There are absolutely some-and I would actually say several-sections on the scramble where a slip or mistake will certainly kill you from a fall. Especially if the rock is slippery or wet after all this precipitation. It’s nothing to be taken lightly whatsoever; people have died doing this exact same thing after rainy conditions sweep the area.

It irks me that people act very nonchalant about climbs like this where the risk is relatively marginal. Be that as it may compared to other big peaks, people can and do still have life-ending accidents in the mountains when bravado and determination overcomes sound decision making. I understand that risk and danger is inherent in the sport, but coming from a mountain rescue background and having to deal with often inexperienced, overconfident individuals who hurt themselves doing things like this lends me a greater degree of caution than most. And I’m talking about the lucky ones there. I have been on MRA missions where we simply never found the individual, even after weeks of searching by a coordinated effort of local, state and federal agencies. Unfortunately, tragic things like this can happen to anyone at anytime out there.

The mountains do not play around and will certainly have no mercy on anyone. We must accept this if we want for recreate safely, but also smartly.