When INEXPERIENCE Meets MOUNT EVEREST - The Shriya Shah-Klorfine Story 

🔴Like this EVEREST video? 🔴Check out this video about a skilled climber and the 1996 Mount Everest disaster ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iIHt4bz5x1Q.htmlsi=f2ByZb6ewyoaQa1v ⛑

I'm thinking of climbing Everest as well. The only drawbacks are I hate the cold, I get dizzy looking down from great heights, I'm kind of old and out of shape (I can barely bend over and touch my toes), I get really impatient being held up in crowds, and I don't like camping or hiking. But other than that, I'm good to go. Wish me luck!

I cannot fathom the thought process of someone who says "I have absolutely no experience climbing mountains but I'm going to choose Everest as my first".

Every frozen corpse on Everest was once an extremely motivated person.

As Ed Viesturs once said "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory” People who ultimately decide to come back despite not reaching the summit are way wiser than those who persist and die

It’s not that they told her that she would die that is bad, but they also said she WOULD KILL sherpas if she went up and STILL did it tells me everything I need to know about this person.

They say this woman was "determined". She was no such thing! A determined person is one who is willing to put in the necessary work. She never bothered even to get herself to the necessary fitness level; constantly slowing everybody down, the only thing she displayed was entitlement: "I've paid my money, now you must all pander to my uselessness". There is a huge abyss between "determination" and "delusion".

I understand what the husband meant by saying that she was looking for something up on the mountain and it would have changed the way she saw herself. But at the same time it’s just a mountain, if you feel incomplete before you climbed Everest, being on the summit isn’t going to change that feeling.

This might sound extreme butI genuinely think it takes a huge sense of self importance and narcissistic tendencies* to do what she did. She put others in danger, it wasn't like she went there and got out by herself. She made people climb with her, forced them to babysit her and ultimately recover her body all because she wanted to. It takes a certain lever of delusion and sense of grandiosity to do that.

A major problem is that the self-help/motivation industry pushes the idea that you can do ANYTHING if you are determined enough. If people are realistic about problems and shortcomings then they are called weak because they lack self-belief.

When I was a child in the 60s, Everest was still one of those places that only the most intrepid and experienced would attempt to climb. Nowadays it's a free-for-all, and frankly, I feel it would just be like any other over-hyped, over-crowded tourist destination, full of obnoxious foreigners leaving garbage everywhere.

The leader tried to save her life by stopping her from summiting in the first place. By going against advice, she put not only herself but also the sherpas in extreme risk. It's one thing to have determination, but it's another to refuse to see the obvious obstacles and warnings in front of you.

There was a veteran climber who had made the summit several times before doing so became so "trendy". He basically said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that the only truly remarkable thing someone could do on Everest nowadays is to essentially make the summit alone and never tell a soul. In other words you would forfeit all notoriety, bragging rights and make the climb for yourself and the experience alone and nothing else.

This woman was from Toronto. She took to the streets and (illicitly) claimed to be raising money for the local Hospital for Sick Children, which is how she funded her climb. She was a con beginning to end. Even after her death her local fan base tried to keep up the scam. I do feel sorry for her husband, but regret she was not stopped early in the game.

30 minutes on the summit when you're exhausted and very low on oxygen is totally crazy and completely ego driven. I have compassion for all who lose their lives on the mountain but it's harder when people don't listen to advice, especially on the descent which is apparently the most dangerous time. It's sad that this sacred mountain has become a tourist attraction for those want a notch in their belts. You present a very important message here, and highlight valid points.

Kudos to the Sherpa’s having to deal with these types of egos. Brave and patient folks.

I climbed Kilimanjaro about 15 years ago. Looking back it was nothing more than a circus of performers. The tourist climbers, as I was, in all our little parties with guides, porters, cooks etc. All lead guides striving to get maximum numbers to summit in order to gain bragging rights in the cut throat marketing efforts to gain future clients. Any notion of solitude and tranquillity in that environment was well and truly shattered and any further notion I had toyed with about doing any Himalayan peak, never mind Everest, died on the trip home.I can only imagine the Everest experience would be like Kili on steroids. When I see pictures of a huge line of 10s of dozens of multi coloured climbers strung out waiting for hours on end for their shot on the Hilary step and the sight of the trash strewn over the mountain of abandoned camps kit, equipment and waste just makes me despair. We humans invade nature’s treasured spots then set about corrupting then destroying it.

She wanted to find herself at the summit, but I think donating those $50k to a charity would be much more impressive than being carried to the summit of Everest.

Who puts a poster of themselves up at base camp? 4 minutes in and that tells me everything I need to know about this woman

I always wanted to be the first red headed American who was 1/8th Cherokee Indian and a gingivitis survivor to reach the summit of Everest but then I found out there was not an escalator to the top as I had thought and since I was also very adverse to physical exercise my dream was shattered.

I am glad to hear the two sherpas made the descent safely. Her own selfishness could have killed two other people forced to summit with her.

Her leaders saying if she climbed she would kill them....and she went?!! That's so incredibly selfish. I already am opposed to the business of climbing Everest but this woman was near sociopathic levels

"The summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." is a great quote from Ed Viesturs. There's another one from a comic book Alan Ford: It's better being a living coward than a dead hero.

People's lack of respect and regard for sherpas never fails to annoy me. If a sherpa tells you not to climb, listen. If a sherpa tells you that you are not only endangering yourself but also others, listen. I'm only halfway through the video but I think it's pretty obvious how the story ends. Toxic positivity and self help is a huge issue today. It encourages people to use magical (delusional) thinking and to believe that they can do anything. Not everyone is capable of everything. Knowing and acknowledging your limits is extremely important, especially in life and death scenarios. This story is so sad, so common and so incredibly avoidable. Some people are so mired in magical thinking that they cannot be reasoned with, no matter what. No company should have taken her on in the first place, not only endangering her but also the sherpas assigned to her. If she had trained for a few years and been patient I have a feeling that this story would have ended very differently. Very sad overall. I wish that someone could have gotten through to her. Don't let anyone convince you that you are being "negative" simply by acknowledging reality. Acknowledging reality could have saved this woman's and many other's lives.

One day I hope to be the first green eyed man from the UK who was born on my birthday to climb Everest. I have very little climbing experience other than Mt Snowdon in Wales which was quite easy and I got a cup of coffee and a cream cake at the top. Anyone know what the cafe at the top of Everest is like?

For anyone wanting to climb a famous mountain, choose Mt. Fuji! It’s a fairly easy climb and incredibly fun. I’ve done it twice.

The problem with "strong willed" people a lot of the time is that they tend to ignore glaring warning signs of impending doom in pursuit of their goals...

A lot of people don't understand that when you're climbing an 8,000er, you're on your own. No one forced you to climb, it is a dangerous and a super extreme sport. Sometimes I see people commenting on RU-vid regarding how inhumane others were to leave someone behind, plenty instances. But fail to understand that to save one person you're risking other's lives too.

I had 2 classmates of mine die at a treacherous mountain in Peru. They were only 21 and 23. They were athletic and thought of themselves as "experienced climbers" . But they had no guide with them and only made it half way up when they disappeared. 8 days later a rescue group found their bodies in a 100 ft crevasse . They think an avalanche happened or they both fell into it. So tragic. But when you're that young. You think you're invincible and smarter than you actually are.

"Saving lives is really the only job the expedition leader has" that's what he was trying to do by stopping Shriya from continuing to climb.

She lived in Canada for pete's sake, she should have gotten actual experience on big mountains in Alberta and British Columbia not just caring a heavy pack up her office building. You need years if not a decade to lay the cardio base that is necessary to tackle the tallest mountain on earth. It's really the guiding services that need to set minimum fitness and experience standards and not just take peoples money.

The fact she made it to the top shows how unskilled the entire climb is. Anyone can climb it ...the Sherpas haul your gear, lay the ropes, show u where to step, you just walk up the mountain being guided. " I climbed mt everest" no you didn't, you hiked up it. Theres no romance or triumph in getting to the summit.

As a relatively experienced mountaineer (I live in the Alps) the pictures of Mount Everest are just so shocking, the best thing about climbing (IMO) is the solitude and connection with nature, It seems like that aspect is just lost there. Also everyone who's actually had experience in mountaineering can attest, that It docent really matter which summit you pick because the feeling is always amazing (gets better with the physical challenge of course but it does not have to be Everest is what I'm trying to say)

Can't imagine the frustration of waiting in that line, feeling your energy sap away minute by minute, knowing there's some unqualified person up there whining and holding everybody back.

It is absolute insanity that unqualified, inexperienced individuals are even allowed on the mountain. They risk as you state not only their own lives but those of their sherpa guides who let's face it drag their unqualified clients up & down the mountain. This is so wrong! Thank you for your excellent content. Really enjoy your respectful informative commentary.

I have been a mountain rescue operator for over 35 years all over the world as a civilian and an instructor at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center for a decade before that and I have no desire to attempt Everest. Not because I'm afraid of it, but because of the amount of inexperience that is allowed on that mountain. I believe it's just another deadly by-product of social media and the need to feed ones narcissism.

The first south Asian woman from Canada to climb Everest. I like how many qualifiers they needed to make her special 😂 and she still failed.

"I spent my money, I'm going to reach the summit" is an amazing motivational slogan. They should put it on T-shirts and give everyone who goes to Everest one to wear

Kudos to the group leader for leaving her, honestly. It's tragic but that's a difficult call to make and he acted in the best interest of the group. It must be awful to know you left someone there to die but it was his job to keep everyone else safe and he did what he had to do.

This whole "the first this and that" is getting ever more ridiculous. Soon it will be "the first left-handed Asian 24 yr old woman from New Zealand with 5 kids and 3 degrees who likes dolphins and has met Kevin Bacon once to summit Mt. Everest".

The whole process looks completely grotesque at this point! It looks like no one learned any lessons after 1996 disaster, thanks for the video it's fantastic

I'm stunned to see hundreds of people standing in line on the way to the summit. It's like waiting for an amusement ride at Disney World.

If a leader says, "Hey, my man, you will die if you try to climb this." I am going to trust his judgement and respect it. Some people are too stubborn for their own good

Just bought a bicycle and starting slow by riding around the neighborhood. It's important to know your limits.

The level of selfishness required to put yourself in that position where you were entirely unprepared, ill-equipped, and willfully ignorant about the process, and to then expect everyone else to save your ass while putting their own in jeopardy is absolutely astronomical.

Anyone who's hiked even a small hill knows that coming down is always more treacherous than going up. Exhaustion and complacency can be deadly.

Shriya knew others would feel inclined to risk their lives to save hers if something went wrong. She counted on it. It's sick.

every time she sat down she stopped everyone behind her. great.

It’s crazy that there are traffic jams on Mt Everest. Our world is insane.

I put more effort into my preparation to climb Mount Adams in Washington state than this women did to climb Everest.. the loss of life is sad but it’s also a warning to others that being determined is not enough in life.

The saddest thing about this death is how extremely avoidable it would have been with more preparation. The fact that she was still able to get so far with so little experience just shows that she could have completed the climb successfully if she trained properly. She didn’t even need to be talked out of it, just better preparation.

I’ve never been as thankful for not being strongwilled. I’d get to base camp, get cold and tired and think “what a beautiful place, it is worth some discomfort and hard work. To a limit. Let’s go home.”

I am committed to being the first American to summit Everest whose first name starts with a J, was born on a Sunday in June of ‘89, while wearing a tuxedo, clown shoes, and a monocle. I am going to break barriers for soo many people who can relate to my exact circumstances.

I think a big problem, aside from lack of experience, is that a lot of these people are so hyper focused on getting to the summit, they are forgetting they still have to go back down. Once they reach the summit and realize this, they are already too physically drained to make it down.

Imagine if she has succeeded, her story would probably become a great inspirational story that would bring more deaths to Everest. Unfortunately we just don’t make enough movies to warn people about the danger of having unusual level of “determination” and “dedication”.

Her determination was fueled solely by her desire to reach the summit. Once she achieved that goal, she didn't have anything left to make it back down. She had essentially burned the entire candle of her life just to make it to the top.

People are so proud of their determination. You're one person, your determination means nothing to the world

I grew up at 10000 feet, and I have summited numerous mountains. No matter how prepared you think you are, you are only as strong as your body is. And most of all, you cannot stop moving. The minute you stop to take a “small break” you are done for. I almost made the mistake of stopping waist deep in snow after I had gotten lost from the trail. If I had stopped for a break that day I’d be frozen in the white forest.

Ive been climbing for over 40yrs. Ive got a lot of great friends who are into the alpine stuff. They've tried to get me on to numerous mountains with them. I once asked one of them (hes topped out all the highest and hardest peaks) to put in layman's terms what it's like. He thought for a while and said " get dressed in heaps of puffy gear, wrap a scarf around your face , put on a twenty kg pack and go walk up and down the fire stairs of the tallest skyscraper you can find until you can barely move your legs and then keep going up and down the stairs at least another ten times and you will have a slight taste of what it's like". He convinced me to stck with the rock climbing.😂

She literary is a prime example of the saying: „haughtiness comes before the fall“. She was so caught up in her self delusion that having second thoughts or even terminating the climb was no option. It’s sad to see how a person carelessly not only risks her life but rather dies than to be sensible…for what? To bathe in some fancied glory?

This was insane. I actually did a course in ice climbing and was a casual hiker. And, I would NEVER even think about climbing MT Everest without years of training.

Im sorry but the owner leaving her was on her. She'd been warned by pros not to continue but she did. He can hardly be expected to commit suicide with her

There's something that many people don't realize going up there. If one gets into trouble it's a slim chance they'll be saved. The other expedition members are already doing all they can just to keep _themselves_ alive.

Spending 30 minutes on the summit when you're already running late? Madness

I know someone (friend of friend) who attempted Everest. The guy in front of him on the ladder stopped for 2 hours. Realizing that too much time had been wasted, he wisely aborted his attempt. Look at that graph for the simple-math answer-the more climbers, the more deaths. The incredible lines and bottlenecks didn't exist 30 years ago.

That owner really did the right thing. Adults are adults because they are old enough to take responsibility for themselves. She had been absolutely clearly warned of the consequences of her decisions.

I have the same level of Mountaineering experience as she did (0), and found hiking up Arthurs Seat in Edinburgh a challenge. The fact they even let her start a summit attempt baffles me.

The guys we went with you had to have experience with them, or show a resume with refrences and literally tryout. They declined more people than they brought. When we got there it became very clear not everyone there had been similarly vetted. That was really one of the scariest part of the whole thing, we might have our lives put at risk by people like this chick. It's unbelievable that a guide would take someone with zero alpine climbing experience.

9:38 as someone with no climbing experience whatsoever, I appreciate this sort of explainer of pace, as obvious as it likely seems to people who do climb. It closes that little loop in my head that wondered why exactly that stretch would take 10-12 hours. Thank you!

These stories always cause me to reflect. As a young man I was a pretty active climber and bagged a dozen peaks, the Grand Canyon, and many challenging ascents but nothing above 16,000'. I know first hand how challenging a 20 hour ascent can be and would never attempt Everest. The risk/benefit is simply too high. So many folks with zero experience seem to think Everest is a Disneyland ride or something. It is heart-breaking to watch and I expect it will continue.

The worst part about this is that she was right-she made it with sheer determination. And it killed her.

Limit the amount of people who can climb. Don't allow inexperienced people to climb who put others at risk and cause them to die. Madness

I came here after the death of Cheruiyot Kirui, a Kenyan who died on Mt Everest on 22.05.2024. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Its hard to feel deep compassion for someone that ignores danger to this extent and then pays the ultimate price.

You can’t save everyone, and some people put themselves so deep in danger they will easily kill entire teams. To give in to your own emotions in a risky situation is extremely selfish. This is sad, I hope people learn from this.

Looking at her "training" efforts, she seems to have taken this whole expedition almost literally "a walk in the park"

I listened to a podcast episode about Everest recently that mentioned there are people at the foot of Everest being taught how to put on their crampons and other very basic things, because it's their first mountain climb! People with more money than sense....

The more I learn about Everest, the more I realize that the great feat isn't making the summit; it's making it back down again.

One of the best preparatory exercises for an Everest attempt is standing in the queue for Taylor Swift tickets. The ability to stand in line for untold hours without any sense of the line moving is more important than altitude training, climbing practice or basic physical fitness. Those who ignore the Taylor Swift ticket line exercises do so at the risk of their very lives

I walked in 1991 from Jiri to Mount Everest Basecamp, this was a beautiful hike and quite challenging because of the weather and the altitude. Despite resting days (as recommended) I started to suffer from altitude sickness which was so annoying (and painful) that I decided to return - one day before reaching the Basecamp. Going down went so much quicker and I immediately felt better. I was young and fit, and well trained, but not that eager to reach the Basecamp that I wanted to suffer for it. Cannot imagine this woman going so far and I think it is a shame for all the serious mounteneers that are actually able to do this and survive.

The narration, backdrop, video clips and views of Everest and surrounding peaks made this exceptional viewing for me, even though I was already familiar with Shariya’s story. How she traversed the Khumbu icefall is beyond me. Great content!

I read (several times) the book “Into Thin Air” by John Krakauer about the 1996 Everest disaster in which 8 people died. It’s a fascinating story about the climbers and their own reasons for climbing despite the dangers inherent in the sport. The single mindedness of some of these climbers is so selfish and it’s hard to muster any sympathy for them. 🇨🇦

Ive been to Mt Everest!!! (Russian 30yr old Woman) and I didnt even attempt to climb it. But the walk there is amazing, super fun 12 days :) Every experienced climber who I chatted with really appreciated my respect the Mountain. I am not even remotely experienced enough to try climbing any Mountain then alone this one, but look how amazing it is etc! I am happy to meet a God, no need to conquer him! (Translated hope it is good)

Telling the sherpas “you can go back, I’m going to keep going” is just next level delusional smugness lol

On the one hand, Shriya made an impressive goal to climb Mt. Everest. On the other hand at the same time, she also made the more realistic goal to die during her attempt to summit and return safely. Regardless of the reasons why she perished, I believe the responsibility for her death lies squarely on her shoulders. Yes to both your questions re limiting the numbers, and level of experience needed to complete a Mt Everest summit attempt.

Hubris and enthusiasm are poor replacements for experience and wisdom. Simply being determined is not enough, and her arrogance in the face of the highest peak in the world is stunning.

The photos of those hyper-crowded final ascent routes are absolutely *shocking*. I wish people would admit the top of Everest isn't a place humans belong, and leave her in peace.

I climbed mount everest way back on the 2000s. I had to train my cardio and body for half a year. Get everything prepared from the smallest equipment to the largest. Got me in contact with the climbing tour company. It was a hard climb and im glad i was able to reach the top ok. My heart goes for those who had lost their lives there. May they rest in peace. ❤

Reminds me of a story from a coworker in my first job. She had a group of friends that liked to ski. Unfortunately, there was this girl who kinda hung around & just thought she was part of the group. Remember, it's my first job; we were young. So this group didn't really have the strength of personality to tell this girl to go away. They didn't like her, but they didn't want to be mean. She invited herself everywhere they went. They tried to set this trip up without her noticing, but of course failed. I should also add they were high level skiers, skiing their whole life. The girl of course found out, and excitedly went shopping for a ski suit. Somehow she found a fluffy white suit (why would that even be made? Snow camoflague?!😂). She was so excited, and off they went. The check into the lodge & woke up at 2-3 in the morning, because they wanted to get up to the ski area they wanted first (hiking there). They tried to sneak out without her, but of course she woke up, and somehow downed a bunch of coffee to wake up... Well, clearly she's not as experienced as these guys, and just wants to hang out with them like a puppy. Imagine what is happening... She drank a bunch of coffee, and now hiking uphill😁 This being out of her norm. Of course she had to go to the bathroom. She's slowing her friends down, and then realized she had to go in the woods. So she finally has to, can't take it anymore, and they're waiting for her. Suddenly, a blood curtling scream. They run to her aide to find... She had diarrhea in her hood and flipped it over her head getting dressed again 🤣🤣🤣 One unlucky guy has to bring her back to the lodge. The rest of the trip was peaceful as they happily got to ski together while unwanted guest hid in the lodge the rest if the trip. I hope that wasn't too long, but a good story. I'll never forget that😁😁😁 Poor girl, honestly. But you can't just assume your way into places!

My first trek to the Everest Base camp in 2012 I trained for a solid 9 months to be in the best shape possible. By the time I got to Gorak Shep I was shattered. I wasn't sick, but we all had this nagging cough, and the lack of oxygen made even climbing a few steps an ordeal. I marvel at those that continues on after reaching Basecamp onto Mt Everest. Definitely not for those who are not prepared, or lack in conditioning.

0:19 … when the fire nation attacked

Everyone who died on Everest was a well motivated person

Your voice and delivery show that you really care and not just using tragedies of others to make some quick $$. Congratulations

I was humbled by hiking a small ridge in Denali this summer, got altitude sickness I think and I knew if I kept going I wouldn't be able to get down on my own. so i sat down and rested while my dad went the rest of the way up the ridge since we weren't far. The only reason i didn't need help off that ridge was I knew i had hit my limit and didn't keep going to the top. I needed It was eye opening. It showed me how much training I'll need if I wanna get serious about mountaineering, and I was on a small hill next to the road not far from a ranger checkpoint. I can't imagine making that miscalculation on everest

I love stories of mountaineering. Both successful and tragic. In the last few years I've stopped watching or reading about Everest expeditions because it always the same old commentary. Because I have come to enjoy your style of storytelling I decided to break that trend. No regrets. This was your typical informative and interesting narrative and I enjoyed it immensely. When I watch you I never seems like you're trying to tell me how I should feel about the story. Thanks so much.

Amazing. People have money and think that they can buy anything they want. Experience and knowledge is priceless.

I knew climbing Everest was challenging but didn’t completely understand it until I saw this video. You explained this brilliantly. Thank you

This is a prime example of the delusions we tell our children, that "you can do anything you set your mind to".

The type of person this lady seemed to be is the type of person that's to blame for why we can't just live in a world free of laws based on a shared concept of common decency, poise, and restraint.

In June 96 my father and I were on a mount Denali expedition(I was going to be one of the youngest to summit, we didn’t) the weather started turning and some of us headed back down to camp. The other group had like 10 or 12 adults, my dad’s group was us and 4 other doctor friends of his and the 2 guides. The other group went on. We knew right where they should be by that time and it looked like an absolute blizzard up there was snow being swept way off the sides of the mountain. They did eventually come back down too but a few were killed. I remember the grown-ups before they got back saying that they were all dead and it felt weird looking up at the storm, that we just watched them disappear like that and that they chose to.