On March 21, the professional alpinist David Göttler reached the summit of Mount Everest solo and without additional oxygen. This is a time when most people are on the mountain with a lot of support and an oxygen mask. What is a visit like this worth? We spoke to the German alpinist David Göttler.
The pictures of hundreds of alpinists on Everest have gone around the world. Mass tourism has arrived at the highest mountain in the world. Among other things, this is achieved by supporting professional expedition providers who spare no expense in bringing their customers to the summit. And: Today, mountains like Everest are climbed almost exclusively with the help of artificial oxygen.
However, not only the "broad masses", but also alpinists are almost always on the mountain with artificial oxygen these days. That's why we ask quite heretically: What is such a performance as that of David Gottler still worth it?
We had an exclusive conversation with the German alpinist.