Failure™ Magazine

Into Sin Air

Theft, drugs, prostitution and violence on Mount Everest.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under Sports

What do you expect from climbing season on Everest this year?
It’s going to be very interesting because of the Olympic torch. There has been a lot of talk about China limiting access to the mountain. As to whether that will all happen I don’t know. China has been loath to give up the income that they get from climbers coming to Everest.

Also, I’ll be very curious to see how many spectators show up to be a part of the spectacle of taking the torch up the mountain. There is now a hotel near base camp and a road that goes all the way to base camp, so they have the infrastructure to bring in bleachers full of spectators to watch the shenanigans. That could add a distinct complication to the upcoming climbing season as well.

How do you think the climbing world will react to your book?
I think it’s going to be mixed. One of the problems I encountered—and this is common with a lot of sports—is that there is something of a code of silence. A lot of mountaineers who aren’t part of the problem aren’t happy being written about because they think it casts a negative light on the sport and that it will dry up sponsorship.

That said, I had a number of mountaineers—some of them quite well known—who initially were not interested in talking to me, but after a few months changed their mind and said, “Actually, there are some things I think you should know.” Himalayan mountaineers may be getting sick of dealing with all this stuff and coming to the realization that the only monitoring they are going to have is amongst themselves. My hope is that not every climber will want to throw fruit at me.

If you had the chance to go back and climb Mount Everest again, what would you do differently?
I would be quite diligent about looking into the backgrounds of the people I’d be climbing with, and I’d certainly plan knowing that there are a lot of people on the mountain who don’t behave. You need to be just as prepared for the challenges presented by your fellow climbers as you are by the challenges presented by the mountain and the weather.

Page 5 of 5 pages « First < 3 4 5