Choose your partners wisely

[B the Hiker]

Vlado Plulik update: a family's search for truth about the Baltoro Express
http://www.k2climb.net/news.php?id=17977

This article really struck me. This isn't the forum for much posting of high altitude climbing, but this piece really isn't about that. It's about going out with people you can rely on.

I find this piece very powerful and also beautifully written. It's not something to read in a rush; you want to give yourself the quiet and the time to read and think about this. It's quite sobering.


Brian

 

[kerry13]

Interesting article. Thanks. Another real interesting read about the dark side of high altitude mountaineering is "High Crimes" by Michael Kodas. I was totally blown away by the revelations in this book. Fraudulent guides, abandonment, tampered with gear, gear theft, payoffs, you name it this book covers it.

 

[J.Dub]

Interesting article. Thanks. Another real interesting read about the dark side of high altitude mountaineering is "High Crimes" by Michael Kodas. I was totally blown away by the revelations in this book. Fraudulent guides, abandonment, tampered with gear, gear theft, payoffs, you name it this book covers it.

Excellent book, though very sobering.

Like high-altitude mountaineering isn't challenging enough without having to worry about backstabbing expedition members stealing your spot on the summit team, theft of gear at base camp -- or worse, coming down from the summit completely hosed and finding your oxygen cache has been plundered by other teams who didn't bring their own gas, planning to pilfer en route!

Where do I sign up...?

 

[Chip]

Dodo sounds like the drunk driver who is the only one that survives the crash.

Anybody understand his statement ? "When asked by ExWeb if there are there any lessons he has learned for the future, Dodo stated that the accidents were inevitable results from "a philosophy of clear and elegant style of climbing." "

No accident is inevitable. Is he referring to his "clear and elegant style" ?
Dude should be prosecuted. Vlado made a huge error in judgement continuing to climb with this guy. The (probably) false summit claims and being left behind would have been more than enough for me.

 

[sli74]

The article does not come up when I click the link?
Anyone else not able to see it or is it just me?

sli74

 

[B the Hiker]

It's not the link, it's the entire website. Their server must have crashed.

 

[wardsgirl]

It's working now. What a horrible story!

 

[B the Hiker]

Anybody understand his statement ? "When asked by ExWeb if there are there any lessons he has learned for the future, Dodo stated that the accidents were inevitable results from "a philosophy of clear and elegant style of climbing." "

I wonder if he's trying to portray himself as a modern-day Reinhold Messner, who was a purist and who basically found no one could keep up with him? Messner, too, brought a partner up an 8,000m peak who fell on his way down, as they weren't roped.

It wasn't an excuse then, and it isn't an excuse now. When you climb with others, whether in the Himalaya or the Whites, you go up as a team and come down as a team, and if your teammates aren't up to the task, find better ones or don't take them up.

 

[cbcbd]

In my few years climbing I've met some interesting "climbers" and have roped up with some "interesting" people (no, no one from VFTT )... climbers have a different culture, and that seems to vary from area to area, country to country. To some it's a partnership where it is understood that this is not a game and that each member's decision affects the other... to others it can be as casual as a walk in the park - "you can't go on? you don't want to climb this way? Well, I'm meet you later at camp"

Stuff like this happens all the time in a lesser degree at your local crags everywhere whenever you might have to stretch yourself out of your climbing circle to find a partner because you have to climb. This dynamic with Dodo and his climbers doesn't surprise me.

Caveat Climbor

 

[DougPaul]

Stuff like this happens all the time in a lesser degree at your local crags everywhere whenever you might have to stretch yourself out of your climbing circle to find a partner because you have to climb. This dynamic with Dodo and his climbers doesn't surprise me.

Agreed. It goes on at all levels, including hikers.

Aron Ralston (the guy who had to cut his hand off when trapped in a slot canyon) also had a reputation of being a dangerous guy to hike/mountaineer with.

Doug

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I wonder if he's trying to portray himself as a modern-day Reinhold Messner, who was a purist and who basically found no one could keep up with him? Messner, too, brought a partner up an 8,000m peak who fell on his way down, as they weren't roped.

Are you referring to Reinhold's brother Gunther lost on Nanga Parbat? If so, that was a very different situation, once the two of them separated from the larger expedition. But, thanks for posting the article, which indeed is thought-provoking about people who participate in these games.

 

[Neil]

This guy and Ed Viesturs are not exactly cut from the same cloth, are they?

 

[B the Hiker]

Are you referring to Reinhold's brother Gunther lost on Nanga Parbat? If so, that was a very different situation, once the two of them separated from the larger expedition. But, thanks for posting the article, which indeed is thought-provoking about people who participate in these games.

I am not saying they are the same, but I think Dodo might be. This is thing about the pure and clean climbing style. He's so pure that he can't be held accountable for keeping the flame burning, and if others can't keep up with him, that's their fault.

It's absurd!

 

[Remix]

"When asked by ExWeb if there are there any lessons he has learned for the future, Dodo stated that the accidents were inevitable results from "a philosophy of clear and elegant style of climbing." "



Hopefully this guy will never put any rescuers at risk.

 

[Stoney]

Sad story but one that we will probably hear again and again. Unfourtanetly mountaineering is not immune to having its share of arrogant athletes who only think about themselves. Dodo is the same as any other modern day pro football or baseball player who has lots of talent but very little compassion for anyone others. Makes you appreciate a mountaineer like Ed Viesturs all the more.