Glory?

When I was in Std IV, we had our first class of Moral Science. This was the subject non catholics had to take (Catholics studied Catechism).

The first lesson was called Determination. I will never forget it. It had an illustration (accompanying the literature) of Mount Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary along with his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Sir Edmund Hillary along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was the first mountaineer to reach Everest's summit in 1953.


The lesson we learnt was no matter how daunting it may seem, every hurdle can be cleared with unflinching determination. Since 1953, many people have scaled the Everest, thanks to that very determination, and well... a little bit of help from advances in technology.

The latest I read was about New Zealander Mark Inglis, who became the first double amputee to reach the mountain's summit on prosthetic legs. Incredible indeed.

But what I read today was depressing. On the one hand, these climbers are challenging nature, their physical abilities and fate by scaling the peak of the World. On the other hand, they are bereft of what the foundation of their goal is – humanity.

Reports on 25th May claim that climbers left a young Englishman to die while pressing on towards the peak of the world's tallest mountain. The report:

‘David Sharp, 34, from Guisborough in England, died last week, apparently of oxygen deficiency, while descending after reaching Everest's summit. Several parties reported seeing Sharp in various states of health on the day of his death and working on his oxygen equipment.

One party included New Zealander Mark Inglis, who became the first double amputee to reach the mountain's summit on prosthetic legs. His climbing party stopped and one of its Sherpas provided Sharp with oxygen before the group continued its climb.

Inglis told Television New Zealand on Monday that Sharp had no oxygen when he was found but that his own party was able to render only limited assistance and had to put the safety of its own members first.’

Sir Hillary’s comments:

"Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain"

"There have been a number of occasions when people have been neglected and left to die and I don't regard this as a correct philosophy. I think the whole attitude toward climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top"

Hillary later told New Zealand Press Association he would have abandoned his own pioneering climb in 1953 to save another life.

Do the arguments (if any) of the climbers in defense of their negligence have any credibility? Is there any glory in achieving this goal? What would you do?