Why does mountaineering need a future? Mountaineering should just be done. Stop.
The mountains have been scaled. All of them. We've been there, website seen what's to be seen. It's done, it's over. Just leave these grandiose wonders alone rather than destroying the natural beauty in the name of an ego boost.
Everest in particular, should be shut down to climbers. It's a giant trash heap full of human waste and dead bodies. Usable only 2 weeks per year.
They should install a cable car or furnicular and let people go straight to the top any time of year. Tax it and give the money to the locals. Put a nice restaurant up there too. That would be cleaner and more practical than what we have now.
Only the people that have been there have seen it. Why should experiences not be repeatable? Humanity doesn’t share a to-do list; you doing something doesn’t give me those experiences. If you want to pivot to the wear-and-tear or how people aren’t adhering to leave-no-trace that’s fine but a different argument
Why do anything? Better to just sit on the couch.
There are plenty of things worthy of doing, spaces left to explore and discoveries to be made.
Destroying a natural wonder in the name of impressing your buddies doesn't fall under that.
Accessibility of these things drives further interest in preservation.
The US national parks are a great example of how that works.
I'm sure you are the arbiter of whats worth doing.
Sure. Here's my full criteria: Is it a net positive for the world at large? It's worth doing.
That's it. Go out unto the world and do with that as you will
Wouldn't the most beneficial thing then just be to kill myself? Overpopulation and such
Going skydiving, auto racing, sailing, working out... All pointless if I'm understanding this logic.
>Is it a net positive for the world at large?
The idea that such a subjective criteria should be used is more offensive than the hubris.
Plenty of unconquered peaks and routes across the world.