[Sherpa]

Story is here.

[Backpacker Joe]

Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo young! TB

[photographerJim]

i say if the girl can do it then let her do it your never to young..... after all she is a sherpa its not like it was some lil rich girl with her daddy..... PLUS she probably climbs better then half the trendy rich people that climb that mtn.... i liked this comment form the artical..... 'The sherpas do it as part of their livelihood. The person who lives by a river tends to be good at swimming. It is the same with climbing Everest.'

[Nekkid Himalayan Climber]

I think Backpacker Joe meant 15 is too young to swim in lakes in the buff. He had his discussions forums mixed up. So when will they have the first naked climb of Everest? The first former astronaut up Everest? The first Academy Award winer up Everest? The first orange-haired half Londener, half Sri Lankan with a wart on her left butt cheek that is in the shape of Alaska if you look closely, with a ponytail on the left side, up Everest? Man we need more Everest lame statistics!!!!!

[Guiness]

Don't become a statistic frozen in time attempting to do stupid things.

[Sore Feet]

[Bill Clinton]

Al Gore climbed Rainier a few years ago. It wasn't that bad for him -- he had a special step-rest system. With a mechanical stride and wooden expression, he'd march to his Al Gore rhythm.

[Backpacker Joe]

How the hell did politics get into this? Look, i'm not a parent, but you don't have to be one to know whats right and whats wrong! As a parent there is no way in HELL that I'd let my 15 year old daughter/son attempt something that dangerous. This isn't a bloody stroll through the park you know. Parents are supposed to look after, and be responsible for their kids welfare! Letting your 15 year old climb ANY 8,000 meter peak isn't doing that! They can do that crap when they're 18+ years old! TB

[#19]

BPJ, I appreciate your concern, but did you notice the girl's last name - Sherpa. It's in her blood man. Also, I know you've heard it before: Girls mature faster than boys. Until you've had daughers, you may never understand that completely. Many 15 year old girls are as physically and emotionally developed at MOST 19 year old guys.

[Backpacker Joe]

I saw that, I understand that. AND I can appreciate your points. That said, I haven't starved to death either, and yet I KNOW that I don't ever want to. Somethings you don't need to experience to have a rational opinion about. I also know that different peoples act differently. I don't think a parent that allows their 15 year old to take on that kind of danger is being/acting responsible! TB

[Tom]

I wonder what BPJ would have said about Fred B in his early teens?

[Backpacker Joe]

Tom, there is something TOTALLY different when you are required to deal with the ALTITUDE involved in 8000 meter climbing! There is way to much outside of your control. There is nothing that you could do anywhere around here that comes close to that kind of danger. There is no connection between rock/snow/ice climbing in the lower 48 and the danger of high altitude death zone climbing! TB

[Bill Clinton]

The fact that Al Gore made it up Rainier, while no concervatives have done so, proves that Democrats are better than Republicans. Meanwhile, there is no difference between dieing on a 8000m peak (sherpa) and falling off Guye Peak (Beckey) as a teen. Both result in the extinction of a teenager. The best thing is to ban teenagers from voting Republican. Letting an 18 y.o. vote concervative is irresponcible.

[Backpacker Joe]

You know something, I'm NOT even going to answer that JACK-ASS-ERY! Anybody that logs in as bill Klinton is a looser! Looser! TB

[Stefan]

Many years ago, women at the age of 15 were having children in western society, and it was considered normal. In fact, it is biologically normal. For some reason western culture has decided to turn against this biological fact. Maybe 15 is not so young in the culture of Sherpas. What works for one culture may be different for another. I am sure a lot of expeditions have 15 year olds working as porters.