terrablades

Fair enough. That was quite a sweeping statment about not going over what ifs. my apology. Much of the details covered are indead very usefull but it seems the judgement that also accompanies/underlies some of these posts and many other forums are bit unsettling. Example, A friend of mine has it figuered out that if they had radios, then they could have remained together to wait for help. Though he may be right, it seems to a certain judgmental quality and simplicity that probably would be best held back at least until more is known. There seems to be allot of finger pointing going on, especially on more simplistic threads with a generally less informed userbase, my point was basically to commend these people and wish them well and to respect them as mountaineers and skilled at what they do first and foremost.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of these climbers and to the community of climbers that understand what these people are facing on the mountain. The real lesson here is a message of passion and humility, beyond should they have carried one ice axe or two. Passion: people would do well appreciate the personal achievments of these highly spirited and tenacious people and possibly be just that more inspired to be good at whatever you do after reading about how committed these climbers are to what they do. Humility: to understand we are not in control of every event that comes our way. No amount of dissection and analysis will ever come up with a formula of complete control. So really there is no point ask what if, there is no comfort to be found there it is an illusion. I remember skiing in Chamonix with well known English Climber who pointed at a spire of rock and told me he spent the night in a thunderstorm on it, he told me he could actually sleep. I would no sooner seccond guess this man's judgment in his art than cut my own XXXX off. It is very conforting to know that so many highly skilled people are focused on finding these climbers. It says allot for the community as a whole. Surely they are in the best of hands in this situation being that every attempt is and will be made to bring the remaining two home.