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THE EVEREST DISASTER

EVEREST 1998 Imax

Think of the clibers as Knowers. From the climbers perspectives what does

climbing Everest mean to each one. What does it mean to them personally given

their backgrounds and motivations for making the climb. If each one were asked

to state a position on why they climbed the mountain, what would they say?

Whatis their Knowers perspective in each case what knowledge claims

would they make about their experience and Everest?

Jamling Norgay

Son of Tensing Norgay, with Edmund Hillary the first men to summit Everest.For him the climb is to live up to my fathers legend.It is part of the culture he lives in amongst mountains, Sherpas and Nepal it

comes from a long line of mountain endeavours: its in my bloodFor him it is a very spiritual experience, based on his religious beliefs.

He prayed to the mountain gods before father left in 1953 to climb Everest. He

also prays in Katmandu at the Buddhist temple, before departure and also at the

last temple on Everest before going higher. He tells us that A Sherpa believes in

praying to the mountain gods for protection and those who dont show

arrogance and risk danger and death.

Roger Billing

geologist

His mission is to place GPS equipment on the mountain to read shifts in the

Asia/India plates that are actively pushing up the Himalaya. He sees mountains

as formations. Placing gear to detect tiny movements in mountain to monitor

possible earthquakes to help villages. Uses very denotative scientific language.

He is on the mountain for the greater good the equipment has the potential todetermine the onset of earthquakes and thus be prepared for them.

Alicari Segara female Spanish climber

Her interest is purely selfish self interest. She is driven by her:

love to climb- it is my passion. The narrator tells us it will be first Spanishwoman to reach summit. Suggest she is also seeking glory. Mountain is her goal

a challenge a passion. She does not appear connected to any other groups in

her endeavor.

Ed Viesturs expedition leader

He is the mission leader and is experienced having climbed Everest four times.

Presumably, he has employed to lead the scientific team by Roger Billingsbosses/backers.

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The scientific angle what would science say about the mountain.

Several factual points are made irrefutable facts

Avalanches have killed one third of 150 deaths on Everest and are a constant

threatCrevices are dangerous and must be negotiated with safety and diligence.

Moving ice can be a killer if blocks peel off glacial forms.

Sudden unexpected lethal storms can come arise.

Oxygen deprivation is an issue that is why climbers must acclimatizeThe higher up the mountain the blood carries less and less oxygen. Hence the

label thin air.Helicopters cant fly as well as there is no thickness in air to grip

Climbers get Adema fluid in the lungs can drown in their own blood.

The Sherpas

These are the men who live and work constantly in he mountains are more

acclimatized. They are the considered the strongest and are assigned the job to

carry the gear up. For them it is employment. They are poor by world standards

and it provides their family with an income.

Some TOK considerations.

1. In the face of the rational factual knowledge that the mountain is adangerous place where many people have died, what part does emotion

play in decisions by climbers to do the climb in the first place, and once onthe mountain to make decisions that go against reason, given the

conditions? What effect might the conditions in the death zone have onthe rational mind, on the WoK reason?

2. What are the ethics of using Sherpas to carry the gear up the mountain to employ them at low pay rates to act as slaves. Why is it that fewSherpas are ever recognized for climbing Everest? Think of Tensing

Norgay and Edmund Hillary.

3. At what point does the ethical greater good ofa groups safety take overfrom the ethical self interest of going for the summit for the glory? What

is the difference between climbing the mountain out of self-interest in the

case of Alicari Segara versus the ethical greater good of placing scientific

equipment on the mountain as done by Roger Billing?