Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

[RacerX]

Recently I saw this interesting special on PBS

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/denali/

All about a scientific expedition to Denali (Mt Whitney in Alaska) and the different dangers experienced at high altitude. Apparently it is the coldest mountain in the world and just as touch to climb as Everest! Dr. Hackett had a really cool piece of technology: a thermal radio pill

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/denali/core.html

Basically a thermometer pill that you swallow and it radios a readout of your temp to a display unit that you carry - totally interesting.

Climbers have to deal with Acute Mountain Sickness, both hypo- and hyperthermia, hypoxia, and an especially sick process called High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.
Catch this special if you can - see if the team made it to the summit!

[fett]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

As long as I don't have to pay to rescue their sorry asses. Anybody that does this stuff, and I guess I admire them, should have to pay for any efforts that are made to save them if need be. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[RacerX]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

Denali actually has a medical/research base at 14,000 camp so the doctors can study the effects on climbers when they do get in trouble. Pretty good idea actually.

[fett]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

What about the helecopters? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Spelled chopper wrong. Didn't I? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[skorb]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

that's really cool, I love all that mountain climbing stuff, although I've never done it.

Denali is just over 20000 ft, and Everest is 29035 ft. and those last 9000 feet are the killer. so generally it is not considered to be as dangerous as Everest I think, but still it's an insane mountain to climb and poses many other dangers that may be worse in some aspects than what is found on Everest.

you can die on any large mountain ascent. or descent.

[rjohnstone]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

[ QUOTE ]
What about the helecopters? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] Spelled chopper wrong. Didn't I? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Once you get close to 15,000 feet, a helicopter is useless.
Air is to thin for it to achieve lift.
Remember the rescue attempt in Oregon that was played over and over again on tv a few years back?
That blackhawk dropped like a rock around 14,000 and some change. [img]/images/graemlins/eek.gif[/img]

[dyingsea]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

I've seen part of that documentary. Its very interesting indeed. Have you seen the documentary of the guy who treked the entire park in the middle of winter? That was pretty cool as well.

[RacerX]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

Hmmm that sounds like the story of Christopher McCandless, the rich kid who gave everything away and wandered to Alaska. Jon Krakauer wrote an excellent book, Into The Wild about it.

[FusionFarmer]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

Yeah ,I know all about high altitute, I have the second highest point in the state on my property, air gets so thin you can't catch your breath and you get light headed as hell. LOL,,, I live in Florida [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[rjohnstone]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah ,I know all about high altitute, I have the second highest point in the state on my property, air gets so thin you can't catch your breath and you get light headed as hell. LOL,,, I live in Florida [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Second highest huh... what is that, 10 feet above sea level? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Sorry... I couldn't resist. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[FusionFarmer]

Re: Deadly Ascent - Mountain climbing danger

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah ,I know all about high altitute, I have the second highest point in the state on my property, air gets so thin you can't catch your breath and you get light headed as hell. LOL,,, I live in Florida [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Second highest huh... what is that, 10 feet above sea level? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Sorry... I couldn't resist. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

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