Taking risks in life

[pottsy]

You may have noticed this week that a guy was killed on Helvellyn last weekend. It was Dave who worked with me. He was the most meticulous person and my last conversation with him was on the friday about online weather reports and how we prepare before sessions. I asked where he was going and he said Helvellyn as there was ice up there. We got talking about conditions and being prepared - me talking about sea conditions and the precations we take even though it looks madness to others that we go out in the pitch black to fish from slippery rocks and when the sea has got up. I put Helvellyn into google mainly to find out about the routes up the rock face and looked at Wiki. There is a comment at the bottom about the conditions this year being the worst in 30 years with a link to the BBC news article about Daves death. I am so sure he would be horrified to think that his biggest mistake in life is there on wiki. Am I just being emotional or is this so very wrong?????

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

You are being emotional and rightly so, if there's a right and a wrong in a situation like this then this was a wrong (i.e. the right thing to do would be not to fall off the mountain and vice versa) There are only 2 good things to come out of this terrible situation -

1. He died doing something he loved and not gasping for poisoned breaths over a period of months after 50 years of infirmity

2. I got out of going to that meeting on Tuesday

 

[pottsy]

you are wasted in the cooncil, oh wise one fly free when you get the chance

 

[AndyJames83]

Wikipedia is a joke. Because it has 'pedia' at the end people give it credence. The fact is anyone can add anything to it. It is designed by and for (dumb) students who can't be bothered to do their own primary research. Like you say it IS very wrong they can add a link to your friends death, a friend who sounds very much like one of our own. Wikipedia currently are fighting a number of lawsuits because of their distribution of 'informative' literature. I can remember an article that professed Charles N'zogbia's dad was a BNP leader...mmm?

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

his biggest mistake in life

It wasn't his biggest mistake in his life - It was a fantastic decision to travel with friends and climb beautiful mountains. He could have been sat on his arse on a bar stool safe from acute danger but facing a whole heap of other risks.

His only mistake was to fall off, easy done with big beuts on in a howling gale on a knife edge ridge up in the sky

 

[Stores]

Ali, you know my opinion on the matter as we've already spoken but I must agree with Charlie - you get there, you know your equipment is sound, you know where you are going and you think you are good enough to get there so you do it, based upon past experience and knowledge. Sometimes, at the top edge, that's not quite enough, either your mistake or Mother Nature exceeding expectations. Either way no compensation for a life lost but no blame attached, the great outdors being all encompassing.

 

[mark]

the journey is the reward as me dad used to say (might of been sidartha though come to think of it)

don't even think falling off was a mistake. start looking at potential for 'mistakes' and you'll never get out of bed

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

the journey is the reward as me dad used to say (might of been sidartha though come to think of it)

don't even think falling off was a mistake. start looking at potential for 'mistakes' and you'll never get out of bed

I've made the odd mistake before I've got out of bed

 

[alan]

Very sad for his family and friends.Lifes very short too short for your friend
If you are doing something you love and enjoy then get on with it,you can make a mistake crossing the road going for the paper.
I actually read that the conditions were very unusual and dangerous but i sometimes think thats part of the excitement

 

[pottsy]

Alan the conditions up there at the time were as Dave expected them to be and he was prepared for them. Our last conversation was about the weatherline which gives excellent reports on the conditions - they have two men who climb Helvellyn every day and post pictures and report on exactly whats going on up there. I know he checked it as he told me what it said. Mountain rescue were with him within 4 minutes as they were doing a training exercise. I was wrong to say last night it was a mistake he made, it was an accident and he will have done everything he could have to minimise the risk. I was just frustrated that it was on wiki. somehow to me that seemed inappropriate and just something that I hadnt considered would happen. I am fine about it this morning lol and realise thats this internet business that is so much a part of our lives has its down sides as well as its positive ones

 

[Charlton]

sad that an adventurous person like Dave had to go, and especially sad for his family, but he was doing what he loved doing, it is people with that adventurous spirit that found different worlds. Just imagine where we would be sitting on our bots and doing nothing without people like Dave. I hoep i go doing something I enjoy doing, not wasting away in a hospiatl bed somewhere. Just sad that he went so early.

Confucious say, man who sits of bot dies a sad, boring, unexciting and lonely death

 

[alan]

Ali no problem mate,I was more generally speaking than making a direct comment on his accident,only those directly involved will know what happened