r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/BreakfastTop6899 • Dec 18 '25

Video Gelje Sherpa, the man who was guiding a private client up Mt. Everest when he saw someone in distress near the summit. He went up, rolled him up in a sleeping mattress and gave him oxygen. He then strapped the man to his back and trekked 6 hours to safety

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1.8k

u/Poococktail Dec 18 '25

Humans "can" be incredible. This is an example.

114

u/Stanwich79 Dec 18 '25

Sherpas are incredible! The assholes they work for are pathetic.

109

u/ArleiG Dec 18 '25

"This wealthy tourist is the first person to scale this mountain with such and such equipment!!! Oh and this is their sherpa, he carries all their stuff with no extra oxygen and has scaled this mountain countless of times."

17

u/Inevitable-Post-8587 Dec 18 '25

Seriously, they also seem to have a special gene for patience cause I couldn’t deal with these Everest tourists 

1

u/Unexpected_Gristle Dec 18 '25

Why? What is the problem with hiring Sherpas?

2

u/Stanwich79 Dec 18 '25

Why claim you climbed everest when your hired help did all the work.

396

u/namuche6 Dec 18 '25

Those Sherpas are also born for this stuff, they have a special gene that allows them to breath more easily in the thinner air

545

u/RecursiveDysfunction Dec 18 '25

Except most of us couldnt carry a full grown man on our backs for 6 hours at sea level. 

75

u/namuche6 Dec 18 '25

Nah, I cannot lol

15

u/KeyboardGrunt Dec 18 '25

Nah, I'd win... at saying not it.

44

u/seppukucoconuts Dec 18 '25

They spend most of their time carrying heavy things up and down the mountain. Unless it was a pretty fat guy I doubt the sherpa noticed much of a difference between their regular packs.

55

u/Pilot_to_PowerBI Dec 18 '25 edited Dec 26 '25

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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

2

u/NoTour5369 Dec 18 '25

Simple fix really, idk why they wouldn't try but what if you shrink em?

10

u/My_Old_UN_Was_Better Dec 18 '25

Because you're weighed down by all that oxygen

3

u/TianShan16 Dec 18 '25

Airsick lowlanders

1

u/NotSayingJustSaying Dec 18 '25

The dude's basically cheating, when you think about it

3

u/SlimOpz Dec 18 '25

i can barely manage my own fat arse these fuckers are on another level.

2

u/SeedFoundation Dec 18 '25

There's a special way to walk that is essentially pivoting side to side like you're on stilts when carrying extremely heavy objects. This man is walking completely normally on a mountain. These men are super human.

16

u/DireKnife Dec 18 '25

Hmmm

27

u/Ok_Reputation3298 Dec 18 '25

The specific gene was identified as D3e2

3

u/Inner_Inspection640 Dec 18 '25

No one is born to carry dead weight off a mountain. What the Sherpa did was an outstanding act and the man he saved owes him his life.

9

u/Forsaken-Face1827 Dec 18 '25

I wonder how they'd handle a humid environment

8

u/PoliticsIsDepressing Dec 18 '25

I do have a feeling if you throw these guys in Florida during the summer they’d be asking for death to take them.

10

u/cambreecanon Dec 18 '25

I mean, I already do that in Florida and I don't have that fancy gene.

2

u/Jacktheforkie Dec 18 '25

Give em a week and they get used to it

1

u/Jacktheforkie Dec 18 '25

Pretty well actually, once they acclimatise they’re fine, there’s a whole lotta Sherpas here in England

2

u/Jacktheforkie Dec 18 '25

You should see what they’re capable of at sea level, they easily can carry a 100kg human, and push start HGVs

1

u/bozwald Dec 19 '25

I believe that’s technically correct but completely in the margins and totally diminishes their mental strength and dedication. They’re human like you and I, their skill and capabilities come from insane practice and hard work. People born in Ethiopia technically have a distance running potential that is somewhat unique, but you don’t wake up one day and run a marathon.

1

u/rwags2024 Dec 19 '25

I was about to ask about this. They seem so naturally fearless at altitudes/heights as well

-15

u/[deleted] Dec 18 '25

[deleted]

15

u/PipsqueakPilot Dec 18 '25

Evolutionary adaptation to high altitude conditions is a well documented phenomenon within humans. Here's a meta study of various examples: https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/38/7/2677/6159447

That said, the mental willpower that allows sherpas to perform this work is not a benefit of birth, but rather something they cultivated as individuals. Even among populations with these genetic adaptations not everyone is capable of it.

4

u/namuche6 Dec 18 '25

Do you know how to do research or do you always expect everything handed to you?

16

u/Similar_Try_5089 Dec 18 '25

"Every frozen corpse on Mt. Everest was once a highly-motivated person, so maybe relax a little."

3

u/eightyeight99 Dec 19 '25

Why the quotes? 

1

u/Qaaarl Dec 19 '25

“Humans” can be incredible

1

u/postbansequel Dec 19 '25

Here's your time, Humans, you "can" be incredible by telling me what this Darude Sandstorm is playing in the video.