Mountain climbing kills

In addition to triathlons and marathons, here’s another white-person sport that kills people: mountain climbing.

A NY Times commenter writes:

It is not pointless to challenge yourself in climbing one of the most beautiful, remote, and inspiring mountains on the planet.

The same person probably gets apoplexy when he sees someone eating at McDonalds.

Comments

[Peter]

Yep, you're right, we all should do nothing more taxing than playing cartball.

[bbartlog]

Mountain climbing is in a class by itself when it comes to lethality. Of course, if it didn't have a significant risk of death it would also lose its appeal for many people...

[Rex Kramer]

"Mountain climbing is in a class by itself when it comes to lethality. Of course, if it didn't have a significant risk of death it would also lose its appeal for many people..."

Then there are the true danger seekers. We go where othere fear to tread!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U38HmSSAGSo

[Wade Nichols]

The same person probably gets apoplexy when he sees someone eating at McDonalds.

As an amateur climber myself (climbed 3 mountains in Ecuador, Aconcagua in Argentina, Elbrus in Russia, attempted McKinley this past May), I don't really care one way or the other whether one eats at McDonald's.

But what does drive me apoplectic is:

- People who are so damn lazy that they can't even walk a few miles, and have to use their cars; humans are engineered to walk - use your legs and feet, that's what Darwin created them for
- People who criticize mountaineering as "high risk", yet think nothing of: abusing their bodies through poor diets; engaging in high risk sexual practices; wasting their lives watching TV, or viewing pointless blogs on the internet (Guilty!); binge drinking; engaging in idle gossip; following popular culture

Sure, mountaineering is a pointless activity, much like everything else in life.

But K2 is the exception, not the rule - there aren't many amateurs who attempt it, it's mainly for the hardcore mountaineers. Only a little over 200 people have summited K2, so it's not exactly a mountain for social climbing corporate executive types who wish to impress their colleagues at cocktail parties.

As for mountaineering being a "white people sport", there's a large kernel of truth to that. But I did see a black African on McKinley this past May, a good number of Asians (group of 3 from Hong Kong, and there were also 2 Japanese who died on the Cassin Ridge just before I started), and a couple Nepalese Sherpa guides.

We all choose our poisons in life. I take mine in moderate doses, and always go with professional guides.

[blue]

Mountain Climbing Kills

Absolutely. Have you read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer? It's an account of the disastrous 1996 Mt. Everest expedition, as told by one of the participants. It's a good read.

I used to think that climbing Everest was like swimming the English Channel, difficult of course and not possible for a person of ordinary talents, but that's about it.

Nope. Climbing these high mountains is incredibly dangerous, and there's nothing it seems that once can do to mitigate the danger of being in thin, cold air.

The thin air can cause people to develop pulmonary or cerebral edemas, that is, your lungs or brain start swelling with fluid. It's a potentially fatal condition, and the only thing to do in when it develops is to move the person immediately to lower altitude. Such edemas can develop in experienced and inexperienced high altitude climbers alike. It ahppens because the human body isn't meant to be in such thin air.

Another danger is the cause of this current K2 disaster. Chunks of rock or ice can break off the mountain, knocking people off the mountain or hitting them on the head.

Then there is the extreme cold, with people in every expedition it seems developing amputation level frostbite.

And finally there's the fact that the thin air is really really bad for your brain. Don't these people worry about becoming dumber?

[Rex Kramer]

Plenty of people have died on Mt. Washington in NH, even of hypothermia in the summer. The weather can change is a flash up there. It is a crazy, wild, beautiful, dangerous place though. If you get the chance, climb it!

[Hit n' Run]

Mountain climbing dangerous? Try crossing Queens Blvd!

[Wade Nichols]

Mountain climbing dangerous? Try crossing Queens Blvd!

Precisely! Hundreds of people die every day from auto accidents, are injured, or permanently disfigured/maimed/wheelchair bound from their injuries. Yet, unless it happens to you, a family member, or friend, no one really ponders this on a daily basis.

Mountain climbing serves no real purpose other than ego gratification, but you also get satisfaction from working with others as a team towards a common goal, meeting new people, enjoying the outdoors,etc. Not something I get from the work place, other than a pay check!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

[Hit n' Run]

Posted by: Wade Nichols | August 06, 2008 at 02:34 PM

People love to point out how "dangerous" shit like climbing, gator wrestling, eating fugu fish, being in the Special Forces orowning guns is, but they never think for a minute that getting in your car and driving down to the Target or crossing the street is really dangerous stuff. Eating itself can be dangerous and it is something you have to do.
Anyway, it is cooler to have someone say you died while rafting Colca Canyon, climbing El Capitan, in desperate combat in Iraq or having your home-built racing airplane break up in flames than to say you died while driving to the Shop Rite or slipping in the shower. Boring.