Yank-Tank wrote:

Woodswalker wrote:Some of these gym rats who make great athletes are afraid to go for a walk in the woods let alone climb a tall mountain.

Most people don't like it because 99% of Mountain climbing is just boring walking.

Yes, it certainly is. But winning that sport leads to views that you would NEVER see otherwise. And why I wouldn't do it alone.

Walking (in all its challenging forms) is the most ancient form of activity/sport and therefore mountaineering has the deepest roots that dates back to our ancestors. That's why it must strike a spiritual chord with many of us and can help explain its power and why we mountaineer.

The thing I like about mountaineering is that you set your own rules and goals.

As long as someone leaves the mountain clean and doesn't endanger others, you can climb how you want.

If your goal is to climb class one mountains, good for you! If you want to climb K2, great! If you just want to find an entertaining way to lose a few pounds, that's good too!

You can set your own set of rules and goals.

The Mountains give a lot, but when they decide it is time to take then they take in the form of life. You guys in the States don't know how lucky you are that your Mountains are not big takers.

So the Mountains and all the activities undertaken on them are not under rated, most people just evaluate the risks and decide not to venture too far into the unknown in fear of getting themselves killed.

Yank-Tank wrote: You guys in the States don't know how lucky you are that your Mountains are not big takers..

Tank,
I'm not sure if you need to get off the island more or get online more..
http://www.summitpost.org/mountaineerin ... ics/658474
http://publications.americanalpineclub. ... _accidents

Stay safe,
JM

Yank-Tank wrote:The Mountains give a lot, but when they decide it is time to take then they take in the form of life. You guys in the States don't know how lucky you are that your Mountains are not big takers.

So the Mountains and all the activities undertaken on them are not under rated, most people just evaluate the risks and decide not to venture too far into the unknown in fear of getting themselves killed.

Alaska tends to take. Not on a Himalyan scale though.

Puma concolor wrote:

Basham wrote:

Yank-Tank wrote:

Woodswalker wrote:Some of these gym rats who make great athletes are afraid to go for a walk in the woods let alone climb a tall mountain.

Most people don't like it because 99% of Mountain climbing is just boring walking.

Yes, it certainly is. But winning that sport leads to views that you would NEVER see otherwise. And why I wouldn't do it alone.

So why the aversion to going solo in the mountains? The logic seems to be lacking in your post.

I like talking to people. I wouldn't he afraid of the mountain.

Basham wrote:Is mountaineering underrated? Your opponent is nature. It's possibly the most physically demanding of all. You don't get a ring for success. You don't have sponsors. It's not on TV. It's funded by the people who do it. It's probably the only sport that is done on every continent. It, in my opinion, is by far the most rewarding of all sports.

It might be underrated in Texas where they have no mountains but in places like Europe it's a pretty big deal, with sponsors and famous climbers on TV and in the news. It occasionally has some exposure even here, a recent example would be Alex Honnold and in the past when Ed Vistures tagged the 8000m peaks.

mrchad9 wrote:I don't think there is anything at all accurate about the opening post.

Certainly there are more demanding sports... mountaineering is only as demanding as you make it. And there are countless great athletes who are not mountaineers who are far superior to many who we would consider mountaineers. Whether it is on TV or not is only a reflection on how boring or not it is to watch someone else do it. And I think winning the Stanley Cup would be more rewarding than reaching the top of a mountain. Certainly there are more people who would have sex with you for doing it.

Each to his own. Trying to get a puck into a goal or standing on the highest (and most difficult) point on earth, K2, I'd pick K2.

And many are saying this is the greatest athletic achievement in the modern history of sport. Not sure any athlete is far superior to this guy.



And if you want to talk demanding just look at any of the routes that Jerzy Kukuczka did on the 8000m peaks, some in winter and many of them unrepeated to this day.

Demanding? K2 still does not have a single winter ascent.

I remember NBC's Wide World of Sports in the late 80's (or so) had a show "Survival of the Fittest".

About a dozen of the greatest North American professional athletes were competing for the title of the "Fittest" athlete.

I remember Swan, Montana, Lindros, Lewis, Harris, Gretzky among other famous professionals...Then after about couple of years, the announcers introduced this 5'1" little girl who, they said will be competing with all those men. Her name was Lynn Hill and she was if I remember correctly, a rock climber..The rest is history. She won the competition three years in the row and when she was asked if she would return for the fourth year she said, no, I need some challenge...

The top climbers and mountaineers are indeed some of the best trained athletes in the world.