Climb Ev'ry Mountain

Since I was a kid, I've known that Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay were the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest (with Sir Edmund's foot getting there slightly ahead of his companion,) way back in 1953. No small feat, since many people lost their lives trying to get to the top, before and after.

Mount Everest is, of course, the tallest mountain on earth, extending something like five miles into the sky, and located in a chilly climate to begin with. Chances are that most mountaintops will be considerably cooler than the ground.

But in recent months reports of climbers becoming disoriented and separated by sudden snowstorms on peaks right here in the U.S. have been in the news. Can someone explain to me why so many people climb mountains during winter months, December, January, February? Doesn't it make more sense to climb in the spring or summer: April, May, June? A party of three died in December trying to ascend Mount Hood on its most treacherous side. Another party of three was rescued yesterday.

I'm glad for those who were rescued and sorrowful for those who lost their lives. But I have to say that if for some reason mountain climbers can't climb during warmer months, when sudden, blinding snowstorms are less likely to be an issue, then perhaps they ought to consider taking up hiking.