13-year-olds climbing Everest

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

That we choose our colonial slaves and beasts of burden very carefully.

[Drake Tungsten]

Gurkhas

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

[Drake Tungsten]

I still really want a kukri.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Enjoy-

http://www.theknightshop.co.uk/catalog/kukri-genuine-gurkha-regimental-p-1609.html

[Elok]

Oh, that's just so ****ing American. "A child! An innocent child! Conquering the world! Live your dreams! Be yourselves! You can be anything you want to be!"

Hey, I'm American and I think this is moronic and irresponsible.

[MikeH]

Gurkhas

Love the reluctant paratroopers story, officers trying to get 100 Ghurkas to volunteer for jump training and only get 70 volunteers... they are surprised and a bit shocked to get so few volunteers. Then they explain about the parachutes...

See "The reluctant paratroopers" here:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19690930&id=ukgoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QSgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7303,6422044

[Provost Harrison]

Being "aware" of the consequences and "understanding" the consequences are two different things.

I tell my daughter that if she doesn't eat her veggies she can't have any desert and she's complete capable of understanding this. Yet, she still choses to forgo desert so as not to have to eat her veggies. Still, when desert comes and she gets none she regrets her previous decision. Of course she's 4, but it's not a very big decision.

My point; he may be aware that it's a life and death decisions, but he has no idea what he really sacrificing since he hasn't really lived yet. Or, maybe he does.

It's not like his parents are letting him do heroin, where the consequences are less obvious. however, the consequences here are more permanent.

I concur with Sloww.

It depends on whether you offer her Sahara, Atacama or Arabian

[Ben Kenobi]

At 13? 13 year olds used to be considered old enough to make important decisions about their future. Marco Polo himself went on the expedition with his father at the age of 15. Drake was an apprentice seaman at the age of 13.

I really don't see why a 13 year old would not be capable of persuing the climb provided that he's under the supervision of adults. Any younger and I would have to say no.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

At 13? 13 year olds used to be considered old enough to make important decisions about their future.

Like getting married to middle-aged men, for example. Agree that's a good thing, or abandon your blanket approval.

[MikeH]

As long as they are priests?

[Elok]

That was also the era when jousting, wherein two men on horseback run into each other at high speed with big sticks, was a common recreational activity for the upper classes despite the significant risk of death. I do not doubt that they would have gladly allowed any one of their bastard children to go climb a mountain, and provided a few expendable manservants. They'd have been a bit more careful with the heirs, though.

[Elok]

Also, Drake's career was one of the few activities more dangerous than climbing Everest. I imagine the Polo expedition was pretty risky too. The distinction being that both were immensely useful as well as profitable...this kid might get money and brief flavor-of-the-month fame if he doesn't die, and will probably get even more fame (but no money) if he does. But that's about it. It's a stupid, dangerous stunt.

[Ben Kenobi]

Like getting married to middle-aged men, for example. Agree that's a good thing, or abandon your blanket approval.

I don't have a problem with that either. There were many royal marriages at that age.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Ben is in favour of 13-year-olds getting married to middle-aged men . You heard it here.