I think my point is being missed entirely. Of course it is a great accomplishment for an eight year old, good for him. What I am questioning is the need to bring a kid so young into a dangerous situation that they in no way could perceive the risk. What is the hurry? A child of that age has a lot of life to live and most experiences will be new, so why the rush to get him into dangerous situations? To state that cars are more dangerous than mountaineering is idiotic, sorry man but that is a very, very weak argument. Who cares where you are from? What does that have to do with anything?

Micheal Jackson hanging his kid over a railing has nothing on this kids dad.

Well that is definatley pushing it. I do disagree with that.

It's not that I don't think jred has a valid conceren, but I don't think anyone should jump to conclusions on this issue. Fact is we don't know that this is harmful. We also don't know the kid or the father for that matter.

If the kid didn't want to go, I don't think the dad would be able to get him up.

And I've work with hundreds of kids age 6 to 12. I refuse to say that climbing a big mountain is wrong for everykid. My son's teacher told him he cannot read Les Mesirable because it was high school material. In the reading world that is a huge mountain. Well he's almost done at this point. Granted he may not understand all the details and meanings of things- but he gets the story line.

What I am questioning is the need to bring a kid so young into a dangerous situation that they in no way could perceive the risk. What is the hurry? A child of that age has a lot of life to live and most experiences will be new, so why the rush to get him into dangerous situations?

There is no NEED to take kids to high altitudes. There is nothing that says where/what else this kid climbs. My son has read tons of stuff at his level, for six years now, but usually above because he is not interested in normal kid stuff. He is also one of the top readers in his school of 600 students. Three kids are higher then him- twins and his younger sister.

And to wait until a kid can understand the possible consequences. . . well, I am at a loss of words. . . and my eleven year old agrees with you guys.

But my point earlier is that we encourage young kids to do things on a daily basis that they do not understand the possible consequences. My son was ridding a bike at the age of 3. No training wheels. Did he understand anything about cars and traffic? Not at all.

The local craig. . . jeez, like he understands that any better.

Really, I think the most dangerous thing about taking a kid up a 20,000 foot mountain has more to do with what to do if something happens to anybody in the party- dealing with an emergency and not being able to tell a kid to just stay put is the dangerous thing.

And I just asked my son if he understood the consequence of getting in front of a moving car when he was three. He said no.

I really hate to make it this simple, but did any of you know that the stove could burn you simply because your mother said it would?

The only reason it is okay to take kids to the craig today is because one day someone started to do it, even though everyone said "oh, they are to young."

Jred wrote: Yes, it is true that kids do not understand a bunch of what life offers, and yes it is true that there are some lessons in life which we just have to learn for ourselves, but....... We are talking about 20,000 foot plus mountaineering here, would you say that it is OK for a six year old to go base jumping, a ten year old to drive a formula one race car, a seven year old to be left alone with a high powered handgun, maybe a three year old night swimming alone? Where do you draw the line? I have never said that children should not participate in risky activities, I just thought that high altitude mountaineering was not the best idea for an eight year old. Please don't even try to compare cragging with kids to high altitude mountaineering above 20,000 ft. there is no comparison.

Asking yourself, "Is it worth it?" I something anyone who reasons probably does. I dont ask myself that question through every sequence or on every climb, but most parents do reason that much. We can sit back and judge these parents, sure its easy, its the internet, we're really not held accountable for what we say and can slander, go off, and grouse anyone that disagrees with us.

What you have to do with THIS particular situation is take everything you think you know about people and throw it out the window. Now, try to see the world through not a generic Asperger's Syndrome person's point of view, but through Aidan Golden's point of view and how he thinks. Each Autistic person is vastly different. None of us will be able to do that because we don't think like he does in a myriad of ways. And, we don't think like his parents because we don't experience the rub of sharing daily successes and extreme frustrations of raising an Autistic child.

Jred- big ups for being so influential in so many children's lives. Your giving so many children invaluable experience and experiences. But be a social example for them and practice a little better judgment and restrain your impulses to go off on someone when they don't see if from your point of view, cause you don't see it from Aidan's.

I agree there is something weird and even selfish on the parents part. What is the hurry to get an eight year old doing such things, at eight years the child has not experienced much in life. What is the big rush to get him into potentially life endangering situations? To think that an eight year old is aware of the dangers and can make a calculated assessment of the risks is absurd.

We are talking about 20,000 foot plus mountaineering here, would you say that it is OK for a six year old to go base jumping, a ten year old to drive a formula one race car, a seven year old to be left alone with a high powered handgun, maybe a three year old night swimming alone?

jred,

Everything you describe that could happen to an eight year old at high altitude can happen at low altitude. I am by all means not ignorant of the effects of altitude. I know full well the extra work it takes to "drag" a kid anywhere. Reason enough for me not to do so.

You are missing my point- and it may be because you are afraid of what could happen. Well not every one is. Some of us are more afraid of what can happen on our own street.

I guess you have to ask yourself: Is it really worth the risk?

If my eight year old wanted to climb a 20,000 foot mountain, and wouldn't stop talking about it, and was constantly packing his back pack and going out to the back yard to 'climb a mountain.' Why wait? So you go do a 10,000 foot peak. He loves it. Next thing you know you've just done a 14,000 foot peak with him. He still loves it. Your going to say no?