A bit of humour -How to tolerate idiots on a mountain (undergoing development)

I have a plan…seriously! One of the toughest things about an expedition is tolerating idiots.  It is sadly unavoidable.  After a few expeditions I have continued to invest some serious thinking on this topic.

You can always pick them out from a crowd:

a) The ultimate show-off who knows everything and gives you advice even if you don’t want it.  They are the ones that tell you how awesome they are and how they are on TED Talks.

b) The ones that have zero experience and have never even walked with crampons, who will learn on the mountain, and rely 100% on the “experienced” sherpa that have claimed to have summited numerous times.

c) The ‘firsts’ or something like that.  Those that are trying to prove something based on a criteria that they have defined to be the best.

Here are a few strategies I was mulling over:

1) Mitigate by customising your own team. An expensive option.

2) Avoid the offenders.  Sadly this rarely works.  Better to confront and get it over with.  The reality is that some people just do not gel…and I gel with very few people because I cannot tolerate stupidity.

3) When alone on a mountain, cut the rope on them!  This can be highly effective but may have some “ethical” and “legal” concerns.  But what happens on the mountain, stays on the mountain 😉. 

I would recommend strategy 1 and 2 for the less courageous, and only use option 3 if you are at the end of your tether, or if you run into an annoying Icelandic, then cut the rope immediately!

I do have to say that there is satisfaction when a less than mediocre person such as myself summits before a ‘pro’ (a).  What does it really say about them?  A bit of humility goes a long way.  Oh, I am the type of person that will let them know all about it! 😆

As for those that put their lives in other people’s hands (b), I have absolutely nil sympathy for you if it goes belly up.  There is ‘stupidity’ and then there is “EPIC STUPIDITY”.

Category c people are a lot of fun! I love putting them in their place.  The true ‘firsts’ are only those that actually were the first to summit.  The rest is just self glorifying BS.  E.g. Mt Everest is Hillary and Norgay as the first summiters, and Reinhold Messner for the ‘pure’ way he did it (and he has great hair!).