This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
If Mollie Hughes attempt is successful she will become the youngest Briton, the youngest European woman and the first English woman to scale the peak from both the north and south sides.
http://www.everest1953.co.uk/mollie-hughes-aiming-everest-record
http://www.everest1953.co.uk/mollie-hughes-aiming-everest-record
6
77
7
33
In reply to Tricadam:
Because it's quicker than re-hashing for the hundredth time on here all the reasons why it's not something climbers should be expected to get excited about.
This person is putting themselves forward as some kind of exemplar of climbing achievement. Does the following extract from her Everest summit blog sound like an admirable or worthy mountaineering achievement to you?
"I emerge from my tent and my Sherpa Lhakpa is there waiting for me, in a lovely yellow suit, I like the fact that we are matching. He fits my oxygen while I get my crampons on....
Then I start to feel really ill, ... ‘Lhakpa, you need to help me’ I whisper, he looks at me but it doesn’t register. ‘Lhakpa, I think my oxygen has run out, you need to help me’ He checks the gauge on my regulator, I see panic flick across his face, shit it really has run out. Then we are off, he doesn’t think twice but leads me down the step stopping other climbers from coming up. I don’t really remember getting down this section but I think I slid on my bum. ..., I feel completely helpless but I have faith in Lhakpa, he is strong. We get off the step and he sits me in a tight corner, I’m not really aware of what’s going on around me, just focused on Lhakpa, he will help me. He quickly pulls another oxygen canister out of his bag and changes mine, turning the flow rate up high. I suck on my oxygen mask and within a matter of seconds I feel okay again. That was close. But I guess we got off the Hilary step. We carry on for a few minutes until we get to a safe area where people are resting. We stop and drink, I am so thirsty, I thank Lhakpa, what would I have done without him."
By all means climb Everest for your own reasons, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and try to harm no one else in the process.
But don't expect anyone outside the ignorant mainstream to be impressed, and certainly don't ask someone else to pay for your guided mountain holiday.
You may be called on to account for the true nature of this undertaking, and in 2017 that is an increasingly hard thing to justify.
> Come on, guys, why all the dislikes? #sourgrapes
Because it's quicker than re-hashing for the hundredth time on here all the reasons why it's not something climbers should be expected to get excited about.
This person is putting themselves forward as some kind of exemplar of climbing achievement. Does the following extract from her Everest summit blog sound like an admirable or worthy mountaineering achievement to you?
"I emerge from my tent and my Sherpa Lhakpa is there waiting for me, in a lovely yellow suit, I like the fact that we are matching. He fits my oxygen while I get my crampons on....
Then I start to feel really ill, ... ‘Lhakpa, you need to help me’ I whisper, he looks at me but it doesn’t register. ‘Lhakpa, I think my oxygen has run out, you need to help me’ He checks the gauge on my regulator, I see panic flick across his face, shit it really has run out. Then we are off, he doesn’t think twice but leads me down the step stopping other climbers from coming up. I don’t really remember getting down this section but I think I slid on my bum. ..., I feel completely helpless but I have faith in Lhakpa, he is strong. We get off the step and he sits me in a tight corner, I’m not really aware of what’s going on around me, just focused on Lhakpa, he will help me. He quickly pulls another oxygen canister out of his bag and changes mine, turning the flow rate up high. I suck on my oxygen mask and within a matter of seconds I feel okay again. That was close. But I guess we got off the Hilary step. We carry on for a few minutes until we get to a safe area where people are resting. We stop and drink, I am so thirsty, I thank Lhakpa, what would I have done without him."
By all means climb Everest for your own reasons, regardless of what anyone else thinks, and try to harm no one else in the process.
But don't expect anyone outside the ignorant mainstream to be impressed, and certainly don't ask someone else to pay for your guided mountain holiday.
You may be called on to account for the true nature of this undertaking, and in 2017 that is an increasingly hard thing to justify.
144
1
In reply to Tricadam:
It really isn't. Plenty of people climb Everest every year without making such a song and dance about it, and good for them. However since Messner's solo ascent without oxygen, all subsequent ascents up the same route have been pretty unremarkable. If you're really expecting other people to care about your ascent, you really have to shoot higher than youngest/oldest/most tedious ascent up the same route as everyone else with a Sherpa taking the lions share of the risk.
Aside from that there's the charity angle. Even a permit to climb Everest from China is $10000, twice that if the team is smaller than 4. So I hope she's doing some serious fundraising, otherwise it'll be a net loss.
> #sourgrapes
It really isn't. Plenty of people climb Everest every year without making such a song and dance about it, and good for them. However since Messner's solo ascent without oxygen, all subsequent ascents up the same route have been pretty unremarkable. If you're really expecting other people to care about your ascent, you really have to shoot higher than youngest/oldest/most tedious ascent up the same route as everyone else with a Sherpa taking the lions share of the risk.
Aside from that there's the charity angle. Even a permit to climb Everest from China is $10000, twice that if the team is smaller than 4. So I hope she's doing some serious fundraising, otherwise it'll be a net loss.
Post edited at 09:52
31
56
In reply to jedicolin:
While the whole contrived 'Everest firsts' and pushing to be respected/supported by the unwashed masses is cringe inducing to anyone who knows about mountaineering, the blog entry Damo posted does show that she's honest about the style in which she reached the summit and her total dependence on both a guide and bottled oxygen. That's a lot more than most Everest summiteers looking to become media personalities will do.
jedicolin, please stop spamming your website here.
While the whole contrived 'Everest firsts' and pushing to be respected/supported by the unwashed masses is cringe inducing to anyone who knows about mountaineering, the blog entry Damo posted does show that she's honest about the style in which she reached the summit and her total dependence on both a guide and bottled oxygen. That's a lot more than most Everest summiteers looking to become media personalities will do.
jedicolin, please stop spamming your website here.
Post edited at 10:13
22
In reply to jedicolin:
I see Tiso's are involved. Sure they won't care, but they've lost any business from me.
I see Tiso's are involved. Sure they won't care, but they've lost any business from me.
2
4
In reply to Damo:
In think you're being a little harsh here.
Oxygen is clearly required according to her website.
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/
'After 18 months of rigorous training, 2 months living in the harsh mountain environment and 18 hours climbing in the oxygenless world above 8,000m – Mollie completed her challenge. '
In think you're being a little harsh here.
Oxygen is clearly required according to her website.
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/
'After 18 months of rigorous training, 2 months living in the harsh mountain environment and 18 hours climbing in the oxygenless world above 8,000m – Mollie completed her challenge. '
11
26
5
In reply to Damo:
I think that's oversimplifying things. Summitting Everest even by the normal route is still a tough thing to do, even with guides, ropes and oxygen.
It seems like the climbing community as a counter reaction to Everest going mainstream now seem to think it's some sort of "holiday". Sure there are things that are much tougher, but climbing Everest is still hard no matter how you do it. You can acknowledge that and still thing the commercialisation of it is bad.
But the "records" at this point is getting silly. I think it's because they're trying to get attention for sponsorship money to cut the costs. Next up is first guy climbing Everest backwards, and then the first woman climbing it backwards, and then the first british woman, and then the youngest British woman, and then the youngest but also blind british woman climbing backwards etc.
I think that's oversimplifying things. Summitting Everest even by the normal route is still a tough thing to do, even with guides, ropes and oxygen.
It seems like the climbing community as a counter reaction to Everest going mainstream now seem to think it's some sort of "holiday". Sure there are things that are much tougher, but climbing Everest is still hard no matter how you do it. You can acknowledge that and still thing the commercialisation of it is bad.
But the "records" at this point is getting silly. I think it's because they're trying to get attention for sponsorship money to cut the costs. Next up is first guy climbing Everest backwards, and then the first woman climbing it backwards, and then the first british woman, and then the youngest British woman, and then the youngest but also blind british woman climbing backwards etc.
10
13
In reply to TMM:
Blah blah... Alison Hargreaves became the first british women to climb Everest unsupported and without supplementary oxygen back in 1995.
Blah blah... Alison Hargreaves became the first british women to climb Everest unsupported and without supplementary oxygen back in 1995.
31
2
In reply to Andy Clarke1965:
No, really?
I was referring to the hyperbole of the website 'oxygenless world above 8,000m '.
These exploits bear no comparison to Al's mountaineering achievements. Different game all together.
No, really?
I was referring to the hyperbole of the website 'oxygenless world above 8,000m '.
These exploits bear no comparison to Al's mountaineering achievements. Different game all together.
9
In reply to john arran:
Messner: Do you think we can do it without oxygen, Peter?
Habeler: Ja maybe, Reinhold... I wouldn't hold your breath, though...
> Maybe Messner was good at holding his breath ... for 18 hours!
Messner: Do you think we can do it without oxygen, Peter?
Habeler: Ja maybe, Reinhold... I wouldn't hold your breath, though...
20
In reply to jon:
> Messner: Do you think we can do it without oxygen, Peter?
> Habeler: Ja maybe, Reinhold... I wouldn't hold your breath, though...
Messner: So, Peter, no more talking then........> Habeler: Ja maybe, Reinhold... I wouldn't hold your breath, though...
2
In reply to jedicolin:
Oh FFS who gives a brown trout about this Guinness Book of Records type crap? Enough already.
Oh FFS who gives a brown trout about this Guinness Book of Records type crap? Enough already.
5
In reply to jedicolin:
Look, my wife was the first Spanish climber to ascend Howling Ridge in Kerry, she also is one of the youngest to have ascended both Howling Ridge & Needle ridge in the same day, without using any aid or belays. She had to have a bit of help from me, what with her broken leg - (oh, did I mention it was also the 1st and so far only ascent by someone with a leg in plaster). But did she boast about it??
Yes, these rather grand sounding '1st person ever' sort of attempts rather water everything down really.
(BTW my wife isn't Spanish, but she is the 1st English woman to have canoed down a certain Canadian river.....)
...Oh, dear! I've fallen into the trap too.
Look, my wife was the first Spanish climber to ascend Howling Ridge in Kerry, she also is one of the youngest to have ascended both Howling Ridge & Needle ridge in the same day, without using any aid or belays. She had to have a bit of help from me, what with her broken leg - (oh, did I mention it was also the 1st and so far only ascent by someone with a leg in plaster). But did she boast about it??
Yes, these rather grand sounding '1st person ever' sort of attempts rather water everything down really.
(BTW my wife isn't Spanish, but she is the 1st English woman to have canoed down a certain Canadian river.....)
...Oh, dear! I've fallen into the trap too.
11
They got the Beeb onside...
https://www.facebook.com/molliehugheseverest/videos/1448257928558993/?pnref...
https://www.facebook.com/molliehugheseverest/videos/1448257928558993/?pnref...
1
In reply to Roberttaylor:
<-- What he said. This lass doesn't seem to be holding herself up as Britain's greatest climber/mountain walker or anything similar. In fact she's being refreshingly honest about her dependence on others. She's someone who's set herself a challenge. Just because it may not be my personal idea of a worthwhile use of time, money or effort doesn't mean I should dismiss it. On the other hand, I bet there are plenty of you who'd jump at the chance of a funded Everest holiday But you'd have to put in a lot of hard work and ingenuity on the fundraising angle, especially if you're neither as young nor as female as Mollie! BTW have the extreme ironing guys done Everest yet? Now that, on the other hand, is something I'd be prepared to crowd fund.
> While the whole contrived 'Everest firsts' and pushing to be respected/supported by the unwashed masses is cringe inducing to anyone who knows about mountaineering, the blog entry Damo posted does show that she's honest about the style in which she reached the summit and her total dependence on both a guide and bottled oxygen. That's a lot more than most Everest summiteers looking to become media personalities will do.
<-- What he said. This lass doesn't seem to be holding herself up as Britain's greatest climber/mountain walker or anything similar. In fact she's being refreshingly honest about her dependence on others. She's someone who's set herself a challenge. Just because it may not be my personal idea of a worthwhile use of time, money or effort doesn't mean I should dismiss it. On the other hand, I bet there are plenty of you who'd jump at the chance of a funded Everest holiday But you'd have to put in a lot of hard work and ingenuity on the fundraising angle, especially if you're neither as young nor as female as Mollie! BTW have the extreme ironing guys done Everest yet? Now that, on the other hand, is something I'd be prepared to crowd fund.
5
4
In reply to Roberttaylor:
Would a Jedi really call themselves Colin?
.... Perhaps he's a keyboard Jedi ?....
Would a Jedi really call themselves Colin?
.... Perhaps he's a keyboard Jedi ?....
Post edited at 21:28
1
In reply to jedicolin:
How's your thread going?
> If Mollie Hughes attempt is successful she will become the youngest Briton, the youngest European woman and the first English woman to scale the peak from both the north and south sides.http://www.everest1953.co.uk/mollie-hughes-aiming-everest-record
How's your thread going?
3
1
In reply to Tricadam:
I have no problem with Mollie Hughes doing what she wants, although I do find the "first *English* woman [so ignore her from Ulster]" bit pretty ridiculous.
But posting it on a climbing forum as though it represented something of importance or interest to climbers does seem to be rather taking the piss.
I'm mostly a sport climber & indoor boulderer these days myself, but I'm still mildly interested in reading mountaineering news that is of some actual mountaineering significance. Unlike this.
I have no problem with Mollie Hughes doing what she wants, although I do find the "first *English* woman [so ignore her from Ulster]" bit pretty ridiculous.
But posting it on a climbing forum as though it represented something of importance or interest to climbers does seem to be rather taking the piss.
I'm mostly a sport climber & indoor boulderer these days myself, but I'm still mildly interested in reading mountaineering news that is of some actual mountaineering significance. Unlike this.
17
In reply to AlanLittle:
The fact that this thread has had 1,654 views from UKC users would seem to suggest it is, at very least, of considerable interest to UKC users! Not to mention the 55 who bothered to read as far as to click on the Dislike button at the start of the thread - and the 3 Likes, of course
> But posting it on a climbing forum as though it represented something of importance or interest to climbers does seem to be rather taking the piss.
The fact that this thread has had 1,654 views from UKC users would seem to suggest it is, at very least, of considerable interest to UKC users! Not to mention the 55 who bothered to read as far as to click on the Dislike button at the start of the thread - and the 3 Likes, of course
2
6
In reply to Tricadam:
Only because we generally knew she's be getting and absolute pasting from UKC, and wanted some light entertainment.
And lo it was so.
> The fact that this thread has had 1,654 views from UKC users would seem to suggest it is, at very least, of considerable interest to UKC users
Only because we generally knew she's be getting and absolute pasting from UKC, and wanted some light entertainment.
And lo it was so.
38
In reply to jedicolin:
She's 26 ffs, I'm more impressed that one of the women she is trying to best was in her 50s
She's 26 ffs, I'm more impressed that one of the women she is trying to best was in her 50s
12
1
In reply to mysterion:
There's a thought. I wonder if we could get this fella up there: http://www.clickhole.com/article/tortoise-182-years-old-so-why-hasnt-he-sto... Would stop OAPs constantly using up carbon footprint, oxygen cylinders and Werther's Originals vying with each other for the oldest ascensionist record.
> She's 26 ffs, I'm more impressed that one of the women she is trying to best was in her 50s
There's a thought. I wonder if we could get this fella up there: http://www.clickhole.com/article/tortoise-182-years-old-so-why-hasnt-he-sto... Would stop OAPs constantly using up carbon footprint, oxygen cylinders and Werther's Originals vying with each other for the oldest ascensionist record.
Post edited at 00:15
2
In reply to jedicolin:
What we're critically missing here is did Lhakpa get a Blue Peter Badge ? Is a photo of him out there at base camp wearing his badge ?
What we're critically missing here is did Lhakpa get a Blue Peter Badge ? Is a photo of him out there at base camp wearing his badge ?
2
In reply to Ade in Sheffield:
I'd like to think so.........
> Would a Jedi really call themselves Colin?....
I'd like to think so.........
10
In reply to Tricadam:
Of so much interest, indeed, that at least 3 people have read the entire thread and then gone to the effort of disliking the above post
> The fact that this thread has had 1,654 views from UKC users would seem to suggest it is, at very least, of considerable interest to UKC users! Not to mention the 55 who bothered to read as far as to click on the Dislike button at the start of the thread - and the 3 Likes, of course
Of so much interest, indeed, that at least 3 people have read the entire thread and then gone to the effort of disliking the above post
Post edited at 12:00
3
In reply to Ade in Sheffield:
Would James Bond really call themselves Timothy?
> Would a Jedi really call themselves Colin?
Would James Bond really call themselves Timothy?
1
1
In reply to jedicolin:
It's all marketing crap as she's a motivational speaker:
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/speaking/schools/
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/speaking/corporate/
"Areas such as self-belief, controlling fear, respect and most importantly determination and perseverance will be examined. Mollie will establish not only the importance of these qualities, but also an understanding that we can all develop them and energetically tackle the challenges that life creates."
A Bear Grylls type thing maybe. I feel a good dose of mollification coming ...
It's all marketing crap as she's a motivational speaker:
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/speaking/schools/
http://www.molliehughes.co.uk/speaking/corporate/
"Areas such as self-belief, controlling fear, respect and most importantly determination and perseverance will be examined. Mollie will establish not only the importance of these qualities, but also an understanding that we can all develop them and energetically tackle the challenges that life creates."
A Bear Grylls type thing maybe. I feel a good dose of mollification coming ...
5
In reply to Chris_Mellor:
Well it's working on me. Reading all of that motivated me to finish a packet of crumpets + a glass of the hard stuff, + slouch horizontally on the sofa.
> It's all marketing crap as she's a motivational speaker....
Well it's working on me. Reading all of that motivated me to finish a packet of crumpets + a glass of the hard stuff, + slouch horizontally on the sofa.
5
In reply to Chris_Mellor:
I guess Everest ticked is an essential part of the CV for motivational speakers.
I guess Everest ticked is an essential part of the CV for motivational speakers.
9
In reply to GrahamD:
And life coaches. Never forget life coaches.
> I guess Everest ticked is an essential part of the CV for motivational speakers.
And life coaches. Never forget life coaches.
6
4
9
7
In reply to Vector686:
As target practice for bottle throwing ?
Sorry.
> Some people need life coaches.
As target practice for bottle throwing ?
Sorry.
7
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Elsewhere on the site
Alpine Conditions
This Alpine Conditions page gives a summary of what is being climbed at the moment, what is 'in' nick and what the prospects are...
23 Apr
Loading Notifications...