Just watched that, what an interesting and dificult program to watch. As a dad, if I was still mad enough to try it, I’d have binned it at point of sobbing about never seeing them again on the first aborted go. My children are so much more important than that.

It was a very sad story no question but I had trouble being overly sympathetic with both him and his wife. As two adults they had the choice to go ahead with the trip or not. She stated herself that she wouldn’t ask him not to do it because of it’s importance to him. The victim in this is that poor little boy who had no say in the matter, no right or ability to question the decision so I would have hoped that the two adults could have seen beyond their own selfish aspirations and done the right thing by their son.

Sad story but I was just angered by it more than anything else. I absolutely understand the notion of exploring and adventuring, pushing your limits and taking risks but like it or not when you have children your own desires have to take a back seat for a while.

Just watched this.

Pretty hard to watch, since there was a real sense of failure looming from the very beginning.

My following comments come from someone who doesn’t have children, so you’ll have to read them as such.

Although nowhere near the same scale, every time something goes wrong for me on a remote mountain, particularly on a winter climb, the rushing feeling of mortality is something that astounds me every time. Absolute, sick to your stomach, this-is-all-on-me-and-I’m-in-deep-sh1t-now. Death moves from the realm of “sad accident” which we face in our normal lives to “this might actually happen right now”.

The first thought is always “what the **** am I doing here?”. But that’s exactly what you came for. I doubt many of these guys do it for the record, it’s more about challenging themselves, and without that they’re nothing. I can’t imagine how that felt for him or his family, and obviously in hindsight they would turn back the clock. But would he turn it back and not attempt it at all? Maybe he’d just do it differently.

The courage some people have amazes me. I cack my pants on a Grade III winter climb on Ben Nevis when things go wrong. That guy held it together in what can only be described as hell for 30 days. On his own, probably knowing his fate for quite some time.

Morally right or wrong, stupid or brave, purist or illprepared…balls out human endeavour like that gets me every single time.