sad. beautiful, young, not to smart though.im suprised the death rate for this type of accident is not higher, chacha.com says "On average there are nine rock climbing fatalities per year in the United States. Thanks for asking ChaCha"

r.i.p im sure there are a ton of people who will mourn for a very long time.

Climbing up 400ft without rope must be the story here. All that education doesn't make one invincible, nor lead to common sense. BTW, is this the MV Voice or Stanford Campus News?

yeah i agree, i guess im wondering if climbing without support (a rope) is done for excitement, or does it make the climb that much better? or both? why would someone do this, when you could use a teather? and was she a "most skilled of climbers?" my friend adam holton was killed from a similar injury about 12 years ago (google it) and when i found out i thought he made a stupid decision.why do this?


why the hell would you want to climb a rock?
why the hell would you want to climb a rock?
why the hell would you want to climb a rock?
why the hell would you want to climb a rock?
why the hell would you want to climb a rock?

It either doesn't occur to these 'climbers' the ubiquitousness of gravity poisoning or they have so much hubris and are so 'into' climbing.

If it is one thing I can't stand is some overachiever who likes sticking their 'accomplishments' in the face of us lessers. At the rate this country is going at least she avoids the guillotine unlike the rest of the elites.

'why the hell would you want to climb a rock?'
i don't want to be glib...but it is a kind of psychosis.

ever occurred to you she might have done it intentionally? she was different!

Christina was a brilliant, extraordinary individual who excelled intellectually, physically, and musically in the most rarefied environments, yet her HUMBLE, KIND, UNASSUMING nature belied her numerous impressive accomplishments. She was loved and admired by everyone who knew her. Her loss is raw, excruciatingly painful, and monumentally tragic. Her trajectory was boundless as is the depth of this loss.

To the persons who felt it necessary to question her mental capacity and her "fitness": Next time consider your audience. Is a memorial article an appropriate forum for airing your criticisms of elitists or overachievers without common sense? To those who knew her, the idea of comparing her to either is laughable--if we could bare to summon a laugh. Christina knew what she was doing. And, we all make mistakes. Tragically, this one was fatal.

In life, she was a hero. In death, she was human. As we all are.

a 'tragic abnormality' in the brain for high-risk behavior that is highly addictive and life-shortening. has nothing to do with smarts.

'Christina was a brilliant, extraordinary individual who excelled intellectually, physically, and musically in the most rarefied environments...'
yeah, but why not just hike and enjoy nature?

To the persons who felt it necessary to question her mental capacity and her "fitness": Next time consider your audience

you should consider where you are (internet forum), people (like myself) are just wondering why? she was at the peak of her life and to gamble everything for recreation doesnt make sense to me, does it to you?

Proof positive that advanced education and common sense do not always occur in the same individual. Sad, but true. Whenever I read a story like this, I can't help but think: "Intelligent, but stupid." Call it what you want, but this is just Darwin's Law at work, whether you like it or not. Go ahead and flame me...It won't change the facts...or bring her back.

that is called a 'fatal flaw' for risky behavior... you see it all the time in politicians, too. case in point: eliot spitzer.

You people are ridiculous. A young woman just lost her life and you are questioning her for climbing a rock? How about show some sorrow and/or keep your smart-a** comments for your fb page? Get off your soapbox.

Thank you, mourn, yours is the first sensible comment. Imagine her parents, siblings or other loved ones reading these comments. They don't need this kind of crap at a time like this.

I disagree with the last two posters. People should question the stupidity or whatever you want to call it. Of course everyone feels sorry for the parents. But that's not the glaring point of this article when you read it. As for her so-called friends who would not step forward and put an end to such supremely risky behavior, shame on you all. At what point did this woman owe a sense of responsibility to the very same society that enabled her to reach the heights of educational opportunity? This accident was 100% avoidable. Such climbing should be outlawed on State and Federal land.

Ropes are a good idea when you're 300 feet above the ground. Anyone who willingly goes without one is just acting stupid.