Mark Inglis - Master of Everest, and More

This guy, Mark Inglis, is a stud.

A 47-year-old double amputee (from an earlier brush with mountaineering death), Inglis made it to the top of the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest, today (Monday, May 15). That's 8,850 meters or, for those who insist upon more elegant measurements, 29,035 feet. Anything over 10,000 feet is impressive to the Oklahomilist, who has trouble breathing on top of Pike's Peak. When you're climbing in the rare air of a low-flying 747, that's something.

Particularly now. We just finished reading "Into Thin Air," by Jon Kraukauer, a few days ago, about the 1996 disaster on Mount Everest when 12 climbers died, and many others suffered, when adversity turned against them. Never had much interest in climbing big peaks in far-off continents until reading this book, but found it fascinating.

A lot of experts in the climbing field believe that too many people are climbing Everest these days to make it much of a noble accomplishment. Others, however, point out that any mountaintop higher than 26,000 feet is a killer waiting for another chance to kill again. You can be the utmost in prepared and wind up a statistic if the elements turn against you, or some little thing goes wrong, or someone else loses it and costs you your life.

So bravo Mr. Inglis. You deserve every bit of attention you get for making it up and, more importantly, back down again.