Your browser does not support the PubReader view.
Go to this page to see a list of supporting browsers.
Research in Dance and Physical Activity
[ Article ]
Research in Dance and Physical Education - Vol. 4, No. 3, pp.51-61
ISSN: 2586-1034 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Dec 2020
Received 21 Sep 2020 Revised 12 Dec 2020 Accepted 20 Dec 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26584/RDPE.2020.12.4.3.51

Understanding the Motives of High-Risk Leisure Participants: A Case of Mt. Everest Mountaineers

Boyun Woo1, * ; Ye Hoon Lee2
1Endicott College, U.S.A., Associate Professor
2Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Republic of Korea, Assistant Professor

Correspondence to: *Email address: bwoo@endicott.edu

Abstract

Participation in high-risk leisure activities has increased dramatically over the years despite the number of risks and dangers the activities present during participation. Mountaineering is considered as one of the most popular activities of high-risk leisure activities. However, there is a lack of research investigating the motives of mountaineers who trek/ climb difficult mountain ranges risking their health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the motives of mountaineers who trek/climb the Mt. Everest Base Camp for leisure. The total number of 4 participants who completed ‘Mt. Everest Base Camp and Kala Pattar’ program was recruited in Kathmandu, Nepal, and an in-depth interview was conducted to collect data. To analyze the data, a line-by-line analysis was performed to establish emergent themes. Then, a thematic analysis was conducted using these themes as the basis. The findings indicated that the reasons the participants engage in mountaineering in difficult mountain ranges were generally to feel an accomplishment. On the other hand, the primary motive for joining the Mt. Everest Base Camp program was affect regulation, which is an escape strategy from emotional difficulties and/or stresses from daily life.

Keywords:

motive, high-risk leisure, mountaineering, Mt. Everest, interview

References

  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.
  • Barlow, M., Woodman, T., & Hardy, L. (2013). Great expectations: Different high-risk activities satisfy different motives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(3), 458-475. [https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033542]
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101. [https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa]
  • Breivik, G. (1996). Personality, sensation seeking and risk-taking among Everest climbers. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 27(3), 308-320.
  • Burtscher, M., Philadelphy, M., Nachbauer, W., & Likar, R. (1995). The risk of death to trekkers and hikers in the mountains. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 273(6), 460 [https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1995.03520300030031]
  • Cass, M. (2009). Sensation seeking: A potential factor influencing perceived risk and perceived competence in an introductory scuba diving course. Journal of Experiential Education, 31(3), 431-434. [https://doi.org/10.1177/105382590803100314]
  • Castanier, C., Le Scanff, C., & Woodman, T. (2010). Beyond sensation seeking: Affect regulation as a framework for predicting risk taking behavior in high risk sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32, 731-738. [https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.32.5.731]
  • Della, F. A., Bassi, M., & Massimini, F. (2003). Quality of experience and risk perception in high-attitude rock climbing. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 15, 82-98. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200305402]
  • Douglas, E (2013, May 24). Trekking in the Himalayas: How to do it. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/may/24/trekking-in-the-himalayas-nepal-everest
  • Ewert, A. W. (2001). Playing the edge: Motivation and risk taking in a high-altitude wilderness-like environment. Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, 6(1), 12-20. [https://doi.org/10.7771/2327-2937.1016]
  • Ewert, A., & Hollenhorst, S. (1989). Testing the adventure model: Empirical support for a model of risk recreation participation. Journal of Leisure Research, 21(2), 124-139. [https://doi.org/10.1080/00222216.1989.11969794]
  • Hymbaugh, K., & Garrett, J. (1974). Sensation among skydivers. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 38, 118. [https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1974.38.1.118]
  • Jack, S. J., & Ronan, K. R. (1998). Sensation seeking among high and low risk sports participants. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(6), 1063-1083. [https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00081-6]
  • Jones, G., Milligan, J., Llewellyn, D., Gledhill, A., Johnson, M. I. (2015). Motivational orientation and risk taking in elite winter climbers: A qualitative study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.25-40. [https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2015.1069876]
  • Llewellyn, D. J., & Xanchez, X. (2008). Individual differences and risk taking in rock climbing. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 9, 413-426. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2007.07.003]
  • Llewellyn, D. J., Sanchez, X., Ashghar, A., & Jones, G. (2008). Self-efficacy, risk taking and performance in rock climbing. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 75-81. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.03.001]
  • Murdoch, D. R. (1995). Symptoms of infection and altitude illness among hikers in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 66, 148-151.
  • Ortner, S. (1999). Life and death on Mount Everest: Sherpas and Himalayan mountaineering. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691211770]
  • Robinson, D. (1985). Stress seeking: Selected behavioral characteristics of elite rock climbers. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7, 400-404. [https://doi.org/10.1123/jsp.7.4.400]
  • Rosenbloom, T. (2003). Risk evaluation and risky behavior of high and low sensation seekers. Social Behavior and Personality, 31(4), 375-386. [https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2003.31.4.375]
  • Slanger, E., Rudestam, K. E. (1997). Motivation and disinhibition in high risk sports: Sensation seeking and self-efficacy. Journal of Research in Personality, 31, 355-374. [https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1997.2193]
  • Taylor, R. L., & Hamilton, J. C. (1997). Preliminary evidence for the role of self-regulatory processes in sensation seeking. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 10, 351-375. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10615809708249309]
  • Turner, C., McClure, R., & Pirozzo, S. (2004). Injury and risk-taking behavior: A systematic review. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 36, 93-101. [https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00131-8]
  • Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing and Health Sciences, 15, 398-405. [https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12048]
  • Yang, M., & Sanjay, N. (2016). High mountain adventure tourism: Trekkers’ perceptions of risk and death in Mt. Everest Region, Nepal. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 21, 500-511. [https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2015.1062787]
  • Zuckerman, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
  • Zuckerman, M. (2007). Sensation seeking and risky behavior. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association [https://doi.org/10.1037/11555-000]