Many Australians would question why young people go in search of adventure of a seemingly dangerous kind. Last week’s incident in the Swiss Alps in which 13 Australians and five others were killed gives cause to reflect on what drove the young travellers to go canyoning in the first place.
George Mallory, the man who came closest to reaching the summit of Mount Everest before Edmund Hillary, was asked why he was attempting to climb the mountain. He answer was, “”Because it is there.” That answer probably holds good for exploration and discovery. It holds good for the mission to the Moon. It is in human nature to explore and discover. If it were not, we would still be living like apes in a life that was nasty, brutish and short.
Doing an adventure run, even if done virtually daily by others, is of a similar kind. There could be many reasons for doing it. It is a cheap (or not so cheap) thrill. There is the element of dare. There is also an element of camaraderie among a group. Most of these kinds of adventure also involve an interaction with the forces of nature: gravity, water, air, rock and so on.
They usually involve danger where a significant lapse in attention or physical effort or a significant change in conditions could result in injury or death. It is no different from driving a car, except car driving is usually pursued for practical reasons. Driving a car is probably more dangerous than most of these organised adventure activities. The adventure activities usually have very good safety records.
Tragic as last week’s events were, they should be put into perspective. Where possible life should be enjoyed. Young (and indeed old) people should not be discouraged from last week’s events, though they and the organisers should maintain care and caution.
Last week’s events should not cause a cessation to adventure. It would be a denial of the human spirit.