10.02.2008
Not going there
I'm not sure if it's included in 1,001 Places to Visit Before You Die, but I am NOT going to the summit of Mt. Everest. Ever. I just watched Everest: Dead Zone for biology class extra credit, and let me tell you, there is not one thing about that excursion that looks fun. I knew people died there, but I didn't realize how regularly. Close to the summit, the people we were following on this little jaunt basically had to climb over a dead guy in his Mountain Hardwear gear, left there from some months back. There were also a lot of problems with breathing and thinking and basic functioning, because there is NO OXYGEN THERE. And you don't just go to base camp and climb up. You have to go to camp 1 and back, twice (whilst crossing 80 foot crevasses on Home Depot ladders stretched across), then up to camp 2 and back, then camp 3, then back, then finally you do it all over again and get to camp 4 and then try for the summit. These people were there for two months. And the poor sherpas, supposedly conditioned for this work, as Everest is their backyard? Yeah, they die a lot, too. So, to sum up, running the marathon this Sunday seems way less stupid.
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2 comments:
Have a great run.
I'll be watching for you on the 5 to 12 second video clip of the race during the evening news on Sunday night.
Wave when you see the cameras.
Or at least, don't barf.
Ann
No, I'm pretty sure that running the marathon on Sunday is exactly as stupid as trying to climb Mt. Everest. Why do people climb Everest? To be able to say they did it, and to prove some kind of physical stamina. Why are you running the marathon . . . ?
Well, in your case, I think you're doing it because your boyfriend is cute and he's making you do it. Still a stupid reason, perhaps, but more acceptable. :-)
It's not too late to back out, you know. But if you must engage in this life-threatening endeavor, may the Force, Oxygen, and all Good Sherpas be with you.
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