Gil Weiss (29) and Ben Horne (32) plunged 1,000 feet to their death from a Peruvian mountain

[puzzld]

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2012...uvian_mountain

I will never understand what compels people to climb mountains... RIP guys.

Gil's last public post:

"Everything in life is a risk of some sort. Many climbers have been seriously hurt or killed driving home from the hills. Climbing holds can break unexpectedly, but lightning also strikes. Most people exist so swaddled against danger, measuring out their lives with coffee spoons that those who reckon by a different calculation of risk and reward appear insane. Yet to survive a perilous situation is to love life more than the average person can imagine."
---the late Michael Ybarra

[moosella]

Gil Weiss
June 11 near Boulder, CO
Bags are packed, psyche is high. Off to Peru for another season in the High Andes. Thanks to all the great people who helped make the last month of my life one for the record books.
El Mundo es mi patio de recreo. Viajar ligero, es la ?nica manera de volar!

Scott Nelson good luck don't die!!
June 11 at 3:20pm ? Like

Jes Meiris Have fun Gil! Don't die!
June 11 at 7:40pm

[puzzld]

You get the feeling these boys were risk takers? Even for mountain climbers?

[animosity]

Gil Weiss
June 11 near Boulder, CO
Bags are packed, psyche is high. Off to Peru for another season in the High Andes. Thanks to all the great people who helped make the last month of my life one for the record books.
El Mundo es mi patio de recreo. Viajar ligero, es la ?nica manera de volar!

Scott Nelson good luck don't die!!
June 11 at 3:20pm ? Like

Jes Meiris Have fun Gil! Don't die!
June 11 at 7:40pm

eek! i know it means the month previous, but gah! and also, never again am i gonna use, 'don't die' as a cute bon voyage. i hate eating my words. yes, i'd say they were risk takers.

[bowieluva]

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2012...uvian_mountain

I will never understand what compels people to climb mountains... RIP guys.

Gil's last public post:

I believe the traditional answer is "because it's there."

I get it. You're conquering something massive. You're testing everything about yourself. The reward emotionally and psychologically is beyond value.

[Deviant Toaster]

It's sad since they weren't out being idiots, rather doing something they loved. Following that thrill. It's to bad that some thrills come with such high risks.


RIP Gil & Ben

[puzzld]

I believe the traditional answer is "because it's there."

I get it. You're conquering something massive. You're testing everything about yourself. The reward emotionally and psychologically is beyond value.

Unless you die.

No I can sort of understand that they think there's something special about what they are doing, but I don't get spending all that time and energy on something "non-productive." To spend time striving to build something awesome, or to compose a great song, or cure cancer? Run into a burning building to rescue a cat? Wonderful. To be the very first to climb Mt. Xcesss? OK. But to be able to say I drug my ass up this mountain, that 500 other people have already climbed, and managed not to fall and kill myself? The best case has you climbing to the top then coming back down again... Meh. Now if you were pulling a sled with diphtheria vaccine to save a bunch of kids lives, that would be awesome. But "just because it's there?" That's always going to be a mystery to me.

[bowieluva]

An awwwwful lot of people get it, though. Mountain climbing is a tremendously popular sport. Like hiking the Pacific Rim. It's just something people perceive as a life accomplishment. I guess I can see people who wouldn't want to do it but I don't think the motivation is that mysterious. I personally have vertigo so doing that sort of thing is probably not in the cards but I think it's rad. It has nothing to do with being 'first'. It has to do with rigorous training, dedication, and standing at the top of the world.

[g r ee n ey e s]

Creature is a world climber.

[debk589]

Wow. Gil has some AMAZING photos on his Facebook page. He definitely died doing what he loved, and has seen more natural beauty of our world than I can even dream of. RIP guys.

[Beantown Bitch]

I agree. Great photos indeed. I just checked out a lot of them. He wasn't bad on the eyes either. He def took risks. Men love that shit though. Well, most men. He sure lived a great life though. It was inevitable that he would die doing something risky however. Beautiful pics for sure. Rip friends. At least they were together.

[Beantown Bitch]

Damn, guy was awesome! Must have been a great friend. I had to bookmark his page. So many great pics.

[Beantown Bitch]

Shit , i forget i can't edit. This was his livihood i guess. His job was doing it with other people as well and getting them to do things like that. WOW, what a fantastic life he had. his Girl was beautiful as well.