Canadian On Everest

A climber from Calgary just became the first Canadian to summit Everest without oxygen (and return safely.) He climbed from the Chinese side. He talks about the climb and his training for it here. I found this part of his interview most interesting:

“When we were up there, you’re passing dead bodies. There are eight of them on the route I did. I only saw three, which is three too many as far as I’m concerned. These people died doing exactly what I was trying to do. And they’re not dead in any dramatic fashion. They’re laying there with their arms curled up under their head like they’re taking a nap. There’s one Indian climber we called Green Boots, he’s been there since 1996 …. The way I justify in my own head, is that if I’m driving back from a ski trip and you see a white cross in the ditch showing where somebody died, I don’t think you change your driving. You think about it, but you don’t change your driving. The only difference in Everest is that the body’s still there because you can’t get them down.”