Werner Berger recently became the oldest dude to climb the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each continent), reaching the top of Everest at the age of 69.
Good for him, I suppose. Assuming he actually did it on his own.
If you read a bit about the state of mountaineering, and especially mountaineering on Everest, you'll soon find out it's not all glory. Forget about the obvious danger to life and limb experienced by the professionals who are in top physical form, have tons of knowledge, years of experience, skills, talent, and drive. If it were just those folks climbing up to 29,000+ ft, there would still be outrageous danger and appalling accidents.
It's not just those folks scaling Everest each spring, however, as Herr Berger will attest. Werner himself might be strong as an ox, with all the skill and experience of an Ed Viesturs. But, then again, he might be your typical 69-year-old dude, who only made up the mountain thanks to bottled oxygen, Sherpas carrying everything from his tent to battery-powered jammies to jugs of Propel Fitness Water (whatever the hell that is) for him, and his guide literally carrying his old a** up the mountain strapped to his back. If so, he certainly would not be the first.
Don't get me wrong. Even if Werner got toted up the side of that hill like a sack of zucchini, it still wasn't a pleasant trip for him. However, there's a big difference between discomfort due to cold, wind, and a chafing tow-strap, and real suffering due to climbing nearly straight up into the stratosphere on your own hands and feet.
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