signora said:
A tragedy is an event with a sad outcome. Maybe it was not a tragedy to you and others who did not know these 3 men, but it was to their family. People should not judge others on how they choose to live their lives. Nor should you assume they did not love their families. They were doing something they enjoyed doing and they lost their lives because of it.
What if a member of your family was doing something that they enjoyed doing, but others saw it as wrong and could have been prevented. Would you still feel the same.
Actually having just come from there, and sitting in the dining room at the Hotel with one of the mothers and four of one of the climbers friends, they didn't seem to be too broken up about it. As a matter of fact the concensus out there was that they were too experienced to have made the stupid mistakes they did. It came across to me that all those involved were happy they died doing what they liked to do, but all the fault fell on their shoulders. They didn't take the required equipment that they would have needed in an emergency, they didn't have enough food water or equipment to keep warm, they should have NEVER have split up, and finally, the one they left behind had no debilitating injury that would have prevented him from coming down the mountain.
They went out outside of the "normal" climbing season, when snowstorms can pick up in a couple of hours (like it did) unprepared for the worst. Three very experienced climbers that planned for an easy climb and ascent in a single day in the month of December, and went in like they were taking a walk on the beach in Jun. STUPID..
People complained about the rescue effort, some even saying you go outside the normal bounds and go against what is acceptable behavior you should be on your own, but in answer to that, the rescuers or at least 80% are unpaid Mount Hood Rescue Vounteers from around the country, they drop everything (to include Christmas) to answer the call to rescue a climber in need.
Don't know if anyone remembers, but this mountain, as LITTLE and as SHORT as it looks from where I was (it deos appear like it would be an easy day climb) , has a recent past.. the BlackHawk that rolled down the moutnain during a mountain rescue.. Mount Hood.. and the same Rescuer sitting in the back who had the helicopter roll over him when he was thrown out, was back up there last week, doing it all again.
Kind of neat to see a whole community get behind an effort to go get three people, but they all agreed, these climbers put themselves into that predicament, but hoped if someday they made a stupid mistake someone would come get them too.
So was this a tragedy? NO, this was one of the expected conclusions to what they set out to do, and they knew it. This was an expected event this time of year, and in these conditions.
thread that ended hours ago. Got another 1/2 hour till I leave for happy hour and Christmas shopping...
Should people that do this kinda chit be considered for Darwin awards? I think they should.
That happened right up the street from me, if you're talking about what I think you are 
Lemme go look for it.
