heartless
So, three guys go up the mountain and in all their male testosterone fueled glory summit. Yeah us!Except all three broke the only rule of mountain climbing.
The rule is to stick to the time you set to leave the mountain.
It takes time to climb a mountain. Every experienced climber makes a timetable and no matter where they are on the mountain they begin their descent at a safe time. Even if that means they don't get to summit. Even if it means all that money they spent on the trip goes to waste.
Because every good climber knows if you don't get off the mountain at the right time you probably aren't getting off the mountain at all.
Everest climbers know this rule. More than a few have died by ignoring it because they wanted, no, needed the glory of the summit.
Mt.Hood is a summer climb. Only the very best winter climbers would attempt it. Most experienced winter climbers would have checked the weather too.
I want to feel something for these men but I don't. I think they were ridiculous and have caused terrible pain and sorrow for their families .
They made a deliberate and reckless choice to climb a mountain in the winter time.
This just a week after the death of a guy whose entire family nearly died along with him in their car on the way home.
I feel tremendous sorrow for Mr Kim and his family because he made an honest mistake, He missed his turn and died for it.
These men threw their lives away on a gamble. They spent large amounts of money, they stole time from their wives and children to go climb a mountain nobody gave a shit about .
They died.
And what is the American response? Twenty four hour news coverage...A saga of hardy heroes blah blah blah bullshit cakes.
These three have put hundreds of lives at stake. Every searcher, rescuer is at risk of dying in an attempt to "save" them. The resources and money being expended to find three bodies on a snow covered mountain would fund a hundred AIDS clinics. A thousand pregnant mothers could be receiving drugs that protect their children from AIDS.
Instead we throw it away on fuel for helicopters and planes.
When is it time to tell reckless people they are on their own? Why can't we get these glory hounds who spout poetry and tell their families fabulous bs about" nearer to God" to sign a waiver that says "if you fall into the shit I hope you brought a shovel cause we aren't rescuing your dumb ass".
Why is it our collective responsibility to save fools from themselves?
These aren't children full of indestructibility and foolish pride, these are grown ass men who made a choice to put their lives at risk.
Where is the obligation?
I have no interest in this story and yet I am made to believe I am some kind of cold hearted monster because I refuse to swallow the movie of the week plot line the media is force feeding me.
Why is it a rich mans hobby creates such angst?
If you have a weekend hobby that involves life and death don't expect me to give a shit when you die. I think you are an idiot, A spoiled brat looking for thrills and chills when you have a family sitting at home waiting for you to put away your toys and grow up.
There is only one hero who got lost in the cold this month. He went looking for help to save his wife and babies . It's what grown men do.
posted by adventures in disaster @ 10:10 PM
3 Comments:
i agree
Danger is everywhere, not just in mountian climbing and other such hobbies. You take a risk just walking out your front door, and an even bigger risk when you get in your vehicle and hit the road. Accidents are called so because there was no intention of them happening. Taking a wrong turn on a road in nasty weather condiditions does not warrant any more attention or calls of a hero than you want to give these climbers. If you make a wrong turn and have no idea where you are or where the road leads, then turn around.
The fact is you don't have to be doing something labelled as dangerous to have a perilous outcome. Those who enjoy mountain climbing and other such hobbies should not be ridiculed, how do you think this vast land was discovered to start with? Hindsight is 20/20. These people chose to do something more "dangerous" than sitting at their computer ridiculing others; there is nothing wrong with that.
You missed the point. I am not the one calling them heroes.
And if you think abandoning your family for weeks and months at a time at ridiculous cost is the same as driving to work? well all I can reply is you must be afraid to leave your couch so terrified of all the risks.
I question the media's fascination and the publics cannonization of people who do risky thoughtless things.
By the way the people who explored this country did it for CASH.
Cash and glory..doesn't make them heroes either.
The people who built this country were risk averse, conservative..they didn't climb a mountain to get to the top and wave..they climbed the mountain to get to the valley to build a home and a farm for their family.
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