Mount Everest is increasingly popular. A quick look at Amazon will reveal dozens of books, films, even games on the topic. Disney’s attraction “Expedition Everest” recently opened in 2006 and you can even now get a helicopter tour of the mountain with your own Sherpa guide via Cox & Kings travel company. And of course, there is ongoing effort to set new records on the mountain each year.
So, a lot of hype, a lot of media coverage. Everest has become big business. Some years, though, are bigger than others on the mountain. 1996 was unfortunately one such year when 8 people died in a single day, demanding the world’s attention. This was the climbing season written about in Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book “Into Thin Air.” 2008 will be another big year. With the Olympics of Beijing 2008 following shortly after the spring 08 climbing season on Everest, some clever PR folks determined that a carry of the Olympic torch to the summit would be a great, historic, and rather timely event. Undoubtedly they will be right and all eyes will be on the mountain as this moment unfolds. More than ever before, people will be talking about Everest, discussing how high it is, wondering how fire can burn if there is so little oxygen, etc, etc. Good questions, neat stuff, and also a great time for people to bone up their knowledge of geography, history, and politics associated with this part of the world. There’s some pretty controversial matters at hand. |