Ken, why do you say that? Please share for the rookies.
This turned into more of a full blown rant than I intended. Sorry.
Climbing is dangerous. That's fact, one that we all know. It could be said that it's the most un-natural of natural inclinations that we humans have. The act invokes a certain level of fear. If not fear, at least some manner of trepidation. When it doesn't, you tend to, eh, die. Some call this fear "respect"
The issue that I've just commented on can be reduced to education. Without education, we as a species have failed. The issue I have with gamow bags and o2 on Kili is simply that it's not needed,
as long as you educate yourself about what you're doing. If you leave Boston, fly to Kili, jump off the plane, and run up the mountain in 12 hours, yes, you're going to have problems. But who among us doesn't know that this is a bad idea? And should those problems be "fixed" by solving the symptoms, or the root problem?
Kili is often the first mountain that people climb. As such the guides there have an ethical responsibility to educate their clients. Experience is more than simply placing one foot in front of another.
That's part of the problem with
some commercial guiding services--they accept clients based on the size of their wallets, not on their experience or knowledge, and are totally unwilling to educate them once on the mountain.
OK, so all that said, I despise the fact that there are outfitters out there that are playing into, nay, actively promoting, fear and poor education onto climbers that are unprepared for what they're getting into. That leads into a discussion about greed and materialism that's not exactly on topic. I'll save that for later.
Is it a good thing that somebody has extra medical gear on the mountain? Yes, and I'm glad that this company does it. Perhaps one day they'll save somebody from dying. But, one can always descend. You don't have multiple hanging belays to deal with to get somebody to a lower altitude. You walk downhill. What would impress me much more is if this company were to carry the gear, and not use it as a marketing tool. The bag is what, 15lbs? Why not carry it and use it if needed, but not make a big deal about it? Having the items available for use for safety is different that having them for marketing purposes.
Nevertheless, getting a patient to a lower altitude is really the only solution; anything else is a short-term fix. Sort of like using O2. Great high, but what the hell happens when you come off of it? That's right, boys and girls, it's called a crashnburn. That's exponentially more dangerous than making you feel good by taking a hit off a bottle. I don't know how the guide services on Kili distribute O2, if it's just something you suck on at camp at night, or if you actually carry a bottle. Hint: If you're using o2 set to .25l/hr, you're really doing nothing but carrying extra weight. Either way, it's not really needed. (at least in my opinion.....)
If we continue the logic path that being laid out, next we'll all need overstuffed full suits, 12pt crampons on plastic boots, diamox, and dex shots. For going to 5900 meters? Not so much.
In summary: Climb with climbers. 3000/300 or 10000/1000. Climb high, sleep low.
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Topic: Climbers killed on Western Breach of Kilimanjaro (Read 43870 times)