The ethics of climbing Everest

“I imagine you are surprised to see me here,” the man whispered as Dan Mazur, 44, bent down to check for signs of life... Mr Hall, 50, had collapsed, suffering from altitude sickness, shortly after achieving his lifelong ambition to reach the top of Everest on Thursday morning. His sherpas had battled for nine hours to try to save him but eventually left, believing him to be the eleventh recorded fatality on Everest this grim climbing season...Mr Mazur immediately abandoned his ascent and, with his paying client, tended Mr Hall, feeding him hot tea, giving him oxygen and radioing for help. Myles Osborne, 26, a British postgraduate student from Warsash, Hampshire, was one of four climbers who had paid Mr Mazur $30,000 (£16,200) to act as guide to the summit. His fundraising trip for Naomi House hospice in Sutton Scotney, near Winchester, was cut short by the rescue. Mr Mazur said that soon afterwards two Italian climbers came past. They did not stop to assist and went on to complete their climb.

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