Over the past few weeks, I got sucked into a show on the Discovery Channel called Everest: Beyond the Limit. Tonight is the last episode. Before it aired, I wondered if I could find anything out on the internet. I started with the Wikipedia article on Everest. That led me to the Discovery Channel page on the show. Then, I came across this article by climbers on Everest. That caused me to look up POISK's website (they make oxygen equipment that looks like the best stuff on the market). I then thought I would look up the Himex site (they are the company that led the Discovery team up the mountain.) They want $42,000 to lead someone up Everest.
Here are a few other neat links I found:
http://houseofhoncho.blogspot.com/2006/12/everest-revisited.html
http://www.nerve.in/news:25350025525
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/everestbeyond/sherpacam/sherpacam.html
http://everytrail.net/blog/alan/2006/05/11_dead_what_is_going_on_with.php
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1647727.htm
http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/more-climbers-weigh-in-on-david-sharpe.html
http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=10064
http://www.himex.com/c_pub/en/news/2006/reflections_on_everest.php
In the end, read up on the controversy that Discovery filmed (but won't air). I used to think it would be neat to climb everest, but it looks like anyone with enough money can make an ascent now. Yes, you need to be in shape, but the sherpas do all the hard work.
[Update 19 Dec 2006] I looked up the Wikipedia article on Sherpas when I came across the following statement:
Historically, the most famous Sherpa is Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary for the first time in 1953.
Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, have recently competed as to who can climb Everest quicker. On May 23, 2003 Dorjie summitted in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later Gelu beat his record by two hours, summitting in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May 21, 2004 Dorjie again improved the record by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes. This feat may be considered one of the greatest in mountaineering.
On May 19, 2006, Appa Sherpa successfully climbed Mt. Everest for the 16th time, breaking his own record for most successful ascents.