Have you ever been to the Khumbu? Or even Nepal? Reading a Krakauer book or some clickbait Outside article doesn't make you any expert or give you any sort of authority on the subject.

First of all, the class envy nonsense is childish. What right do you have to begrudge others' success? Are you jealous? Do you give away all of your money? Based on your screen name it would seem that you have some connection to Marin County; one of the richest counties in the country. Unless you're living under a bridge, that would imply that you have some money. How much did you send to Nepal today? How much did you send to Bay Area homeless shelters? How many hours have you volunteered? I'm willing to bet almost zero -- because you'd prefer to spend and criticize other people's money. You're the kind of person that would call for tax increases "on the rich," while you yourself give not a single cent of your own money to charity. I don't know a thing about you, nor would I want to, but based on your insensitive and ignorant comment, I think we can draw some fairly accurate conclusions.

Secondly, Everest and the Himalaya is not the domain of millionaires. There are some millionaires that go there, for sure, but most Everest expedition members are middle class people who have saved for years and years as well as trained for years and years for a shot at Everest. People like you would love to spend $80+K on a Tesla or spend $500K on a closet-sized Bay Area condo. These people choose to spend $45K on a potentially once in a lifetime climb.

Do you know a single person who has climbed or attempted Everest? Nearly certainly not. There are some fools and bad apples for sure -- but you find fools and bad apples at Whole Foods or the local Fair Trade Shade Grown Coffee Establishment, Inc. as well. Perhaps you ought to get out of your shell of bitterness and head to the Himalaya yourself. Perhaps you'd find the same joy that others seek, perhaps you'd understand that climbing a mountain isn't any more narcissistic than creating a startup or even working at one.

Perhaps you might even find some spiritual comfort. Himalayan climbing, for many people, is probably the closest one can get to God (or the gods, etc.) while still being upon the Earth; to minimize or insult the climbers who seek that for themselves could be compared to criticizing Muslims over the Hadj. Every climber on Everest participates in a Puja before setting foot on the mountain, showing respect to the mountain. When was the last time you showed respect for anything? Who are you to minimize the goals and dreams of people just because you don't like what you assume to be their motivation?

Now, let's address the "millionaires ought to send cash" malarky. Have you ever heard of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation? Have you visited any of the dozens of schools, hospitals or community centers in the Khumbu region paid for by those millionaires you despise? How about the Himalayan Trust? The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation? The Juniper Fund? The Sherpa Support Fund? The International Avalanche Nest Egg Fund? ..and countless others.

As far as those "poor" people that those evil millionaires exploit to climb the Himalaya. Do you know how much they're paid? Do you know that many climbing Sherpas have made enough money to even start their own companies, open hotels and send their kids to good universities? Sherpa aren't considered "highly paid" by western standards, but they are extremely high paid by Nepali standards.

Perhaps spend a few minutes researching and reading something other than Outside magazine or the other sensationalist nonsense about Everest, perhaps you'd gain a deeper understanding of what actually happens over there. Better yet, buy a ticket and go see (and volunteer) for yourself. Maybe go read Alan Arnette's blog and get educated about Everest from a source other than ones that are trying to sell clicks or copies.