'It is hard to die as much money', and what is economics that supports Everest climb?

It can be said that it is a dream for many climbers to reach the top of the world's highest mountain Everest, but a lot of human and material support is being carried out to support the climber's climb. The movie " The Deadly Logistics of Climbing Everest " depicting the current situation of climbing Mt. Everest, which became easier compared to the old days, and the problems lurking in the Everest climbing business, is released.

The Deadly Logistics of Climbing Everest - YouTube


Everest of the Himalayas is the tallest mountain in the world.

The summit of Everest, the highest altitude on the planet, is literally "highest peak" aimed at by all mountaineers.

However, the highest everest in the world is never the most dangerous mountain in the world. As climbers of 100 people challenge to climb, the mountaineer who dies soon, Everest against four ... ...

At the second highest mountain in the world with an altitude of 8611 meters "K2", 26 people.

34 people will die, even to "Annapurna" near Everest.

The reason why Everest is safe overwhelmingly compared to these dangerous mountains is that commercial operation has been established.

Everest is setting up a very good environment so that mountaineers who pay money will succeed in climbing.

Where do you climb from where you aim to climb Mount Everest? The strategy called first is questioned.

There are two types, Tibet route and Nepal route, because it is divided into China (Tibet) and Nepal by a ridge with the summit of Everest, but most climbers choose the Nepal route.

"Town" appears in the vicinity of the summit of Tibet side for several months of the year.

In the winter Everest, the wind of 100 miles per hour (160 km / h) blown ... ...

In the summer monsoon season, the snow will precipitate.

The best conditions for the climb of Everest appear in the spring as if to stick a slight gap between this winter and the summer.

Generally, a "window" opens to the summit of Everest between 15th and 25th May. Therefore, many mountaineers who aim to win Everest are on standby immediately before that.

In addition, Sherpa will enter Everest two months ago.

Sherpa is often mistaken for occupation, but originally refers to Tibetan ethnic minorities.

Sherpa is the one who lives around Everest, so I know the most about Everest.

In order to live in a high altitude environment, it has a qualities as a mountaineer, such as being born to have a mighty lung.

With the support of Sherpa, many mountaineers have succeeded in climbing Mount Everest.

In Sherpa there seems to be legendary people who succeeded in climbing Everest 21 degrees. It is not an exaggeration to say that Sherpa that supports climbers is doing the harshest work in the world.

A group of mountaineers aiming to climb Mount Everest hire Sherpa and receive support such as building base camps and guides.

Therefore, the fee for mountaineers to pay the coordinator for Everest climb does not go down to $ 40,000 (about 4.5 million yen).

There are also mountaineer groups who spend $ 130,000 (about 15 million yen) to get the highest level environment.

Wealthy climbers can get multiple tents on their own in exchange for such expensive payments ......

You can secure a dining tent to have a relaxing meal ......

I will accompany a medical team ......

You can get hot water or electricity from solar power ... ...

Even mobile communication is possible.

You can spend a couple of months from 2 months to 3 months staying for Everest climb.

Still, this is a story in a campground. "Climbing" to the mountaintop is far from comfortable and the harsh environment next to death continues.

Everest is full of the risk of threatening the lives of mountaineers, such as sliding, avalanches, freezing in cold, altitude sickness and so on.

Work to get used to Everest's environment is necessary to suppress the influence on the body resulting from the height of altitude.

At an altitude of 3500 meters, the amount of oxygen will be 65% compared to the 0 meter above sea level and 50% at an altitude of 5500 meters. As a result, it is inevitable that the function of the brain and body will be degraded.

And when the altitude exceeds 7600 m, the amount of oxygen drops to 33%, gradually the level of body function stops, and the human body can no longer adapt.

Even an excellent climber will lose judgment ability This area is called "Death Zone".

There are no climbers who can survive suddenly towards the summit.

Mountain climbers need to get used to a thin oxygen environment for several weeks before attacking the summit.

Mountain climbers moved from "Kathmandu" to "Lukla" at the beginning of April and aim for a base camp with an altitude of 17,500 feet (about 5,300 meters) from there about 10 days.

On the other hand, Sherpa who completed the base camp immediately starts the role of "Icefall Doctor".

Icefall Doctor is a dangerous place covered with glaciers "Khumbu" It is an operator to investigate the situation of the ice waterfall, the elite of choice in Sherpa is in charge.

Although the work of passing a bridge to Crevasse is itself dangerous, it is said that cracks will spread every day due to glacier movement. Khumbu is one of the most dangerous difficulties for Everest climb.

When Icefall Doctor finishes placing a bridge or rope on Crevasse, a climber begins moving towards Camp I with the leadership of Sherpa.

It is said that Sherpa that creates the environment to support the mountaineering mountaineering of Everest is performing the toughest work in the world.

The climber who pays the money only passes through the dangerous Khumbu ice waterfall three times, whereas Sherpa needs to go through 20 times in order to improve the environment and transport the goods.

In fact, Sherpa's death rate is more than ten times that of American soldiers engaged in the Iraq war.

Although shelpa is the most dangerous work in the world, it can not be said that it is financially endowed with the standards of developed countries.

Nepal is third in Asia and the poorest country in the world by 25th.

The average annual income of the people is about 835 dollars (about 95,000 yen).

Sherpa earning 5,000 dollars (about 560,000 yen) by working only three months in it is a very profitable job.

However, many Sherpas lose their lives in exchange for high income.

The avalanches that occurred in 2014 sacrificed 16 Sherpas, and in 2015 11 avalanche victims were in the avalanche associated with the earthquake .

In the shadow of a mountaineer who can aim to climb Mount Everest relatively safely by giving out money, the situation where 53 Sherpas have died since 2014 raises an ethical question.

For that reason, many countries and climbers have made funds to fund the education so that dangerous Sherpas do not have to work, but the current situation is that few people stop Sherpa.

From the late March to the early April, through the dangerous Khumbu, Sherpa will start setting up Camp I. As soon as Camp I is completed, installation and operation of Camp II will continue.

Sherpa took a couple of days off at the base camp, and in mid April, with the mountaineers, aim at Camp I through Khumbu. This is a test climbing for mountaineers to get used to the high place. We will prepare for the summit attack by spending several days at Camp II.

Furthermore, you can have a hot meal until Camp II.

Climbers familiar with the body will again go down to the base camp and wait.

Sherpa, on the other hand, will climb even higher to make Camp III, Camp IV.

Until the base camp, we can transport goods by cattle called Yaku ......

Since Khumbu can not use Yaku in the subsequent stages where Khumbu is waiting, Sherpa carries all the baggage and carries it.

It is impossible to say "transport goods by helicopter ... ...."

At high altitudes, the air becomes thinner, so helicopter's rotor will not be able to obtain lift. Therefore, even relief helicopters may not fly until Camp II.

Khumbu of the dangerous difficulty also puts the pilot of the helicopter in danger.

There used to be a successful helicopter to climb Mount Everest, but this has been more powerful than the general ones, furthermore it was done on a condition that the aircraft was lightened to the limit level and no baggage was loaded .

In the vicinity of the summit of Mt. Everest, we have to work manually.

When the climbers arrive at the second camp I, II, they will enter Camp III for the first time after spending the night.

After entering Camp III, the weather forecast and staggering days begin to find the timing of the summit attack at last.

Climbers classify the weather from the weather and the wind into five. It is a day to challenge the mountain top with no clouds, sunny days without winds.

But all climbers are waiting for the best conditions. When conditions are met all the mountaineers aim for the summit at once.

In the 10 days, as many as 800 climbers challenge the summit and climb mountains, the vicinity of the summit of Everest is crowded.

After the camp III many mountaineers challenge with an oxygen mask. This is to lengthen the time to live in the Death Zone even a little.

Some climbers are challenging to climb without assistance by oxygen mask, and 200 people have succeeded in anoxic climbing so far. However, compared to using an oxygen mask, the risk of death is overwhelmingly high, some people call an anoxic climb as "a climb in a pure way", others criticize it as "reckless climb".

Only one oxygen bottle has 4 hours.

For that reason, 12 bottles are prepared for each mountaineer, including reserve.

In other words, Camp III and Camp IV will require 200 oxygen bottles per team.

Of course, it is Sherpa that carries these oxygen bottles.

Camp III and Camp IV tents are extremely primitive, but mountaineers need to eat as much as possible in preparation for a mountaintop attack.

In Camp IV, mountaineers will consume 10,000 kilocalories a day, and "meals" will become very important in harsh environments.

Like meals "sleeping" is also an important element. Even in an environment where you can not fall asleep you will be required to sleep as quickly as possible.

And the summit attack will take place as soon as a clear sky gets out. Approximately 200 climbers climb the route that is the only one every day.

It is a heavily crowded road, but do not forget that it is Death Zone. Congestion means death.

Climbers can not move quickly and will quickly consume oxygen.

The journey to a few "Hillary Steps" to the top is the most technically difficult point in Everest climb. Mountaineers can only climb one place at a time, which takes 5 minutes to climb. Therefore it has become a bottleneck near the summit.

Beyond the Hillary step, the last journey until the summit is easy.

It is the summit that finally reached the end of the months by spending a lot of money, but the mountaineers will be forced to move soon after being immersed in the reverberation of Everest. The thing that stands at the summit as a whole can be expressed as "moment".

Starting downhill in less than 30 minutes. I aim for the lower bound.

There is debate over the current situation that support systems such as Sherpa are prepared and more and more climbers can succeed in climbing Mount Everest.

At least in Everest it can be said that "safe enough to spend money" can be said.

Many tours are held to support the Everest climb ... ...

If you have money, you can make a reservation in just a few minutes so that you can challenge Everest climb.

However, Everest remains the highest mountain in the world and 4% of mountaineers are still dangerous mountains to die.

China and Nepal rely on the income earned from climbers aiming to climb Everest, and it is becoming easier to recognize the mountain to Everest more easily.

It has become easier to climb the highest mountain in the world, but the more ironic it is, the less secure it may be.