This weekend I was back in Amsterdam for the fourth time in a year to run the Amsterdam Marathon. The only problem was that I hadn’t trained. At all. I ran a lot in June, but then I spent the summer on the road. And though I wore out a pair of running shoes walking around stadiums, I hadn’t run more than 5-6 times with friends or just to see some of the towns. I am reasonably active though, so with a little help from my friend willpower (though he abandoned me for a stretch between 35 and 40 km) I pulled it off in a bit under five hours. Not an impressive time, but something I’m happy with considering the amount of preparation I put in.
Returning to work on Monday I was told just how foolhardy I was since three people had dropped dead running the Detroit Marathon the same day that I was pounding the pavement in Amsterdam. Of course at that fatality rate, the last 15 years of the Detroit Marathon has a lower fatality rate than commuting in the UK. The point is that much like you need to commute, you need to go out and enjoy life – which will always come with some risk. And personally, I’d much rather take that small risk than the risk of having a dull life. So if you’re thinking of doing something fairly ridiculous, might I recommend a major physical challenge. That’s adventure.
If watching this doesn’t scare you off of backcountry skiing for a little while then I don’t know what will. I love cruising around off-piste, but damned if I don’t get myself the best avalanche gear money can buy before I get any more adventurous than I am right now.
This was a decent sized avalanche. 1,500 feet the dude fell in a little over 20 seconds. The crown was about 1 – 1.5m. The chute that he got sucked through to the skier’s right was flanked on either side by cliff bands that were about 30m tall. He luckily didn’t break any bones and obviously didn’t hit anything on the run out.
1,500 feet in 20 seconds? Damn. Read the rest of the description for a bit of background on how he got into the situation and a more words of caution on skiing in avalanche zones.
Lane Wallace writes in The Atlantic about how adventure tourists having a good time together expose themselves to significant risks. A week ago I was musing about bonding power of risk, but it’s also good to look at it’s destructive power.
So first, there is the problem that Wallace highlights. There are certain variables that make you feel that your risk is actually less than it is. If you think you are in control, if you think that there is an expert or authority helping and protecting you, if you’re in a good mood, or if there is a group of people taking the risk with you, then you can easily forget how dangerous the situation is. The example I used for bonding is a perfect example. We we’re travelling as a group, so felt it wasn’t quite as dangerous as it actually was.
Digging back through the archives of Q4A, I find more evidence this theory on perceived risk. When discussing my need for a ski-helmet, I mentioned that when I’m happy and having fun I take on a greater level of risk. Case and point: as soon as I actually got to the slopes this winter I didn’t end up buying a helmet. I was having fun and the group I was with didn’t have helmets, so my perceived risk dropped.
The second problem is that taking risks is addicting. The rush you get can be addictive – literally from the dopamine boost you get when you take risks. There’s also the lifestyle addiction, you fall into the pastern and don’t really think to get out of it until you get into trouble.
All told, it’s a reminder that flirting with trouble is a joy and is a great way to make friends, you do have to keep your head up because the closer you get to trouble, the more likely you are to be reckless.
