It Should Have Been a No-Brainer

What is wrong with people? What's more important: a)someone's life, or b)getting to tell people at a cocktail party that you made it to the top of Mt. Everest? And don't give me this crap about the climb being about conquering yourself or some other metaphysical bullcrap, because not only should that NOT be more important than someone else's life, but I'd think that being able to say to yourself "That man is alive because of me" would satisfy the ego just as well.