Dangers of Mountaineering

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Lernik Tahmasian Dr. Sowby English 101, 7:30 December 11, 2013 Dangers of Mountaineering: Should Climbers Avoid Climbing because of Accidents? In the words of Edmund Viesturs, the first American that climbed all fourteen of the world's "eight-thousander” mountain peaks, “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory “(Miller). Mountain climbing is a challenging sport that makes all senses react. In contrast to hiking, which is just walking in nature on any path or specific trail, climbing is a sport, and it is the professional way of “hiking” the highest mountains. Mountain climbing is associated with not only rocks and snow, but also ice and glaciers. And while in any professional sport, no matter how skilled or trained the athlete is, accidents are bound to occur, and it is, too, in mountain climbing. Based on statistics, the number of climbing injuries and fatalities is increasing annually. The graph below demonstrates the increasing rate of deaths and injuries in mountain climbing from 1951 to 2006. But are these associated risks a good enough reason that climbers should stop enjoying their challenging and exciting hobby? Accidents are unavoidable, and climbers may experience many of them throughout their journeys. For example, natural disasters, such as avalanches, are one of the greatest contributors to fatalities seen in mountaineering. There are also accidents such as torn rope and falling, which also contribute to the variety of injuries or death during this dangerous sport. Although the risks are great, they don’t deter climbers from climbing. Being well trained in the ability to access whether or not danger is too great, is the climber’s responsibility. One of the scariest disasters threatening climbers is avalanches which is significant causes of winter sport fatalities in mountain regions. According to an

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