I was once asked by my tenth-grade English teacher if climbing Mount Everest or any other mountain was worth it. That question really made me think. There are so many reasons why some would say it is or is not worth it. Climbing a mountain for the chance of a breathtaking view or the possibility of dying on your way up or down. I personally do not think climbing Mount Everest is worth the risks. Even today with all the knowledge of the mountain, advanced tools, and oxygen tanks, a lot of people don’t make it up the mountain. Even if they do make it up the mountain it does not mean they will survive. Most deaths actually occur traveling down the mountain. Climbing Mount Everest is actually rather expensive too. Climbing gear alone would cost around $10,000. Then when you add the oxygen tanks, food and water, a permit to climb, and your flight to Nepal, you would be looking at roughly $60,000-$120,000 per trip. That’s a bit expensive, especially when you have such a high chance of dying. …show more content…
As you climb above 26,000 feet you enter the “Death Zone” where the air is thin enough that you can slowly suffocate if you end up having to stay up there beyond your oxygen tanks’ capacity. There are so many things that could go wrong that would make you have to stay longer in the Death Zone than intended. A simple ankle sprain could be the reason you ran out of oxygen. If you can’t move quickly enough on your own, it can be a death sentence as extra liquid collects in your brain and a frothy sputum fills your lungs causing you to drown. Rescue by helicopter is pretty much impossible. About 20,000 feet is the limit to a helicopter. The air further up is just too thin for it to go