Steven Fossett: Did Adventurer (and Billionaire) Fake His Own Death??

UPDATE>>>Read The Civil Air Patrol’s Response To Claims

UPDATE II>>>Stephen Fosett Interview Emerges After Disappearance

Stephen Fossett’s death may have been faked. News reports are starting to surface that the late adventurer may have faked his own death to shy away from financial problems, as well as two allegations of extramarital affairs.

MSNBC has put out a very public report and video claiming what many have questioned all along, that billionaire adventurer Steven Fossett could have done the inevitable and faked his own death. No plane has ever been found. No body has ever turned up. Quite simply, he disappeared.

Steven Fossett disappeared while making a preliminary flyover while looking for an area to stage his next big adventure, an attepmt the world land speed record. He was reported missing on September 4, 2007 when he failed to return from his flight. I have covered his disappearance and the nationwide search that ensued, quite extensively. After a couple of weeks of searching, with no clues as to what happened to Mr. Fossett, whispers began to circulate that he may have decided to disappear on his own merits.

From the UK’s Telegraph:

I discovered that there is absolutely no proof that Steve Fossett is actually dead. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I’m a man who deals in facts, and I don’t really care if he is alive or dead, it make no difference to me.”What I am interested in is the truth - and a proper criminal investigation of this man’s disappearance was never undertaken by law enforcement or officials in the state of Nevada.”

This comment is being made by Robert Davis, the man responsible for conducting an eight month investigation into the Steven Fossett case.  Mr. Davis works for Loyd’s of London, the company that could end up paying out £25 million from Mr. Fossett’s life insurance.

Lt. Col. Cynthia Ryan, of the U.S. Civil Air Patrol has also went on record saying that Mr. Fossett could still be alive.  She said that it is unthinkable that searchers could discover six separate air accidents while looking for Mr. Fossett, but not come up with a single clue to his own demise.

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‘Spiderman’ Alain Robert Makes Political Statement, Scales New York Times Building–Newly Updated

Alain Robert, or ‘Spiderman’ as he has come to be known in the Press, has allegedly just scaled the New York Times Building in New York City. Robert, a french stuntman, has gained world-wide notoriety for his outlandish stunts of scaling some of the world’s tallest buildings.

I have covered a few of his past exploits, but this is the first time, that I am aware of, that Alain Robert has actually made a huge political statement in the process. He scaled the 52 story Times building using no ropes or harnesses, as is his custom, and was shortly arrested after reaching the top.

Alain Robert ended up carrying a banner to the top with him. The banner read “Global Warming Kills More People Than 9/11 Every Week.” Kind of a gutsy statement to make in downtown New York City. Also, with the New York Times being one of the world’s highest circulated newspapers, you can begin to see why this is such a big deal. Can anybody predict the front page?

At this time, I don’t have any more details to provide. I do know that the area was taped off by police and the sidewalks were cleared in case he would fall, but this is also pretty customary when it comes to his building climbing attempts.

Alain Robert has scaled some of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, and the Sydney Opera House. He was taken in to custody at 12:22 this afternoon, eastern time. When I hear more, I will update.

By the way, of course the New York Times would have a decent VIDEO of the incident–Go check it out! While your at it, you might as well stop by Alain Robert’s own website, which has a bit more info on the cause he is trying to draw attention to.

This article has been recently updated.  Click below to go to the update.

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Photos of Snickers and Gulliver and an Update to Save the Adventurous Duo

A couple of days ago I put up a post called “A Real Saga of ‘Walt Disney’ Proportions: Dog Rescued After Three Months at Sea and Four Months on Pacific Atoll“.

This post outlined an ongoing rescue attempt of two animals, Snickers the dog and Gulliver the Macaw, who had taken quite a journey, then ended up needlessly abandoned on an island in the Pacific. With the help of some very generous people and businesses the two might have a chance at making it back to the US.

I have been contacted by someone very close to this ordeal, who has decided to share an update with myself–which in turn I must share with you. To catch up on the background to this story story just click the first link in this post.

Now For the Update:

Snickers has officially made it back to the United States–Las Vegas, specifically where he has met up with his new owner Jack Joslin. Through the gracious and generous support of Hawaiian Airlines, Snickers was able to board the flight and head back to the mainland safe and sound.

From a first-hand account emailed to me by one of Snicker’s caretakers in Hawaii:

“I’m exhausted - got Snickers off and he’s officially safe in
Las Vegas. You may be the first to hear this. Local press is aware
but we haven’t granted any interviews to anyone else. Photo is of the
two of us at Hawaiian Air’s airport cargo area. He got lots of
playtime before being put in his crate, exhaused, to sleep the flight
away. My sister, Tina Young, picked him up in LA and drove him to Las
Vegas where they met Jack and his other dog, Missy, to meet under
non-stressful conditions. They are going to be one happy family.

Before Snickers’ return to the States, I was taken back by how someone could just leave their pets to fend for themselves. I actually thought money for the rescue might be the issue, and in my previous post on this story, I did mention that the family that owned both Snickers and Gulliver had not been able to be reached. It looks as if this is not the case at all!

“The original owners abandoned the pets. You can be sure I wouldn’t have left the island without them. They left them to fend for themselves or die. Read Martin Troost’s travel book, “The Sex Lives of Cannibals” to get a clear idea of how dogs are treated. Some good
laughs too - it is quite funny. The owners did a Montel Williams show and clearly had no interest in raising awareness about the animals.

The couple that originally found the animals on Fanning Island, Robby and Lorraine Coleman, were actually the ones who kicked off the network that would eventually put an animal rescue mission into place for the forgotten animals. Without them stepping in and trying to make an attempt at this rescue, both Snickers and Gulliver would have met a sure death. The Kiribati government looked at them as an invasive species–one not original to the island–and were setting forth motions that would have certainly resulted in their demise.

Since Snickers has made it safely to Las Vegas and been united with his new owner, the focus of the rescue now lies with Gulliver the Macaw. His situation is a bit different. He was originally purchased in the United States. The previous owners are failing to provide any information as to where the bird was purchased. Macaws are considered an exotic species. Without this information, and with the previous owners failing to cooperate with the rescue attempt, it may mean that originally this bird was obtained illegally–as many of this species are.

With Snickers already in the States and the story playing throughout the press, it is imperative that this saga not be forgotten. Snickers and Gulliver have been around each other for a long time–they began this journey together some four months ago, and it is only fitting that they end it back home where there is a chance for not only survival, but a long and happy life in loving care.

In order to get Gulliver home, there are still some pretty big hurdles in the way. A couple of lawyers have stepped up to make an effort to get through all of the red tape of getting an exotic species back to the United States. If this works, then the effort will commence by trying to gain the support of an avian veternarian. He will be required to make two seperate trips to the country, and then get transportation back to Los Angeles, the only port where birds can be imported from another country.

Those taking part in the recent rescue of Snickers, and hopefully the planned rescue of Gulliver have called on me to publicize their need for support and assistance in this ongoing struggle to ensure both animals get back home. They have specifically mentioned the need for an Avian Vet, and quite possibly the use of a personal jet. The ride from the South Pacific, with Gulliver in tow, can not stop at Hawaii to refuel, but must fly straight through. The project can also use any and all monetary donations, and they have specifically stated that all money donated is tax deductable. You may make a donation to the cause by following this link–Gulliver’s Island: Dedicated to Saving One Special Bird –where even a dollar or two will help drastically in this cause. Stop by, check out the site and project, including Gulliver’s future home.

As for Snickers, a special “THANKS” to all involved for a successful rescue. They include Hawaiian Airlines, the Hawaii Human Society, ‘Lectronic Latitude the online journal of Latitude 38, NCL Cruise Lines, and the big hearts of Jack Joslin and Robby and Lorraine Coleman. A special thanks also goes out to the Press and coverage currently making the rounds. Without this saga in the Press, most of this probably would not have happened.  If I have forgotten anyone, leave a comment.  Your time and resources are appreciated as well!

A Real Saga of “Walt Disney” Proportions: Dog Rescued After Three Months at Sea and Four Months on Pacific Atoll

Colorado’s Post-Independent is reporting the successful rescue of a dog named Snickers, who spent three months traveling the ocean in a 48 foot boat then found himself grounded on a small Pacific Atoll for another four months. How did this happen? The dog’s owners, Jerry and Darla Merrow of California, left the pooch stranded after they were rescued off the boat by a passing cargo vessel.

Snickers was finally rescued by the joint efforts of the Hawaiian Human Society, cruise ship workers, and even an airline company who united to discover what ever happened to the dog.

The Hawaiian Humane Society took the lead in the investigation after reading that the dog’s owners had jetted and left him on the boat. They discovered this bit of information from an article published on ‘Lectronic Latitude, an online site for the boating journal Latitude 38.

The Merrow’s didn’t leave the dog on purpose-they were in the midst of their own life or death situation after their boat’s mast began having problems after leaving from California. In December, the boat, with full crew on board, had drifted to Fanning Island–1,000 miles south of Hawaii. The boat hit a reef, leaving the couple little more options than to try to swim to shore. Which they did with dog (and Macaw) in tow.

Upon entering the island the Merrows left the care of the animals to some native Islanders-who don’t grasp the concept of ‘pets’ as well as we do in the western world. Snickers was left to fend for himself.

From Colorado’s Post Independent:

“Gina Baurile, the society’s community relations
coordinator, said Thursday that the organization took the lead in
coordinating the rescue of Snickers after being contacted in the first
week of April by Jack Joslin of Las Vegas, a concerned pet lover who
wanted to take ownership of the dog.

Joslin noted that he became interested in the dog after reading the article on ‘Lectronic Lattitude. Joslin’s own dog, a 15-year-old border collie, had been euthanized the week before the story broke.

“I was willing to spend whatever it took, but
because so many people got involved willingly, it turned out not to
cost me much at all,” Joslin said.

NCL, the cruise line, offered to pick up Snickers on Fanning Island, then bring him to Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines then volunteered to fly Snickers to Los Angeles where his new owner, Jack Joslin, will be more than happy to pick him up.

All efforts to reach The Merrows, the dog’s rightful owners have failed, leaving little other option than to allow Jack to take over ownership.

Ahh…but wait…There was a Macaw involved as well

The Merrow’s macaw, who actually went through the same ordeal as Snickers, yet was a little better taken care of on the island, is still on Fanning Island. In order for Gulliver the Macaw to get back to the United States-there has to be a technically thought out plan. The first option fell through because of paperwork problems

The new plan involves an elaborate escape to neighboring Christmas Island-then on to Los Angelas, one of only two ports where exotic birds can enter the country. If the escape works, Gulliver will probably be heading to a bird sanctuary in Arizona.

Did I mention that Snickers was a cocker-spaniel? Disney loves cocker-spaniels. Add Gulliver the Macaw, the adventure, eventual rescue and the sentimental story behind Jack Joslin coming into ownership of the dog he helped save–yeah, this could be a million dollar blockbuster–Look for it in a theater near you in a couple of years.

Everrest 2008: 600 Protesters Detained in NEPAL

Protests have erupted inside Nepal over the past couple of days. Nepal, which has been fairly quiet in regards to Tibetan protests, has finally been hit with the rage. Over 600 Tibetan protesters have been detained in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, since yesterday. All of the protests are centering on the Chinese Visa Office in Kathmandu, as well as the United Nations office.

Nepal’s security has dispatched hundreds of police officers to the region in hopes of being able to discourage the protests, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen.

Tibetan protesters are showing up in waves of taxis, vans, and cars.

It is noted in the Los Angeles Times that authorities have downgraded their tactics when encountering protesters and are not using violence as a means to an end. It is also noted that Nepal is releasing protesters after only a day in custody. In the past, Nepal has been using forceful measures to stop the protesters and anti-china demonstrations, including hitting the protesters with batons or beating them and dragging them through the streets. After increased scrutiny by the United Nations and international rights groups, Nepal has backed off a bit on their approach.

Nepal does still stand by their notion to not allow any protests against ‘friendly nations’, including China. They have guaranteed China that no political uprising against the host of the 2008 Olympics will be happening in Nepal–even though that looks to be a bit mistated as the press starts to get wind of the previous two days events.

An Adventurist Editorial: The Stephen Fossett Debates

We should have all seen this one coming from a mile away–

Going into days 5 and 6 for the ongoing search of legendary adventurer Steven Fossett, people are starting to take their focus off of the search and more onto the debates surrounding these types of events when they occur–

First it began with how great of an adventurer Steven Fossett is.  Over the past few days this focus has slowly moved to the motives of a “Risk-Taker” and if Stephen Fossett’s family should be charged for the search currently taking place.

Both of these items are highly debatable and both of them generally always surround a high profile search, especially if the person involved was also a part of anything that has a certain risk-factor to it or has been the focus of media attention in the past.

Personally, I began taking notice of these debates around December of last year when three climbers became lost on Mt. Hood.  The ensuing search, that garnered massive media coverage, soon became a debate for a cause. 

It may be the cause of the general media’s focus to always provide something new to a highly viewed (and rated) story.  Running out of new leads, they hop back on the bus and get everyone involved in raging debates that once again spark interest to previous stories of the same general nature.

Two questions always emerge:  Should the families of the person being searched for have to pay for this service?  And secondly–the risk involved.  How could they do this to their families and loved ones?  What is it about risk that triggers these people to always endanger their lives? Read more

The Adventurist Forums Take Off!! Adventurist Polls Launched!

I posted yesterday that I have started my own Adventurist “Community” so to speak.  It is open and it is Progressing.

The first member of The Adventurist Forums happened to be my good buddy Kraig from over at The Adventure Blog.  He also gets the designation of making the first post in the community to get things kicked off proper and well.

So what is so exciting about The Adventurist Forums?  Now we all have a place to share our thoughts and views!  All of the following topics have their own areas:

• Climbing
• Mountain Biking
• Hiking
• Camping
• Kayaking
• Training
• Adventure Racing
• Expedition Notes
• Extreme Sports
• Mt. Hood
• Mt. Everest
• The Environment
• General Sports
• Random News

As you can see, there is quite a bit there to go through.  Feel free to post what you like in the areas that suit your interest.  Have a question?  Post it, someone will have an answer!

Here are some of the good things being said about The Adventurist Forums so far:

Awesome! Nice move adding the forums Jason. Hopefully they’ll become quite a place for all kinds of discussion.

And Another:

for the record, this is probably one of the coolest forums I’ve ever been on, looks wise at least.

The rest will come in time, I have no doubt!

I have recently introduced The Advenurist Polls as well.  The first Poll is up.  Stop over and check it out.  I will be using the results of these Polls on The Adventurist.  I will be posting a new one weekly.  Should be fun to see what everyone out there is thinking.  Now stop on over, sign up, and take part in hopefully what will become the best Adventure Forum out there–The Adventurist Forums.

The Adventurist Unleashes The Wrath of The Adventurist Forums!

The Adventurist has taken another step in evolution.  No, I’m not going bald! 

What I have done is created a place for all of us Adventure Lovers to come together and discuss what matters most.

You like kayaking?  Mountain Biking? Climbing? Going on a great Adventure of your own?  Now we have that community.  I am very proud to introduce The Adventurist Forums!

I have wanted to do something like this for close to a year now.  I became interested in what the Forums can do, and what can take place and be discussed through my good friend Alan Arnette’s great site.

His forums have essentially let him get in touch with his readers and offer them a more personal glimpse into mountain climbing.

I am now offering up the same–but we will be exploring the whole world of Adventure–From Sports (climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, adventure racing) to Training to Mt.’s Hood and Everest and beyond.

I have also placed in topics of interest for all of us..The world of Sports?  General News?  I’ve got it all..We all know that Adventure Lovers are very much multi-faceted, and it is claimed..smarter than most.  (Ok, I made that one up!)

Anyways, I am hoping that this will become a great new feature here at The Adventurist in the days, weeks, and years ahead.

Stop by, Check it out, and post your thoughts on what’s on your mind.  It is that easy.  Hopefully we’ll be having some great discussions..and perhaps even the possibility of “Poles” in the future. (Not the North or South silly, but voting polls!)

So swing on over to The Adventurist Forums and check it out.  I am just wondering who the first post will be from–could be a historic landmark in the world of The Adventurist.

Also, if you don’t see a topic on there that you would like to see, I am very open to suggestions.  This will be our community–built by all of us.  Contact me through the Submit & Contact page found at the top of your screen.

I will be adding a permanent link to the site in a bit.  That way you can just “click it” from The Adventurist.

And..as if this weren’t exciting enough…I may just have another BIG announcement tomorrow..so stop back by and check in tomorrow as well.  Now get over to The Adventurist Forums and have some fun.

BREAKING NEWS: ADVENTURIST STEPHEN FOSSETT’S PLANE MISSING

BREAKING NEWS–BREAKING NEWS–BREAKING NEWS–BREAKING NEWS

Stephen Fossett Missing!  September 4, 2007

 

Stephen Fossett, the man who single-handedly flew a hot air balloon around the world in 2002 to set a world record, is missing.  The FAA has announced that Mr. Fossett took off in his single-engine Balanca yesterday morning at 8:45 am but failed to make it to his destination.  Search efforts for the missing plane are currently being undertaken.

Stephen Fossett, 63, from Beaver Creek, Colorado is a world famous aviation adventurer.  After his successful 2002 flight around the world in a hot air balloon Stephen would undertake a few more high-risk challenges in the efforts of pushing the boundaries of aviation.  In 2005, Fossett became the first person to fly a plane around the world without refueling and is also credited, along with his co-pilot of setting the mark for the world’s highest altitude reached in a paraglider–50, 671 ft. in August of this year.

Stephen’s big noteriety in the aviation field though still remains his 2002 Hot Air Balloon flight that took him 19, 428.6 miles around the world.  Fossett had tried the feat previously 5 times, with more press building for each successive attempt.  Two of the failed attempts resulted in Mr. Fossett having to be rescued after the Balloon went down in treacherous waters of the Ocean.

According to FAA personnel, Fossett had failed to file a flight plan.  This has hampered the Civil Air Patrol, who is in charge of the search and rescue, from being able to find Mr. Fossett’s plane.  It is known that Stephen Fossett was planning on flying from a private airstrip south of Smith Valley in western Nevada, but didn’t return as he had planned.

A friend of Mr. Fossett’s tipped the authorities off to the missing plane and a search is ongoing.  The search is being coordinated by the United States Air Force’s Rescue Coordination Center in Langley, VA with help of the United States Civil Air Patrol.

According to the online Encyclopedia site Wikipedia, Stephen Fossett holds or has held 116 different world records in five different sports, of which 80 are still standing.  Mr. Fossett was also the founder of his own Securities company based out of Chicago, IL–Marathon Securities. 

More from Wikipedia regarding todays news:

According to CNN News, the search for Fossett began about six hours later (from time of take-off). He was flying in a single-engine, Citabria Super Decathlon — a plane capable of aerobatics — with tail number N240R, according to CAP. Fossett, though, had no parachute, which is required for aerobatics. There has been no sound from the plane’s emergency locator radio beacon, which goes off if there is a hard impact.

Fossett took off on Monday with enough fuel for four to five hours of flight, according to Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia S. Ryan. Yerington is south of Carson City, near the California border.

^[7] There is speculation that Fossett made an unplanned landing, possibly crashing, in western Nevada.^[8] A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson noted that Fossett apparently did not file a flight plan.^[9][10]

^{Please note that this information is from Wikipedia and cannot be confirmed as altogether factual at this time.}

 

 

EverestNews Inciting Controversy with Editorial and a Response by The Adventurist

I recently headed over to EverestNews to check out what was going on at their site.  Needless to say, I was quite surprised by a small editorial piece they are currently featuring titled Everest Rumors, Lies, and Ridiculous Stories.

This is based on a few reports that this editorial is claiming as false.  First off, it denies an increase in fees leveled by the Chinese Government this past season on Everest.  It then goes into detail about many sites broadcasting rumors and lies, specifically mentioning the possible closing of the North side of Everest by the Chinese for the forthcoming 2008 Olympics.

EverestNews goes on the record as saying Everest’s North side will be open to climbers in the coming 2008 season and the number of climbing permits given will not be limited in scope due to the 2008 Olympics.  They also go on record as saying that the rumors of China trying to negotiate the closure of Mt. Everest’s South side, via Nepal, is also completely false.

EverestNews Claims the Following Regarding Fees:

Stories that the fees in China were increased several times over were also spread, FALSE again. Why? Guides did raise fees which one would assume resulted in much higher profits… For most independents and operators the Chinese took a minor fee increase.. One must wonder what is the agenda here? To get traffic to web sites? To get published in rags? To help raise profits for some? What???

EverestNews is crediting CTMA and CMA as being two of the reliable sources that this information is coming from:

The CTMA and CMA appear to be getting pissed off by all these rumors, lies and ridiculous stories… Including false stories about climbers, who grow in number year by year… This will probably result in changes from the Chinese many of us might not like….

Last year’s “High-Altitude Free Tibet Protest on Mount Everest!” which was a “set up” where Americans went to China to get arrested and were successful is expected also to cause more tension for the Chinese and climbers which combined with these ridiculous stories will result in tougher standards on entering for 2008….

Now a Few Words From The Adventurist

First off, the CMA respectively refers to the Chinese Mountaineering Association and the CTMA refers to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.  Now that we know that all of this information is respectively coming from China we may make a few comments.

EverestNews is based out of Granville, Ohio–The United States.  Why would such a site be bowing down to a communist regime in regards to it’s editorials? 

If you go back and read the article as it is printed on the site, you can plainly see that this little bit of marketing by the two forementioned climbing associations in China is nothing more than Chinese Propoganda.  Yes, they might be pissed off at the press, but you do have to remember that China is hosting the upcoming 2008 Olympics and with all of the recent bad publicity regarding China of late, it is no wonder that they would put out a piece questioning the recent rash of bad publicity.

Regarding the climbing fees–on more than one occassion this past year, climbers were told, once they got to China, that their fees would be anywhere from $1000-$3,000 more than what was quoted before they left for the climb.  This information is documented in the climber’s expedition blogs rather substantially.  This did not just happen to US climbers, but even some expeditions from the Philipines and so forth.  This is documented and this information that EverestNews has released bears no weight.  Tell us the sources and give us the figures–until the proof is out there on such matters, it will remain the same.  Too many climbers were claiming the same problem:  A rise in climbing fees after they arrived to get their liscence, which was unmerited beforehand.

As far as the Chinese trying to close the North or the South sides of Mt. Everest for next season.  This news, as I myself have also mentioned, has come not only from the United States press, but also the Press organizations from around the world, including Nepal.  It is known that the Nepali Government was approached with an offer to shut off the South side as well…even though, this offer by the Chinese could have fallen through in the last few days.

Next, we come to a couple of possible threats handed out by the CMA and the CTMA about possible changes taking place over the 2008 Everest season.  These changes are in reference to the “One World-Free Tibet Protest” that took place this year, as well as the Chinese becoming “pissed off” at the stories and rumors coming from Mt. Everest.  They claim this protest was a simple “set-up” to get the organization holding the protest arrested, and in a sense..free publicity.  That may very well be the case, but in another note, the “Free Tibet” campaign has been going on for well over 50 years now.  Each year new protests are enacted to bring the Chinese occupation of Tibet to the limelight.  It just so happens that this years protest took place while China was trying to do their initial Olympic Torch training run to the top of Mt. Everest.

What the CMA and the CTMA are essentially doing is giving themselves an excuse to deny liscences to climbers in the upcoming 2008 season.  They will base this denial on the rumors and lies of the foreign nations trying to take part in next years Everest season, as well as political turmoil of not knowing exactly what people are planning on doing.

While the supposed facts being represented on EverestNews merit no basis, it boggles my mind that an American Company such as EverestNews has seemingly given the Chinese Government an outlet for their remarks–given the Chinese’s past record.

Anyone remember Nangpa La?  Last year the Chinese military opened fire on a group of people trying to cross from Tibet to Nepal–essentially political refugees trying to leave a country they despised–some were shot in the open, in front of 60 or so climbers–including a nun who was mortally shot and killed.  After this incident, the Chinese Military seemingly invaded the ABC camp and essentially looked things over and waited.  They had captured some 30 odd children, women, and men, and taken them into custody as well.

Many people are scared of speaking out against the Chinese.  The guides could very easily lose their bid to attempt Everest and other peaks in the Chinese Himalayas if they don’t keep their mouths shut about such incidents when they do take place.  China has essentially used political power and intimidation factors to keep the “real” stories on Everest and other peaks silent.

Nangpa La was real.  Photos confirm the merciless killings.  Still climbers involved in the incident from around the world are reluctant to speak out against the Chinese.

In 2007 the Chinese Basecamp at Everest featured a security fence and armed guards.  N0 one was allowed around their encampment and secrecy was held as an asset.  At one point a couple of climbers got stranded high on Everest and the Chinese refused to take part in any kind of search and rescue efforts.  This should clue you in a bit on their priorities.  China is about China.  They protect through armed tactics and intimidation. 

So why would EverestNews take a stand and essentially side with them by posting this very Pro-China editorial?  The editorial even fails to mention who the writer was.  I feel the reason may be as simple as the 2008 Olympics.  They are positioning themselves to be “the source” of news and info coming out of China.  On the otherhand, by taking such matters and putting themselves in the public light with such a controversial move, I can not see how this will benefit them at all.  They may get the news coming from China, but at the same time they are alienating the climbers from around the world that understand the tactics China uses in an effort to “control”.

EverestNews makes the following question regarding the rumors, lies, and deceptions and the press that has put them out.

One must wonder what is the agenda here? To get traffic to web sites? To get published in rags? To help raise profits for some? What???

I am only speaking for myself at this time.  I have no advertisers.  I have no site sponsors.  Trying to draw traffic to a site such as this one has no meaning.  It does not benefit me in the slightest.  On the contrary, by putting up an editorial that questions the basis of information regarding Everest and other mountains–by saying they are lies, rumors, and so forth–we do need to question these intentions–EverestNews is essentially questioning the same people that they get all of their information from–The climbing expedition blogs.  They post no news that isn’t spoken first-hand from the Expeditions themselves on their own sites–and they do so 90% of the time word for word.  So who is to blame for the lies, rumors, and so forth?  Rather than calling out people that you yourselves rely on for information–perhaps you should look at yourselves.  This is a weak and futile attempt at bringing in viewers that already question your standards in the field.  China or no China, by printing the threats and “control” tactics, you are becoming nothing more than one of the many puppets you are trying to speak out against.  Just something to think about.

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