Endeavour, altitude and risk: reflections on a lifetime of mountaineering and exploration.
In July 2012 thousands of competitors from many nations arrive for the London Olympics, each striving to be a champion. Oh, the drive, resolve, heartache and pain. Our capital will be taken over, the press will both celebrate and criticize events; sponsorship deals will soon dominate the results. The men and women who are competing will have trained for many months or years, striven nationally and internationally, fighting hard for places in their teams. What drives them? This short paper is a personal perspective, unashamedly anecdotal, looking at some of the driving forces behind my own endeavours. I have spent a lifetime climbing mountains, with a focus on the exploration of remote regions. I also deal here with the physiological and medical challenges that high altitude mountaineering poses, and discuss its risks.
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK. DrCharlesClarke@doctors.org.uk
Charles
C
Clarke
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009051:Mountaineering / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological