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Brynne Adamson

Mr. Gunther

English 2010

April 21, 2017

Everest Essay

Climbing Mount Everest is an amazing feat, although it can be very dangerous. The

higher one climbs, especially on the tallest mountain in the world, the harder it is for the body to

draw oxygen out of the air. This increases the possibility of making mistakes and getting high

altitude sickness, which could be the end of someones life. Thus, until 1978, climbers only

ascended Mount Everest with supplemental oxygen; no one was sure if climbing without it was

possible. However, after Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler proved to all mankind that the

summit could be reached without bottled oxygen, many became skeptical. They soon took the

stand that climbing with supplemental air was unsportsmanlike and unnecessary, while others

still saw bottled air as a necessity to reach the summit unharmed. Thus, the debate on using

bottled oxygen was born.

Climbing with oxygen has its benefits. The most obvious advantage of supplemental

oxygen is the fact that it helps in the prevention of acquiring deadly illnesses. ...[W]ithout

supplemental oxygen the body is vastly more vulnerable to HAPE and HACE, hypothermia,

frostbite, and a host of other mortal perils (Krakauer, 158). Climbing with oxygen particularly

helps with the prevention of high altitude sickness, such as HAPE or HACE, which are mostly

caused by the brain not receiving enough oxygen due to the high elevation. These illnesses can

cause headaches, nausea, fatigue, and an inability to function correctly. In fact, if one doesnt

descend down the mountain quick enough if such a disease is contracted, they will most likely
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die. When climbing, one needs to be at the top of their game in order to make it to the summit of

Everest, which will not be possible if they are experiencing the symptoms of high altitude

sickness. Yet, through the use of bottled oxygen, practically anyone can reach the summit with a

little bit of training and acclimatization. Oxygen provides safety in the dangers of climbing

Everest.

There are also many negatives to ascending with oxygen. One of its biggest problems is

that it doesnt last forever. There is a time limit when climbing Everest on supplemental oxygen,

which can cause complications if delays arise. On the other hand, if one climbed on just their

own power, there would be no need for supplemental oxygen. There would be no time limit, no

added weight due to the bottles of air, and no feeling of claustrophobia, which some climbers

experience when using oxygen masks. Also the trip to the top of Mount Everest would be less

expensive without the need for bottled oxygen. When Mountain Madness, a team led by Scott

Fischer, climbed Mount Everest in 1996, their oxygen supply cost clients $325 a bottle

(Boukreev, Anatoli, and G. Weston. DeWalt, 91). In modern times, it probably costs more than

that. Climbing without oxygen seems like a better alternative to many.

Overall, the debate of climbing with oxygen is a complicated one. One side, there are

those that believe in the use of bottled air. Oxygen provides safety and protection regarding

dangerous diseases caused by high elevation. It also allows climbers to make better decisions on

the tallest summit in the world. Those on the other side of the debate believe that oxygen is

unsportsmanlike. They think that ascenders should be able to rely on their own bodies if they

acclimatize right, considering oxygen only lasts for hours at a time. They also wish to save

money and backpack space for their trip to the summit. There are many other different views to

the the way oxygen should or should not be used, all of which further complicate the issue. The
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answer to the oxygen debate seems to depend on the person and ones own individual beliefs;

this is why the debate is still going on today and will continue to be brought up as the years go

on.
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Works Cited

Boukreev, Anatoli, and G. Weston. DeWalt. The Climb. New York: St. Martin's, 1999.

Print.

Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air. New York: Anchor , 1999. Print.