THE EVEREST DISASTER EVEREST 1998 Imax

Think of the clibers as Knowers. From the climbers perspectives what does climbing Everest mean to each one. What does it mean to them personally given their backgrounds and motivations for making the climb. If each one were asked to state a position on why they climbed the mountain, what would they say? What is their Knowers perspective in each case what knowledge claims would they make about their experience and Everest? Jamling Norgay Son of Tensing Norgay, with Edmund Hillary the first men to summit Everest. For him the climb is to live up to my fathers legend. It is part of the culture he lives in amongst mountains, Sherpas and Nepal it comes from a long line of mountain endeavours: its in my blood For him it is a very spiritual experience, based on his religious beliefs. He prayed to the mountain gods before father left in 1953 to climb Everest. He also prays in Katmandu at the Buddhist temple, before departure and also at the last temple on Everest before going higher. He tells us that A Sherpa believes in praying to the mountain gods for protection and those who dont show arrogance and risk danger and death. Roger Billing geologist His mission is to place GPS equipment on the mountain to read shifts in the Asia/India plates that are actively pushing up the Himalaya. He sees mountains as formations. Placing gear to detect tiny movements in mountain to monitor possible earthquakes to help villages. Uses very denotative scientific language. He is on the mountain for the greater good the equipment has the potential to determine the onset of earthquakes and thus be prepared for them. Alicari Segara female Spanish climber Her interest is purely selfish self interest. She is driven by her: love to climb- it is my passion. The narrator tells us it will be first Spanish woman to reach summit. Suggest she is also seeking glory. Mountain is her goal a challenge a passion. She does not appear connected to any other groups in her endeavor. Ed Viesturs expedition leader He is the mission leader and is experienced having climbed Everest four times. Presumably, he has employed to lead the scientific team by Roger Billings bosses/backers.

The scientific angle what would science say about the mountain. Several factual points are made irrefutable facts Avalanches have killed one third of 150 deaths on Everest and are a constant threat Crevices are dangerous and must be negotiated with safety and diligence. Moving ice can be a killer if blocks peel off glacial forms. Sudden unexpected lethal storms can come arise. Oxygen deprivation is an issue that is why climbers must acclimatize The higher up the mountain the blood carries less and less oxygen. Hence the label thin air. Helicopters cant fly as well as there is no thickness in air to grip Climbers get Adema fluid in the lungs can drown in their own blood. The Sherpas These are the men who live and work constantly in he mountains are more acclimatized. They are the considered the strongest and are assigned the job to carry the gear up. For them it is employment. They are poor by world standards and it provides their family with an income. Some TOK considerations. 1. In the face of the rational factual knowledge that the mountain is a dangerous place where many people have died, what part does emotion play in decisions by climbers to do the climb in the first place, and once on the mountain to make decisions that go against reason, given the conditions? What effect might the conditions in the death zone have on the rational mind, on the WoK reason? 2. What are the ethics of using Sherpas to carry the gear up the mountain to employ them at low pay rates to act as slaves. Why is it that few Sherpas are ever recognized for climbing Everest? Think of Tensing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. 3. At what point does the ethical greater good of a groups safety take over from the ethical self interest of going for the summit for the glory? What is the difference between climbing the mountain out of self-interest in the case of Alicari Segara versus the ethical greater good of placing scientific equipment on the mountain as done by Roger Billing?