Dear Media: Mountains are not Stadiums, even for Speed Climbers
This is an opinion piece. It is my opinion only and does not necessarily represent the views of Pullharder as a whole. I was a bit bewildered by the media fury leading up to Alex Honnold and Hans Florine's Nose speed record attempt. Then, on the same day they set the record, Stephane Brosse fell to his death on Mont Blanc on a climb that was very related in spirit and its high profile media awareness. So I was disturbed enough to write the piece below.
Yes we should accept the consequences of our actions when we choose to climb. But that does not mean that every decision is made without pressures, in a way we'd ideally like to think about it. For posterity I've kept the post as I wrote it just hours after both events. I've had a few details clarified to me (particularly about a couple of Honnold's climbs, see comments section). But even if a few of the examples I used may not be the best, the overarching point I am making should still come through (i.e,. enough paparazzi!). Feel free to disagree.