Quote:
Originally Posted by taminga16
Dave,
Tim Holding wasn't the only person walking Mt Feathertop on the week-end and I would hazard a guess that he would not have been the only solo hiker. Early on in this thread someone suggested that the response would have been different if it was a 'normal' person, I feel that they were correct.
Everybody dies....Some people never live.
Greg.
|
Well said Greg!
My, my, my, how this thread has degenerated. Perhaps we could title it "Spot the Liberal Voter". I for one am rejoicing in his survival, and as a local very familiar with the territory am somewhat amazed given the time that had elapsed. To demand his head for getting lost & ‘wasting’ search resources (or whatever the story ends up being) misses the point. People head up to the Alps in all weathers, for all sorts of reasons – snow fun, wilderness experience, exercise etc etc. Some, like myself and I suspect Tim, enjoy the solitude. Sure there are lessons to be learnt – better judgement with the weather conditions, carrying a beacon etc – but whatever, when people interact with the environment there will always be mistakes. We also have people whose job or inclination is to help people in need, and once again these people have done a stirling job. No more or less than any other search-&-rescue, just a massively larger entourage for obvious reasons.
The media may beat this up (sorry Matt
) and create a legend or destroy a career, but all I see is a man who might have erred, but who survived because he was prepared. I might see it differently if it was some turkey who wandered up the track in T-shirt & thongs though.
The other alternative that seems to spring from some posts here is that we regulate man’s interaction with the environment. Make it law to take a buddy, make it necessary to obtain a clearance from the Bureau of Meteorology, compulsory overloading of packs with safety and survival gear… And leave any poor sod (= idiot??) who makes a mistake to rot in the bush. Nice one! Make people pay? Ah yes, rescue becomes the preserve of the rich! Wait on, let’s bring in hiking insurance!
Cheers -