The day started with this bad news: http://bit.ly/d5yBSD
It is so sad that a young mountaineer died a premature death. As per the story, after scaling the peak he developed snow blindness and was not able maneuver the descent. His team mates tried to help him for several hours but ultimately had to abandon him or else they would have met the icy grave because of hypothermia and exhaustion. The story not only made me sad but also for a moment made me think how would have I reacted in a similar situation. It would have been great to say that I wouldn’t have left him but frankly, I still can’t make up my mind as to what would have I done. I am sure these guys tried their best to save him and situation would have been completely hopeless and it would not have been an easy decision at all. But survival instincts finally must have taken over. How would have you reacted in a similar situation?
Also made me think how helpless we humans still are against the forces of the nature. We challenge and claim that we have overcome natural challenges and we can use nature to our advantage. We drill holes in the bottom of the sea for oil, we scale mountain peaks to establish our supremacy but then tragedy strikes and we all know who the boss is. But still this helplessness pains me, wasn’t there any way he could have been saved – by probably airlifting him maybe. I know and it’s sad that we still don’t have the technology. But nevertheless we still have that indomitable spirit, a never dying desire to control all, to conquer all that makes a man gather the courage to scale these peaks fully knowing that it is dangerous and life threatening. Everybody who sets to climb a peak is aware of the dangers that would be there, that death would be lurking around the corner, and still nothing dissuades them. I salute this indomitable human spirit!!
The incident also reminded me of Sir George Mallory who was one of the first people to attempt scaling the Mt. Everest in the 1920s. I read “Paths of Glory
” by Jeffrey Archer a couple of months back which I believe is a fictional account of his life. George Mallory disappeared on his final expedition and his body was found in 1999 couple of hundred feet below the peak leading to speculation that he was the first person to climb the Mt. Everest and he died on his way back. The story of Peter Kinloch sounds so similar. And it is indeed a matter of dismay that even after close to a century we did not have means to save his life but atleast we know that he had achieved what he wanted to – stand at the top of the world.
My condolences to the near and dear ones of Peter Kinloch…R.I.P.!
It is so sad that a young mountaineer died a premature death. As per the story, after scaling the peak he developed snow blindness and was not able maneuver the descent. His team mates tried to help him for several hours but ultimately had to abandon him or else they would have met the icy grave because of hypothermia and exhaustion. The story not only made me sad but also for a moment made me think how would have I reacted in a similar situation. It would have been great to say that I wouldn’t have left him but frankly, I still can’t make up my mind as to what would have I done. I am sure these guys tried their best to save him and situation would have been completely hopeless and it would not have been an easy decision at all. But survival instincts finally must have taken over. How would have you reacted in a similar situation?
Also made me think how helpless we humans still are against the forces of the nature. We challenge and claim that we have overcome natural challenges and we can use nature to our advantage. We drill holes in the bottom of the sea for oil, we scale mountain peaks to establish our supremacy but then tragedy strikes and we all know who the boss is. But still this helplessness pains me, wasn’t there any way he could have been saved – by probably airlifting him maybe. I know and it’s sad that we still don’t have the technology. But nevertheless we still have that indomitable spirit, a never dying desire to control all, to conquer all that makes a man gather the courage to scale these peaks fully knowing that it is dangerous and life threatening. Everybody who sets to climb a peak is aware of the dangers that would be there, that death would be lurking around the corner, and still nothing dissuades them. I salute this indomitable human spirit!!
The incident also reminded me of Sir George Mallory who was one of the first people to attempt scaling the Mt. Everest in the 1920s. I read “Paths of Glory
” by Jeffrey Archer a couple of months back which I believe is a fictional account of his life. George Mallory disappeared on his final expedition and his body was found in 1999 couple of hundred feet below the peak leading to speculation that he was the first person to climb the Mt. Everest and he died on his way back. The story of Peter Kinloch sounds so similar. And it is indeed a matter of dismay that even after close to a century we did not have means to save his life but atleast we know that he had achieved what he wanted to – stand at the top of the world.My condolences to the near and dear ones of Peter Kinloch…R.I.P.!
