Why Do some Many Nepalis, Medical Doctors, CEOs and Hedge Fund Managers Get Sick or Die on Everest (Sagarmatha, Chomolungma)? A Review and Indicators that Capitalism Went Awful while Searching Human Dignity and Itself

Abstract

The highest peak of the world, Sagarmatha (in Nepalese; Chomolungma in Tibetan, commonly known by its English name ‘Mt Everest’) stood by itself for many millions of years; it was respected and worshipped by the local community and willfully ignored by colonial powers even! Within its view, on the Tibetan plateau, people lived for app. 40,000 of years and left the largest peak in the world alone, unclimbed. But just in the last 60 years a hype built that took the western world in a storm. Climbing Everest is part of a national ownership, arguably a neocolonial and neoliberal effort, and now it’s a commercial domination. It’s big international business, politics, a crime scene and it tends to attract people that are pretty rich and looking for the ultimate thrill and self-gratification in the public eye. But just a few specific professional groups and incomes dominate, usually from abroad with much local help, and often those ones get injured while being excessively exposed or not being well-prepared for such an undertaking to mount the world’s highest peak. Still, Nepalis remain among the most-often climbed nations for Everest and its injuries and deaths. Such a hype stands in deep contrast to local spiritual believes of mountain people living in harmony with nature and oneself simply leaving those areas alone and untouched by humans due to respect of ‘Mother Earth’. Here some trends and statistics are described for the Mt. Everest landscape as an indicator of globalization driven by the western world and its fashion. Arguably, Everest – the roof of the world- is a good indicator how we treat the world at large and remaining wilderness areas in times of a laissez-faire globalization currently promoted and ruthlessly imposed by ‘the west’.

“It’s all Bullshit on Everest these days”

Sir E. Hillary (2006), (https://www.snewsnet.com/news/did-you-hear-its-all-bullshit-on-everest-these-days) first western climber to reach Mt. Everest.

“Wir muessen zum Berg wieder Sie sagen”

R. Messner (2008), (https://www.bild.de/news/vermischtes/im-interview-ueber-alpinismus-5730964.bild.html) first climber to ascent all 148000’ers

“Don’t bother Climbing Everest”

Sir C. Bonnington world-famous mountaineer

“White men climb, Sherpas carry their gear”

Proverb commonly heard in the Khumbu region

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