Enormous tragedy but also a chance for new future for Nepal.
I propose rebuild the country in modern, safe stye. Merging old artifacts and architecture with modern elements.
Since tourism represent more then 22% GDP that investment in modern architecture should be self funding.
If I were deciding administrating power in Nepal I would order two futuristic but real projects:
1. Comfortable cable lift to the tip of the Mt Everest
2. Luxory hotels at the base camp and on the mountain ridge.
Project could be 100% self funding. All international companies will compete for the rights to build the most advanced lift to highest place on the planet. Switzerland will win for sure.
Chain of hotels like Marriot , Hyatt, Radisson, Virgin etc will spent all the money available on luxury , pressurized glass hotels . with steaming hot pools inside.
As astonishing the project may seems to be, it could rise the tourism from few thousands hard core backpackers traveling on the budget to millions wealthy mums and dads , bringing money and employment to local communities.
Rich Switzerland could access Mont-Blanc without the need for human mules already.
but then how would the people climbing it be able to go and brag about how they "conquered" a mountain with the help of low pay labor?
Here is my first draft of proposed luxury hotel on the ridge and cable lifts.
If not now that how it will look Himalayan in XXII century.
Select to expand quoteok said..
but then how would the people climbing it be able to go and brag about how they "conquered" a mountain with the help of low pay labor?
.
That the point. There is no need to this low paid Sherpa carrying your luggage on the back onto mountain in eighteen century style .
They could have well paid positions in hotels and tourism infrastructure, restaurants, offices etc
You still could climb the mountain in traditional way, since your wife and kidds will be watching you from their balcony or hotel terraces.
How do you suggest placing those poles into rock and/or ice, on that slope where you can't even walk let alone get a drill rig?
If theres one thing DAD loved more then serenity it was a 2 stroke engine at full throttle
All Nepal people need is to talk to people like Sir Richard Branson's founder of Virgin Airlines and even space tourism Virgin Galactic
to design and create network of hotels and airlines bringing people from all over the world to spent the money and time at the most unique place on the planet.
Emirates or other Arabs companions may also have funds and experience to deliver the most luxury hotels.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
How do you suggest placing those poles into rock and/or ice, on that slope where you can't even walk let alone get a drill rig?
I can't but Swiss engineers could.
I am sure about that.
I just did small check and its appear that helicopters could fly up to 12 km above the sea level - that is more then 3 km needed for Mt Everest peak.
That is possible from early 70's where there was not even need for such planes. There was no market for such copters.
With luxory development and tourism upgraded Sikorsky crane could carry whole containers straight to the top.
Select to expand quoteDarkspi said..
If theres one thing DAD loved more then serenity it was a 2 stroke engine at full throttle
You may have your chance to drive onto the top on motorized ski scooter.
Select to expand quotekiterboy said..
If only they had robot accountants on the case.
Did you consider fun , when you could swap you kite for para glider and sail fly down from Mt Everest peak to base camp below ?
kiterboy motorized version
One may object that there is not enough oxygen to breathe on the 8800 meters above the sea level.
That is true and that is why hotels are pressured to 4000-5000 meters air pressure.
But that could be made in very efficient way. While turbine compressing air is propelled by released compress air from inside.
That energy needed for constant pressure account only for circulation and efficiency losses; 5% instead or whole 100% energy needs to supply fresh air to hotels.
Similar but portable breather apparatus could be used for those walking outside the building _ cancelling the need of carrying oxygen bottles.
Select to expand quotemyusernam said..
they could use oil from your through earth pipeline
Elon Musk will be able to bring tourist on the top regardless of weather outside
thanks to his new revolutionary Hyperloop transport system inside the tubes.
With speeds above 1000 km/h it doesn't take long to bring tourist from nearby cities and airports.
Oh God. You should post on the kiting forum Macro you fly so many.
It's an appalling idea. You're talking about Everest FFS. It's like, SACRED.
That'd be like turning the Vatican into a tourist theme park ..................... umm, oh wait.
I wonder, if the notion were floated and polled, whether the environmentalists or the disnylandists would win.
Maybe the Nepalese could put such a scheme together and hold the world to ransom. That'd be the test.
Macro, you've just introduced buzzing, humming, throbbing noise pollution into what is possibly the quietest most serene place on the planet.
I don't want to see any plans made, unless they include a lake at the peak in which we can race electric catamarans, piloted by robot accountants.
Interesting points counter and pro... but isn't the climbing season a few weeks because of ferocious winds around the summit and it's approaches? therefore your tourist season would be pretty short to pay for the infrastructure.... An enclave for the rich and famous? cheaper to fly to the moon, or surf the Maldives.
Select to expand quoteNotWal said..
I wonder, if the notion were floated and polled, whether the environmentalists or the disnylandists would win.
Exactly that is whole problem.
Developed industrialized civilization created an archaic scansen where they could enjoy them self for a week or two at the cost of the poorest nation in the world.
In our interest in kept them poor, live at the penny a day, and forget about education, decent jobs. If you ask animal to carry the load , your donkey will tell you that is animal cruelty and report to nearest authorities.
This Nepalese people could have decent modern jobs. If our project for sandy island development on Gold Coast could attract 10 bln private investment , how much this piece of land is worth to the biggest investors ?
100 - 500 bln? That money could be spend on site for workers, materials, supplies, changing already poorest country into busiest building spot.
Your Sherpa could carry electric drill, screwdriver and hammer instead of your backpack.
Lets have no illusion. At this stage any rebuilding effort will sunk economy already poorest country in massive debts.
No bank will give a loan for investment into wooden carved hutts and clay tower going to fail at next imminent shake.Everything at the end depend how sovereign local government is of western green environmentalists willing to see zoo going .
If they prefer good wealth being of own people or Green overseas movements ( that actually only could dictate the poorest what to do - see what the most advanced country did with cracking/ fracking whole earth crust. When money speak West already ruin and poluted their own water tables. But at same time prohibits : plantation of the poor Tropical Islands, building roads in Amazon, water dams and power station in aspiring South America.
Select to expand quoteJulianRoss said..therefore your tourist season would be pretty short to pay for the infrastructure.... An enclave for the rich and famous?
Not really. Not only tourist will be attracted to the place but also all sorts scientists.
Could you imagine quality of the picture taken by the biggest telescopes at this heights ?
Whole country , local Nepalese universities could benefit while hosting the best scientist from all over the world.
What about medical scientists ?
Material engineering ?
Even rocket launchers ( nearby maybe not on the Mt Everest itself)
Nepal could host CERN of the scientific world instead of the white muscular athletes pretending something not real.
Select to expand quote
ThinkaBowtit said..
Macro, you've just introduced buzzing, humming, throbbing noise pollution into what is possibly the quietest most serene place on the planet.
No, didn't make any plans about Antarctic land yet, no so many locals up there that we need take care.
Select to expand quotekiterboy said..
I don't want to see any plans made, unless they include a lake at the peak in which we can race electric catamarans, piloted by robot accountants.
Next time we met on the beach I give you opportunity to earn decent money.
Sharpa style.
At generous $15 / hour you could carry my windsurfing gear trough the mud over the beach to the water , then back.
Shouldn't take you more then 10 minutes to complete that task, but I am sure my mate could also use you services to fill an hour pay.
Select to expand quoteJulianRoss said..
. An enclave for the rich and famous? cheaper to fly to the moon, or surf the Maldives.
No, I don't agree. Don't need to be expensive.
I guess $15k will give you decedent 3- days accommodation on the top or Mt Everest in full luxury conditions.
At the price all meals , hot spa and pools included, then even complimentary air tickets from any place in the world and back at the kindness of Virgin Airlines.
Multiply that by 1 million tourist per year and we have a picture.
Most of tourists will go down, to local villages to spend more time and money once there already.
It is only a fraction if compare to Vatican 5 mln visitors. Then you even closer to heaven IMO
Select to expand quoteMacroscien said..JulianRoss said..therefore your tourist season would be pretty short to pay for the infrastructure.... An enclave for the rich and famous?
Not really. Not only tourist will be attracted to the place but also all sorts scientists.
Could you imagine quality of the picture taken by the biggest telescopes at this heights ?
Whole country , local Nepalese universities could benefit while hosting the best scientist from all over the world.
What about medical scientists ?
Material engineering ?
Even rocket launchers ( nearby maybe not on the Mt Everest itself)
Nepal could host CERN of the scientific world instead of the white muscular athletes pretending something not real.
Yes, indeed, a huge telescope on the top of the mountain, surrounded by cloud and snow would be fantastic!
You do know how the snow gets onto the mountain don't you? It's not trucked up there.
Funnily enough they seem to install telescopes on mountains with low or almost no rainfall.
Have you thought about reducing the number of anti-depressants? It might solve this whole "problem"?
you do realise how steep and unstable it is Macro?
You can't build on it, helicopter assisted or not.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
you do realise how steep and unstable it is Macro?
You can't build on it, helicopter assisted or not.
Free hanging cable could span a kilometer or more. The longest in gondola lift in Sweden -Norsjö cable car- is almost 96 km long 
From Mt Everest very peak to base platform below is less then 2000 m.
I will do most of the hotels at the base platform. Whole mini city indeed.
Materials will transport later with transporting lifts as will be much cheaper then helicopters hours.
Obviously some drilling machinery must be specifically designed and build to operate on the slope at this heights and temperatures -the same way as first tunnels drilling monsters under English channel.
You could start building first transport lift from bottom and crawl with machinery in steps 50 -100 meters up hill and build next post, then next. I imagine this enterprise not even as a single machine - bulldozer like but more like whole rig spanning from bottom to very top made of temporary scaffolding.
Ideally if in the future internal tunnel could be drilled inside the mountain. At this 2 km length that definitely could be done.
The biggest the scale of the construction the fastest the return on investment.
"Oh, I went to Everest for the weekend"
'What did you see?'
"I saw snow, and snow, and some snow. It was also windy and cold"
'Why? I went to Maui instead where it was windy and warm'
Select to expand quotesotired said..
"Oh, I went to Everest for the weekend"
That is correct. How many people from 8 billions living presently could access Mt Everest peak in their life time.
Now and in the next thousand years not many if need to climb.
But this may change with this new technology and big scale projects.
Anyway visiting Mt Everest will be always exclusive.
Even with 1 million per year lift capacity you need 8,ooo years to guide existing Earth population to the mountain top.
I am sure it is meant to be humorous ?
The areas mentioned is now a garbage tip. Climbers brought in tonnes of non-perishable stuff to make their life as close to what they have always enjoy back home, but can't be stuffed to bring them back. I believe the hill sides are now a public toilet. Behind rocks and within crevices, there are yellow and brown substances lurking!
Mt Everest is now a place to "conquer". Attempts by the youngest boy, or girl, or disables, or the oldest, are become common place. They all want to make a name for themselves or may be a for a genuine personal challenge for some. The trouble is that during the rush seasons, the place is so overcrowded that it resembled a busy street.
Sure, the locals get their minute share of the spoils in tourism. yes, tourism. Remember the attempt to bring some of that cricketer Phillip Hughes' gear up to the peak? What the hell has he got to do with Mt Everest? I believe we are becoming "records" mad.
Id be more interested on how they'd pressurise an entire hotel so people could survive up there!
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
How do you suggest placing those poles into rock and/or ice, on that slope where you can't even walk let alone get a drill rig?
No worries Mark, The crew I worked with had no problems drilling on dodgy ground, only ever managed to tip one rig over - but admittedly that fella was a beginner.
Start at the top of the hill, drill and blast, push the spoil over the side - rinse and repeat - fill in the valleys until its all nice and flat.
Before long the OH&S blokes will be happy cause no-one can fall off Everest anymore.
stephen
