[CTV.ca via UneasySilence] The climbing world is facing tough criticism after dozens of mountaineers are thought to have passed by a dying climber struggling to survive as he descended from the summit of Mount Everest last week. The British climber, 34-year-old David Sharp, had climbed the mountain solo and was on his way down from the summit. More than 40 climbers are thought to have seen him as he lay dying, but almost all passed him by.

This is an all-to-common occurrence, especially on high peaks like Everest. Look at what happened to Beck Weathers back in the Everest 1996 disaster (which "Into Thin Air" was based on) - he was left twice for dead, only to have crawled his way out to survival.

I’ve been as close as I want to get to the ‘top of the world’ (Kala Patar back in 2001 at 5545m overlooking base camp) - and it was a real struggle (and personal triumph) for me to get up that high. So on one on hand, I can somewhat understand the pain, suffering, mental anguish and drive that one goes through to get up to the summit of a peak, but it just doesn’t register with me how so many people can just walk by and let someone die.