When I was a kid I loved to climb up anything. I dreamed of becoming a rock climber and climbing Mt. Everest. But the farthest I went was to go repelling a couple times, and bouldering. There was one very unwise choice I once made to climb up a twenty foot cliff without rope when bouldering.
About fifteen feet up I was stuck to find a way to the top, but couldn’t climb down in reverse. It would gave meant a fifteen foot tall fall which could have been devastating. Fortunately, I found my way to the top.
To keep myself busy and motivated lately I watch YouTube channels of things I want to do one day, which helps keep my mind in a good place as I recover. And so I’ve been watching videos of people going to Everest. One YouTuber interviewed a Sherpa who got teary eyed when he said he had lost many friends who died on Everest.
This made me question if it is morally justified in the first place. I’ve never heard the Church condemn it so I always thought it is okay to do. You have to be fit, able, and well prepared.
But this doesn’t cover all those people who have died on Everest because of the unpredictable, especially the weather. Even if the weather forecast looks perfect, Mother Nature can change her mind. I’m not starting to judge those who attempt it, but I hesitate and wonder about it. There are risks we are allowed to take. But how far can we go?
My gut tells me free climbing up El Capitan equates to being suicidal and is absolutely wreckless. But in the case of Everest, you can prepare well with every contingency. The vast majority of those who summit of course make it back down.