Real Life at the Everest Summit.

A curiously touristy account of bagging the peak:

http://www.expenews.com/en/expeditions/258/dispatches/3920

much ado about crapping in public.  it is really interesting to see an honest first-hand account of what happens when your bottled air fails or runs out.  Without a sherpa, this woman would have been toast.

on the other hand, it also shows the benefits of relatively able high-altitude guidance/management.  these people were up early and managed to circumvent to the back-ups that caused problems for others. 

having returned from some much more modest climbs with white & waxy toes that i rewarmed with some (but not terrible) pain, i'm glad to have avoided black and purple toes. 

the more and more I read about expedition style climbing, the more and more I realize it's not as elegant and pristine as some like to romanticize.

It's painful, it's gross, it's dangerous (obviously), it can be crowded, and it can get real messy and be a bunch of on the fly improvising despite the best planning.

That said, I can't wait to do it...

Read HIGH CRIMES. that is an eyeopener for sure. Everything seems so adventurouse and often aside from the natural dangers of climbing, rose colored glasses are liberaly employed. Truth is, there is crime on teh big mountains that can cost ones life.

leadbelly2550 said:

... with white & waxy toes that I rewarmed with some (but not terrible) pain, I'm glad to have avoided black and purple toes. 

Trust me, frozen toes can ruin your whole day. Mine will be recovering for many years to come.

And since mountaineering boots are usually insufficiently insulated for very cold temperatures, frozen toes are a common occurrence among climbers. Try chemical packs both under your toes and on top, if you have room in your boots. And maybe another under the instep.

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