Intrade Founder / CEO Dies

[alfred russel]

He was climbing Mount Everest. I know some people used or at least looked at the sight.

http://www.businessinsider.com/intrade-founder-john-delaney-dies-on-mt-everest-2011-5

Intrade Founder John Delaney Dies On Mt. Everest

Delaney, founder and CEO of Intrade, the prediction market, has died while trying to climb Mt. Everest.

He was less than 50 meters from the top, according to the Daily Mail.

Even sadder: Delaney never got to hear the news that his wife had just given birth to a baby daughter, Hope.

It was Delaney's second attempt to climb Everest, according to the Daily Mail. He was 42.

Intrade has posted the following note on its homepage:

"We are sad to announce the death of our founder and CEO, John Delaney, who tragically passed away while attempting his lifelong ambition of climbing Mt. Everest. His wife and children, plus all of the Intrade family, mourn his passing but know also that John always strove for the summit - be it on Everest or with Intrade. It is our goal to to give his memory one of those wishes and will do all we can to ensure Intrade's continued success."

[CountDeMoney]

While it sucks he had a baby daughter, that's a cooler way to go than most.

[The Brain]

Did he die 50 m from the top or did he die further down later? Did they get him off the mountain?

[Caliga]

I don't understand the urge to do things like climb Mt. Everest.  Ok, we get it, you're a fucking badass... stop trying to prove it over and over. 

[Pedrito]

Did they get him off the mountain?

It depends on weather conditions and state of exhaustion of the other climbers and nepali guides. Several people who died on the Everest are left there, because getting a 70kg corpse and all the equipment down from the summit simply by human strength is extremely difficult, due to low oxigen and physical exertion.

@ Cal: I don't think it's a way to demonstrate to the others you're a badass, more of an inner need of proving something to oneself. I'm no climber, and by no means an adventurous/reckless person, but reaching the Everest summit is something I'd really love to do once in my life.

L.

[Caliga]

I should qualify my post by stating that I have no problem with a professional climber attempting it, but it seems too dangerous for an amateur.  I mean, the summit is so high up you literally can't survive in the atmosphere up there without supplemental oxygen.  This guy (obviously) had a lot to live for including a newborn daughter, so I find his behavior to be totally reckless.

[Pedrito]

Even professional climbers are far from safe above 6000 meters ASL, the risk of mountain sickness (pulmonary edema) is way too big for even the most trained and skillful professionals, and supplemental oxygen is mandatory for everyone (except, it seems, for Reinhold Messner and a small number of highly trained climbers).

Fact is, Mt. Everest is relatively easy to climb, by far the easiest of the mountains peaking above 8000 (K2, for instance is way, way more difficult to climb, i.e. one really has to have exceptional mountaineer abilities, while on the Everest the area where one really needs to be an accomplished climber is for a bit less than 50 meters of rock just down the summit).
A lot of people try their hand at it, even when not properly trained; they make the big mistake of considering ease of climbing more important than altitude exhaustion.

L.

[grumbler]

I should qualify my post by stating that I have no problem with a professional climber attempting it, but it seems too dangerous for an amateur.  I mean, the summit is so high up you literally can't survive in the atmosphere up there without supplemental oxygen.  This guy (obviously) had a lot to live for including a newborn daughter, so I find his behavior to be totally reckless.

You can survive without oxygen, literally, but it is difficult to do much without oxygen assist unless you are used to it like some of the Sherpas.  After all, no-oxygen ascents are considered "the way" to do it by purists.

Agree that this was reckless.  The fatality rate is something like 8% of climbers (not guides), and that is way too high for a  family man to risk.

[mongers]

I should qualify my post by stating that I have no problem with a professional climber attempting it, but it seems too dangerous for an amateur.  I mean, the summit is so high up you literally can't survive in the atmosphere up there without supplemental oxygen.  This guy (obviously) had a lot to live for including a newborn daughter, so I find his behavior to be totally reckless.

I know Everest isn't the most dangerous mountain, but even so iirc the mortality rate for climbers is something like 5%; given his family responsibilities that seems too high a risk.

[The Minsky Moment]

The fatality risk is between 5 and 8% depending on the poster.  So too high a risk for someone with a family.

[alfred russel]

Even professional climbers are far from safe above 6000 meters ASL, the risk of mountain sickness (pulmonary edema) is way too big for even the most trained and skillful professionals, and supplemental oxygen is mandatory for everyone (except, it seems, for Reinhold Messner and a small number of highly trained climbers).

Fact is, Mt. Everest is relatively easy to climb, by far the easiest of the mountains peaking above 8000 (K2, for instance is way, way more difficult to climb, i.e. one really has to have exceptional mountaineer abilities, while on the Everest the area where one really needs to be an accomplished climber is for a bit less than 50 meters of rock just down the summit).
A lot of people try their hand at it, even when not properly trained; they make the big mistake of considering ease of climbing more important than altitude exhaustion.

L.

So, basically anyone with basic mountaineering skills can climb everest, it is just about whether you are in the 5-8% that will die due to altitude exhaustion?

[alfred russel]

The fatality risk is between 5 and 8% depending on the poster.  So too high a risk for someone with a family.

Some might say he took the easy way out. 

[Berkut]

Even professional climbers are far from safe above 6000 meters ASL, the risk of mountain sickness (pulmonary edema) is way too big for even the most trained and skillful professionals, and supplemental oxygen is mandatory for everyone (except, it seems, for Reinhold Messner and a small number of highly trained climbers).

Fact is, Mt. Everest is relatively easy to climb, by far the easiest of the mountains peaking above 8000 (K2, for instance is way, way more difficult to climb, i.e. one really has to have exceptional mountaineer abilities, while on the Everest the area where one really needs to be an accomplished climber is for a bit less than 50 meters of rock just down the summit).
A lot of people try their hand at it, even when not properly trained; they make the big mistake of considering ease of climbing more important than altitude exhaustion.

L.

So, basically anyone with basic mountaineering skills can climb everest, it is just about whether you are in the 5-8% that will die due to altitude exhaustion?

I think that 5-8 death rate includes people killed when one of the unpredictable storms come in and wipes out a bunch of people stuck up there.

[Berkut]

Our 8000ers, from most dangerous to least dangerous, summits vs. deaths:

Annapurna (8,091 m)
In total, only 130 climbers have summited Annapurna, while 53 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 41%.
Nanga Parbat (8,125m)
216 climbers have summited Nanga Parbat and 61 have died. The overall fatality rate thus 28.24%.
K2 (8,611 m)
Fewer than 200 climbers have summited the world's second highest peak – 198 total. 53 have died. K2's overall fatality rate is 26.77%.

Kangchenjunga (8,586 m)
To date, only 185 climbers have summited Kangchenjunga and 40 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus about 22%.
Manaslu (8,163 m)
To date, 240 climbers have summited Manaslu and 52 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 21.67%.
Dhaulagiri (8,167 m)
To date, 313 climbers have summited Dhaulagiri and 56 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 18%.
Makalu (8,485 m)
To date, 206 climbers have summited Makalu and 22 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus about 11%.
Gasherbrum I (8,080m)
Since 1958, only 195 climbers have summited Gasherbrum I and 21 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 10.77%.
Shisha Pangma (8,027m)
To date, 201 climbers have summited Shisha Pangma and 19 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus about 9.5%.
Everest (8,848m)
Today, Everest has hosted close to 2,000 successful summits. 179 people have perished giving a fatality rate of 9.3%.
Broad Peak (8,051 m)
A mere 255 climbers have summited Broad Peak and 18 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 7%.
Lhotse (8,516 m)
To date, 243 climbers have summited Lhotse and 11 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus about 4%.
Gasherbrum II (8,034 m)
As for GII, a total of 650 climbers have summited the peak and 17 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 2.62%.
Cho Oyu (8,188 m)
To date, about 1,400 climbers have summited Cho Oyu and 35 have died. The overall fatality rate is thus 2.5%,

Damn, compared to a lot of these, Everest is downright safe. 40% fatality rate for Annapurna???

[Ed Anger]

I climbed both peaks of Kilimanjaro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46btEgKmCTo.