On one thread, we are telling a hiker, whose experience, skills, equipment, and condition, are completely unknown to us, "sure, go hike Whitney solo -- you're never really solo on Whitney anyway -- go for it, just turn back if you don't feel good." Though solo hikers get into trouble on Whitney all the time.

And on every other thread, we are dissecting, or at least making assumptions about, the decisions and judgment of hikers who run into trouble, again, whose experience, skills, equipment, condition are completely unknown to us.

I think there is a disconnect.