VOA慢速英语--Risky Climbers Bring Danger to Highest US Mountain

 

Park rangers² who watch North America's highest mountain say inexperienced and overconfident climbers are taking more risks and endangering themselves and other climbers. The rangers suggest many climbers are trying to move up the mountain too fast after having a year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Denali in southern Alaska is 6,190 meters (20,310 feet) above sea level. So, climbing it requires a high level of skill. Climbers also need to acclimate⁴ to high altitudes that is not needed for most mountains in the U.S.

Acclimation⁵ to high altitudes means you slowly permit your body to adapt, or get used to conditions. If you don't, you could feel sick.

Experts at America's Cleveland Clinic say altitude sickness "happens when your body is unable to adapt to a low-pressure, low-oxygen environment..." This generally happens at about 2,400 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level.

The National Park Service recently issued a statement warning that many climbers in the Alaska Range are showing signs of inexperience and overconfidence.

After reporting no deaths in 2018 and 2019, at least two people have already died on the mountain in 2021. Two others were seriously injured, officials said.

Earlier this month, a skier⁶ from the state of Colorado died after falling into a crevasse⁷, or very deep cut in the ice. Rangers also reported that a climber from the state of Idaho was killed by a large falling piece of ice.

The rangers issued their statement after a Canadian climber was seriously injured after falling nearly 305 meters (1,000 feet). He was not wearing climbing ropes. Other climbers reported the fall. People in a helicopter studying mountain ice in the area were able to rescue the man, park officials said.

"The remoteness and extreme weather in Alaska," the statement said, present extra risks. This is true even for climbers who are experienced³ at altitudes of about 4,000 meters.

The Park Service statement named several reasons for the increase in injuries and deaths. They include extreme tiredness, untested body reactions to high altitudes, quickly changing weather, and not bringing the right equipment.

In recent years, rangers said they have seen more climbers try to make Denali's summit⁸ by climbing the 2,134 meters (7,000 feet) from the final base camp to the top in one day. This is nearly impossible to do except for the most experienced climbers.

Experts suggest that climbers take 17 to 21 days to reach the top of Denali. That includes rest days and extra days to wait out extreme weather.

But rangers say many climbing groups experience something called "summit fever." This can happen when climbers are running out of days on their trip. So, they take greater risks.

Officials at Denali describe how summit fever may lead to bad decision-making. People often climb the mountain in a group and move up the mountain slowly by reaching several base camps. This helps the climbers acclimate to the increase in altitude.

But some people leave their starting group after reaching the final base camp (at about 4,200 meters). They do this because other group members may decide not to climb the summit.

Some climbers then join other groups or individuals they don't know well. And that can lead to problems. Sometimes those people get too sick to keep going. They sometimes must share sleeping structures, water, and fuel.

The statement said that "a number of climbing teams have had their own summit..." attempts ruined by the need to care for climbers who have difficulties.

The statement also reminded climbers that the National Park Service rescues people only when their lives, arms and legs, or eyesight are at risk. It said the Park Service has already had to turn down rescue requests this year because they did not meet those conditions.

The Park Service limits the number of people who can climb Denali to less than 1,500 per year. In 2019, 726 people made it to the summit.

The busiest time for climbing Denali is during May and June. Cold weather is a problem in the spring, and storms become more common during the summer.

Words in This Story

park ranger¹ – n. a person in charge of managing and protecting part of a national park

overconfident – adj. feeling too sure about something

acclimate – v. to adapt (someone) to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation

adapt – v. to adapt (someone) to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation

remoteness – n. the state of being far away from other people, houses, cities, etc.

summit – n. the highest point

base camp – n. a camp from which mountaineering expeditions set out

1 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

2 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

3 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

4 acclimate   

v.使服水土，使习惯于新环境

参考例句：

• I help them acclimate to living in the U.S.我帮助他们适应在美国的生活。
• How much time does she need to acclimate?她需要多少时间才能适应？

5 acclimation   

n.服水土，顺应，适应环境；服习；驯化

参考例句：

• The incipient lethal temperature are shifted upward by acclimation to warmer temperature. 四角蛤蜊起始致死温是随驯化温度的变化而改变。 来自互联网
• A respiration rate compensation throught thermal acclimation is demonstrated by E. 温度驯化能导致速率补偿，表现为25℃驯化河蟹的呼吸率明显低于10℃驯化河蟹的呼吸率。 来自互联网

6 skier   

n.滑雪运动员

参考例句：

• She is a skier who is unafraid of danger.她是一名敢于冒险的滑雪者。
• The skier skimmed across the snow.滑雪者飞快地滑过雪地。

7 crevasse   

n. 裂缝，破口；v.使有裂缝

参考例句：

• The deep crevasse yawned at their feet.他们脚下的冰川有一道深深的裂缝。
• He fell down a crevasse.他从裂缝处摔了下来。

8 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。