crackers
member
Reged: 04/06/06
Posts: 290
Loc: New York / Istanbul
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Quote:
crackers
The sport of rappelling is not climbing. How many of those rap deaths were climbers and how many sport rappellers?
Jim 
All of them. The AAC does not compile accident reports for "the sport of rappelling" as you generously put it.  Personally, rappelling terrifies me more than anything else I do on a regular basis...
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crackers
member
Reged: 04/06/06
Posts: 290
Loc: New York / Istanbul
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Quote:
You make some good observations and I have to admit that I'm just as reluctant to have someone else depend on MY skill and judgment as I am to rely on theirs. I am totally willing to face the consequences of my own actions--however dire the outcome--but would not subject someone else to same level of risk. An agreed level of risk is essential to a 'team', IMHO. If one finds a person or persons with like risk thresholds and similar judgments about the risk, teamwork is possible and desirable.
Absolutely. I think that you're right on. I think it's a very sticky wicket and among the climbers I know, I know some that have given real thought to it, and some who I wouldn't climb with... 
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wandering_daisy
member
Reged: 01/11/06
Posts: 843
Loc: California
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Accidents in North Americal Climbing is great reading for anyone engaged in wilderness sports. What you do not get is the unreported accidents and all the "near misses".
I agree with you that there are other places that climbers use as a forum. I have in the past suggested that our forum change the "mountaineering" subtitle into off-trail travel. I think we would have more posts for this.
I think there is a "climber's mentality" and a "backpacker's mentality" and they are not the same. I have never had to focus as much in backpacking as I have to in climbing. The mental aspect of climbing is a very large part. I love that 100% focus, but I also like to take a brake and just small the roses.
For the apparant risk in climbing, there are in reality very few accidents. Climbers have many back-up safety systems. In some ways because climbing is much less "casusal" than backpacking, I think you get less accidents staticticlally.
I really feel my climbing experience enhances my backpacking. They are different sports in the same environment. The one phrase that really hits home to me is the title of the Seattle Mountaineers book on climbing - Mountaineering- Freedom of the Hills. So right on! With mountaineering skills you have so much more freedom to run around the hills.
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