The U.S.A. emerged from W.W.II as a technological and economic power on the rise, and it wasn’t long before some of this momentum shifted to the high alpine. A first major feather in America’s cap was to be K2; not quite the biggest but definitely the baddest of the 8,000 meter peaks. By this point in time the challenges of high altitude were better understood than during the comparative dark ages of the 20’s and 30’s. More was known about these tallest mountains on Earth, and rapid advances were being made toward their summits. While the crown jewel, Everest herself, was certainly coveted, K2 provided the majesty, aesthetics, and sheer brutality deserving of such a great mountain.

In the altitude and attitude of K2 American mountaineers found an obvious target to demonstrate their abilities and accoutrements. Relatively primitive compared with today’s technology, the Houston expedition’s equipment was a substantial improvement over that of pre-war parties. However, it is arguable that the men who comprised this team were it’s most valuable asset. It is interesting to contrast this “brotherhood” with the discontented bunch that accompanied Herzog to Annapurna, but other posts have this point pretty well covered.

I though there were some interesting intersections between The Savage Mountain and the Catherine Palmer piece. First off, Shit Happens was a rollercoaster for me. I agree wholeheartedly with the author about the negative personal, cultural, and environmental impacts of high-altitude commercialization/commodification. However, I feel like her impression of extreme athletes was that of semi-hedonistic vagabonds roaming the nation indoctrinating the youth with promises of, ‘take the best orgasm you’ve ever had, multiply it by a thousand, and you’re still not even close’. And to a very, very limited extent this may be true: they do tend toward vagabondage and hedonism…but if this culture is perpetuated it might have something to do with the fact that vagabondage and hedonism are a great time.  If folks are worried about the influence that sports like climbing, skiing, biking, and boating might have on their kids they should take a closer look at the dangers of boredom and complacency. Any emotional or physical trauma suffered doing what you love is well worth the price of admission to a world of happiness and humanity that’s tough to find from a sofa.

Perhaps it was Palmer’s seeming lack of distinction between modern-media-ed athletes like Alex Honnold, Felix Baumgartner, Kilian Jornet, or Travis Pastrami (Pastrana?), and the men of the K2 expedition that got to me in the end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming these people for their fame, but they’re a different type of athlete than the mountaineers and explorers of old. Yes, then as now, climbing trips were often a source of revenue for those who undertook them. But these enterprises themselves seems to have been somewhat cheapened retroactively by the attitude toward extremity today: “if they’re doing it, they must be doing it to get off or get paid.” Well, I’d maintain that just because Jornet is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, and Honnold has become a media darling doesn’t mean they climb or run for the wrong reasons.