Post #2 CCQC on Rob Hall chapter 8-15

Jillian Maher
Esprit
3-12-14

Rob Hall achieved so much in his life as an individual trekker, and has put his experience into helping people safely reach the dangerous peek known as Mt. Everest. As Hall and his team venture up  the mountain they run into some complications they run into unstable snow blanketing at the end of the summit ridge. As a good leader Rob Hall Makes the right decision to turn back before anyone else gets injured or dies. "Hall decided to abort the summit attempt  and signaled Cottor an Lopsang to turn around. But Lopsang ignored the command, untied from Cottor, and continued ascending the summit alone" (183). All though every trekker is capable of climbing the mountain, they don't have all of the knowledge of a very experienced climber. "If a climber cannot Everest with big help from a guide… This client should not be on Everest"(194). Said one of the guides while in a dispute over leaving or staying at a different summit. Rob clearly knows more about climbing Mt. Everest than Cottor because he has done it multiple times and is much more wise. Hall knows what type of Cottor is, he is very smart, but can sometimes overlook rings and is not able to see the big picture and make reasonable choices. "The sort of individual who is programmed to ignore personal distress and keep pushing for the top is frequently programmed to disregard signs of grave and immanent danger as well… Above 26,000 feet, moreover the line between appropriate zeal reckless summit fever becomes grievously thin. Thus the slopes of Everest are littered with corpses"(186). Cottor was not in his right state of mind and clearly did not know what he was thinking when he decided to leave the group and go of on his own. It's not all his fault, being at that high elevation can affect the brain due to lack of oxygen ergo you don't think clearly and can make choices you never would of chosen in your right state of mind. If I was a client and climbing Mt.Everest I would definitely listen to my guide when he tells me to turn back. Going to the top of a mountain is not worth losing your life. There's always another chance to go back and climb the mountain, but if you don't listen to the others with more climbing knowledge you will likely die. People like Rob Hall started as a beginner at one point too, and he listened and followed the rules which made him the amazing, strong, and skilled climber he is today.