Vertical limit

“A man’s got to know his limitations,” Clint Eastwood famously said in Magnum Force.

I don’t know who wrote that line. But I like to think it was Michael Cimino, a man who would eventually fly too close to the sun and crash and burn an entire movie studio (The line was probably written by John Milius though). But in my mind, the greatest testament to man’s hubris is mountaineering the Himalayas. Some things just go against the laws of god and mankind was never supposed to exist above 26,000 feet. Not even goddamn airplanes.

They say mountaineering is a sport. But it’s a rich man’s sport. Conquering things that are actively trying to kill you is no normal hobby. It’s absurd when you think about it; ancient rocks that have stood for millions of years and have become cultural icons and sites of holy pilgrimage get defaced and carved up for a thrill. Trash and dead bodies litter their summits. And all for what? So you can say you’ve been to the top?

What’s been done to Mt. Everest is a travesty. In time, I’m sure K2, Annapurna, Kangchenjunga, and others will face a similar fate. If you want to risk life and limb to get high, I have great news for you: there’s crack cocaine. It’s much cheaper and much safer. But more importantly, you’re not trashing one of nature’s wonders.

In the struggle of man versus nature, nature is at an unfair advantage. So show some goddamn respect. A man has got to know his limitations.