The question is, what drags people to this form of tourism? It's extremely dangerous and exhausting, pushing body limits to the borders. Unfortunately (or maybe not), the beauty of mountains is overwhelming for some of us. When a person discovers it for the first time, the comeback is imminent - another climb is just a matter of time. I personally think that this "addiction" affects every Himalayan mountaineer. They show a lot of respect to every mountain they climb, and so they are prepared for the worst - or so they say. After the tragic death of Tomek and Maciej, some of their friends said that despite overwhelming sadness and mourning, they are glad that the climbers died the way they wanted to. Sad, but strangely beautiful in some way.
The real unsung heroes of the Himalayas are Sherpas - locals who probably do the most exhausting and dangerous work in the world for the living. They help mountaineers carry their equipment all the way to the peak, sometimes even helping the climber to walk. The sad thing is that we all read in papers about brave men making their first ascents, but only a few people know the names of Sherpas who climbed along with them.
Climbing as a type of tourism has also its urban version. City climbing requires transmission or water towers, and of course a brave (or stupid) person willing to do it with a camera. It is carried in one hand or attached to the head. Some people treat is as the part of le parkour - fast city dwelling, but it's not about shortening your path home, but seeing the city from the best angle possible. The "most famous" city climber is probably Arnie from the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?".
Unfortunately when this movie became viral, younger and younger people tried (and still try) to follow Arnie's way. Safety ropes are considered not cool enough to use. If you are not afraid of heights, I really recommend watching this documentary.
What do you think of mountaineers and climbers? Would you compare the city climbers to the "real" ones in the Himalayas? Have you ever had the urge to get higher? Share your opinions in the comment section.
Well, my father is a himalayist, alpinist, well... a climber. He used to do it very often, and loved it.
ReplyDeleteBut he stopped. Solidarność came out, he was involved in her activity, and he met my mother. She quited her smoking, he left mountains behind. And he tried so hard to not pass his passion about them on to us. It didn't work very well. Both brothers are climbing, my sisters dream is to put a slackline between to buildings and walk on it (even though she's affraid of hights).
I used to climb, but not on mountains. I am not as brave of a person....
Still, climbing on mountains, and climbing on buildings requieres different skills, but not as much. You need to be determined, be in a great shape and never panic... That's what my father used to say
I have similar situation, it's only the other way around: my mother is passionate about mountaineering, but she avoids extreme situations and the peaks that require better condition (and younger age). However, she managed to give some of her passion to my cousins, who started climbing with her. Now they're preparing for their first high ascent.
ReplyDeleteI'm not that much into mountaineering - I have fear of heights and extreme ascents scare me off. Still, I managed to get onto Rysy mountain from higher, Czech side. Here are some pics that I did during this trip.
ReplyDeletehttps://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114878338108149927751/albums/5755437669161249953
I think you can definitely compare city climbers to real Himalaya’s climbers. They both rise up to the challenge but in a different way. Himalayas climbing is a much more prestige’s “sport” and thus much more expensive as you have to pay for the travel, buy expensive gear and pay Sherpa’s for their services. City climbing is free and the only invest that you need is the GoPro camera to records your trips.
ReplyDeleteBoth city and mountain climbers need to be in a mint physical condition. But at the end it’s all up to the brain and the mental barriers that one needs to fight through.
I think while city climbers do something different than "real" climbers (mostly because of being in an entirely different environment) they are doing a very similar thing. City climbing comes with different dangers than Himalaya climbing - being in a city seems to add some layer of comfort of not being far from civilization and with no real help around in case something happens.
ReplyDeletePersonally I really enjoy hiking and would like to try climbing one day, but I would definitely start from something much easier at first. I like nature, the outdoors and mountains with nice views, so why not, it sounds good :-)
Passion in my opinion is the most important thing in our live. Whether it is mountaineering, city climbing or cheese playing - let’s do that. If it's life threatening then it causes an increase adrenaline. With high levels of adrenaline we can do impossible things. Take the risk! :)
ReplyDeleteI’ve read an interview with an himalayan recently. It was a very powerful read. She talked about numerous bodies on the way to Everest. The bodies lie there, because the families don’t have enough money to bring them down. Sometimes they don’t even want to, as they respect the last will of the dead climber – to rest forever in the most important place for them.
ReplyDeleteThe interviewed woman says that the Sherpas should at least move the bodies a couple of meters from the path, so that other climbers wouldn’t tread on them. However, nobody pays the Sherpas, so they don’t do it.
It is said that mountaineers, whose lives are at risk very often, are detached when it comes to death. Seeing many dead bodies is not an emotional thing for them. The bodies on Everest work as landmarks, and “tell” the altitude and the distance from the top of the mountain.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember her name, so I can’t send you the link :(
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ReplyDeleteMountaineers are great, but real heroes are himalayan climbers. This people love mountains so much that they often give their lives for them. In some way its beutifull how people are determinated but for the other hand this is so irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteMy goal is to get someday, somewhere higher than my actual PR 3500 above sea level. I felt that i don't have enough oxygen, this is horrible what feels people at 6000 meters.
Maria i watched some interview with climbers, and the sick was one sentence often repeated. "up there, you think only of yourself, no power to help a colleague. You have to leave him there".
Climbing was never my thing. I don't like to do it nor watch movies about it. I don't event like to speak abut it:p
ReplyDeleteBut I have a great deal of respect for climbers and mountaineers, especially for those who climb in Himalayas. You have to be very strong and brave to do this kind of stuff. Recently, I've watched a show with Martyna Wojciechowska and she was telling the viewers about her love for mountains and how she claimbed the Mount Everest ( she was the youngest polish person to achieve it). The preparations for the trip took her a whole year!!!
What scares me most is not the height as many may think but the lack of air. The heigher the less air and it is almost imposible to breathe!
I am concerned that one cannot compare the city climbers to those who climb in the Himalayas. In the Himalayas you are almost on your own, at the end ( or rather on the top:P) of the world.
For those who are interested in the subject of mountaines there is a new book, just recently published about Wanda Rutkiewicz. She was one of the grates polish mountain climbers.
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ReplyDeleteMountaineers walk a thin red line between stupid and cool. What is most admirable in them is their bravery to conquest new peaks. It's also precisely that what kills them. More often than not, they think it's a fair price. I think climbers are great and I recommend watching at least one interview with them.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1CTaq9sQM0
The urge to get to the top is known to anyone who has ever climbed. It takes only an artificial climbing wall to get you excited. I think both the city climbers and the "mountain" ones feel the same thing. All in all, climbing is both dangerous and fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsEzP8j0DNk
Martyna: well, my dad had a really good reason not to pass his passion on to us (didn't work), and he tried to take us on boats, and so we all love to sail. Still, three of us loves o climb as well. That didn't work very well, ha ha ha.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he really tries to support us. And so he's going on climbing trip with the youngest brother. Hope they'll be fine
PS. Dalvia is Wanda Onyszkiewicz-Gnap
ReplyDeleteIt's called passion. High mountains can verify your determination and ability for "braking barriers". So far I've reached Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc, of course they aren't as dangerous and difficult to climb as peaks around level of 8000m heigh, but enough to bring lots of satisfaction after reaching the top. That sentence which Przemek mentioned in his comment works only in highly extreme situations (like attempt to reach Broad Peak), in "regular" climbing cooperation is crucial. In situation where 3 people climb connected by rope, step by step on the edge of abyss, everyone is responsible for each others life. No one who thinks only about himself is suitable for such activities.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone who is passionate about something has a better life. I'm passionate about horses. I have been riding since I was 6 years old. But I would never try to climb a high mountain because I am afraid of cold, problems with breathing and a risk of falling down. However, I can understand friends of Tomek and Maciej. To die while doing the thing you love it's the best way to die. Of course for your family it always a great tragedy. But still they should understand and support the way you choose to live.
ReplyDeleteEveryone can be a urban climber. You don't need a special equipment and training. But if you climb to a really high altitude, in my view, you must be crazy. When I was looking at the young russian boys dancing somewhere in the sky, it made me sick, definitely this is not for me. On the other hand, it's very fascinating that people discover new, extreme and exciting activities. It made them special and in some case even famous but I believe they don't do it for fame. They feel a rush of adrenaline and that's exactly what they are up to.
I think that the controversy, regarding this subject, lies in mountaineer's relations with other people, family and friends. It's hard to say whether their passion is addictive and the urge to get higher is too huge to handle, or are they just self-centered enough to forget about consequences of fatal accidents... There is a great movie (based on a book) which shows this problem quite fairly, it's called "Into the Wild". No mountaineers there, though - just one person who puts his own dream of running away to the wild above his family relations.
ReplyDeleteI love climbing Tatry and I know it is nothing compared to Himalayas. Even though risks are the same the probability of occurring is getting more realistic the higher You are. I wouldn't climb any building and I think people climbing skyscrapers must be either brace or stupid ( sometimes bravery is equal to stupidity ).
ReplyDeleteMy sister is interested in mountaineering. Unfortunately, due to her health condition she can’t do it herself, but she reads books, watches films and attends post-expedition meetings and afterwards, often shares news with me. I know that Tomek Kowalski was was a co-founder of the Poco-loco Hostel in Poznań and his positive attitude affected other people - just check this video http://vimeo.com/33206429 and his blog http://magisterkowalski.blogspot.com/. Climbing must be very empowering for such people and I think that everybody wishes to have a passion that pushes them forward. I think that mountaineering would not be my passion but I admire people who challenge themself in that way, especially if they ascend a peak as the first person in the world. In winter himalaism Poles are some of the best. However, extreme sports like mountaineering are getting more and more popular among ordinary people. If only you have a few spare thousands, you can reach the top of the world. Therefore, most professionals disdain the highest mountain calling it “yak-shit highway” ;)
ReplyDelete"What do you think of mountaineers and climbers? Would you compare the city climbers to the "real" ones in the Himalayas? Have you ever had the urge to get higher? Share your opinions in the comment section."
ReplyDeleteBoth mountaineers and climbers are looking for adrenalin, beautiful views, sport and want to be seen by other for their activity. However there is a major difference between them. Mountaineers use special equipment and they prepare themself to mission long time before they attempt to it. Urban climbers risk theirs life by attempting to climb without any supporting equipment. As we can could see on the video those people are usually young and they have nothing better to do at home. In http://youtu.be/R-vjutwJyY4 video, someone have mention about few youngsters that killed themself atemting to climbe to one of the high buildings. This happens because those young people are totally not prepared to do that, and when they find it out for themself it can be already too late. As it can be tempting for young people to get famous in a quick way, certainly this is not the only way to do it. Risking own life for couple million views on Youtube is rather sad. There are many other easier way to do that. But as they said is not only about fame, but also adrenalin and pleasure that they have from climbing and this is why it probably will get more and more popular in our society.
Climbing Mountaing is dangerous but real exciting.I never climbed, but I like adrenaline and I'll try to climb in the future. I think that the city climbing is more "for show", not for sport and tourism. Only young people perform city climbing.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any fear of heights, but I know that climbing is a very hard sport to do. Few years ago, my friends asked me to go with them on a climbing wall. I thought it would be very exciting. I realy was happy about it. Wanted to climb to the highest point and be proud of myself. Unfortunetly, when we arrived at the place and geared our bodys for safety, I realized I couldn't do nothing! I couldn't even climb on the first lowest rock. It was very difficult to lift weight of my whole body. My arms was shaking and hands was badly wounded. At the end I was dissapointed that this sport is so, so hard to do. From that moment I gain great respect for all the people that can climb anywhere.
ReplyDelete