Tragic Toll After Chaos on Mountain (K2 tragedy)

[AngryAmish]

"But luck did not hold. On the way up the last 2,000 feet, a Serbian climber fell to his death, and a Pakistani porter died trying to recover his body. And on the way back, a chunk of glacier splintered and came crashing down, sweeping at least four climbers on ropes to their deaths and leaving a handful of others trapped in the death zone above 26,000 feet — desperately cold, starved for oxygen and without ropes.

Over the next few hours and days, some of those still left on K2 battled their way to safety, some fell to their deaths and others were simply lost forever in the cold wastes of the mountain."

read the whole thing

I think the article states that 11 people are dead.

People have every right to climb mountains. But the question is whether they should. I think people with responsibilities - like a spouse or child - are doing a bad thing if they want to climb dangerous mountains.

I also think they should not do many things that are dangerous like ride motorcycles.

After thrill seekers pass away people always say they died doing what they loved. Well, so did Elvis. It doesn't make their deaths less stupid or less of a waste.

You have every right to do thrilling things. I have and it makes one feel good. But for the selfish thrill over having a child grow up without a mother or father...that is too much.

[DS1]

1. I wouldn't call it a tragedy

[Peregrine Took]

2. I think it might have been intended as a "tragedy" in the mtn climbing

community.

[Bunny]

3. Elvis loved to take a shit?

[Codeine]

6. Don't you? ;-) nt

[Bunny]

7. Well, who doesn't, really?

But if I were to meet my end while sitting on the toilet, I would hope people wouldn't gather round my coffin and say "well, at least she died doing something she loved." :rofl:

[Codeine]

4. *shrug* Driving to work is dangerous.

You can't give up those things for which you have a passion just because there is an off chance you will be killed or injured. Millions of people climb mountains, and most of them never get hurt.

[closeupready]

5. This is one of the risks of mountain-climbing, so my

sadness is tempered with that knowledge.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. This discussion of why people 'shouldn't' climb mountains happens after every climbing death.

People should be free to risk their lives in any way they choose. Everything you can say about mountain climbers being 'selfish' for dying doing their thing or 'not thinking of their responsibilities', can be said about race car drivers, pro athletes, or military volunteers. The choices are theirs to make and I admit I both admire and envy them.