The Nepal Local
Produced by Connor Burrell and Sean Poole
16 Year-Old Inspires All With Determination
Mark Pfetzer, a seemingly normal 13 year-old, developed an aptitude for climbing. Two years later, he first attempted to summit Everest, but was stopped by a broken rib. Another year later, he tried again, but this time, was stopped by one of the greatest mountaineering tragedies in history. The storm. "Mark has become like family to me. We have been through so much together." said Jabion, one of the Sherpas who endured the storm with Mark. Mark once again planned to attempt to summit in 1999 after two failed tries, but was then presented with a choice: climbing or his father. His father was suffering from ear cancer and was also the main encouraging force pushing Mark to do better. Mark's climbing career ended when he made that choice, the choice to stay with his dad to the very end.
Litterbug Suffers the Ultimate Punishment
John James, a fairly well-known climber was found dead yesterday by a private trekking club that wished to remain anonymous. A path of randomly strewn wrappers and broken equipment was found around the site of death. Based on the body, it appears that John was attempting to traverse a crevice, but slipped and fell. Some religious individuals believed that his death was a direct result of disrespecting the mountain. John's fate sends a message: The mountain is not to be messed with.
Mount Everest: Mountain or Landfill?
Nepalese environmentalists are worried about the growing amount of litter on Mount Everest. The government then decided to take action and established a rule that requires climbers to bring down 18 pounds of garbage with them. This rule puts the government in a predicament. A climber's life might depend on shedding extra weight (litter) so that they can make it down the mountain successfully. The government's goal is not to risk the lives of more climbers. Finally, private trekking companies proposed a solution. They decided to send clean-up teams to help clear the litter once a year. " Perhaps now Everest can begin recovering." said an environmentalist who participated in the Everest effort. But that still isn't enough for some. Many people believe that it would be simpler and more fruitful to shut down Everest as a climbing operation.