Naked Everest Climber

[J5man]

Does this ever happen on Katahdin?!

Climbing Everest Naked

Posted Oct 11th 2007 7:41AM by Neil Woodburn (http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/neil-woodburn)
Filed under: Climbing (http://www.gadling.com/category/climbing/), Hiking (http://www.gadling.com/category/hiking/), Nepal (http://www.gadling.com/category/nepal/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.gadling.com/media/2007/09/naked-nepal-(custom).jpg (http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/sep/27/mounteverest.climbingholidays)It sounds like something I'd be dumb enough to try; scale the top of Everest and strip naked at 29,000 feet to celebrate.
Damn it if someone has already beaten me to it.
Last year a Nepali climber did just that. While it sent some chuckles through the climbing community, others weren't so amused. Everest is, after all, the holiest mountain in the country and local Nepalese were shocked at the sacrilegious act which some have likened to stripping in church. The episode has caused such an uproar (http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hUcFaqPLQOCqOSuDcfNoHmvTZHug), in fact, that Ang Tshering, president of Nepal's Mountaineering Association, has argued for "strict regulations to discourage such attempts by climbers." I would assume that concern for one's own private parts in minus 10 degree temperatures would be discouragement itself, but apparently it isn't.
There is, however, a bit of irony (http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/sep/27/mounteverest.climbingholidays) here that has been nicely pointed out by Guardian Journalist Hank Wangford. It seems that naked mountain climbing may have originated many years ago on Everest itself (or at least very near it). The above photo is of legendary climber George Mallory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mallory) crossing a stream in 1922 on his way to the holy mountain. Way to go George!

[Freeleo]

this thread just reminded me of this documentary i saw about a guy who skiied mt everset and lived...he was reaching speeds of 100 MPH with a parachute to slow him down

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073340/

this guy would be doing breathing training exercises at base camp and on the way up the mountain with his shirt off
amazing documentary

[saimyoji]

"shocked at the sacrilegious act "

Isn't that whole area littered with oxygen cannisters, garbage and human waste already? Which is the sacrilege: the wanton pollution for tourist dollars, or a little tom-foolers?

[Just a Hiker]

removed post

[weary]

"shocked at the sacrilegious act "

Isn't that whole area littered with oxygen cannisters, garbage and human waste already? Which is the sacrilege: the wanton pollution for tourist dollars, or a little tom-foolers?
Not to mention scores of dead bodies.

[the goat]

Not to mention scores of dead bodies.

many holy places have scores of dead bodies.

[Tin Man]

And Everest isn't holy. It is a dump filled with the bodies of "explorers" with more money than brains. ;)

[Freeleo]

http://www.forbes.com/health/feeds/hscout/2006/08/24/hscout534574.html

[CoyoteWhips]

So, it's ok to poop on it, but you can't be naked?

I'd bet money some people have had sex at the summit. I'm hoping that some of them were women.

[Rain Man]

many holy places have scores of dead bodies.

Right you are!

Also true, many religious (???) nuts think they can improve upon God's creation by clothing it with man-made garments. While others think THAT is the sacrilegious act.
:D
Religious zealots rarely follow a "hike your own hike" ethic. After all, they and only they know God's will for themselves and all mankind. Susan B. Anthony had something pithy to say about that. LOL

I fall under the "hike your own hike" religious ethic and leave the bossiness to God. She'll know how to handle things better than I would.

Rain:sunMan

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[Skidsteer]

Right you are!

Also true, many religious (???) nuts think they can improve upon God's creation by clothing it with man-made garments....[snip]


Color me in with the pious lunatics, then.

Some folk need to wear clothes in the shower. :D

[rafe]

many holy places have scores of dead bodies.

Some might say there's a direct correlation between holiness and death. :rolleyes:

[NICKTHEGREEK]

So, it's ok to poop on it, but you can't be naked?

I'd bet money some people have had sex at the summit. I'm hoping that some of them were women.

Right, sherpas carry buckets of warm water to the top to throw on mountaineers who get stuck together having summit sex.

[Kirby]

Climbing Everest naked is one of the, if not the, dumbest thing I have heard. At that altitute, any piece of skin exposed more than 30 seconds has a good chance of freezing on the spot, or coming down with a serious case of frost bite. Camp 4 and up require careful diligence, no stupidity allowed, it is a matter of life and death up there. Any horrible decisions you make will have an effect on everyone in your vicinity.

I will stick to the good old AT,
Kirby
30-5-2??

[Jester2000]

Climbing Everest naked is one of the, if not the, dumbest thing I have heard.

He didn't climb it naked. He took off his clothes to celebrate. Or, alternately, there's a cog railway up Everest we don't know about, and he was doing that thing.

[Kirby]

He didn't climb it naked. He took off his clothes to celebrate. Or, alternately, there's a cog railway up Everest we don't know about, and he was doing that thing.

Certainly would not suprise me at this point;).

Kirby
30-5-2???

[Rain Man]

Some folk need to wear clothes in the shower.


Would that be YOU? Or,.... ME?!!! LOL

And in Arkansas, the "Natural Sate," I think that's the law. No nudity, no where, with no body, no time. So, you "Natural" folks in Arkansas... by state law, you have to wear your clothes in the shower! LOL

Rain:sunMan

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[Newb]

Naked at the top of Everest...I have one word for that...
S h r i n k a g e !!!

[Uncle Silly]

So, it's ok to poop on it, but you can't be naked?

I'd bet money some people have had sex at the summit. I'm hoping that some of them were women.


Wait, wait, I'm confused... are we talking about Everest, or Katahdin??