Dingus Milktoast wrote:Teammates are different. Teams are different. Commercial guided groups are not the sort of teams one can rely upon, imo, when the shit gets grim.
That's really the issue. Your "teammates" are paying to have their asses dragged to the summit, not stick their necks out to save someone whose primarily qualification was their ability to write a big check.
I still like to think I'd be willing to dig in to save someone in trouble but it's a sliding scale. I'd be less willing to do so for someone with limited skills who went up there with limited skills, knowing they'd be at greater risk because of that deficit. From what I've read, there are people up there who barely know how to use an ice axe and crampons. Danger invites rescue, which puts your rescuers in danger. I think if someone is incapable of getting up and down without putting others in danger (apart from the unforeseeable), you shouldn't ask others to risk their lives for you.