[rich_sasha]

The stepping over the dead bothers me little, frankly. As a mountaineer, it's hard to imagine a nicer end than dying at the top of a beautiful mountain. Beats the care home for sure.

What horrifies me is the idea of stepping past people who are alive and dying, because... Meh? Because I paid to go the top, not rescue stragglers? People often say they can barely walk forwards, never mind rescue someone, and it's true. But surely if you have any energy left in you, it should go to saving a life. And if it is so touch and go for you, then don't go.

[drakonka]

Do you think if you're in that kind of situation, where you are dying on a beautiful mountain, you would have it in you to appreciate the beauty around you? I was imagining it to be more like a cold, painful death rather than a nice end where you appreciate the mountain air.

[invalidptr]

I have firsthand experience with this, and yes, that was my last thought. I was young and foolish, and alone in the wilderness during the winter. I drank some bad water and became very sick during a blizzard, and while searching for shelter, I finally became too weak to continue. I was hypothermic, and coherent thoughts were difficult, but my last thoughts were peaceful acceptance, and appreciation of the beauty and power around me. I cocooned up and drifted off, and I'm still here somehow.

[drakonka]

Thank you for sharing - I'm glad you lived!

[rich_sasha]

I don't have definitive first-hand experience.

I would speculate that it is one of the less awful ways to go. Mountaineers who had a close brush talk about the struggle to stay awake while awaiting rescue (or before resuming their descent at first light) - because they felt that if they fell asleep, they wouldn't wake up again.

If it's like uncomfortable and cold but unshakeable sleepiness, I can think of worse ways to go.