Regarding the top of Mount Everest as one of the most amazing human accomplishments reveals the shallowness of our contemporary culture.
Too many people try to climb Mount Everest without having a true understanding of what they are letting themselves in for. This behind-the-scenes documentary highlight the many dangers and aims at answering the question if climbing Mount Everest is a worthy cause?—ML.
Director Mattias Löw's physical test in high altitude alpinism sees him attempting to climb the highest mountain on the planet. In the process he experiences all sorts of unexpected - and terrifying - side effects of commercial mountaineering. He also examines the adventure consultant giants' growing role in the lives of hopeful unprofessional and inexperienced climbers and explores their methods of making the impossible seem possible at a price. A very high price.—ML.
An English climber attempting Mount Everest for the second time told me, "When I went back to my country after my first failed Mount Everest expedition, the only thing people wanted to know was if I had made it to the top. That's all they cared about - the summit."—ML.
What's the worth of shallow victory? Some experts claim that the mess at the top of the world is socially caused, and it has to do with the naturalization, promotion and exaltation of a culture of ambition and self-glory. Ninety percent of contemporary Mount Everest climbers are clients who want to "bag" the top of Mount Everest for selfish purposes. Rather than a noble pursuit, Mount Everest is thought of as something that needs to be done at all costs, another item to check off in a long list of egotistic accomplishments. And the high-altitude guiding business capitalizes on such dreams of "triumph" among a relatively inexperienced but wealthy clientele. The true value of such "victories", however, is debatable. Despite the blanket of heroism the summiteers wrap themselves with, the reality of a guided climb is that porters and guides do most of the heavy and specialized work such as fixing ropes and ladders, setting up routes, melting snow, preparing food, and making all critical decisions such as when to push on and when to retreat. Not to mention the fact that these client climbers breathe bottled oxygen for most of the climb. Experts point out that, without artificial means, many Mount Everesters would not stand a chance of making it to the summit. Using bottled oxygen, purists affirm, equals to lowering the height of the mountain.—PF.
