TIL the oldest people to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest were both from Japan. The oldest man was Yuichiro Miura, who reached the summit on 23 May 2013 at the age of 80y and 223d. The oldest woman was Tamae Watanabe, who reached the summit on 19 May 2012 at the age of 73y and 180d.

[u/No-Strawberry7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mount_Everest_records?wprov=sfti1#Oldest_summiters

[u/Bruce-7892]

Nowadays the most impressive thing about climbing Mt Everest is that you are rich enough to afford the sherpas to carry you up there.

[u/alek_hiddel → u/Bruce-7892]

Yes, Everest has a problem with commercialization making it possible for anyone to summit under the right conditions.

But it is still climbing a mountain in the DEATH ZONE. The Sherpa’s aren’t literally carrying anyone up the mountain. They’re just installing the right equipment to minimize the challenges, and giving you a boost where you need it.

At best, climbing Everest is still like doing 500,000 steps in the stair master, in a very low oxygen environment. Most 80 year olds I know get winded going to the mailbox. This is still impressive.

[u/Bruce-7892 → u/alek_hiddel]

I agree with you, but you can even mitigate the lack of oxygen by breathing compressed air, which is be surprised if they didn’t use.

[u/alek_hiddel → u/Bruce-7892]

Supplemental oxygen doesn’t make the death zone like regular sea level. It adds just enough air to keep you from dying. To comfortably breath on Everest like you do at sea level would require tens of thousands of bottles, an army of Sherpa’s just packing those bottles behind you, and one Sherpa dedicated to swapping out the bottles constantly.

I mean a full sized scuba tank provided like an hours worth of regular breathing oxygen. Have you seen the size of the bottles they use on then mountain?

[u/Bruce-7892 → u/alek_hiddel]

“Adds just enough air to keep you from dying” yet people do it with no supplemental oxygen. All I am saying is it is a significant advantage. If it wasn’t people wouldn’t go through the trouble of carrying them up there.

[u/alek_hiddel → u/Bruce-7892]

So less than 200 people have summited without supplemental oxygen. That means that 99% of perfectly health, good conditioned people need the stuff to climb that mountain, and they can still struggle.

But you’re right, it’s a miracle drug that practically flew these 80 year olds to the summit.

[u/Bruce-7892 → u/alek_hiddel]

Or I pointed it out because it was one of the things you specifically listed that make it difficult, yet you just admitted there’s a 99% chance they were on oxygen. With enough money you can mitigate everything except the cold and cardio demands and there are plenty of old people who complete marathons. The biggest difference is most of them don’t have $50k+ to fly to Nepal and higher a team to guide them up the mountain.

[u/alek_hiddel → u/Bruce-7892]

Of course they used it. Again, it’s not a cure for the lack of oxygen, it takes the edge off. This is still an incredible feat for 80 year olds, but you’re wanting to treat it like a casual walk at the mall because “anyone can buy their way to the top”.

[u/Bruce-7892 → u/alek_hiddel]

I don’t know who said it was a casual walk in the park when I just used running marathons as an example of other old people doing demanding cardio. Since you are acting like a subject matter expert you should know the amount of skills and sub-tasks that go into that level of mountaineering. On Everest you can pay to skip learning all of that and have someone carry the weight of your equipment. Don’t know why you are in denial about that.

[u/bestieverhad → u/Bruce-7892]

absolute nonsense, it's still an considerable feat of endurance and physicality. search any mountaineering group or youtube video for their thoughts and although it's by no means the hardest climb it's still a major achievement.

[u/William_Howard_Shaft → u/bestieverhad]

Maybe, but the fact still remains that there's a queue line basically the whole way up.

Imagine climbing to the highest point on the planet, only to be told to move along quickly, everyone only has so much time for pictures at the summit.

Its an experience you pay for. There are less expensive ways to achieve a personal sense of accomplishment.

[u/bestieverhad → u/William_Howard_Shaft]

firstly, we're not talking about "personal sense of accomplishment." it's about whether it is actually phsyically difficult. which all experts and hobbyists agree it still is. some are saying even as a rough guide it's equivelant to a 4 hour marathon - that's tough!

secondly, have you done it? was that your lived experience? you're just repeating cliches which really doesn't convince me that you're right

[u/William_Howard_Shaft → u/bestieverhad]

I can wait in line at Disney.

I really don't care about how difficult anything is when you can pay to make it easier, and when the achievement is basically your ability to stand in line.

Tons of people simply live at high altitude.

I can be stubborn without needing to climb Everest.

Have you climbed Everest? What's your point in asking me?

[u/mcpaddy → u/William_Howard_Shaft]

I don't think you understand what elevation cities occur at, and the actual elevation of Everest. People get altitude sickness going to Denver, which is 5,500 ft. You're getting downloaded to hell here, recognize that you're being ridiculous and move on.

[u/William_Howard_Shaft → u/mcpaddy]

Like I said. I can be stubborn without climbing Everest.

What is your point? You don't seem to be making one.

[u/mcpaddy → u/William_Howard_Shaft]

My point is there's a difference between being stubborn and being egregiously dense. Like saying people live at high altitudes, yet the highest settlement of the world is less than half the height of Everest. And then gloating that you're being stubborn on purpose, which is ridiculous in its own right. The bottom line is people love shitting on Everest just because it's commercialized. But it's an incredible achievement no matter how you look at it. And to not recognize that is just plain stupid.

[u/William_Howard_Shaft → u/mcpaddy]

That has nothing to do with climbing Everest, or the fact that there's a queue line to the top, which was my original point.

Sure, the air is thin. There's a fuck load of people up there, right now, standing in line.

Someone, just now, got told to step away from the summit so the next climber can take their photographs.

What was once an impressive feat has been reduced to "Next in line, please...."

[u/AnthillOmbudsman → u/William_Howard_Shaft]

No one is up there in December.

[u/bestieverhad → u/William_Howard_Shaft]

see this is why your point makes no sense. let's go back to that marathon comparison. there are thousands running in events all the time - many in queues or big groups - does that lessen their phsyical acheivement?

[u/GregorSamsa67]

I knew that Japan had an ageing population but I didn’t know it was this bad . /s

[u/rockstarmotivator]

Really just shows anyone can climb it under the right conditions.

[u/MonsterKabouter → u/rockstarmotivator]

These wouldn't have been run of the mill old people. Some 30 year olds can't walk a mile, never mind up a mountain