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What drives the risk-takers?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
An account of an ascent of Annapurna, one of the 8000m + peaks.
Quote:
Annapurna (8,091 m) is statistically the most dangerous peak of all the eight thousanders. The overall summit/fatality rate is 41% (although not all climbers summit of course).

I would be interested to know what the same odds are in ski-touring...
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

The overall summit/fatality rate is 41% (although not all climbers summit of course).


Generally it is felt very difficult for a dead climber to make the summit...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'm surprised you think to compare it with ski touring. Must be a tiny fraction of one percent.We'd need to know the number of tourers and the number of fatalities.
Of course some tourers take much higher risks than others. I imagine it's similar to off-piste skiing in general.
I've only done one proper, long tour, but lots of one (or two) day ones when it was hard to find good snow in the resort. The best overnight stay was in the Great St. Bernard monastery (staying in the 17th century, monks' dormatories)

I might start a thread about people's own avalanche experiences (or has it been done already?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Well the number would be a bit higher than that... the ratio would seem to
be "the number of people who got to the top"/"The number of people who died
on the mountain".

I guess the relevant ski touring one would be "The number of people who ski-tour"/
"The number of people who die each year in any mountainous region"

Ish...
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snowball, Wasn't comparing, just part of a dislocated train of thought... wondering if stats show it's more dangerous to be a pedestrian in London, for example...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I think the ratio would be the number of people that ski tour per year to the number of fatalities while ski touring per year. If you include those that died on the mountain you might include novices who hit trees etc. Of course it also depends what the definition of ski touring is?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
snowball wrote:

I might start a thread about people's own avalanche experiences (or has it been done already?

Don't think so....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Kramer, but it is quite easy to die after reaching the summit.
15 climbers died on Everest in 1996, 8 of them in May : many of them on the way down.

Money and Business were as much to blame as the weather.
Some had miraculous escapes.

According to factmonster.com : "Between 1921 and 2001, Everest has been climbed by more than 1400 people from twenty countries. More than 170 have lost their lives, making the odds on not coming down alive about one in eight."
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Jonpim, One thing's for sure... whether it's one in eight, one in two and a half, somewhere inbetween..... I won't be joining them, surviving mundane, everyday life is tough enough!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thing is, the numbers who climbed Everest is probably those who got to the top. But deaths is probably from the whole team (porters etc., and the climbers in the team who didn't do the last leg as well as those who did).
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Jonpim, Do these stats include the Sherpas? Probably not.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I would have thought they would. They still have to climb.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
easiski, the stats are the number of deaths compared to the number of summiters.
Most of their bodies are still up there .....
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Wow. I wonder what the total death list is then.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Extracted from Jonpim's link 'the stats' gives Annapurna Ascents 109 Deaths 55 or 51% which is even worse than the figure in PG's original post.

And as PG asked in the thread subject, which no-one here has attempted to answer, what does make people climb with only a 50-50 chance of making it back, even if you do get to the summit ? I don't know.
Tackling Everest is a 13% chance which is not something I personally would take but I can understand why some would risk that for the highest peak. But I cannot begin to explain why some attempt Annapurna against such a terrible record.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
And I wonder what proportion of alpinists who attempt the most dangerous ascents have young families. For those that do, I reckon that's pretty irresponsible, even at Everest's 13% fatality rate.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:

explain why some attempt Annapurna against such a terrible record.


That's probably one major incentive. To be one of the few who did it. Most people think they're immortal in some respects, and so far, they are.

Here's a different viewpoint:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A617041
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I mentioned on another thread that a guide I often ski with (Zeb Roche) climbed Everest when he was 16 and paraglided off the summit 3 years ago.
However he is at present climbing it again having been hired as a guide by some clients. (This is a 2 month expedition).
I wonder what he charges for that! How much can be worth it, or is he just hooked on the place?
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