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This article shows paintings you might know already. I painted over them and I put them in context of the concept of „High Altitude“.
To summit Mount Everest is only possible on certain days per year for most climbers. Even with weather forecast and supplementary oxygen life threatening situations can occur. Weather can change within minutes from nice, warm and calm to horrible, cold and stormy. Rescue operations get only possible in these days and someone to talk to can be days away.
Storm I, 2010, 60 * 50 cm, Oil and Tempera on canvas
Sometimes orientation is only possible by remembering the way from a map the climber has seen days before. Whiteouts, a term borrowed from photography for a situation were everything is white, occur frequently.
In 1984 Reinhold Messner and Hans Kammerlander summited Gasherbrum I in a storm – only a view days after reaching the summit of Gasherbrum II, another 8.000er.
Storm II, 2012 – 2013, 80 * 60 cm, Oil and Tempera on Canvas
The summit was small, dangerous and covered with lots of snow – they could not stand there.
Climbing an 8.000er stands for the most dangerous activity men can dare to do on our planet, for the harshest conditions and for distress. To ascent to the summit of such a monster is perceived as mastering a challenge.
Sometimes this is even intensified by climbing as a disabled, very old or very young human being (the oldest was 80 years and the youngest was 13 years old) or climbing in winter times.
Mount Everest was considered one of the most dangerous mountains. However, it is not any more. See the table on death rates in the attachment.
Many tourists visit its base camps every year and lots of mountaineers try to ascend and succeed. The highest mountains in the world attracts many well-experienced mountaineers as well as novice climbers who are willing to pay substantial sums to professional mountainers. There are guided tours to the mountain, which offer a high probability to reach the goal. In 2007, the record number of 633 ascents was recorded by 350 climbers and 253 sherpas. Only 173 ascends in total have been without supplementary oxygen – professional climbers never use it in these days.
Onto Everest, 2012-2013, 135 * 120 cm, Oil on Linen
Mount Everest has two main climbing routes, the southeast ridge from Nepal and the northeast ridge from Tibet, as well as many other less frequently climbed routes. Of the two main routes, the southeast ridge is technically easier and is the more frequently used route. The route using north-east ridge is cheaper. Both of the latter routes are used a lot, so that one could see long treks of climbers on nice days.
This means for most of the climbers that they have not been alone a single second. Perfect organization is dominating the climbing history at Everest since years.
On Summit of Everest, 2012, 220 * 135 cm, Oil on Linen
Once arrived at the summit there is no room neither. Similar situations occur at many of the well-known high mountains around the globe. Mount Elbrus, Kilimandscharo are Aconcagua are visited even more often.
