Gone Too Far?

Sun., Oct. 20, 1996

Risk management

First, the same French alpinists who popularized extreme skiing started dropping like flies. Then just last spring, a group of climbers died on Everest. Now, more and more people are asking each other whether or not adventure sports haven’t gone too far.

The question of risk and responsibility is the focus of the first seminar at the 21st Annual Banff Festival of Mountain Films, which runs from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3 at the Banff Center in Banff, Alberta.

“Whose Risk Is It?” will be from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, where a panel of guides, park officials, psychologists - and of course lawyers - will discuss issues of liability for adventurers.

On Nov. 3, also from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., a seminar entitled “Extreme Guiding” will focus on the ethics of taking clients to their limits.

High altitude guide Ed Viesturs from Seattle, who was a member of the Imax Filming Expedition that captured footage of the tragedy on Everest this spring, will be featured, along with guides Alex Lowe and Barry Blanchard.

Both seminars are free and open to the public.

, DataTimes

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