Vail-area couple gets footnote on Everest
EDWARDS, Colo.—Brandon and Kristine Chalk have become the youngest American couple to summit Everest. He is 32, and she is 31. They have now climbed the highest peak on three of the world's seven continents, and they hope to climb all seven.
Money, though, is an issue. It cost $50,000 for the Everest trip, which they paid through cash presents from their wedding last October, as well as fundraisers, sponsorships and savings.
Brandon told the Vail Daily that they almost didn't go.
"But who knows if you'll ever have the chance to do it again," he said.
Of course, it wasn't easy. The climb tested not only their motivation and endurance, but also their relationship.
"If we can survive this in our first year of marriage, then we can survive anything," Kristine said.
She also noted that the climb wasn't all of their own willpower. She credited the local Sherpa people who work as guides and porters.
"Without the Sherpas, you couldn't do it," she said.
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By definition, extreme sports must be risky
BANFF, Alberta—Last winter, two snowmobilers died while high-marking on the west slope of the Canadian Rockies near Revelstoke. The high-marking, while always dangerous, was done just days after warnings of high avalanche danger.
So, were the snowmobilers engaged in a form of extreme sports? The Rocky Mountain Outlook, reporting on a panel discussion held in Banff, doesn't say whether that question was addressed. But the panelists agreed that, by definition, extreme sports entail risks.
Will Gadd, an extreme ice climber and X Games gold medalist, said he has counted more than 30 friends who have been lost to extreme pursuits over the years. He said those endeavors are indeed fun, but also risky. But, he said, child-bearing itself is also risky, given the high mortality rate of mothers.
Kyle McLaughlin, an emergency room physician, said he was concerned that the term "extreme sports" has been sensationalized. He pointed to ESPN and the X Games as examples.
"There is a counter-culture ambiance with this term," he said.
Should those engaged in risky activities be reined in?
"Why do we think we can lay moral blame on people for being irrational?" he asked.
