Saturday, May 25, 2019

The Social Media Queue - Risking Your Life

A couple of months ago I read about the popular three-hour hike to Roys Peak in New Zealand, which attracts more than 73,000 hikers annually. In addition to being a fun and safe day hike, it's a favorite place to photograph and post on social media.

But the stakes of "the social media queue" are far graver for climbers of the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest. The Washington Post reported this week that Mount Everest has gotten so crowded that climbers are perishing in the traffic jams. Everest climbing guide Nirmal Purja counted 320 climbers this May waiting hours in line to "summit." 11 have died so far of altitude sickness and oxygen deprivation.

Roys Peak, New Zealand ~ Lukas Stefanko - Twitter
Mount Everest, Nepal & China ~ Nirmal Purja - Instagram

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