>>http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/21/world/asia/everest-deaths/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
>>
>>This is summit season. As there are most years, there are tragic deaths. As always, I can't decide whether the deaths were easily avoidable (don't try) or admirable for trying something very few people do. Climbing Everest would probably be at the top of more lists than anything else when it comes to human achievement. I ran four marathons in my younger days and there is no comparison whatsoever.
>>
>>You will note that they died on the way down. Edmund Hillary himself, the original, said (paraphrased, and overstating the case to make a point) that any idiot can get to the top of Everest. The tricky part is getting back down safely. There have been climbers who were literally within sight of the summit, a couple hundred meters maybe, and made the decision to turn back because they thought the additional time and approaching cold, darkness, and elements would make the descent unacceptably risky. That must be a very hard decision to make considering all the preparation that went into the attempt. But compare it to the alternative. Now there is unsentimental good judgment IMO.
>>
>>Are there any mountain climbers among us? We seem to have about everything else.
>
>ummm..well I hiked mount Hyatt Regency once time. The power was out in the building so I had to climb up 28 stories worth of steps just to get to the summit! It was really a rough camping trip - the mini fridge didn't keep my beer cold, I had to even light a candle for light at night..and no hot water either!. At one point I did consider turning back at the 26th floor because I thought I was going to run out of time to make it back down to the bottom before happy hour ended.

And the worst part of all was that the power outage cooled off the in-room hot tub you and your rocking babe were all set to enjoy.