Colorado Lost a Young Legend in Mountaineering

[Jay521]

Survivor guilt is well known among the climbing community. Google it. It's a symptom of PTSD and often ends in suicide. This is a very sad ending to a tragic event and there were likely no prior symptoms and nothing to diagnose.

The lesson I take away from this is when people lose someone close in an accident, be there for them. Don't judge them, question them, or blame them. They are hurting and need your support.

+1

[seano732]

Hayden was pretty candid about how he felt about the mountains taking the lives of his best friends and he was eloquent in the way he talked about it. Everyone has a breaking point. He said he's backed down from cutting edge, scary/dangerous mountaineering because of losing his friends. This situation happened when he was just out skiing with his partner, and then she died, but he for some reason survived. If the mountains and this person are your world, and the mountains kill everyone you love including this very special person, what do you have left? I'm not defending, but I can empathize with the sort of despair this young guy was going through. I don't really see this as a chronic mental instability.

Are you kidding me????? You don't think suicide is a "chronic mental instability" Bullshitt!! It can't get anymore unstable.
This "snow flake" mentality is a disgrace to our society. Life is tough. Deal with it. It's a shame people are not being taught this basic rule. All your loved ones will die. Life is the most precious thing ever. Cherish it. Find the spiritual connection to it, and have faith.

Hey a**hole, how about you STFU. You have NO idea what you are talking about. Did you know Hayden? Ever heard him speak? Did you read the avalanche report? He searched for Inge, his partner and love of his life, FOR THREE HOURS; tragically, her beacon was in her pack and in the off position, and he could not find her. Imagine that. Imagine the horror, the agony that this young man went through..... Or, one could do what you've done, which is to be a judgemental prick on the Internet about something you are obviously ignorant about. WTF is wrong with you? Two young people in the prime of their lives are gone; family and friends of them are devastated, probably for life. Do us all a favor and spew your ignorance elsewhere. Or, just GFYS. Seriously. /rant

[FireOnTheMountain]

suicide is such selfish, stupid act. I've lost a few friends to it. It pisses me off more than anything. Mental illness like that has warning signs way before the act. Someone should have been paying attention.

Hope you feel better getting that off your chest, douche.

This video of him doing the FA on Carbondale Shortbus, a 5.14 gear route, is pretty rad.

Very cool, can't tell how hard it is because he just floats it! Man, how very sad.

[JaredJohnson]

Does the admin ever delete posts in here that would be incredibly offensive to any friends and family members if they happened upon the thread?

[highpilgrim]

Are you kidding me????? You don't think suicide is a "chronic mental instability" Bullshitt!! It can't get anymore unstable.
This "snow flake" mentality is a disgrace to our society. Life is tough. Deal with it. It's a shame people are not being taught this basic rule. All your loved ones will die. Life is the most precious thing ever. Cherish it. Find the spiritual connection to it, and have faith.

Smells like awilbur77...just ignore him.

We all missed you sorely, dingleberry.

NOT.

[Ulla]

I actually posted a comment about this thread yesterday and then deleted it, as I didn't want to start a feud. I, personally, understand why people want and do commit suicide. I can see where some people think this may be a selfish act, however, from my perspective, the option of suicide can be and is comforting. That may sound strange to some people. The trauma in my life has been difficult to deal with, even with professional help (which I continue to have). I have difficulty looking at it as a selfish act....it's an option that for me, really has nothing to do with anyone else. It's not a punishment or revenge....it's a way to deal with what I see as a sometimes hopeless situation and no-way-out future. No need to call the Suicide Hotline for me. I've come to recognize that this is situational for me....and that the dark times do pass and yet at times suicide is a very real option and soothing. I also don't really see it as mental instability. I see depression as a 'normal' response to the heinous s**t, and suicide as an option to relieve that pain.

My heart aches for Hayden, especially in the moments prior to him making that decision. How devastating for him and I get it.

[justiner]

Hayden was pretty candid about how he felt about the mountains taking the lives of his best friends and he was eloquent in the way he talked about it. Everyone has a breaking point. He said he's backed down from cutting edge, scary/dangerous mountaineering because of losing his friends. This situation happened when he was just out skiing with his partner, and then she died, but he for some reason survived. If the mountains and this person are your world, and the mountains kill everyone you love including this very special person, what do you have left? I'm not defending, but I can empathize with the sort of despair this young guy was going through. I don't really see this as a chronic mental instability.

Are you kidding me????? You don't think suicide is a "chronic mental instability"

I absolutely, 100% think that suicide is an option that people with chronic mental instability ponder - you may have misinterpreted what I wrote. What I wanted to communicate is, I don't believe Kennedy showed any of those signs: he was a brilliant climber, had a well-nourishing family, a beautiful/extremely talented life partner. He showed the ability to reflect on the passing of his close friends in ways that showed maturity. He was renowned for his humor, stoke and, excitement for climbing and YOUR climbing- whoever you were; he avoided the spotlight, just did his own thing. Having him take the course of action he took is frankly from this outsider, shocking for sure.

So damn Kennedy, I'll miss you just as a guy that's sometimes in the same building as you are, totally inspired by how you were climbing like, your warmup.

[crestone14ers]

suicide is such selfish, stupid act. I've lost a few friends to it. It pisses me off more than anything. Mental illness like that has warning signs way before the act. Someone should have been paying attention.

I rarely, if ever, reply to comments like this. But last night, when I read this, I sincerely felt that your privileges on this forum should at least be suspended, to give you time to reflect upon your moronic statement.

First of all, if as you said were true, why didn't YOU help your friends who committed suicide if someone, like YOU, a friend, 'should have been paying attention'?

Secondly, you have absolutely no idea what goes on inside a person's conscious and sub conscious regarding the issues, dilemmas, problems, barriers, attacks upon their own value systems, self identity, and most of all, their own abandonment with life itself! None what-so-ever!

I read as much as possible about Hayden and Inge and their connection appeared to be real, deep and filled with sharing and love. Hayden lost his partner, right there in front of him, with Hayden barely surviving himself. You probably cannot imagine what he was feeling at that moment and during the time leading up to his own passing! Hayden also lost close friends on the peaks in the recent years and this weighed a further toll on him as he himself lamented. When he lost his soul mate, his world collapsed.

I personally feel for anyone who has suffered the trauma of any type of violence, assault, unwanted sexual aggression or harassment leading one to feel isolated and abandoned in the midst of society, friends and family. It's difficult to ever place yourself in their boots because unless you yourself have ever experienced the trauma and deep self reflection, you will never know what has prompted them to take actions leading to their own passing.

To Michael and Julie Kennedy, to their friends and family, and to those who have ever felt that inner loneliness and abandonment, I wish you the best and to Hayden and Inge, May You Both Rest In Peace.

[montanahiker]

I actually posted a comment about this thread yesterday and then deleted it, as I didn't want to start a feud. I, personally, understand why people want and do commit suicide. I can see where some people think this may be a selfish act, however, from my perspective, the option of suicide can be and is comforting. That may sound strange to some people. The trauma in my life has been difficult to deal with, even with professional help (which I continue to have). I have difficulty looking at it as a selfish act....it's an option that for me, really has nothing to do with anyone else. It's not a punishment or revenge....it's a way to deal with what I see as a sometimes hopeless situation and no-way-out future. No need to call the Suicide Hotline for me. I've come to recognize that this is situational for me....and that the dark times do pass and yet at times suicide is a very real option and soothing. I also don't really see it as mental instability. I see depression as a 'normal' response to the heinous s**t, and suicide as an option to relieve that pain.

My heart aches for Hayden, especially in the moments prior to him making that decision. How devastating for him and I get it.

We generally think of "selfish" as a bad thing but it's your life, nobody else's. It seems more selfish to me when others call it selfish or think negatively of someone who attempts or commits suicide. Sometimes that's the only release from the pain a person is going through. It's terrible when the mountains become the source of the pain and not the release valve they are for so many of us.

[TallGrass]

I first heard about Hayden Kennedy (and Jason Kruk) on a Here & Now segment on NPR (link at bottom) regarding the Cerro Torre and the controversy surrounding the Compressor Route. The story and history has the feel of one era (Robbins/Harding) clashing with another (e.g. Lowe...Honnold) among other things. For those who like history...

"Dozens of Bolts Added to Compressor Route"
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web10s/news ... ssor-bolts

On 16 January 2012 the climbers Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk made the first "fair-means" ascent of the south-east ridge of Cerro Torre. On their descent they chopped about 120 bolts from the "Compressor Route"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressor_Route

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12w/news ... -statement
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12w/news ... kruk-flash
https://www.outsideonline.com/1896661/e ... ssor-route

https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2014/12/ ... ly-cordes/

"Veteran Mountaineer On Climbing Cerro Torre" 9:09 (podcast and article)
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2015/01/ ... rre-cordes

[globreal]

So sad to hear of the loss of two in the climbing community. My sincere condolences to their friends and family. I didn't know Hayden or Inge. But having lost a dear climbing friend to an accident in the mountains and having lost a climbing friend to suicide, I can sympathize. So my prayers are for the Kennedy and Perkins families.

PLEASE climbing community keep your comments on topic to the original post. The family and friends will see this. Please start a new thread to debate or attack others.

[Scott P]

I first heard about Hayden Kennedy (and Jason Kruk) on a Here & Now segment on NPR (link at bottom) regarding the Cerro Torre and the controversy surrounding the Compressor Route.

https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2014/12/ ... ly-cordes/

The book mentioned in one of your links is a really good one:

https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Chronicle- ... 1938340337

It is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in mountaineering history, from the 1950's to recently, including the history surrounding Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk's ascent.

RIP Hayden.