Cold Mountain

The ways of the mountain are sacred.
You do not chose when to climb it - It has to choose you.

I've climbed in the Himalayas 4 times so far.Covered 4 glaciers in the Gharwals and Kumaons and every single time I signed the insurance papers and disclaimers-I knew the risks involved.
On the worst occasions - stuck in a snowstorm at Kareri lake or climbing down from Triun with a practically scratchy knee cap and no shoes..or nursing a painful wound they actually had to burn before it got better..every single time I knew the risks involved and yet I chose to do it.

And I wasnt blind to the fact that any of those times - things could have gone horribly wrong.

But in none of those climbs did the thought cross my mind that incase a rescue effort was required - It would be considered a waste of tax payers money by some narrow minded people because I should have known better before I voluntarily placed myself in danger.

What is happening now is very sad.So the weather was bad.But weather is also unpredictable.Climbs require a lot of planning and like I said before - the mountain chooses you and not the other way round.
But for some parties to even suggest that a prolonged rescue effort is a waste of tax payers dollars is the worst kind of crap I have heard in recent times.

I drive an hour to work everyday.There are a ton of car accidents.So the next time we see a car accident ..are we going to say .."ohh..why did he drive in rush hour traffic"

Marne ke khwab se koi jeena chod deta hai kya ?!

What about people who smoke ..and voluntarily put at risk not just themselves but everyone around them ? ..are we going to attribute sizable growing health care costs to every additional lung cancer case that is detected?

Or lets take it one level further - what about people who eat trans fats and dont excercise ..are we going to say that every uninsured non cholestrol friendly person who suffers from a heart attack should be denied treatment because he voluntarily put himself at risk ?

No seriously ..get busy living or get busy dying.

I cannot think of one better way where my money would be spent.To protect and keep safe people who love life and nature and everything else in between

Meanwhile - I keep praying.