Everest 2005: The Helicopter on Everest : Everyone wants to weigh in

Now the Sunday Times weighs in: see here.

Several more articles are appearing in the Nepal papers: CAAN refutes chopper landing on Everest summit

Eurocopter regrets misunderstanding with CAAN

Update: French aviator didn't land on Everest: Nepal:

Our opinion? You need two feet on the ground for a Summit, so it was NOT a summit. What was it? "STRANGE"

Readers continue to Sound off:

1.) Eurcopter says they had a permit see Eurocopter regrets misunderstanding with CAAN. I don't understand how people can say Eurcopter did not have a permit. They say it in print.

2.) In my experience film people work in mysterious ways and usually the truth is just an accessory! Note in the compilation film how they appear to be on handheld radios to the helicopter.... well there's about 28 miles of solid rock between Lukla and Everest and for good scientific reasons VHF won't go through an inch of it. You can't even talk to Syangboche from Lukla, you have to be about 200 ft above it, and that's straight up the valley.

3.) I hope that helicopter tourism to the summit of Everest comes to pass, and sends mountaineering on Everest into a serious decline. Mountaineers have not been kind to Everest, to say the least; with all the garbage, feces, dead bodies, etc littered all over the slopes and on the way to Base Camp. Certainly a helicopter will not piss, shit, and drop garbage all over the mountain. I know that many mountaineers will be indignant about it, but from an environmental perspective its much better for the mountain to send people to the summit via helicopter, than by the traditional means. Most non-climbers don't care about the mountaineer's machismo attitude about purity, etc of having climbed to the summit, and would be more than happy to suck on an oxygen tank and have a spectacular 1/2 hour flight to the roof of the world. The only people I feel for, that would suffer from this, are the Sherpas.

Look at other mountains like the Eiger... is it so horrible that you can get to the Eiger's summit by train, rather than climbing the North Face? Are those that take the train "punters"? I imagine that 100 years ago when the train was put in there were grumpy self-righteous climbers grumbling, throwing around words like "purity", much to the notice of no one outside the mountaineering community. Its just a matter of technology and time.

4.) It is only a matter of time or we will land anywhere so why not on the summit of Everest. Although it is a bit painful for the guys that took years of training to climb the Everest. But there must be others in the future that wil be happy when they realize their training was not sufficient to get back and will be saved bij an Eurocopter.

5.) We two Canadian climbers cannot understand why anyone would  not provide pictorial evidence!  Having said this, we think that allowing helicopters onto Everest (for non rescue reasons) is just a further degradation of the natural beauty of our earth.  Who wants to be climbing Everest, or any other peak, with helicopters whirling around?  What is the big challenge for the helicopter pilots….or is this just a marketing gimmick for the manufacturers??  Lets face it, we can fly to the moon and to Mars etc.  so lets just leave Everest alone!

6.) Congratulations to another pioneer!
It's like flying around the world solo, without refueling.
It's like being a rich guy and paying to go to space.
It's like Velcro.
Cool stuff that we'll see much more of.
Environmentally, a helicopter landing is perfect.
No discarded refuse during weeks of toil to the summit.
No threat to the local hired-help.
While they're there, they can rescue the rubes who got into trouble
trying to make it the old-fashioned way.
I'm sure this will be a big hit for rich foreign tourists who can't relate
to physical demands.
Be sure to bring your camera and a little flag from your country of origin.

Next step: a top-notch visitor center.
Proceeds can be used to fund the construction of the all-year tram.
This can be a real money-maker.

7.) Blasphemy!!! I have reached the summit of only two peaks, Rainier and Kilimanjaro, but what next...Donald Trump pays $50,000 to claim a summit of Everest!!!! Let this never happen again. It should be used only in the most dire rescue attempts.

8.) RESUE AND SUPPLIES, HOW CAN THAT BE A BAD THING?ESPICALLY WHEN IT IS YOU WHO NEEDS THE HELP!
SUPPLYING CAMP 2 OR THE SOUTH COL WOULD BE A BLESSING FOR MOST CLIMBERS! IMAGINE A FRESH SHERPA
HELPING YOU OUT UP HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN!! IT'S AN AMAZING FEAT FOR A COPTER IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD!

9.) I have secret dreams of one day, if I'm good enough, climbing Everest.  Every

day in the mountains carries with it a whisper of possibility.  Now let's fast forward ten years.  I've spent years preparing for this day.  My body has pushed beyond previous limits and my muscles and lungs ache for relief, but I continue.  Slowly I climb higher, ever nearer the summit.  With the last few steps, that whisper of possibility begins to grow.  It's louder now, almost tangible.  In my impaired state, I practically crawl the last few meters to the top.  Now that little whisper which began as an adolescent dream is so loud it permeates the sky.  How can this be?  I slowly lift my

weary head as if I might somehow see the source of this creschendo.  And then I do.......It's a helicopter unloading 3 perfectly groomed socialites in mint-condition expedition clothing and crampons, with their cameras and oxygen masks, complaining that it's so windy, but what a great view......

Does that about cover it?

10.) Are all those climbers who professed disappointment that a Frenchman has landed on top of Everest in a helicopter planning to swim to Europe to protest in person?

11.) Analyzing the video of the so called landing of a helicopter on top of Everest it is quite obvious that the copter probably just touched the snow near top. No evidence at all that it was really  landing and that the pilot stepped out. If you announce that you stood on top even going by helicopter you have to show clear and evident pictures. In their press release they are just inventing things. So lets be careful about what they are saying.

Whas this copter really near the summit of Everest or somewhere else? This things should be analyzed in a more accurate way by specialists.

Anyway that should remain a unique flight and some kind of  commercial flights to the top should not be allowed at all.

What about rescue you will ask? If climbing Mt. Everest shall be still the ultimate climb in high altitudes that means that you accept to do it just on your own abilities and skills, knowing that there is very high risk and that nobody can come and just take you off from that mountain except yourself. That is part of the game.

12.) Hello! I find it interesting that an helicopter might be able to fly so high nowadays, as it appears to be a major technical achievement. I nevertheless believe that, for mountaineering purposes, they should never be allowed to operate above base camp, not even in rescue missions. It is my understanding that climbing high mountains should be limited to serious mountaineers or to people (clients) who accept the risk of dying while doing so. In the near future, it could be that helicopters might start dropping rich idiots packed with oxygen bottles on top of a high mountain. This prospect, as far as I can tell, is beyond disgusting. Strict regulations are likely to be required in the near future.

Regarding the video and press release, I think that it is not necessarily implied that the pilot jumped out on top of the mountain. The statement “Stepping out of his helicopter, Didier Delsalle commented: "To reach this mythical (…), sublimated by the magic of the place”, as I understand it, was made when he landed in Lukla. Also, I guess they showed the bests images on the video, as far as the “landing” goes. I could not see a serious touchdown for 2 minutes.

This is a great website! Thanks for the good work and for keeping us posted!

13. never liked 13

14. And to think my friend Paul Hockey has to do it the hard way!

If this French clown wants to do it properly, tell him to land on the summit, shut the chopper down, wait outside for an hour or two, then see if he can restart the thing and fly it away. Only then can he be said to have landed.

Of course, if it won't start, you'd just have to kick it over the edge and let him climb down, wouldn't you? Now that might be newsworthy :)

15.) hello

whilst this is a great achievement, it will now make Everest and other great mountains an easier target for more people simply because high altitude rescues will be easier to achieve. 

this means that more people with little experience will be able to try to climb the great mountains because of this new safety net.

what next? a pressurized hut on the south col.

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