Observer Publishes Dead Climber Photo

Yesterday's Observer Magazine was an extraordinary and very readable in-depth focus on the 50th Anniversary of the first ascent of Everest with a set of very readable and, for once, accurate and knowledgable articles about the mountain.

For many though, interest will have turned to dismay with the Observer's decision to publish a photograph of a dead climber on page 42 as part of an article by David Brashears focussing on the 1996 disaster on the mountain.

The photo clearly shows the body in a semi-sitting position and while it's impossible to identify the climber for a casual observer, the clothing suggests that he is from the modern era. Many climbers will feel that publishing such a picture is simply unacceptable.

A few years ago FHM created a storm of publicity by printing a similar shot and UK specialist magazine Climber reproduced it with the result that a member of staff apparently left the magazine in the aftermath.

Complaining about one body may seem petty at a time when global news networks are featuring live coverage of people effectively being blow to pieces, but surely dead climbers should be allowed to rest in peace? Antthing that could cause distress to the friends and relatives of the particular climber pictured or, more generally, to people who've lost a friend or loved one on Everest surely can't be acceptable.

Do the general public really need to see a dead body to understand that climbing the highest mountain in the world is hazardous? We don't think so.

We think it's a shame as it mars what is otherwise and excellent series of articles on the mountain. To read them online see the Observer web site.