Firkin celebrities walking up a mountain. FFS.

[Mr Green]

Davi said:

Mr Green said:

I thought "It is, however, one of the easiest of the big seven" clitched it for me.

context may - just may be of slight importance here, don't you think?

If I were to say that "of the top seven racing drivers, the easiest to pass is raikkonen" do you think that anyone could therefore pass him, or do you think that it just might still be slightly tricky for the average Joe to achieve?

It funny you should mention racing drivers I was thinking of making a similar comparison myself, I could probably drive faster than Sterling Moss now but I have ultimate respect for him because in his prime he was the best in the world(in my opinion), but Ron Dennis putting me in Lewis Hamiltons car wouldn't make me world champion or even a racing driver. These people where mollycoddled all the way, before and after the climb, I know some don't like me searching for relevant quotes but this internet is brilliant for cutting out the bull st.

"At the end of most days, you can freshen up in a private hot shower. Then relax in a comfortable chair with armrests and a soft back - bringing instant relief to your hardworking legs, feet and back!

At night you will appreciate the 62sq ft floor space of your expedition-quality tent - with a mattress and pillow, 50 inches of headroom, a lamp and other amenities.

Dinner is a jovial occasion as we celebrate a long-day's climb with good food in the comfort of our mess tent. You will enjoy the laughter as our porters and guides poke fun at each other - our chemistry is excellent because I care deeply about my mountain team.

Safety is my personal responsibility. We are qualified to deal with emergencies and we equip every climb with the most advanced safety equipment on the mountain: First Aid Kits, Cell Phones, Satellite Phones, 2-Way Radios, Pulse Oximeters, Portable Altitude Chambers (only needed when sleeping in the Crater), and extra oxygen. We are the FIRST and one of very few companies to carry Automated External Defibrillators on our climbs".

In my opinion that's a jolly

http://www.go-kili.com/kilimanjaro_welcome.htm

You get what you pay for, I wonder who's paying for the 43 people that went up the mountain just to get these feckless celebs to the top.

I don't think there will be any change out of £300k (or 20p in every pound)

[audidoody]

andy400 said:

My net worth is somewhere in the region of negative £several thousand, therefore by my reckoning if I give so much as 1p to charity I am proportionately giving more of a ff about kids in Africa than Bill Gates does.

I'd say you're wasting your potential. With an ability to concoct that sort of logic you'd make a great politician

[andy400]

audidoody said:

andy400 said:

My net worth is somewhere in the region of negative £several thousand, therefore by my reckoning if I give so much as 1p to charity I am proportionately giving more of a ff about kids in Africa than Bill Gates does.

I'd say you're wasting your potential. With an ability to concoct that sort of logic you'd make a great politician

Now there's a gravy train I want a seat on!!

[sevros1981]

Mr Green said:

Davi said:

Mr Green said:

I thought "It is, however, one of the easiest of the big seven" clitched it for me.

context may - just may be of slight importance here, don't you think?

If I were to say that "of the top seven racing drivers, the easiest to pass is raikkonen" do you think that anyone could therefore pass him, or do you think that it just might still be slightly tricky for the average Joe to achieve?

It funny you should mention racing drivers I was thinking of making a similar comparison myself, I could probably drive faster than Sterling Moss now but I have ultimate respect for him because in his prime he was the best in the world(in my opinion), but Ron Dennis putting me in Lewis Hamiltons car wouldn't make me world champion or even a racing driver. These people where mollycoddled all the way, before and after the climb, I know some don't like me searching for relevant quotes but this internet is brilliant for cutting out the bull st.

"At the end of most days, you can freshen up in a private hot shower. Then relax in a comfortable chair with armrests and a soft back - bringing instant relief to your hardworking legs, feet and back!

At night you will appreciate the 62sq ft floor space of your expedition-quality tent - with a mattress and pillow, 50 inches of headroom, a lamp and other amenities.

Dinner is a jovial occasion as we celebrate a long-day's climb with good food in the comfort of our mess tent. You will enjoy the laughter as our porters and guides poke fun at each other - our chemistry is excellent because I care deeply about my mountain team.

Safety is my personal responsibility. We are qualified to deal with emergencies and we equip every climb with the most advanced safety equipment on the mountain: First Aid Kits, Cell Phones, Satellite Phones, 2-Way Radios, Pulse Oximeters, Portable Altitude Chambers (only needed when sleeping in the Crater), and extra oxygen. We are the FIRST and one of very few companies to carry Automated External Defibrillators on our climbs".

In my opinion that's a jolly

http://www.go-kili.com/kilimanjaro_welcome.htm

You get what you pay for, I wonder who's paying for the 43 people that went up the mountain just to get these feckless celebs to the top.

I don't think there will be any change out of £300k (or 20p in every pound)

What do you think they could have done to raise more money?

[ewenm]

Mr Green said:

You get what you pay for, I wonder who's paying for the 43 people that went up the mountain just to get these feckless celebs to the top.

I don't think there will be any change out of £300k (or 20p in every pound)

How many times?!?! BT funded the costs of the trip. The £1.5m+ donations went entirely to the Comic Relief fund.

[andy400]

fadeaway said:

Given that Bill Gates setup a charitable foundation years ago, and has now given up his day job to run said foundation, I'd say he actually cares quite a lot about the kids in Africa (to use your specific eg). what have you done?

Yawn.

What I said was, believe it or not, tongue in cheek.

Shirley you don't need me to point out the silliness in comparing someone like me to Bill Gates?

Hmmmm, multi-billionaire gives up day job to run charitable foundation he's founded - ok.

Middle class bloke on fairly average wage and fair sized mortgage gives up day job to work for charity, runs out of money in approx. 3 months, has house repossessed, moves into brother's garden shed, eats bugs to survive - perhaps not.

I do a fair bit to support 'charidee' but exactly how much is for me to know as I consider it a distateful subject to discuss in too much depth. Just as I find much that is distateful in the whole celebrity 'Look at me! Look at me! Doing good things' charity bandwagon crap.

Oh, and before anyone gets entirely the wrong idea - again - I strongly believe charity is a good thing. However, I also believe that if it takes watching a bunch of 'celebs' doing nothing particularly memorable, or seeing shop workers unoriginally turning up for their days graft in their pyjamas, before you'll put your hand in your pocket for charity, then one should be asking oneself some serious questions.

Anyhoo, wtf do I know. I'm sure that in true PH style, somebody will be along in a moment to, rather than offering any sort of counterpoint or debate, just tell me to 'fk off'.

[madbadger]

For those that don't seem to know the seven summits referred to are the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

They are:

Mt. Kosciusko - Australia - 2228m
Mt. Vinson - Antartica - 4897m
Mt. Elbrus - Caucasus, Europe - 5642m
Mt. Kilimanjaro - Tanzania, Africa - 5895m
Denali - Alaska, N. America - 6194m
Cerro Aconcagua - Argentina, S. America - 6962m
Mt. Everest - Nepal/Tibet, Asia - 8850m

Not the highest seven mountains in the world. Most of the peaks in the Himalayas are higher than Aconcagua.

Beating Raikenen round a track is more like climbing Annapurna.

As has been said (many times) altitude is an issue above about 3/4000m and whether you are climbing, skiing or trekking above that you know about it.

[sevros1981]

andy400 said:

fadeaway said:

Given that Bill Gates setup a charitable foundation years ago, and has now given up his day job to run said foundation, I'd say he actually cares quite a lot about the kids in Africa (to use your specific eg). what have you done?

Yawn.

What I said was, believe it or not, tongue in cheek.

Shirley you don't need me to point out the silliness in comparing someone like me to Bill Gates?

Hmmmm, multi-billionaire gives up day job to run charitable foundation he's founded - ok.

Middle class bloke on fairly average wage and fair sized mortgage gives up day job to work for charity, runs out of money in approx. 3 months, has house repossessed, moves into brother's garden shed, eats bugs to survive - perhaps not.

I do a fair bit to support 'charidee' but exactly how much is for me to know as I consider it a distateful subject to discuss in too much depth. Just as I find much that is distateful in the whole celebrity 'Look at me! Look at me! Doing good things' charity bandwagon crap.

Oh, and before anyone gets entirely the wrong idea - again - I strongly believe charity is a good thing. However, I also believe that if it takes watching a bunch of 'celebs' doing nothing particularly memorable, or seeing shop workers unoriginally turning up for their days graft in their pyjamas, before you'll put your hand in your pocket for charity, then one should be asking oneself some serious questions.

Anyhoo, wtf do I know. I'm sure that in true PH style, somebody will be along in a moment to, rather than offering any sort of counterpoint or debate, just tell me to 'fk off'.

Understand your POV - but if this is true, ANY celebrity or well known person who decides to try to do something for a good cause is doing it for a free "look at me". I think the problem lies with the general apathy that most folk have towards people who are less fortunate - if a fat bloke in some pyjamas dressed like a tt reminds me to put my hand in my pocket more often then fair play. I wasn't just inspired to give to a good cause by this whole Kilimanjaro thingy, but that I should get off my fat arse and try and raise some money myself. Good on them - it might not be a totally selfless act, but what is?

[andy400]

sevros1981 said:

andy400 said:

fadeaway said:

Given that Bill Gates setup a charitable foundation years ago, and has now given up his day job to run said foundation, I'd say he actually cares quite a lot about the kids in Africa (to use your specific eg). what have you done?

Yawn.

What I said was, believe it or not, tongue in cheek.

Shirley you don't need me to point out the silliness in comparing someone like me to Bill Gates?

Hmmmm, multi-billionaire gives up day job to run charitable foundation he's founded - ok.

Middle class bloke on fairly average wage and fair sized mortgage gives up day job to work for charity, runs out of money in approx. 3 months, has house repossessed, moves into brother's garden shed, eats bugs to survive - perhaps not.

I do a fair bit to support 'charidee' but exactly how much is for me to know as I consider it a distateful subject to discuss in too much depth. Just as I find much that is distateful in the whole celebrity 'Look at me! Look at me! Doing good things' charity bandwagon crap.

Oh, and before anyone gets entirely the wrong idea - again - I strongly believe charity is a good thing. However, I also believe that if it takes watching a bunch of 'celebs' doing nothing particularly memorable, or seeing shop workers unoriginally turning up for their days graft in their pyjamas, before you'll put your hand in your pocket for charity, then one should be asking oneself some serious questions.

Anyhoo, wtf do I know. I'm sure that in true PH style, somebody will be along in a moment to, rather than offering any sort of counterpoint or debate, just tell me to 'fk off'.

Understand your POV - but if this is true, ANY celebrity or well known person who decides to try to do something for a good cause is doing it for a free "look at me". I think the problem lies with the general apathy that most folk have towards people who are less fortunate - if a fat bloke in some pyjamas dressed like a tt reminds me to put my hand in my pocket more often then fair play. I wasn't just inspired to give to a good cause by this whole Kilimanjaro thingy, but that I should get off my fat arse and try and raise some money myself. Good on them - it might not be a totally selfless act, but what is?

Well said. I think for me I am generally just disturbed by just how many people worship these 'celebs' for no good reason, and this then links into the apparent fact that the same number of people appear to need to be spurred on and 'entertained' by the aforementioned 'celebs' before they'll do anything for charity. Not me, not you, nor lots of others, but far, far too many.

Then I start to think about the 'celebs' and what they are 'giving', and all it really amounts to is some of their time, which, when you have a very comfortable existence, is easier to give than for most people. That they get their 'profile' raised at the same time, also can't be ignored. Fair play and bravo to those that genuinely want to do good, but how do we know which?

On the other hand, and I'm arguing with myself now, if Comic Relief bks is the only way that the airheads and ignorant will be encouraged to give and help, then hey - let's do it twice a year and bring on the Everest trip............

[sevros1981]

Thats it - I have my inspiration. I'm going to kick my Mrs back doors in tonight. Will anyone sponsor me?

[andy400]

sevros1981 said:

Thats it - I have my inspiration. I'm going to kick my Mrs back doors in tonight. Will anyone sponsor me?

Hell yes! I've got 10p with your name on it.


I'll need proof though.......

[Mr Green]

ewenm said:

Mr Green said:

You get what you pay for, I wonder who's paying for the 43 people that went up the mountain just to get these feckless celebs to the top.

I don't think there will be any change out of £300k (or 20p in every pound)

How many times?!?! BT funded the costs of the trip. The £1.5m+ donations went entirely to the Comic Relief fund.

Would this be the same BT that sacked 10000 workers last year, the same BT that's losing money quicker than my maxi isa, the same BT who's shares are at an all time low. What the hell are they doing giving money away when they haven't made a profit for 12 months.

[Mondeohdear]

Wasn't it nice of Mr Brown to donate £2m of our money to Comic Relief for this. That way we can all give to charity whether we want to or not and nobody feels left out

[groucho]

Mondeohdear said:

Wasn't it nice of Mr Brown to donate £2m of our money to Comic Relief for this. That way we can all give to charity whether we want to or not and nobody feels left out

I saw that on GMTV. It's funny how they call it Government mone.

[NDA]

groucho said:

Mondeohdear said:

Wasn't it nice of Mr Brown to donate £2m of our money to Comic Relief for this. That way we can all give to charity whether we want to or not and nobody feels left out

I saw that on GMTV. It's funny how they call it Government money.

A good point.

[mcgus]

madbadger said:

For those that don't seem to know the seven summits referred to are the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

They are:

Mt. Kosciusko - Australia - 2228m

Carstensz Pyramid;) but I know what you're saying.

Interesting thread. Contrast with the climbing forum I'm a member of where the majority of posts on the programme are nothing but supportive in the main. (which did surprise me!).

[singlecoil]

swerni said:

Mr Green said:

ewenm said:

Mr Green said:

You get what you pay for, I wonder who's paying for the 43 people that went up the mountain just to get these feckless celebs to the top.

I don't think there will be any change out of £300k (or 20p in every pound)

How many times?!?! BT funded the costs of the trip. The £1.5m+ donations went entirely to the Comic Relief fund.

Would this be the same BT that sacked 10000 workers last year, the same BT that's losing money quicker than my maxi isa, the same BT who's shares are at an all time low. What the hell are they doing giving money away when they haven't made a profit for 12 months.

tax deductible

If it's true that they are not making any money, then the tax isn't going to be a problem

[madbadger]

mcgus said:

madbadger said:

For those that don't seem to know the seven summits referred to are the highest peak on each of the seven continents.

They are:

Mt. Kosciusko - Australia - 2228m

Carstensz Pyramid;) but I know what you're saying.

Interesting thread. Contrast with the climbing forum I'm a member of where the majority of posts on the programme are nothing but supportive in the main. (which did surprise me!).

Fair enough I was always in the "that's as much in Asia" camp. Nice to have one sandbag on the list.

Interesting point about the climbing forum. Could be that people who have more experience of altitude than just buying porn in Smiths appreciate the job that was done?

Mountaineering (and I accept that Kili is a fairly loose use of the term but is nevertheless a mountain) has always has 'least rules' of all the climbing activities. Use of ladders to cross an glacier or boulderfield, a helicopter to take you to base camp or Porters to carry kit in are commonplace outside the Alps. Doesn't mean you would use them bouldering in Fontainebleau.

[Prometheus]

A quote from 2007 about Mr Green's "jolly" from http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com.

tinternet said:

Once again, it does show that KINAPA’s own estimate of the number of people who die annually on the mountain – around ten or twelve – is a gross underestimate, with most guides and others who work on the mountain putting the figure at nearer 50.

KINAPA is the authority that looks after Kilimanjaro, who want climbers and their money to come, and even they estimate 10 die a year.

[Mr Green]

Prometheus said:

A quote from 2007 about Mr Green's "jolly" from http://www.climbmountkilimanjaro.com.

tinternet said:

Once again, it does show that KINAPA’s own estimate of the number of people who die annually on the mountain – around ten or twelve – is a gross underestimate, with most guides and others who work on the mountain putting the figure at nearer 50.

KINAPA is the authority that looks after Kilimanjaro, who want climbers and their money to come, and even they estimate 10 die a year.

It's a walk in the park. The youngest person to get to the top was 9, the minimum age is actually 10 so the youngest person legally was 10 years and 11 days. The oldest was 87, and the fastest ascent was about 6 hours, you could do that before the caterers have cooked dinner and still have time for a hot shower.
Seeing as 25000 people a year go up there thats 500 a week if some of the people climbing Kilimanjaro are anything like the people on PH they probably got killed in a punch up.

Surely if someone dies going up because they aren't fit enough it's like a saying Denny Hulme died in a motor racing crash. Motor racing is dangerous but if 99% of the drivers died from heart attacks you wouldn't take those figure seriously, would you?


Come on Fido get your lead.