually, the average Sherpa makes about 800 dollars a year. Nepal is one of the most in poverty countries in the world with over 40 percent poverty rates. Most Sherpas usually follow a climber to the summit of Everest and will receive a bonus for doing so. Although Sherpas are an invaluable asset to expedition climbers, their treatment by their own government, its obsession with only making money off western climbers, and unreasonable pay is causing most Sherpas to leave their jobs.

Sherpas are mythical gods of nature , living in such high altitude for so long they have develope genetics to allow them to be strong without any type of oxygen tank . Imagine attempting to climb mount Everest , the world’s tallest mountain . It would be very challenges considering the high altitude and massive cold weather that can make situations dangerous for all climbers . Yet , people pay up to 35,000 just to summit the mountain . Some experts say that people pay their way to an early death . In the Novel “ Into the thin air “ by John Krakauer he talks about a tragic event while he was climbing mount Everest . Most clients when they hit the summit feel like they are on top of the world they feel accomplished in finishing something that

On May 10, 1996 six people died trying to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. These people were parts of two expeditions that were in the Himalayas, preparing to ascend the summit for six weeks. The first group was under the direction of Rob Hall, who had put 39 paying clients on the summit in five years. Hall was considered the leader of the mountain and the man to see no matter what the discrepancy. Group two, headed by Fisher, who like Hall, was trying to start a profitable business in providing the experience of climbing Mt. Everest to all for the price of 60 to 70 thousand dollars. Unfortunatly, neither man would live to tell the tale of this expedition.