THe Everest Disaster

6 Pages 1393 Words

The speaker’s words silenced the audience as he began, “On the night of May 10, 1996 a blizzard swept over Mount Everest, striking more than thirty mountain climbers with heavy snow, subzero temperatures, and unbelievably strong winds. In the next twenty-four hours, eight of the climbers, including three professional guides were dead. This night would become the most ill fated attempt ever to summit Mount Everest.” “Among these climbers was a 49-year old Dallas pathologist and an amateur climber, Dr. Beck Weathers, who was left to die in the icy storm 300 yards from his camp. Miraculously, Dr. Weathers survived and came back from his ordeal to speak of his experiences, and to tell us about some valuable lessons he has learned. Let’s welcome Dr. Beck Weathers.” I watched and listened as this man swayed his disfigured arms and explained that he had scaled the world’s largest heights and yet, still had not been at peace with himself. He had wanted more “courageous” success, because he had conquered all but the grand Mount Everest. The drive for more accomplishment and the need to be more “courageous” had persuaded Beck to follow the 1996 expedition. Beck sobbed as he stated that on May 10, 1996, he had realized, as he was near death, that what he had thought to be courageous was truly a relentless pursuit of success and goals and ambitions. He had risked his life in a cowardly and selfish way for his own fortune. Dr. Weathers had found that his irrational triumph of desire over sensibility was the most pathetic feat he was to face. Risking your life, such as mountain climbers do, is not an act of courage because it is backed by low self-esteem and is in pursuit for irrational goals and selfish success. Courage is denoted by Encarta Encyclopedia ’96 dictionary as the quality of the mind that enables one to face danger with confidence and resolution. Danger is defined as exposure to harm and should be faced with self-...