OK, so, if there was nothing this guy could do at the time but go get help, how was that the wrong decision to make, even if it resulted in his girlfriend‘s death? Like, I get how this is a complicated moral question, and that’s why it went to court. Judges and a jury considered this, and they felt that he should be punished, but only X amount.
I don’t know that I would’ve done much better in a situation where I had to make that kind of judgment. In fact, I’m quite certain I would’ve done the exact same thing, because it would have been the only thing I could do. This isn’t some situation of homicide where malice was involved. This was a very difficult set of circumstances with only one solution.
The court couldn’t reasonably let him get away with it, but a suspended sentence and the nearly €10,000 fine is still a reasonable penalty. Considering the circumstances.
Consider the girls family. Do you think they would want this dragged out further? What would that accomplish?
He had experience on that very mountain, took her on a difficult route with clearly improper equipment, didn’t turn around at a sign that told them to (it warned them they were like 3h late to the top), he didn’t indicate that they needed help to a rescue helicopter which had spotted them and was basically impossible to overlook, didn’t respond to messages and calls meaning to ask whether they needed help, and finally he left her without making sure she had shelter, even thought she carried a bivouac and a second jacket.
It’s impossible to tell whether one talked the other into contueing or whatever, but one thing is very clear: He didn’t act responsible at all. In fact, he barely made it off that mountain himself.
This isnt like a hike up a local trail to a summit with nice view. This was proper mountaineering. Like hiking and winter camping and rock climbing combined. Safety should be the first priority in planning and execution. There should be hard turn around times, because you’ll always want to push to the summit in the moment. The negligent mistakes were not stopping and turning around sooner, not accepting help when contacted by a rescue helicopter, and not helping her use the equipment she had when it became apparent things had turned south.
I like to winter camp on the top of mountains in the Catskills (childs play by comparison), and when I saw he strapped her to a rock, it was clear to me he had fucked up. As soon as they had reached the last appropriate place, he should have set her up in her bivuac, and then turned around. Or they both should have turned around sooner when they weren’t on schedule. He pushed her further up when its clear they should have already been heading down. It was a selfish desire to summit.
OK, so, if there was nothing this guy could do at the time but go get help, how was that the wrong decision to make, even if it resulted in his girlfriend‘s death? Like, I get how this is a complicated moral question, and that’s why it went to court. Judges and a jury considered this, and they felt that he should be punished, but only X amount.
I don’t know that I would’ve done much better in a situation where I had to make that kind of judgment. In fact, I’m quite certain I would’ve done the exact same thing, because it would have been the only thing I could do. This isn’t some situation of homicide where malice was involved. This was a very difficult set of circumstances with only one solution.
The court couldn’t reasonably let him get away with it, but a suspended sentence and the nearly €10,000 fine is still a reasonable penalty. Considering the circumstances.
Consider the girls family. Do you think they would want this dragged out further? What would that accomplish?
He had experience on that very mountain, took her on a difficult route with clearly improper equipment, didn’t turn around at a sign that told them to (it warned them they were like 3h late to the top), he didn’t indicate that they needed help to a rescue helicopter which had spotted them and was basically impossible to overlook, didn’t respond to messages and calls meaning to ask whether they needed help, and finally he left her without making sure she had shelter, even thought she carried a bivouac and a second jacket.
It’s impossible to tell whether one talked the other into contueing or whatever, but one thing is very clear: He didn’t act responsible at all. In fact, he barely made it off that mountain himself.
This isnt like a hike up a local trail to a summit with nice view. This was proper mountaineering. Like hiking and winter camping and rock climbing combined. Safety should be the first priority in planning and execution. There should be hard turn around times, because you’ll always want to push to the summit in the moment. The negligent mistakes were not stopping and turning around sooner, not accepting help when contacted by a rescue helicopter, and not helping her use the equipment she had when it became apparent things had turned south.
I like to winter camp on the top of mountains in the Catskills (childs play by comparison), and when I saw he strapped her to a rock, it was clear to me he had fucked up. As soon as they had reached the last appropriate place, he should have set her up in her bivuac, and then turned around. Or they both should have turned around sooner when they weren’t on schedule. He pushed her further up when its clear they should have already been heading down. It was a selfish desire to summit.
I’ve spent the last 30 years, mountaineering the catskills. But I guess I should’ve read the whole story.