Is climbing Mount Everest an irrational act? During the expedition, climbers are faced with many difficult conditions. In Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer writes about the 1996 Everest disaster and his expedition with Adventure Consultants. At 29,029 feet, clients were climbing the highest mountain in the world. Unfortunately, they were caught in a hazardous blizzard which killed eight people. After being subjected to the many risky features, climbers continue to ascend Everest. Many question why clients would ever want to climb with such risks, but they say the need is too strong. They ignore their logical thoughts about turning back, and are adamant about reaching the top. Clients shouldn’t continue climbing Everest if there is a risk of death. Climbers ignore their symptoms if they are ill or injured because they are determined to reach the top. One of the most sickly climbers was …show more content…
The clients remain ascending Everest after they are told by Sherpas that the sky god, Sagarmatha, has cursed them. They believe she is getting revenge on a member of Fischer’s team, Ngawang, after she angered her. Martin Adams previously recognized the approaching storm because of his years as a pilot, but ignored this and resumed trying to summit Everest. The Khumbu Icefall, the most hazardous part of Everest, is faced by many climbers every year. To cross this glacier, the expedition members were forced to climb with deep crevasses and unstable seracs which moved three to four feet daily. Near the apex of Everest, Goran Kropp made a very strange yet rational decision. Due to the dangerous conditions, he turned around before submitting. Ignoring their instincts, Climbers usually don’t turn back. Peter Lev, an American guide, said, “If a client sees that the summit is close and they’re dead-set on getting there, they’re going to laugh in your face and keep going up.” (Krakauer