Letter: High adventure

Sir: How can Lord Hunt (Letters, 18 February) criticise climbers for venturing into the mountains? Are we to suppose that Everest in 1952- 53 was somehow less dangerous than the Cairngorms in 1994?

I was with friends in Snowdonia last weekend and had to take one of our party to Bangor hospital following an injury in the mountains. I noticed the number of rugby and football players brought in for treatment. Nurses told me that such incidents were 'into double figures', and that this was normal for a Saturday afternoon. This compared with only two climbing accidents.

If one multiplies these 'double figures' by the number of hospitals around the country, it is clear that the cost of medical treatment for such injuries is enormous. As a one- time rugby player and a present-day mountaineer, I have learnt that competitive ball games keep you injured, while mountaineering, with occasional exceptions, keeps you fit.

Yours faithfully

ROY LINDSELL

Whitchurch, Shropshire