What is the point?They might very easily die trying, and there is no economic payoff.WTF???

Because they are there (the mountains, not the climbers)

Challenge, thrill, visible goals. You name it.

ask any alpine person! Ask Julie Andrews! CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN!!

I've always been annoyed by those that have no interest in something, & then not having the courtesy to allow others to follow their own pursuits with out judgment. l do not question why u enjoy the things that u may enjoy. Look out into the world enthusiastically & instead of asking why, ask why not! You will be surprised at the joy u will find.

l climb mountains because they r there! (George Mallory is answer when asked the same question). l also enjoy the camaraderie, the physical benefits, the ability to push my own sense of thrill, & because there r not too many things in this world that will give u such beautiful vistas which remind u of the miracle life is when u choose to live it!

Speaking of Julie Andrews (singing) The hills r alive with the Sounds of Music!

It is dangerous. If l were them l would stay on an inside fake mountain climbing place were they support more caution. It probably is fun and exhilarating, if you live it probably is very confident building to know that.

Not everything in this life is about economic gain - that is why we go to college & have careers. You need other things in life to be happy - love, interests, friends, activities, etc.

Climbing is a great outdoor activity to stay in shape, reduce stress & have fun. Like most things, if u do it with no regard for safety, it can be dangerous. If u use care, it can be quite safe. Many joggers & golfers r killed every year doing what they enjoy, r those ''dangerous'' activites as well?

Climbing means to me:

Challenge & fun
Getting away from daily stress
Forgetting about everything else
Being able to concentrate on rock climbing only
Fun with friends
Spending time in the outdoors

Good Luck

The same way u see an economic payoff is the same way some persons see the summit of a mountain. it is a goal to achieve.
Also there very often is an economic payoff in exploratory expeditions, who can climb faster competitions, smallest group/ largest group, highest climb etc. also it is amazingly beautiful to see it from the top.

your question is similar to asking why do women wear high heeled shoes. why do people breed dogs that have no hunting, rescue or assistance abilities, & why do people keep cats if they have no mice problems? Why paint ur house? sealant protects it the paint has no real use.

Oh yeah. why do u wear clothing when the weather is fine?

A good question - the best way to answer it - because it is enjoyable. Because what we get out of it cannot be measured bought or sold with money.

''If u cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain & goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward & forever upward, then u wo not see why we go. What we get from this adventure is sheer joy.''

-George Leigh Mallory

''Because it is there''

-Sir Edmund Hillary


We climbers & mountaineers understand the dangers involved with climbing, yet we enjoy it. We understand that there is a good chance that we could be killed while climbing but think that the risk is worth the reward.

To quote the British mountaineer, George Mallory (1923):

So, if u cannot understand there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain [Everest] & goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward & forever upward, then u wo not see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy.

And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat & make money, we make money to enjoy life. That is what life means & what life is for.



(Ed Hillary did not say ''Because it is there''. That was also Mallory).

l do not know maybe they just want to die?!