I have been stuck on this subject all week, Mount Everest.

Climbing Mount Everest is often glamorized as the ultimate bucket list achievement, but beneath the photos and documentaries lies a brutal, unforgiving reality. Many of those who attempt the climb underestimate the danger or simply don’t have the experience needed, putting not only themselves at risk but also the Sherpas whose lives depend on these expeditions. The death rate for Everest climbers sits around 1% meaning roughly one in every hundred people never comes back. But that statistic doesn’t tell the full story. Sherpas, the true heroes of Everest, face even higher risks, often carrying the heaviest loads, fixing ropes through deadly icefalls, genuine emotional support, and guiding others through the harshest terrain. More than one-third of Everest fatalities have been Sherpas.

Despite the danger, the short “peak season” between late April and May creates a dangerous trip on the mountain. I found online, Nepal Department of Tourism, in 2023 alone 478 climbing permits were issued for Everest by Nepal’s government the biggest number to date. Hundreds of climbers cram onto narrow ridgelines during the small window of good weather, leading to the worst-case scenario, long waits in the ‘Death Zone’.

The ‘Death Zone’ is above 8,000 meters, where oxygen runs to completely low and the human body simply begins to shut down. Even the best of mountain climbers, people in the best of shape, loose their breath and begin to shut down. There has been reports of finding alive climbers that have taken clothes off in the ‘Death Zone’ to ‘cool off’. The climbers were so freezing, they were beginning to become hot. Hypothermia does that to you. It is such a sad story to hear and especially see.

The reality is, once you’re up there, rescue is almost impossible. Helicopters can barely function above 6,000 meters, and drones are useless in the thin air and freezing temperatures. Even the strongest Sherpas can’t always help at those altitudes, everyone is fighting just to survive. If something goes wrong, chances are, no one’s coming for you.

And yet, people still go driven by ambition, by dreams, by that alluring idea of standing on top of the world. But the mountain never hides its price. Over 200 bodies remain frozen along the route, many of them serving as grim landmarks, a constant reminder that this is not just an adventure it’s a deadly gamble.

I admire the bravery of those who try. But I can’t help feeling disappointed too. Disappointed that some go without fully understanding the risk, or worse, dragging others like the Sherpas into danger for a dream they may not even be ready for. It reminds me of those stories about people going on cruises to die. It’s all haunting, but real. Some say climbing Everest isn’t that different. It makes me wonder… do some people, knowingly or not, play roulette with their lives on that mountain?

The Sherpas have been there from the start carrying the weight, risking everything, making the impossible possible yet they rarely get the recognition they deserve. Have you ever googled the pay for Sherpas?

They are paid less than what it costs to climb the mountain. One guide could make $3,000- $10,000 a season. As where it costs $30,000 to $100,000 with a sherpa. They are more than guides. Sherpas are the foundation of every summit story, and they deserve far more than simple gratitude.

But I wonder… if you had the chance, would you climb Mount Everest? Do you have a dream so wild, so dangerous, that you’d risk everything to achieve it?