The Full Circle Everest Expedition

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 Chris_Mellor 03 Jan 2022

"The Full Circle Everest Team represents a zenith in generational perseverance.  This expedition will showcase the tenacity and strength of these climbers, and highlight the barriers that continue to exist for Black communities in accessing the outdoors. This historic attempt will inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts, educators, leaders, and mountaineers of color to continue chasing their personal summits."

And "there has never been an all-Black team to summit the tallest mountain on Earth."

[ https://www.fullcircleeverest.com/]

They will use bottled oxygen above Camp 3. We are told that, although 10,155 people have soummited Everest since Hillary and Tenzing scaled it first in 1953, only eight black climbers have reached the top of Mount Everest. Therefore this highlights the barriers that continue to exist for Black communities in accessing the outdoors.

Umm. As opposed to Indians, Pakistanis, Japanes, South Koreans, Chinese and Sherpas, all non-Western white, who have ascended Everest? Are these not "mountaineers of color"? I think maybe these Full Circle climbers and their expedition are blowing the we-face-barriers trumpet a little too loudly here.

Expedition member Rosemary Saal and the Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/mount-everest-black-climbers/2021/12...] blow the same trumpet: “The expedition is very timely, as I think many brands and organizations are beginning to recognize the colonial history of mountain climbing,” Saal says — meaning the history of White male climbers, many from the British Empire that once ruled over India and the Himalayas — and are supportive of an effort to change the face of the sport and bring in traditionally marginalized populations."

They do not realise, or want to realise, that, again, large numbers of Indians, Pakistanis, Japanes, South Koreans, Chinese and Sherpas, all non-Western white, have ascended Everest.

Saal told the Washington Post that: “There’s been an intentional lack of access for Black people."

Who is responsible for this "intentional lack of access for Black people"? Has the general climbing community said a collective "Heck, no!" to Black people climbing?

How many Orthodox Jews have sumitted Everest? A low number I think. Does this "highlight the barriers that continue to exist for [Orthodox Jewry] communities in accessing the outdoors"? Are they subject to an intentional lack of access?

If this "all-Black team" wants to climb Everest then go for it and good luck. Just don't imply that "mountaineers of color" means only African Americans and, at the same time, you are representative of all mountaineers of colour. You ain't.

PS. The "zenith in generational perseverance" phrase gets a five star marketing bullshit award. It's truly top notch and in a class of its own.

Post edited at 00:00
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In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Hang on a minute, just getting my popcorn....

1
 GrahamD 04 Jan 2022
In reply to Chris_Mellor:

I look forward to them fixing the route.  I mean, using porters and Sherpas would be a bit colonialist, wouldn't it?.

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 Howard J 04 Jan 2022
In reply to Chris_Mellor:

I think their mistake was not having a separate press release for the international media.  What may be a reasonable statement about the lack of black representation in US climbing (although, as here, it seems to be as much to do with cultural attitudes and lack of opportunity as outright racism) looks a bit ridiculous in a wider context, for the reasons given by the OP.

 Martin Hore 04 Jan 2022
In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Surely one of the main barriers to people climbing Everest these days is lack of money. Alongside lack of motivation and/or unwillingness to take the undoubted risks. The lack of black ascensionists may just mirror the lesser affluence of black communities in countries such as the US and UK - and also perhaps a lack of motivation as in "what's the point?" or "I've more important things to spend my money on".  Certainly not "I can't be bothered to put in the effort" - there are loads of examples of black sportsmen and women very willing indeed to put in the effort to achieve at the highest level. 

Rather than focusing on Everest, it would be more interesting to research whether black people face  barriers to participation at club level in the UK.  We need to ask those who have tried to access climbing at club level about their experiences. Certainly, in our club, there are no obvious barriers, but there might be more subtle influences of which the predominantly white membership are  unaware.

Martin

 scoth 04 Jan 2022
In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Hi Chris,

It sounds like you are aggrieved, but I’m unclear what at exactly. Do you think they conflate black people with people of colour? Or is it because they imply we live in a world where people are racialised differently and this can affect life chances?

If it’s the latter, then unfortunately that is the world that nearly everyone on this planet lives in. I wish we didn’t, but we do. And obviously, the climbing community is very much part of and is influenced by it to some extent.

If it’s the former, then I (along with the poster above) read this project as predominantly aimed at (but not solely) black people and people of colour in the US. I think if you read it from that perspective, then it might make more sense. Because generally, as I understand being a black American comes with a whole different and unique load of history, that can disproportionately affect life chances, than say if you are white or in some circumstances brown. I think the PoC inclusion is to ensure its inclusive of people who might not identify as being black themselves, but might find the project inspiring and be compelled to take up climbing/mountaineering, but also have not previously been compelled to or have found it difficult to do so.

Whether this project will succeed in leading to more black mountaineers I think is up for question, but it seems to me it’s a step towards that direction. 

 JLS 04 Jan 2022
In reply to scoth:

For me, the trouble with this project is that a group of climbers have decided to join in on the Everest shit show and have used their blackness as a means to raise funds from companies all too happy with a bit of black washing, inclusion/diversity PR. As with all things Everest it just doesn’t feel like it’s coming from the right place. It may be mutually beneficial for the climbers and the sponsors but to me it looks more like using BLM issues as an angle for self gain rather than any sort of attempt to address the issues.

If it smells like bullshit and looks like bullshit…

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 Howard J 04 Jan 2022
In reply to Martin Hore:

> Surely one of the main barriers to people climbing Everest these days is lack of money. 

Very true, although both the US and the UK now have a sizeable black middle class in affluent professions who could no doubt afford it.

One factor in the US may simply be that the black population is largely concentrated in the least mountainous parts of the country, whereas Colorado has only 4% black population and California 5%.

Nevertheless black people undoubtedly face obstacles which this expedition hopes to challenge, so good luck to them.  It's just their communications which seem off-key.

> Rather than focusing on Everest, it would be more interesting to research whether black people face  barriers to participation at club level in the UK. 

There has been quite a bit discussion about this, and it is something the BMC is trying to address. However many of the obstacles appear to come from within their own communities, or are difficulties of access to the countryside which most urban dwellers face.  I doubt there are any intentional obstacles on the part of clubs, but the mere fact that the outdoor community is largely white may be off-putting.  I feel it really has to come from within those communities themselves, and we have seen many reports from such groups which are encouraging increasing involvement. All the rest of us can do is try to be welcoming.

I do sometimes feel the diversity issue is sometimes overstated by city dwellers who live in areas where non-white people are disproportionately represented and who may have a skewed view of the actual ethnic mix in the country as a whole. I saw one organisation recently wringing its hands over its lack of diversity and promising a target of at least 30% BAME, although the actual non-white proportion in the UK population is around 14% (2011 census). However that is not to say that we should not try to remove obstacles where that is in our power.

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 rattusrattus 05 Jan 2022
In reply to Chris_Mellor:

Where do they claim that "large numbers of Indians, Pakistanis, Japanes, South Koreans, Chinese and Sherpas, all non-Western white" haven't summited Everest?

They're looking at their lives and their communities lives in regards to this mountain. Nowhere in their press release or their interviews do they seem to be trying to devalue the achievements of other groups. It's clear this is an ambition for them with the hope of inspiring people within their communities to look at the outdoors as an environment they can both be accepted and excel in. 

I'm genuinely astounded that there's a way to look at a team of people doing something that will have a positive affect on a huge community as a negative.

"Who is responsible for this "intentional lack of access for Black people"? Has the general climbing community said a collective "Heck, no!" to Black people climbing?" 

They haven't but look in magazines, in media and everywhere. It is a very white centric activity and if you are outside of that looking in, it may not appear to be as welcoming as you may imagine. Case in point, going on a forum and seeing someone writing a small essay railing against a group of people trying to climb a mountain may give the impression that this isn't a friendly space for black people.

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 fred99 06 Jan 2022
In reply to rattusrattus:

..... Case in point, going on a forum and seeing someone writing a small essay railing against a group of people trying to climb a mountain may give the impression that this isn't a friendly space for black people.

I don't know whether you have actually read the responses to the original matter, but this forum has shown itself to be most definitely against the tosser who complained, and fully behind the Islamic walkers in question (and their rights to be there).

Just because one single prat rails against any particular item, it doesn't mean that prat is representative.

 rattusrattus 06 Jan 2022
In reply to fred99:

Sorry, that may have not been as clear as I wanted. Very much referring to the OP rather than the entire forum. 

OP Chris_Mellor 06 Jan 2022
In reply to rattusrattus:

Hi Alex, as I posted - "

Expedition member Rosemary Saal and the Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/mount-everest-black-climbers/2021/12...] blow the same trumpet: “The expedition is very timely, as I think many brands and organizations are beginning to recognize the colonial history of mountain climbing,” Saal says — meaning the history of White male climbers, many from the British Empire that once ruled over India and the Himalayas — and are supportive of an effort to change the face of the sport and bring in traditionally marginalized populations."

They do not realise, or want to realise, that, again, large numbers of Indians, Pakistanis, Japanes, South Koreans, Chinese and Sherpas, all non-Western white, have ascended Everest."

I am disagreeing with the notion that black Americans are representative of mountaineers of colour worldwide and gently suggest that they are overstating their case. Good for them if they want to climb Everest as an African-American group, helped by other persons of colour, meaning Sherpas,  but it might be better if they made an ascent without Oxygen bottles and completely on their own. Then that would be the first ascent of Everest by a completely all-black team. I'm being pedantic, you might think, about terminology/ Over to you

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