The Ushba Disaster

[@zarasbazaar]

I will never understand people ignoring advice on trail conditions from people who have just witnessed them first hand.

[@TenShine1productions]

Three words, arrogance and ignorance

[@djchrismac]

@@TenShine1productions Two words: summit fever.

[@samuraiwarriorsunite]

Sound advice is usually free, and if it comes from someone with more knowledge or experience than you, you should probably take it.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@djchrismac One word... EGO... It's exactly why they don't leave word of the climb, let alone register their ascent, route information, party size or constituents, etc... as required by LAW to ascend in the first place. They "know everything already" and nobody else can tell them or teach them otherwise. ;o)

[@sunsetlights100]

For all it's beauty & splendor the wilderness can be a cruel teacher.

[@leonik1375]

I took part in these events. Michael, expedition leader was a very experienced mountaineer and a guide. He was my close friend. We did a first ascent together 2 weeks before this event. Michael met Vince through my friend. We did a couple of ascents together with Michael and Vince 3 months before Ushba. Vince liked Michael as a guide a lot and brought his two British friends. They were planning to go to Himalaya and treated winter Ushba as a training before that. Michael asked me to come with them to Ushba to translate. He didn’t speak English. I had plenty of time and wanted to go with them. But 2 weeks before, during the other ascent I felt that something bad can happen and decided not to go. Next year we went to Ushba with my friend which I dedicated to my friends and also almost died there, falling into crevasse on Ushba icefall. We had a rare luck and fell on to a narrow snow bridge inside the crevasse. RIP guys…. I always remember you…

[@averagejoegrows]

clearly not that experienced brother

[@leonik1375]

@@averagejoegrows he was. Almost 20 years pro mountaineering career, twice Russian champion, did first ascents on extremely hard routes on Tyan Shan , Pamir and Caucausus. I’ve had other friends gone, mountains do take great people.

[@verbatims6423]

So sorry for the loss of your friend. Thank you for sharing your own story! 😮

[@ianclark2665]

Thank you for sharing.

[@tarzanstrickland]

RIP

[@robertnichols2283]

It seems that a lot of disaster stories include the phrase “disregard advice”

[@houseofsolomon2440]

These guys didn't even register with rescue services. Joke was on them I guess.

[@eliotness4029]

@@houseofsolomon2440 they started from Russian side. not from Georgia. that's why they didn't register in Georgia rescue

[@tarzanstrickland]

@@eliotness4029 seems like these commenters disregarded the facts lol

[@jamesm3471]

Looking at Ushba always made me think of a kid from the Alps bragging at school about having a Matterhorn, until one day, when the kid from the Caucasus showed up at school with two.

[@FinnishLapphund]

I hope you really do make a video about the attempt at traversing between the two peaks which you briefly mentioned around 2:46 or so. It's a very interesting looking mountain, and I'd like to hear more stories about climbers trying their luck on that North + South peaks.

[@kartyl1wielki]

Check some articles if you are really interested. Some of those videos are very good 'starting points' to some of stories around mountains.

[@patrickagee]

Ditto

[@Kariakas]

We learn a lot about mountaineering in your videos

[@aquachonk]

I'm calling it the Batman Mountains.

[@carrioncrow13]

Wait, they climbed that deadly mountain and didn't even register with the local officials?!

[@jordantyo7839]

Here's your sign

[@ahhhahhh5197]

Ah I see you watched the video as well

[@averagejoegrows]

lets say they did register what next? they'd still be dead asf

[@eliotness4029]

they started from Russian side. not from Georgia. that's why they didn't register in Georgia rescue

[@eliotness4029]

they started from Russian side. not from Georgia. that's why they didn't register in Georgia rescue

[@kathduncan9618]

I love the presenter's voice! I'm a real couch cushion (except for swimming in the Summer) but I love adventure vids. Great video.

[@donaldemerick2132]

same just wish he would stop doing the forced monotone voice it makes him sound constipated

[@greengoblin876]

Are you a Caucouch caucushion lover lol .

[@thejudgmentalcat]

Always look forward to a MM video ❤

[@megakristof3855]

Why are you adding an extra K sound to the start of Caw-cuss?

[@dimebagdave77]

Manythnx for another very interesting video✌

[@yendorelrae5476]

Yet another boss bit of narration! You are quite good, I just subscribed...I usually end up here anyway lol great stories! Excellent narration!

[@truthylucy7068]

So a group is heading down & warns the seven about a possible avalanche etc. Giving them a BIG heads up!! Apparently it went in seven ears & out the other! They tell them not to camp in a certain spot as its also not safe, if there's an avalanche. They ignore every warning they were given. Not one out of the seven thought it was a good idea to heed this warning? Mountain climbing is a dangerous hobby, I wouldn't be pushing my luck up against any warning! A tragedy that could have & should have been avoided.

[@ChildSpaceMethod]

The Brits, especially were exhausted. Would you have the rest of the team abandon them?

[@truthylucy7068]

@@ChildSpaceMethod Absolutely not. Yet, they literally had to choose between exhaustion, keep moving or camp & succumb to an avalanche. Mountain climbing is definitely not for wussy's!! May they RIP.

[@mcsmith732]

This group of climbers sounded pretty determined to do everything wrong. But at least they did it "Their Way".

[@Trustkillx]

Love this narrator

[@YanDaOne_QC]

Yo momma love this narrator

[@YanDaOne_QC]

Lol😜 He seriously is the best

[@POLARTTYRTM]

His monotone voice has helped me immensely fall asleep several times. As an insomniac, falling into a deep sleep is a rare gift from god. I've even thanked him for making a playlist of his videos so I can tune in and listen to when I need to sleep.

[@3tic]

never heard of this amazing peak till now. weird. thanks!

[@larrynicholson5810]

Another fine video Midnight, thxs.

[@HaesslichG]

7:08 - "and settled in". Forever. Damn.

[@llYossarian]

A friend of mine died the exact same way about 12 years ago _(buried by an avalanche at night while in his tent)._

[@sunsetlights100]

Did anyone try and dig ur friend out from a snow!

[@truecrime59]

That is so very sad.

[@llYossarian]

@@sunsetlights100 Sadly there was no one who could have. It was just him and his partner on a backcountry weekend and they were _(presumably asleep)_ in their tents so there was simply nothing either could have done for the other. They weren't missed until Monday morning and it was at least another week before they were found/recovered.

[@llYossarian]

@@truecrime59 Yeah, definitely one of the most upsetting things that's ever happened to someone I actually knew...

[@katemaloney4296]

Not sure how they thought this was going to end, but I'll bet they were surprised when it happened.

[@hoosieraussis1]

Right. Even though they were told about the avalanches. I marvel at humans' ability to delude ourselves that "it won't happen to me" even in the most dangerous, high-risk circumstances. 🤡

[@lazypal]

One of the things that gives me goose bumps just thinking is how their bodies would be most likely still preserved in the ice just the way it was buried till the ice caps melt completely or some event that pushes it out of its spot or till eternity. Although it's highly unlikely, if there was even the slightest bit of consciousness running in our bodies after we die this would mean that they'd be trapped there in that state waiting to be found.

[@YanDaOne_QC]

My winter coat (Peak Performance®) is equipped with a transmitter (Recco®) specially designed to allow rescue teams to find me if I was buried by an avalanche. It is effective up to 20 feet deep. This kind of technology should be the norm among professional mountaineers.

[@stephenw.6588]

Good product. Just an FYI: Recco system is a passive reflector that can return a signal back to a special search device made by Recco and used by rescue teams. The piece in these jackets is not a electronic transmitter.

[@Riva2025]

If they invented it back then before this climb it would’ve been great!

[@iDropRocks]

Recco tags come on most pro level clothes, also the reflectors can be bought separately. I guess it’d be good to recover your body, or an on resort, close too rescue team situation. The receivers are huge. Certainly can’t be compared to a proper avalanche beacon and know how to use it. But if no one is on the surface, with any energy left to find you, dig you out, possibly give you CPR, then all the Recco or beacon is good for us possibly getting your body back to your family for some closure

[@alexthenomad3862]

Thanks for this video, appreciated ✌️ One significant notice: Ushba is located entirely in Georgia, region of Svaneti which has nothing to do with disputes.

[@jeremykinsey7877]

I love your content

[@NicolaiAwesome]

Caw-Caw (It’s pronounced “caw-kuss-ess”)😊

[@TomAndersonn]

I never heard anyone mispronounce the word caucuses as bad as this narrator lol but he's still great!

[@jiggystardust]

(Scooby scared) I'm Ca-Caucasian

[@NicolaiAwesome]

@@TomAndersonn Yeah. It’s a little unfortunate - and it’s not the first time either. Don’t get me wrong; I get it. You won’t nail ALL names but with technology these days it’s VERY easy to find out how a word sounds phonetically. Lol

[@tarzanstrickland]

CAW CAW CAW, hes a crow

[@kerenj777]

You should definitely do more aviation disasters.

[@POLARTTYRTM]

You mention that it was a known dumping ground of avalanches, I wonder if they didn't know that or if that information was not really known at the time.

[@attention_shopping]

You'd think as you become more and more experts (real mountaineering) in the niche field you'd respect other's advice more and more. It's not just some tour guide or online blog saying something, but literal experts who are intentionally giving information. EDIT: ah they were already breaking rules and not registering

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Most of the time, that IS how you can tell an aspiring and authentic expert from what I (and a bunch of friends) call a "sexpert"... equivalating to a guy who sits at the bar and uses just enough of the terminology correctly to impress girls who don't know any better, but couldn't actually DO a damn thing... Cattle ranchers and horsemen describe it as "All hat and no saddle"... The expert will EXHAUST you with questions and some even take notes. They hear you even casually WARN about something, and they're suddenly inquisitive as HELL... If you don't know what you're talking about, they'll uncover it with all the damn questions, BUT if you do have good information, they're ALL KINDS of supportive and appreciative of it. I live in the Appalachians, and while not especially notorious for much hazard, the weather can throw you a beating... Most of us who grew up here, just get a feel for noticing when the weather's subject to change quicker than normal. Some of us get some objective details to watch for... things like a green tint to the clouds and sky, indicating hail, or leaves showing more of their under-sides curling up from the chill in the wind, birds vanishing everywhere and the woods getting still and quiet... There are signs everywhere, if you pay attention. The obnoxious sexpert will shout you down, and insist his report out of the hand-crank radio this morning is better than anything "some dumb-ass hick" could have to say. The expert will start inquiring about what the leaves look like when they curl up and where to watch for them to start... How do you notice the birds going away, or is it just time to panic if you suddenly become aware of "deathly silence"... Things like that. He might even suggest talking it over with a cup of coffee or over beers, whatever... It's not necessarily a guide to who has a degree or not, whether someone's remarkably educated, but the authentic curiosity is a solid pointer of someone who's really WORKING on their own knowledge, and someone who has their head so far up their ass, they need to duck down to see out their own navel. haha... ;o)

[@13Shadow_LV23]

​@@gnarthdarkanen7464 thanks for that description. I really appreciate your unique insight. Gave me plenty of food for thought.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@13Shadow_LV23 Always welcome! I'm only glad to share. Thanks for reading. ;o)

[@dianesavant2818]

Just arrogance, ignoring the warnings. How very sad, especially for their families.

[@ImmortalTreknique]

For the algorithm 👊

[@billsmith5166]

You do a great job of choosing some real monsters! I've always heard that range pronounced CAW ka suzz, but it could just be an Midwestern American pronunciation. Really interesting stuff as usual. Thanks!

[@patrickwatrin5093]

So funny because I thought that exact thing about it maybe being a Midwest thing. I'm a Minnesotan so....

[@mandalorianmama]

He mispronounced it through the entire video. He added an extra hard C sound that isn't in the name at all

[@mananaVesta]

Yeah he pronounced it wrong.

[@MisanthropicOcellus]

He just switched the inflection around

[@greengoblin876]

I'm Scottish... we must say it wrong too .

[@the_phaistos_disk_solution]

Nice. Make more of these.

[@patrickoleary2862]

Seven geniuses - feel sorry for their families if nothing else.

[@andrewbowen6875]

The orgre mentioned here under its other name is ridiculously difficult with just a handful of climbers inc Bonnington and Scott having to climb down on broken legs and broken ribs.

[@bubbafrump74]

I would definitely NEVER try to cross those forking summits!!!🤬 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@martin000ec]

Well Done!

[@JB-rt4mx]

Didnt know that Alabama and Georgia had 15,000ft snowy peaks, what about Florida ?

[@northerninfidelable]

Yeah European Georgia genius

[@teonatravel]

Ushba is the deadliest mountain of Georgia and of the entire Great Caucasus range. So many climbers die on it almost every year. Very sorry for all the lost lives.

[@lyedavide]

I wonder if any of the seven climbers thought of how their deaths would affect their loved ones.

[@davidpnewton]

Nope. I very much doubt it. Not registering with the local authorities shows a level of arrogance, stupidity and narcissism which means they likely had no thought of their relatives. Tragedy for their relatives. Those idiot climbers got exactly what was coming to them and thankfully didn't physically harm anyone else due to their stupidity.

[@canuckbucks]

As a former alpinist of absolutely no distinction, save as one of a group of young men who enjoyed remarkable physical health and yet a startingly high mortality rate, I have become very didactic in my consideration of whether ascribing agency to great hulking spires of granite and ice accomplishes anything other than the preservation of one's romantic ideas about mountaineering and adventure generally when faced with the existential shock of witnessing one's friends fall thousands of feet to thier death and being forced to leave them there. I highly doubt that the mountains 'take' anyone, they are by all manor of investigation, inanimate, without agency. So why might we, or I in days past, choose in such heartbreaking moments to imply that they do? I will add here also the phrase, "He died doing what he loved" to my complaint. It is an idea, a phrase, apparently designed to console, to imagine that our friend would not want to perish in any other way, that his or her wanderlust was so profound, so pure, that instead of dying peacefully in thier sleep at the age of 100, what they really wanted was the terror of thousand-foot freefalls, or to be wedged into a crevasse to die in icy-agony over a 24hr period, or maybe to have one's bones crushed, brains battered and breath squeezed out by the roaring white death of avalanche. I've never heard anyone living tell me that that's how they want to die. Now, do not misunderstand, I bear no generalized grudge against the climber, alpinist, scrambler, only toward this desire to colour our friend's death event with prettier, happier tonalities in what is, upon sober contemplation, an attempt to wrestle with our grief and blunt our pain from thier terrible passing. I fear that such ideas, this purposeful ignorance, can prevent us from doing proper assessments of risk going forward, and it really bothers me when I realize that we pass these ideas along to whomever's in earshot, to the naive normie, and new climbers from whom such ideas spread into the greater world unquestioned and misunderstood. OK, thanks for letting me get this off of my chest. Just a little bit of PTSD-aggravated trauma bubbling up there.

[@emadbagheri]

KAW-KESIS!! otherwise excellent as always.

[@frankblangeard8865]

The seven climbers had not registered. Registering was a legal requirement. No 'rescue' effort should have been made. Especially since it was actually an effort to recover bodies.

[@glueman2431]

The Cacockus range

[@tarzanstrickland]

Caucus caucus caucus caucus caucus 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@afaircomparison]

Say it with me now: CAW-kuh-suss There are no Cacaucus Mountains on any map.

[@gbeagle417]

I would be totally OK if u did only mountain climbing vids. And still be a regular fan. I almost expect em from ya.

[@PaulRudd1941]

Cau-cus-ses range.

[@godisamulti-racialhermaphr7560]

Bud Light presents "Real Men of Genius"

[@kirstybrown1185]

The only issue I have with the telling of this story (not your telling of it, you’ve repeated what was written in a few stories) is the detail that the British climbers were too tired to climb further. Were the Russian climbers fine to keep going but didn’t want to, did they radio this in to the other climbers? Was that just an excuse so they didn’t look dumb? Did the other climbers assume it? I can’t find anything about this other than, the British climbers were tired, end of story. Why did they have communication with the other climbers but weren’t registered as being there? Did someone just flick through channels and hope the other team weren’t actively climbing when they radioed? So much of this isn’t answered anywhere, or I can’t find the answers. Regardless, they made silly life ending decisions, this isn’t me saying this is a cover up or anything, I just don’t think some of it makes sense without a little more context. The papers reporting on this dropped the ball. Now anyone wanting to retell their story, has to do it with jumbled information, or their story doesn’t get to be told. Thanks for your videos. Went through a little obsessive month or so a few years ago about mountaineering and this wouldn’t been everything I wanted but couldn’t find. You’re renewing my interest. 🙌🏻

[@Reality_TV]

Well, they had a choice, they made their choice and that's the end of that! This is another group I don't exactly feel sorry for. They were warned and decided to actively ignore the warning they received. I guess they knew better (NOT).

[@Jussyi]

I toughed this vid out with no pictures of the victims and all pictures of mountains. Cold & Dull.

[@RegurgiNate84]

Shows how short your attention span is. It was hella informative. You learn a lot more by listening instead of looking a pretty pictures.

[@davea8346]

ciraque? Need a little help with what this is.

[@RedwingInNH]

Did he mention a serac? I was a little bit distracted, guess I should listen again

[@patrickagee]

64k here we come!!!

[@dimsesneg]

Was it Cacacus range 😂

[@ricojes]

Caucasus: Morbid: "Cacausus" 💀

[@tarzanstrickland]

He called them "Caucaucus" with 3 c's

[@truecrime59]

This is where the term "Death Wish" comes from!

[@tonicastel2390]

I have to stop this video with his repeated mispronunciation of “Caucasus”.

[@SKF358]

Caucasus isn't pronounced that way.

[@jasmine0354]

Very sad and so unnecessary ! 😢

[@j3dwin]

Do search parties ever find people alive?

[@laurelvanwilligen9787]

CAW-cuh-sus.

[@andrewbowen6875]

Looks like an avalanche death trap

[@Big_Tex]

This guy pronounces just enough things wrong and says just enough terms in a nonstandard way that I sometimes wonder if it’s just a pretty good bot.

[@johnryan8533]

I'm sure it's a bot. Too many bizarre pronunciations. Also, odd pauses and hesitations.

[@houseofsolomon2440]

@@johnryan8533 unnatural

[@houseofsolomon2440]

Or a pretty average one

[@malcolmcook6268]

No, I disagree. I think that he has a particular way of speaking and pronunciation that is unique to him. I find it quite charming and original.

[@AkDragosani]

Inevitable Danger 🏔

[@chrisostrom7289]

I'm guessing you're trying to say Cau-ca-sus Mountains? and not caw-caw-kus? I like your vids, but this is pretty jarring to the ear

[@ericstevens8131]

Dude, you really should look up how to pronounce "Caucasus."

[@bogdangabrielonete3467]

I propose these 7 for the Darwin Award

[@jimmyzbike]

Why do it right when you can do it twice…. Oops

[@adrienne7374]

Who doesnt listen to advice given by successors sad

[@Frazzled_Chameleon]

You shouldn’t summit. It’s dangerous out there. Nah, we’re good. No, seriously. There are signs of eminent avalanche! Nah, we’re good. *SIGH* Well, at least make camp against the cabin ledge. Nah, we’ll stick to our original plan. *Everyone dies* How could this happen?!

[@zetectic7968]

It is not the Core-corkus mountains!

[@jungleperry]

Caucus not Ca-caucus

[@03stmlax]

That's one too many C's in your pronunciation of Caucasus... There's only 2 C's

[@SuperVolsung]

Ca-Caw-Kus mountains

[@tarzanstrickland]

who woulda thunk Caucuses was a tongue twister

[@johnryan8533]

Jennudy??? Geh nad dy.

[@FluffyFerretFarm]

He repeatedly says "altitude" instead of "elevation".. don't expect proper name pronunciations..

[@briseboy]

@@FluffyFerretFarm well, "rout" instead of route. Climbers ordinarily actually pronounce French climbing terms correctly. Hope you elevate the pulchritude of language pronuncitude, but I will not risk wagertude on attitudes being altered - altertudes rare in the Youtubitude world.

[@McBurnside6380]

It's pronounced Kaw-kuh-suhs. Not Kuh-kaw-kus.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Not "cacorkus". Caucasus. "Cork-as-us".

[@richardhall1667]

CAW-cuh-suss

[@greenman6141]

He pronounces Caucasus incorrectly. That's pretty awful. To not know that, and worse to not know that you don't know, and so fail to check it. A really bad sign at the start of the video. What else will be incorrect and not checked?

[@TheBiggestVirgo_]

Then don’t watch the Video Tf on lol

[@YanDaOne_QC]

frist

[@Trustkillx]

First!

[@YanDaOne_QC]

@@Trustkillx Yo momma is frist

[@ImmortalTreknique]

​@@YanDaOne_QC🤣👍👊

[@Anti-NAFO]

Thpine

[@aceykrew]

Hah' deadline

[@bradbell3744]

If you’re going to make videos about tragedies in a mountain range you should learn how to pronounce them. Caucasus is not pronounced cau KUESS is. It’s pronounced KAW ka sus.

[@tarzanstrickland]

0:10 "Cacacus" ?? lmao. Its the Caucus region, home to Caucasian people. They are the Caucuses mountains. 2 c's not 3😂

[@unclepauly3205]

I love this channel but GOD DAMN stop with the mountain content for the love of god.

[@davesmith5656]

1947 was the unsuccessful traverse attempt, then 15 years later the southern peak was climbed in 1903 (???). Man, can you KZbinrs not proof read your narrative before you record it? Just for the record for those who didn't bother to learn basic fifth grade math, 1947 and 15 additional years would be 1962.

[@briseboy]

It was a leap year, and 1903 must be warmly inserted from time to time to cause pause not to be frause.

[@davesmith5656]

@@briseboy ---- 'Twas not. 1904 was a leap year. Rule of fours. Otherwise, you have a wide vocabulary. Nice.

[@jonathanmosher72]

The pronunciation of Caucasus somehow as "kickallkasis" 😂

[@LionZebra]

Pronouncing Caucasus totally wrong! It’s a derivative of Caucasian, so use that as a guide, then check pronunciation in a dictionary.

[@jeremykinsey7877]

I love your content