Dying is NOT worth it.

[jonmf76]

OK, all the recent deaths in the climbing world, combined with my own personal experiences got me to thinking about how far we are all willing to go for a route.

 

Having seen corpses on mountains and in the wilderness and coming close to becoming one myself a number of times has changed my entire view of my climbing and my pursuits as a climber. Is it worth it coming that close to death? I don't think so anymore. I like living. I like life.

 

 

"They died doing what they loved"

 

This, to me, is a weak excuse for taking too much risk. And yes, there is such a thing as too much risk. When you don't come back from a trip, you've crossed that line.

 

So how many of you have actually seen corpses on mountains or rivers, etc. and how has it changed your approach, if at all? And are you secure enough to admit it?

 

Why is it considered cool to die doing what you love?

 

In the old days, it wasn't considered cool to die climbing. We did every route in as precise control as we could, with the ultimate goal of getting back down. I remember Climbing Magazine had a miniscule Obituary page 20 yrs. ago. In the late 80's and early 90's it seemed to bloom into a long list, mostly of guys found dead at the bottom of a cliff from free soloing falls. So why has falling to your death become glamorous?

 

 

And please, drop the juvenile personal attacks. They serve no purpose.

[Mr_Phil]

We're all going to die.

 

Some of us are just trying to have fun while we're alive.

[jonmf76]

Phil,

 

You missed the point.

[jonmf76]

You guys are clearly a bunch of dumb pussies. 30 of you looked at this post and not one of you had an original thought on the topic.

 

Is everyone on this board an asshole for a specific reason or were you just born that way?

[griz]

actually I was reading your other thread and laughing at your continued inabilty to put together coherent thoughts in written form.

[griz]

And please, drop the juvenile personal attacks. They serve no purpose.

 

and the next post by jonmf despite a non spray opinion offered...

 

 

You guys are clearly a bunch of dumb pussies. 30 of you looked at this post and not one of you had an original thought on the topic.

 

Is everyone on this board an asshole for a specific reason or were you just born that way?

 

 

stfu, chestbeater douchebag.

 

[BillA]

Waaaaahhhhhh! No one replied to my banal post and now I'm going to cry. Go fuck yourself.

[Alpinfox]

... When you don't come back from a trip, you've crossed that line...

 

Hindsight is awesome isn't it?

[ClimbingPanther]

You said it griz,

jonmf, I for one didn't even read your whole post because I could see by the first few lines it would be more of the same monkey-at-a-typewriter stuff I've seen you post time and time again. You have no credibility here so don't expect a conversation.

[Alpinfox]

.. You have no credibility here ...

 

You're kidding right? I mean... HE CLIMBED DENALI!!!!

 

 

 

[ClimbingPanther]

and in preparation for the imminent thread-relocation to spray,

 

Alpinfox, I'm glad you chimed in on the genetic topic. I was hoping you would, you gene-splicing fool, you.

[Ade]

Yawn.

[layton]

I like to spit on hikers when they asked if we made it to the top

[Kraken]

if nothing else, this thread is ripe with awesome signature quotes

[rob]

jonmf76 , who are you? You keep mentioning "the old days" as if you were one of the founding members or something. You should back up your chest-thumping with some kind of credibility, before you pontificate to us young whippersnappers about how climbing should be, and about the good old days when everybody did everything right.

 

I don't remember anybody thinking it is glorious to die, or that taking obscene risks was cool. Danno got a lot of crap, for example.

 

The climbing world you live in seems way different than the climbing world I live in. Except that in your world, mistakes apparently never happen to the prepared, and badluck never strikes the undeserving. It must be nice over there.

[ivan]

dieng iz kwel

[billcoe]

I like to spit on hikers when they asked if we made it to the top

 

Was that you who spit on Chuck Norris one day when he was out hiking?

[billcoe]

I like to spit on hikers when they asked if we made it to the top

 

Was that you who spit on Chuck Norris one day when he was out hiking?

_______________________________________________________________

 

No wait: it's coming back now. That was another guy who loved spitting on hikers.

 

Well, at least he died doing what he loved: which was of course, spitting on hikers.

 

[billcoe]

For the record 76, I haven't seen anybody claim that about Charlie Fowler or Christine Boskoff.

 

I think we would all agree that it just sucks that they died. Period.

 

But what can ya do about it? Quit and take up book reading and hope you don't die of a papercut?

_______________________________________________________

 

"I knew this would happen"! What Dustin Hoffman thought would be good on his tombstone.

[ivan]

there is only one cool way to die - and it has been shown in film - dr. stranglove - slim pickens - dig it - you have been notified

[BillA]

 

But adding this as my 200th post IS worth it.

Edited December 29, 2006 by BillA

[olyclimber]

GUYS!!!!

 

STOP IT WITH THE SPRAY ALREADY!

 

This an important topic. Dying is in vogue these days? It is the new hip fashion? Back in the day, when I used hemp rope (and not for smoking it like you wippershappers taking all the unnecessary risks!) and Goretex did not exist, we frowned upon dying. I don't understand how it is cool now either. It really boggles the mind.

[comedown_ALIVE]

I agree 100%!

What’s the point of going w/o the right gear! It just makes the rest of us who ARE EXPIERIENCED hikers look stupid.

The guys on Hood this last time are a perfect example, They had LOTS of experience on many different Mtns, but were probably just over zealous about that experience.

Thing that we all need to relies is that, no matter how much experience we have or how many peaks we’ve scaled, a new mtn is a new mtn. And you cant just go thinking that "hey I’ve hiked the Andes" "no mtn is a challenge" cause that’s just when she puts a boot right in yer arse! once again, guys on Hood, perfect example.

Fact is ppl, the incident on Hood needs to make us all aware that the mtn is bigger and badder than us and always will be! We all just need to make sure that we are taking the things we MAY need JUST IN CASE. And I know that there are some hard-core, stripped pack, monster hikers that are going to come down on this post because I’m a "wuss hiker" or "you probably have an MRE belt pack too". But as my name reads comedown_ALIVE, and I have over 100 x's now,

you need to take with you what is essential to survive NO MATTER WHAT!!! :rawk:

 

 

[niyol]

We're all going to die.

 

Some of us are just trying to have fun while we're alive.

There ya go... that just about sums it up! Well said.

 

The town I currently live in is full of folks who wouldn't take a risk if their life depended on it and can't even conceive of why anyone would willingly put themself at risk for any reason. I work in medicine so I have over the years seen a lot of people die of a lot of things... one person who stands out was a guy in his early forties who was diagnosed with cancer. He said it was not possible for him to have cancer because he had never smoked, didn't drink, ate right and exercised daily... he had no risk factors... but here he was dying anyway... although he had never taken a risk in his life.

I was a rodeo clown when I was in my teens. It was scary. I knew that I could get hurt pretty bad and I had known a couple of clowns and riders who had gotten killed. I didn't want to die, but I did want to live the kind of life that other people dreamed about. I also knew that if you were good enough with the bulls you had a pretty good chance of never getting critically injured or killed (though you did have to accept that you would occasionally get knocked around pretty good).

I don't rodeo anymore. I am older and slower and it is no longer an acceptable risk because the declining agility and speed increase my chances of getting messed up. I do climb however. I hope to be a climber as long as I am alive. Mountains have become an integral part of me.

I do not consider either of these avocations "suicidal". I would rather not die period. I would prefer to live forever and pursue women who were so much younger than myself to be disturbing to more cultured folk (and to drink scotch that was so much older than me that I needed a government grant to afford it). The cold facts are however that just like the guy with no risk factors who got cancer, everyone dies of something.

I don't go up a mountain thinking "Damn... it would be really cool to die up there today hoka hey!" But I do accept that it could happen. If you don't understand and accept it ... and if your family doesn't understand and accept it, then you have no business being on a mountain.

Is climbing an acceptable risk... Hell ya! For me it is. If it isn't an acceptable risk for you don't climb.. its not required. Given the choice of dying over a period of a few years of old age or any other of a hundred of gruesome "natural" ways to die as opposed to dying on a mountain... personally I'll take the mountain every damn time.

Edited December 29, 2006 by niyol

[tvashtarkatena]

Having seen corpses on mountains and in the wilderness and coming close to becoming one myself a number of times has changed my entire view of my climbing and my pursuits as a climber. Is it worth it coming that close to death? I don't think so anymore. I like living. I like life.

 

 

Wow, man...you've 'been there'. Woah.

 

I've seen corpses in the mountains from accidents, and corpses in hospitals ravaged by desease. Corpses happen.

 

The ones in hospitals suffered more.