[CMCEmail] Deja vu

[CMCEmail@Californiamountaineer.com]

Tracy wrote:


> An ice ax was not found with him, although

> he could have lost it along the way.


I was at the bowl last Thursday and tried to dissuade a party of four
from trying to go up without ice axes or crampons. It's unfortunate
that there's such a high barrier to entry for people to learn
cramponing and self-arrest. The gear is expensive, and to get proper
instruction a lot of people end up having to drive to Bishop. I hear
that the Sierra Club used to provide instruction but stopped because
they got sued by someone who was injured while practicing self-arrest.

Of course it's equally sad for his family regardless of whether he was
properly trained and equipped. Pretty lonely way to die.

-Ben Crowell