I am somewhat put-out by all of the accident critique I have been reading lately. In the three recent cases on Hood and Rainier, I can't seem to find ANY evidence of overt inexperience or huge, dumbass mistakes. Sure, the party on Liberty Ridge pushed the weather. What true climber has never pushed the weather?! And yes, someone fell on Mt. Hood. Terrible place to fall, but what climber can honestly claim to NEVER have fallen, to NEVER have caught their crampon on their gaiter, to NEVER have had snow slide from under their foot? Sometimes these things happen in safe territory, or we can react quickly enough. Sometimes they happen in really, really unfortunate situations, and lives are lost. THAT is the risk that we ALL take, everytime we go out. Who the hell am I to judge those who the mountains have claimed? I wasn't there. I just feel a deep, deep pain in my heart that there are some of us who won't get to return next weekend...
