"In their day I'm sure many detractors regarded Ferdinand Magellan, Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong as reckless risk takers. I don't like to see anybody die at sea, on a mountain or in space, but I'd also hate to live in a world where people never challenged themselves to explore new horizons."
The point being that people who take inordinate risks shouldn't be treated differently from those who get into trouble in other ways. That's a position supported by all of us who are involved in SAR.
I find this attitude very reassuring -- especially since some folks view my mountain pursuits foolish at the point where I step out the door. Assessing "risks" and "unnecessary risks" and just plain foolhardiness is a very subjective at best ( I certainly would not want my mother on that determination committee!)Some of the best laid trip plans turn into disasters even for the most seasoned of outdoorsman, thus, I would be reticent to think that there would be some sort of flash-card flow chart deciding what percentage of percieved foolishness costs what.
B
