I don’t understand man’s desire to climb peaks such as Mount Everest and K2, but I also can’t lay blame on those who travel the world to explore these imposing landmarks.

During the past week, I’ve learned more about K2, located in the high mountains that separate Pakistan and China, than I really need to know. Only 280 people have climbed to the top of the 28,251-foot peak since 1954. It’s dangers have been well-documented in the climbing community.

The most recent accident, which came Aug. 1, resulted in the death of 11 climbers and has put K2 — and those willing to scale its dramatic slopes — into the spotlight once again. Despite my lack of understanding of climbers, I can’t help but to be drawn into the aftermath. The words of those who survived are hard to ignore, and as the climbers who were on that mountain, on that day, return to civilization, I have no doubt there will be many more stories of tragedy, survival and the strength of the human spirit.

Like I said, I don’t understand it, but there is a voice in the back of my mind that keeps calling to my own sense of adventure.

“Man, wouldn’t it be great to make it to the top of K2,” that voice says.

Lucky for me, I have my wife around to remind me that I’m 42 with two children, and I’m scared of heights.

I’ve never met Eric Meyer face to face, but the Steamboat Springs doctor was nice enough to respond to a series of questions I sent to his e-mail last week following the tragedy. You see, Meyer elected to abandon his attempt to reach the top of K2 last Friday, less than 1,000 feet from his goal. Had he gone for the top, there is no saying what would have happened.

But instead, he made sound decisions on that day, good choices that kept him out of harms way. Thankfully, I’ve been able to write about how he has spent the past week taking care of stranded survivors instead of the alternative.

In the next few months, I hope he will share his stories of survival on K2, a place that is beautiful and unforgiving.

I read a comment posted to the bottom of an Associated Press article after two Dutch climbers had been rescued early last week. The comment questioned why people around the world continue to risk their lives to climb to the top of these mountains.

When I stop and think about it, I guess the climbers who risk their lives on those peaks do it for people like me.

I’m never going to climb a mountain in some remote location just to feed a sense of adventure.

Instead, I can sit back in the safety of my easy chair, surrounded by my family, and live these adventures through the climbers who are willing to put it all on the line, chase adventure and bring their stories back to the rest of us. Thanks for the adventure, Eric. I’m incredibly glad you’re OK. Get back home safe, so you can continue to share your adventures with the rest of the world.