This article from the LA Times, Another Peril for Climbers, tells the story of a family who has filed a $10-million wrongful death lawsuit against the National Park Service. Their son, Peter Terbush, was killed in 1999 by a rock slide on Glacier Point.
Peter's father, Jim Terbush, who is a climber himself, has latched onto a theory by Skip Watts, a Radford University professor. Watts theorizes that water overflowing from a 300,000 gallon storage tank attached to the old bathrooms atop Glacier Point has been the culprit responsible for several major rock falls in the area.
My take on this? I thought I could expect better of the climbing community. In any sort of extreme sport, be it climbing, scuba diving, hang-gliding, or whatever, participants always know that they are taking risks that could cost them their lives - even if they follow all the precautions. But grief is a funny thing. Now this grieving father is going to put his family through a long legal battle. He's going to set a precident that could halt climbing in Yosimite. And what will he gain? After the legal dust settles, he may have more money in the bank, and he may not, but his son will still be gone.
Peter's father, Jim Terbush, who is a climber himself, has latched onto a theory by Skip Watts, a Radford University professor. Watts theorizes that water overflowing from a 300,000 gallon storage tank attached to the old bathrooms atop Glacier Point has been the culprit responsible for several major rock falls in the area.
My take on this? I thought I could expect better of the climbing community. In any sort of extreme sport, be it climbing, scuba diving, hang-gliding, or whatever, participants always know that they are taking risks that could cost them their lives - even if they follow all the precautions. But grief is a funny thing. Now this grieving father is going to put his family through a long legal battle. He's going to set a precident that could halt climbing in Yosimite. And what will he gain? After the legal dust settles, he may have more money in the bank, and he may not, but his son will still be gone.