You go to parties where people risk their lives in incredibly stupid ways? What do you do, play Russian Roulette? (Which I think has roughly the level of common sense as the kind of activity Ferreras engages in.)
I take lots of risks myself. I regularly fly into remote jungle airstrips on small planes, or get dropped off on mountain peaks by helicopter on landing pads carved out by machete. I’ve worked in areas where kidnapping by Colombian guerrillas or contracting Ebola fever was a threat. Next week I expect to be travelling through rough seas in a motorized dugout canoe to land on a tiny offshore island. But all these risks are taken for a purpose, not just for the sake of taking risks.
I have nothing against a certain degree of recreational risk-taking either. I’ve climbed mountains just for fun. But at some point, risk-taking just for its own sake does veer into stupidity. Free-diving, at least in the way Ferraras does it, combines exceptional pointlessness with exceptional. It ain’t much more than seeing if you can hold the record for how many games of Russian Roulette you’ve survived.
The problem is that lots of places have avalanche potential. Any slope between 25 and 40 degrees has the possibility of a slide, but people evaluate the risk by digging snow pits, examining the layers, etc. They also carry avy beacons and train to self-rescue. For the most part, it’s only your party that’s going to save you, people coming from elsewhere won’t arrive in time.
I’ve never done a winter S&R, but I’ve been out in nasty weather in the summer, not fun, but probably not life threatening. I don’t have the training nor the skills for a real winter S&R. Here in NH only the state can fine someone for their rescue if they are deemed negligent. It has happened a few times, most folks have voluntairily donated money before it came to that. In some places in the US and most places in Europe, you will be charged for any rescue and it’s wise to have rescue insurance. I’m all for that.
The point is that all backcountry travel involves some risk. It’s hard to quantify that risk ahead of time. I know what is comfortable risk for me, but not for everyone else. In NH, the line is when the state Fish and Game determine whether you were negligent. I’m a bit leary of the state being in charge of that, but it has worked well so far.
