Disabled doctor takes to the mountains CMAJ 1997;157:1502 © 1997 Heather Kent "It's off the bell curve," is the way Dr. Paul Malon describes his unconventional form of mountaineering. Malon, who has congenital partial paralysis, likes to escape the stresses of his gritty work in Vancouver by taking a helicopter to remote mountain ranges and living alone for weeks at a time. He describes the hobby as both the "ultimate self-indulgence" and a necessary survival strategy. His medical work is done in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside "in the middle of a drug supermarket." In the mountains, he says, "my misanthropic tendencies dissipate." Malon's most recent explorations have taken him to BC's Coastal Mountains. Last year he had to convince staff at a Yukon park that he had sufficient self-rescue skills before they would let him in for a 10-week solitary stay. Malon says the main dangers he faces are attacks by bears and falls down crevasses, but aside from that he remains unconcerned about his safety. He brings along bear spray, bear bangers and a large medical kit, and the helicopter is a radio call away. Getting around on a toboggan, he reads "kilos" of books and spends a couple of hours a day photographing his surroundings. Malon's affinity for the mountains began when he visited the West Coast when he was 12. He practised medicine in the Eastern Arctic for a year after graduating from McGill University in 1989, and moved to Vancouver 4 years ago. Malon's future plans include exploring a BC glacier and snorkelling in Belize. -- © Heather Kent Send a letter to the editor responding to this article Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction au sujet de cet article | CMAJ December 1, 1997 (vol 157, no 11) / JAMC le 1er décembre 1997 (vol 157, no 11) |