Its expensive and dangerous, I guess you could classify it as selfish under some weird definition that classifies everything dangerous as selfish, but otherwise not really.

Its very much a personal triumph, as with endurance running and most other things it is not just (or at all) about fitness, there is a mental barrier that you have to cross in order to be able to do something like that. There is also the wonder in standing on top of the tallest place on earth.

I would definitely love to do it.