Tribute to heroes

I just wanted to dedicate a thread to all the brave lost souls who went into eternal sleep in the laps of mighty Himalaya.

This article about the lost men from WB last year.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfee...as/754769.html

Let their soul rest in piece

How does death by ill-planned misadventure qualify them as heroes?

The very reason they chose to do mountaineering was because it was dangerous and difficult. If a few didn't die, the rest wouldn't find it challenging enough. These are not heroes, just a necessary part of the whole idea of mountaineering. Even in the best-planned expeditions something can go wrong, so those who died were not always because of bad planning, but it is absolutely necessary for a small but significant number to die. Otherwise the whole appeal of mountaineering would be gone and mountaineers would have to do a different dangerous sport or else safe trekking.

Problem is whenever an expedition is successful it is called well planned and if it is a failure it is called "ill-planned".. Understandable.

I am a very small inexperienced person. But let me tell you something my friend, with nature, there is nothing called perfectly planned no matter who you are.

Well my friend, when soldiers join the army, it is more certain that he may die in the field. So then why they are called hero? When a freedom fighter fights against rulers, it is more certain that he/she may die. Why these people are called heros then? They are more certain and necessary to die. I think the definition of hero is not known to me.

And it was my mistake that I started this thread. How intelligent, bright, brilliant people can be… Simply outstanding.......

I modify my post and declare that according to my intelligent friends, these people who died were idiots and part of the game, so they were suppose to die in any case...

Sorry for my post..

This is because of the clash of the cultures. Hero worshipping is a norm here, we derive our strengths from the actions of the heroes that we love. But the westerners may think it is foolish. The same attitude is spreading menacingly in India among the upper middle class. A wealthy chap next to me asked , what is so special about Maj.Sandeep Unni and it is after all his duty to die as a soldier. The same guy lectured me on how to prove our patriotism by watching all the Indian cricket WC matches in stadium.

Brave or foolhardy, I do not consider those who die whilst climbing a mountain to be "heroes". I also have friends who have died whilst mountaineering in the Himalayas. One in particular whose body was never recovered. He lies somewhere in a deep ravine. This is especially difficult for his family who cannot even mourn his dead body. The Greek Orthodox Church at first refused to hold a funeral for him.

Climbing is a hazardous undertaking, whether with good planning or inadequate planning. Those who indulge in mountain climbing want the thrill of the risk of the unknown, without which they do not feel alive. Sometimes that can be fatal.