Because it's there

Death Zone

I have absolutely no desire to climb Mt. Everest or any other big mountain but I am fascinated by the people who do. I'm not sure what would bother me more, the discomfort, the pain, the fear of falling into a hidden crevasse or being blown off the mountain. Above a certain point, there is no realistic possibility of rescue and you are truly on your own.

So I wonder, which would be worse: to be stranded in The Empty Quarter where I would die from dehydration and heat stroke or be stuck on Mt. Everest in the middle of a howling storm and be frozen to death. Death is death I suppose so the "how" probably doesn't matter in the end.