I haven't written in a while. I hope you weren't relying on me as your sole font of thesis writing motivation. If that was the case, you're totally fucked.
Today I want to ask a favour. Please never climb Everest. It's not just the fact that you could die that bothers me, although that would be horrible. It's the idea that your body would sit up there forever and become a macabre landmark for other crazy mountain climbing people that I can't stand.
Love,
Ellie
1 comment:
Dear Ellie,
I'm afraid that's a promise I cannot commit to at this time. I don't *think* I'm going to, I don't currently *plan* to, but at the same time, I can't really rule it out. After I loaned her my copy of 'Into Thin Air', my mom demanded I never climb Everest, and I had to tell her the same thing. I also cannot commit to not climbing any other peaks, esp. in the Himalayas.
It's just, you never know, you know? Plus I consider the idea of sky burial to be extremely sensible, although obviously prefereable if it's at an elevation where my body would actually be accessible to wildlife. If I do die, like approx. 9.3% of persons who summit Everest, please don't be upset at the location and condition of my remains. Remember that I actually wouldn't mind being a landmark; at least that would be a useful occupation in death.
However, I promise that if I do attempt to climb Everest, it will be in part to help clean up the decades of litter up there, and I will do my best not to contribute to the ecological problems at base camp and beyond.
Honestly it's much more likely I'll die climbing a different Himalayan peak, simply because I can be a bit contrary and I'd really rather visit the lesser known, more remote 8000m peaks in the area. Several of these peaks also have lower fatality rates than Everest (e.g. 2.5 - 7%) although that may also be due to the relative lack of idiots making the attempt, in comparison to Everest.
Love,
Oz
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