BB Video - Miles O'Brien Reports: An Astronaut Climbs Everest
(Download MP4 / Watch on YouTube)
In this episode of Boing Boing Video, guest contributor Miles O'Brien, the veteran space and science reporter formerly with CNN, speaks with astronaut Scott Parazynski as he attempts to summit Mt. Everest.
Parazynski and his team are scheduled to actually attempt the summit within the next day or two, as I understand their current plans.
They are using a personal satellite tracking device called "Spot" as a security measure. The GPS device has the added benefit of providing digital breadcrumbs of data that can be used to generate real-time maps of exactly where they are on the trail.
More of Miles "1337" O'Brien's work at True/Slant, and you can (and should) follow him here on Twitter.
Astronaut-turned-climber Scott Parazynski's Everest climb blog is here, and you can also follow him on Twitter, live from Nepal.
Below, a screengrab of their current coordinates -- and a snapshot of Scott at rest on Mount Everest. After the jump, more photos.
(Previously: Boing Boing Video: Welcome, Miles O'Brien!)
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He could have saved a lot of work if he'd just lowered down a rope ladder while he was still in space.
{{rimshot}}
Xeni, I think you mean
http://instantrimshot.com/
Thank you, thank you. But the story really reminded me of this related article.
Gilbert Anonymous here:
Miles O'Brien? When did he retire from Starfleet?
"I'll take overachievers for a thousand, Alex."
Hey, cool. I got his autograph when I was in elementary school.
@#5 Um, yeah - my thoughts exactly. Is he aware of the significant things he will accomplish/accomplished in a few hundred years?
Another adrenaline junkie risks their neck for no good reason. Climbing Everest serves no purpose but to stroke one's ego. It's a good way to get yourself killed and nothing else. The more we give people attention for it, the more likely they are to keep doing it.
To add some fun numbers, according to wikipedia 2700 people have reached the summit of Everest. 210 people have died on Everest. About 150 of those bodies have never been recovered. Climbing Everest is a stupid, reckless danger which should not be attempted without some worthwhile purpose. But these days everyone just climbs Everest so that they can say they've done it and get some publicity. It's like going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
@ #10 On Mount Washington (base or summit- I have no idea) there is a list of all the folks who have died on or near the peak, including whether or not the body was recovered. They posted it as a warning before you decided to do the summit in a t-shirt and jeans in July, or look over the edge of Tuckerman's Ravine. I never had any illusions about my hiking skills, so I just looked at it as an early form of Darwin Award posting, decades before there was a Darwin Award.
@10 KEITHIRWIN - Except that going over Niagara Falls in a barrel is TOTALLY AWESOME.for