Death on Mt. Everest

I have summitted Mt. Everest several times....on YT videos of course! I find it to be far safer and cheaper.

For those wondering, at 14 seconds there is a dead body below the screen which is what you're looking for. Thank me later.

In 1971, I was with three other climbers on Mt Saint Helen's (before eruption). We got into a spot that was solid ice and over 45 degrees of slope. We couldn't reverse backwards. We had to get over to a safer area, but first had to get there. We removed our ropes, because if one fell, it would pull everyone with him down too. We went single file, kicking each step in the ice with our crampons. Took over an hour to get across ice slope. I was 'a bit nervous'. Probably the most scared in my life up to that point.

The difference between people like me and the ones in this video, is the fact that they paid good money to do this, and you couldn't pay me enough money to do it. Deadly mountain climbing, deep diving, cave exploring, all hard passes.

Reading some articles at the moment for more details. Here's more info: "After his collapse, Sherpas were initially able to perform CPR and managed to get him a short way down. But just a few hours later Cash died from the effects of the altitude near the Hillary Step - a near-vertical rock face on the southeast ridge. According to mountaineering reporter Alan Arnette, Cash's body is not recoverable - and his friends said 'his final resting place will probably be exactly where he wanted'."

It's never going to be something I'll never do, as I am terrified of heights, but full respect to everyone who has successfully reached the summit. Especially to all the people who lost their lives on the mountain.

Took me quite long to see, but at 0:14, just before he jumps, you can see a body just below the path, almost fully covered in snow. You can clearly see the sunglasses if you know where to look

This section makes me think of Mick Burke climbing alone in bad weather, 1975. Who knows where he fell - most likely on the descent in a whiteout. This would be a tricky bit, here, exhausted and can't see. I met Mick in Switzerland at Dougal Haston's hostel a few years before. Dougal asked him: "So, how were the Dolomites, Mick." His classic reply: "STEEP.". . . RIP, Mick.

I'm happy you made it home safely and deeply saddened by those who died living life to the fullest.

For anyone confused and who missed it in the video, the death being referenced in the title of this video can be viewed at 0:14 seconds. It's a frozen body in blue climbing gear, covered with a bit of snow. The corpse is that of Mr. Donald Cash aged 54, of Sandy, Utah. He died there on May 22nd of 2019. He quit his job as a software salesman the prior December before the Everest climb in order to complete the goal of climbing the tallest mountain on each of the 7 continents. He had completed 5 of the others in prior years starting in 2015, the 6th just a month or two before his death, and Everest was the last on the list. His physical constitution at that point in his life, in his early 50s was not suited (or no longer suited) to climbing dangerous mountains and he had already experienced several life-threatening events on the previous mountains, and had permanent injuries including lost fingers and toes. He summited Everest and fainted due to altitude sickness almost immediately after arriving. He slightly recovered, able to move under his own power, and then fainted again (this time permanently) on his way back down while being aided by sherpas. After fainting he slid down to that spot you see in the video at 0:14, likely only stopped thanks to his rope anchor. Despite the body technically being "within reach" of other climbers, the sherpas (the experts) determined it would be too unsafe to ever try to recover his body with current climbing technology, so it will be left there forever or until mountain rescue technology advances to the point where bodies can be recovered from near the summit without any risk to other climbers or rescuers (such safety technology existing decades or more from now will also mean that mountain climbs have likely become trivially easy and pointless). His family has a romantic view of the death and where his body has been left, but in reality his corpse is just another piece of litter trashing up the pristine natural beauty of the mountain, and the anchoring that was left there poses an annoying logistical hurdle for other climbers who are exhausted and sometimes under mild exhaustion-related psychosis when they reach it and have to navigate past it without losing their footing, which this video demonstrates. It's terribly inconvenient when you already have to dodge other climbers going up. Mr. Cash's death was one of 5 deaths on the mountain that week alone - all corpses left as litter.

I know it’s impossible to take the body down , but it must be difficult for the family that their loved one is just hanging there .

Yeah, I loved to climb some years ago, but the allure of tempting death at 27K feet in no atmosphere just somehow is nothing I could ever get

Reaching the top of the summit must be an amazing feeling. Knowing that people died attemping to reach the same goal your trying to reach. Must seem surreal And much repect to the victims that lost their lives doing something that only a few have achieved.

This section must be the "Cornice Traverse" with 10,000ft drops on either side of it. Can you imagine the guts this takes?!

I’ve done several 4000ers and you feel weak and slow because of the 60%~ air pressure, I can’t imagine what 25%~ feels like.

I was severely scared of heights for a long time but when I was 13 I summited Mt. Baker in Washington and have loved mountaineering ever since. I think it something everyone no matter their fears have to experience once in their lives.

Love watching people climb Everest. Saves me the hassle of doing it myself

I had Everest windows installed in 1980 on the advice of thr farmer Ted Moult.Excellent value.I did once attempt to summit Stoney Clouds in Sandiacre ,circa 1990 but abandoned it halfway as two teenagers were having it off behind some bushes.

Wow this mountain is so high that you can almost see where our atmosphere ends and the darkness of space begins

While I still don't get why and what's the sole reason for all climbers that made the excitement, I commend their bravery always. Thanks for the footage!