UKC

There's an interview with Kenton Cool in today's Times magazine (behind a paywall). In it he says he's now mainly into bespoke, one-to-one guiding on Everest, at a cost to each client of £500,000. He also talks about how nice it is at basecamp, hanging out with investment bankers and Wall St traders, dining on fresh sushi just choppered in. The article ends with a quote in which he sounds - perhaps unintentionally - disparaging about people who die in the hills or get frostbite. Of course I admire his recent achievements. But if this article is a fair representation of what he said, it sounds uncomfortably like hubris. Be careful, Kenton.

In reply to davidoldfart:

Nah, bullsh!t.

In reply to davidoldfart: I'm sure he said 60,000 in one of his talks that I was at.

In reply to davidoldfart:

Didnt mean 500,000 for a seven summits deal or somesuch instead?

In reply to davidoldfart:

Be interested to see that article. If it's true it wouldn't be that surprising - it's a short step from advertising electronic gadgets in the mountains to hanging out with the rich eating sushi in the mountains and going on about how great it is.

In reply to Damo:

The clear implication is that that's what's being charged for a 'one-on-one' guided trip to Everest. He's quoted as saying 'mid six figures, sterling.'

But the article is clearly written by somebody who knows nothing about climbing - witness the comments about the Forbes Arete in the Mont Blanc Massif, or those about the 'Everest Horseshoe.' I *hope* the article is an unfair representation of the interviewee - but we can only go by what we read.

In reply to Rob Parsons:

I haven't read it, but even for one-on-one 'mid six figures' is still rubbish, even for the entire cost of a private Everest expedition with your own permit.

If an experienced guide gets home from Everest with US$30,000 nett, after all expenses and taxes etc, then they are doing very well. Some get less than this, I can think of only a few that might get more.

I can see this:
"You’ve got the yacht, you’ve got the mansion. What next? One of Britain’s leading climbers has revealed that for those unwilling to pay £50,000 to slum it with commercial clients at Base Camp, he now offers one-on-one guiding up Everest for about £500,000."

Says he offers it, not that he's got it. If he casts his line and hooks some idiot who pays that, good on him. But that's more of a bizarre lottery win than anything to do with any existing commercial mountaineering expedition.

Now, 1.5M Sterling for an Antarctic expedition - that I DO know of...

In reply to davidoldfart: Coming late to this post...but I read the article too and the article definitely said 'mid 6 figures'. I'll admit I was taken aback when I read it but I don't find it hard to imagine either - particularly when you consider that for the mega rich it's not all that much! Kenton Cool is a big name so if you've already got a yacht parked in monaco and decide you want to climb a mountain why not hire him?

All that said, I agree with the post and the article didn't show him in the best light...albeit a light where he has a nice house and brand new Landrover Discovery!

In reply to davidoldfart:

It's in the Times, He's probably just fishing for clientele