Why should you, a person who just wants to survive a Zoom meeting, care about deaths on a mountain on the other side of the world? Because it’s a story about human nature—the glorious, stubborn, and sometimes silly thing we do when we want something really badly.
Think about the most expensive, risky thing you’ve ever done. Maybe it was buying that used car that smelled faintly of wet dog. For Everest climbers, it’s spending $50,000 and risking frostbite for a chance to stand on a rock for ten minutes. When things go wrong up there, it’s like your oven catching fire while you’re trying to bake a soufflé—except the oven is a mountain, and the fire is an avalanche.
Everest: Before this year's 12 deaths, 280 people died climbing Everest
The stories of the people who died are what stick with you. There’s Green Boots, the nickname for an unidentified climber whose body has been in a cave for years, a grim landmark for those still pushing for the summit. He’s the guy who became a permanent fixture, like that weird lawn gnome your neighbor refuses to move. But his story reminds us that the mountain doesn't care about your plan. It just is.
The “Why” That Makes Your Heart Smile (Sort Of)
Here’s the warm, relatable part: we care because we’ve all had a “Why did I do that?” moment. You know, like signing up for a 5K after three beers, or deciding that today was the day to learn how to crochet a blanket. The pull of Everest is that same impulse, just dialed up to eleven thousand.
A guy named George Mallory famously said they climb it “because it’s there.” That’s the most beautifully simple, human answer. It’s the same reason you try to parallel park in a tight spot instead of driving around the block—you just want to see if you can do it. When you think of the 330 people who didn’t make it, you’re not thinking of statistics. You’re thinking of people who really, really wanted to see the view from the top.
And that’s why we should care. It’s a reminder that life is fragile, and that some dreams are so big they can literally kill you. It also makes your own problems feel a little smaller. Your boss’s passive-aggressive email? Please. At least you’re not trying to put on frozen boots in a hurricane of snow at 28,000 feet.
Death in the clouds: The problem with Everest’s 200+ bodies - BBC Future
