Guy goes into the wilderness unprepared. Dies. People say he is a dumb ass. Most agree.

Other guy climbs a mountain that others have climbed, also unprepared -- hero, pushing the boundaries, expanding humanity's reach. Please...

> Other guy climbs a mountain that others have climbed, also unprepared

You're saying he's unprepared because he didn't take every single possible device to aid him (oxygen).

What about all the people that take every single thing possible, spend years and years training, are extremely prepared, and still die anyway.

Are they dumb asses?

> Are they dumb asses?

Less so. Depending how informed and prepared they are.

Now people can kill themselves if they want to. Certainly only so much can be done to warn or stop them, but it also doesn't make them immune from being called dumb asses.

For example I don't see how knowing the risks and choosing to ignore them while climbing a mountain and getting killed in the process is more noble or worthy of praise than getting drunk and wanting to launch fireworks from your shirt pocket and getting killed in the process.