Overconfident and Underprepared
Whipping winds scour the staggering precipices, blowing sleet, snow, and blistering cold in the faces of anyone who dares to enter an alpine mountain’s highest realms. For centuries, mankind has gazed upward at the mightiest mountains, toying with the idea of reaching the summit, but knowing the mountain is far stronger than us. In the case of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, this adoration and mountain fascination prompted the first successful summit in 1953. However, that was only after three decades of failed attempts, lost mountaineers, and obsessive study of the icy faces, frozen crevasses, and fragile snowdrifts. Now, over 70 years later, Mount Everest has been climbed over 12,884 times by experienced and inexperienced climbers alike.
Alpinists held a certain esteem for the mountain, knowing that their fate is at the mercy of nature’s whim, but humanity has grown ornery, especially in the digital era. Climbing the world’s highest peaks was once a daring feat that required decades of study, dedication, training, and respect for the mountain, but can now be achieved with a spare $75,000, a sherpa guide, and millions of followers to cheer you on. “The mountain world is booming on social media,” says LaCrux, a climbing and mountaineering magazine. “Content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube often depicts extremely aesthetic, yet clearly poorly prepared, excursions into the mountains.” This poor preparation is part of the problem.
Christian Eder of the Tyrolean Mountain Rescue Service plainly states that the more people that are out in the mountains, the more accidents tend to happen. In our modern era, social media highlights the existence of mountains that most aspiring climbers never even realized existed, blindly encouraging overconfident achievers to ponder their own ability to summit. “If some influencers can do it, why can’t I?” Because of this monkey-see-monkey-do phenomenon, social media-driven adventurers only spend a few seconds contemplating their mountainous ascent instead of studying mountain peaks for years before their first attempt.
Peak Entertainment
Alpinism was once safeguarded by humanity’s lack of exposure and inherent self-preservation instincts. Now, as more and more adventure influencers share their experiences on the mountain, the more amateurs feel a surge of confidence to follow in their footsteps.
Whether it’s a video of a DIY construction project, online surf lessons, or tips to make Nonna’s homemade lasagna, videos intended for social media rarely reflect reality. When it comes to the mountains, the sobering reality can mean the difference between life and d3ath.
Via u/biancaadler
Bianca Adler is a 17-year-old mountaineer from New Zealand who recently went viral for a video shared after her first attempt to climb Mount Everest. Already famous for her record-shattering climbing history, Adler is a famously successful alpinist, yet when she reached one of the most dangerous sections of her ascent on Mount Everest, everything went wrong. Recalling her narrow escape from the reaper, this dramatic TikTok video gained over 26 million views in 24 hours, and more than 57 million views to date. That’s a lot of notoriety, and many influencers, whose fiscal income relies on clicks, likes, and subscribers, pushing the limits of alpinism is a lucrative way to gain traction online.
However, recklessness can come at a cost. According to Climbing Magazine, the United States experienced a 22% surge in climber accidents between 2022 and 2023, reaching a total of 51 fatalities. In the Alps, the number of rescue missions has dramatically increased and in 2024 alone, the rescue service, CNSAS, conducted 12,063 rescue missions in Italy alone. Yet, tragically 466 people perished.
Recently, a professional rock climber went viral for his latest daring feat on the mountain. More accustomed to the granite walls of Yosemite or the Fjords of Norway, Magnus Midtbø bravely decided to tackle a new challenge. The most treacherous mountain in the Alps: Mont Blanc. With minimal mountaineering experience and more video equipment in his rucksack than life-saving rope, Midtbø filmed his solo attempt up Mont Blanc, bluntly calling out his own amateurism in the process. Although he is an esteemed athlete, Midtbø is not an experienced alpinist and severely underestimated the dangers of his ascension attempt. Miraculously, he summited and returned back safely, but not without fearing for his life and narrowly avoiding two other accidents that occurred on the mountain that day.
For 1.7M views, Midtbø risked everything and minimized the dangers of mountain climbing, and many of his followers chastised him in the comments for his recklessness and unpreparedness. He was not only risking his own life, but the lives of the other alpinists on the mountain. In the conclusion of the video, Midtbø apologizes, claiming it was the first video he had made that he instantly regretted. Unlike most influencers, Midtbø is first and foremost a rock climber, and because of that background, he adamantly insisted his followers adhere to safety protocol and respect the mountain. Understanding that his following will see his videos and be inspired to attempt similar stunts, Midtbø and influencers alike must always recognize the heft of their responsibility to the thrill-seeking public and also to nature.
Via u/magmidt
The Mountains are Calling
Famously tall and dangerous mountains have attracted thrill-seekers and mountain enthusiasts for centuries, but now they have become nothing more than tourist attractions. Like Niagara Falls, the Coney Island roller coaster, or the teacup ride at Disneyland, aspiring amateurs line up in waist-deep snow and gale-force winds, hoping for a photo at the summit.
Fragile humanity stands no chance against the enormous power of nature, and until we accept that reality again, the world’s highest peaks will be forced to remind us. So while it’s aesthetically pleasing to enjoy videos of awe inspiring mountains, leave the alpinism to the professionals and the climbers whose lifestyle revolves around mountaineering, and not just the trending list checkmark.
Via u/cnsas_official