TURNING POINT - Mountain Without Mercy (27 April 1997)

TURNING POINT
Mountain Without Mercy:
The Everest Story
ABC.27 April 1997.AAC.720p.mp4
ABC's news magazine "Turning Point" had two episodes on the 1996 Mt. Everest climbing season. The first episode aired on September 19, 1996, the season opener for the series. On April 27, 1997, "Turning Point" aired this show again, with a big difference. This newer episode included what had happened since September 1996, including footage of Beck Weathers and of the Nepalese pilot who rescued two climbers from the base camp on Everest.
I have edited out the commercials in my 720p upload of this great "Turning Point" episode. 20 years ago, those were the days, when ABC News routinely turned out super news magazines.

[@followthewhiterabbit414]

Everyone forgets, and this documentary shamefully doesn't even mention the heroism of Andy Harris who could have gotten himself down to camp 4 but instead when Rob and Doug reported over the radio that they were in trouble and needed help, Andy went back up the mountain, into the heart of the storm, carrying bottles of oxygen to try to help Rob Hall and Doug Hanson. And he not only tried, but he made actually made it to them, as Rob Hall reported that he was there, but that he had disappeared during the night. He was never seen again.

[@micks6797]

Andy wasn't just tired he was showing the early symptoms of a cerebral edema. As you have said it was a true act of unselfish heroism to retrieve the gas and climb back into that storm.

[@rubensolis8442]

I can’t imagine what Andy must of felt in that moment. The decision to descent and survive or to go back into the storm to rescue his friend . True act of bravery and loyalty.

[@juanitaduval9856]

Very true Andy was a hero. He could have lived😢

[@CountyLineForge]

He definitely went hypoxic after returning with the oxygen. They were frozen up so he no longer had air/energy to get himself, or anyone else back down. The movie everest claims he fell to his death, which is very likely...but it's all really speculation considering there were gaps of up to 12 hours between radio contacts with rob.

[@CountyLineForge]

In all reality, Andy "Harold" Harris was already hypoxic. He claimed there was no full oxygen at the south summit, when there were actually 6 bottles. His regulator was fouled with ice so every time he checked a bottle, it read 0. They only weighed 6.5lbs full. so the only way to know thwir levels were to check them on the regulators gage. His decision to climb back up with a frozen up, half full bottle was due to hypoxia. Any climber of his skill wpuld have immediately noticed his regulator was bad, and he wasn't getting any oxygen from his own bottle. His brain was started. Had they not already been hypoxic, John k and Mike Grooms both would have realized it was a bad regulator and not empty bottles. He was trying to be heroic, but in reality, he was dead the moment his regulator froze and he was too confused from lack of oxygen to realize it. Had, he would have been thinking more clearly, never would have sent people on down with no oxygen, and never would have climbed back up, especially with a half empty bottle on a frozen regulator. The movie shows speculation but after reading the book "Into Thin Air" by John K, it was confirmed. He was past the normal acceptable levels of hypoxia before ever climbing back up.

[@cradle652]

The number would’ve been higher but for the legend, Anatoli Boukreev who was the strongest high altitude mountaineer of his era.

[@nagone11]

Died tragically in an avalanche some years later.

[@cradle652]

@@nagone11 yes. A winter climb of the most dangerous face in the world - Annapurna South Face. The thought itself is so scary that most mountaineers wouldn’t want imagine before going to bed.

[@kch7051]

Anatoli was a hero on that night

[@nagone11]

@@kch7051 Saved lives...if he wasn't there that night, many more would have died. The man's a legend.

[@kch7051]

@@nagone11 absolutely

[@rahtorres4305]

Wow that guide who went back into the storm 3 times looking for survivors is a hero!!

[@skeptigal2785]

He was just covering his butt because he shirked his duties and was the reason they were left up there. He was a super-strong climber and didn't have to go very far to find them, so it wasn't all that amazing. Notice he didn't rescue Rob or Scott, who were much higher up, that night.

[@chrimony]

@@skeptigal2785 Nobody else was out in that storm and bringing back climbers. Easy to talk trash from the comfort of your chair.

[@skeptigal2785]

@@chrimony, nobody else a) was arguably the strongest climber in the world, and b) had rested all day in his tent drinking tea. Also, as the ONLY paid guide who wasn't lost or dying on the mountain, that was sort of his J-O-B...

[@chrimony]

@@skeptigal2785 He had already fixed ropes and went up and summited that day. And you think he was the ONLY guide in those tents?

[@skeptigal2785]

@@chrimony , much EARLIER that day, ALONE, which is not what he was hired to do. He should have remained with the clients and helped them back. And yes, he was literally the only guide from either team back at the tents resting.

[@RobinMayhall]

That Nepalese colonel and helicopter pilot is a beast. And a hero. I hope he has had a spectacular career. Hard to believe it’s almost 30 years since that day!

[@MrSoumyaBanerjee]

His chopper actually crashed in 1997, but fortunately he survived.

[@Tina06019]

He pulled off an incredible feat.

[@mchandrashekhar4043]

Colonel Madan KC ...a Hero 🫡🫡

[@fennis26]

I climbed the stairs in my house, starting at 1:00am, finally summited the second story at 6:00am, without oxygen. I’m ready for Everest.

[@ForeverLumoz]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍🏻

[@fauxmanchu8094]

fennis26 😂😂😂 comment of the year.

[@janstroud8705]

😀😀😀 you go boy lol

[@mommalynnette8190]

You beat my record!!!! Drat.....

[@izzojoseph2]

Just remember, it’s the descent that’s deadly. Keep energy for the return home!

[@donaldminton9295]

Sadly Anatoli passed away the following year in an avalanche. He was a hero. Rest peacefully

[@nashadhikari1171]

also lapsang died in an another avalanche with in a year, seems lots of people on this trip were ill fated

[@junioradult6219]

Almost all the greats pass sooner or later in that world

[@averagejoegrows]

@@nashadhikari1171watch final destination, you cant escape death plan

[@Tipperary757]

The Nepalese helicopter pilot and Sherpa guides did extraordinary work! This story still rivets my attention decades later.

[@borismuller86]

tipperary links absolutely. That must have been a hair-raising flight.

[@Bribosome]

if youre still interested in this tragedy, look into what Anatoli Boukreeve did that night. its nothing short of miraculous...and heroic.

[@angguaa]

@@Bribosome Sure. Had he did his job as a guide, as he was being paid for, in the first place, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to go out into the storm later! smh.

[@mathildesteinberg7135]

@@Bribosome 👍🙏🙏🙏❤️for Tolja!

[@chamade166]

@@Bribosome Sounds like a Ruissian 🖕

[@incidentalist]

Wow, that pilot had balls of steel! Respect!

[@JokersWild70]

I believe that it is still the highest helicopter rescue ever made. That guy definitely had some big, brassy ones.

[@stephanieoliver8634]

Yep, you can "see" how big they are. He was made for that rescue. Thank God for him!

[@nckruse]

Neal Biedleman is also a hero he helped all the others down to just outside camp 4 they could have all walked off the side of the mountain without him.

[@kch7051]

Absolutely…..without Biedlman and Anatoli Both doing their work, everyone dies

[@A.S.P.A]

Neal was indeed a hero!

[@followthewhiterabbit414]

Everyone forgets, and this documentary shamefully doesn't even mention the heroism of Andy Harris who could have easily gotten himself down to camp 4 but instead went back up the mountain with bottles of oxygen to try to help Rob Hall and Doug Hanson, and he not only tried but he made it to them, as Rob Hall reported that he was there, but that he had disappeared during the night, and was never seen again.

[@Mt.Everest.]

and a looker😊 I would have had to have chased him! too bad! actually he's still good looking but indeed married 🎉❤

[@mchandrashekhar4043]

True

[@theringer2283]

I am shocked that that helicopter could fly at all, with all the weight of that pilot balls! Beast mode!

[@stephanieoliver8634]

He made it in that helicopter cause he had the biggest set of balls ever. No room left for doubt

[@elbaestridge6503]

Watermelons balls !

[@tinadenning3186]

They stripped everything out of it.

[@cindys9491]

Madan K.C. was a hero. Respect

[@shonii119]

absolutely best description of that guy ever

[@staceyshaffer180]

It’s kind of ironic that Scott Fischer describes exactly how you die on the mountain if you push yourself and can’t make it down, then he dies from doing exactly that! Sad! RIP climbers.

[@mellygibbs7011]

@gulag master but the weather is a major factor and must always be assumed. Saying that this was bc of a freak blizzard is incorrect. It is part of the deal

[@noobzrule]

If he hadn't help someone back down he be alive now

[@ancaas7945]

@@noobzrule Actually, he was in very poor state the whole trip. Unfortunately, he was too stubborn and in competition with Rob. RIP both.

[@noobzrule]

@@ancaas7945 You liar!!!!!! Stop ur lying now foo! 😠

[@dana102083]

@@noobzrule theres no way to know that.. But as Brashears said loosely "out of everyone, Fischer had no business being on the mountain that day". He was in rough shape and exhausted.

[@VoxFelis]

1997 and people said inexperienced climbers shouldn't be up there. 2019 and nothing has changed.

[@niktravels7633]

Yeah but nepal is too poor and corrupt to stop giving out permits. They would hand out a permit to a 7 year old if that 7 year old had 35000 in permit fees to spend. Nepal government is the reason so many people die on everest. Greed is more important to them than peoples saftey or having regulations so that only experienced climbers are up there.

[@rogerpattube]

How are you (or rather, a bureaucrat sitting in Kathmandu) going to determine "inexperienced".

[@niktravels7633]

@Beverley Lumb so what? They know the risk of their job and get paid better than some westerners because of it.

[@dotty1220]

Shay Lawless 😔

[@elysiumsnakefarm1185]

Nothing will, either. The tragedy won't stop.

[@jamiegroth7651]

This story remains in my heart and saddens me still. I love the live footage. RIP Rob and Scott and all who perished.

[@00tonytone]

Jamie Groth Rob Hall died for 2 mistakes, letting Doug Hansen convince him to Summit past turn around time and then not abandoning Doug when he started getting hypoxia, for taking to long to summit ran out of Oxygen. Rob Hall should of known better.

[@daltonhunt7334]

Jamie Groth there is one called the summit and the climb K2 19 climbers went up. Only 8 only came down its the most dangerous mountain

[@janstroud8705]

@@daltonhunt7334 Yes, K2 is a much more dangerous mountain than Everest.

[@Despond]

"I thought if I die now, I die for my friend" Such honor and nobility, lots of respect.

[@RobinMayhall]

I got to hear Beck Weathers speak about a year after the 1996 tragedy. At the time I didn’t know anything about the story, so I was riveted by him. He was still healing then and still looked pretty bad, to be honest. After that I read Krakauer’s article in Outside magazine, as his book wasn’t published yet. I’ve now read Into Thin Air about five times, as well as books by Beck himself, Anatoli Boukreev and Lou Kasichke (sp?). I think you only get a well-rounded picture by reading several accounts, but Into Thin Air is one of my favorite books. All that said, I was and remain stunned by Beck Weathers’ physical courage and will to live. He wasn’t perfect, but who is? That’s something we should all remember about ourselves as well as mountain climbers.

[@skeptigal2785]

Read David Beshears', too, and there's an excellent interview with Beidelman online that takes the place of his writing one.

[@mspixiedust100]

Beck wethers was amazing, his determination to live and return to his family, he wasn't even rescued, he rescued himself!

[@truenorth7949]

yup miraculous actually what he went through and survived.

[@samidu492]

Listen to his interview

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

It's miraculous, but he did get rescued. He was airlifted off the mountain from a then record altitude for helicopters. I don't wish to minimise his remarkable feat of gritty determination, but most other climbers with less financial resources at their disposal would have died descending from the altitude which beck wethers was airlifted from.

[@georgethompson3763]

People risked their lives to try to save him when he was above camp 4, then people risked their lives to carry him down to camp 2, then the helicopter pilot risked his life to fly him down to a hospital. Yes, the Beck Weathers that woke up and dragged himself to camp 4 was resilient and strong, he was able to survive and he became a better man. But the Beck Weathers who climbed up the mountain was an irresponsible, selfish man.

[@shawnmurphy9667]

mspixiedust100 such a heart wrenching gripping story even to this day... a true testament of the human spirit and survival

[@christinejones944]

This is sad. I've seen it a 1000 times and It's still gets to me.

[@drubber007]

@Eva Ivy They new the dangers.

[@narcosislethal6429]

I watched all decumentarys about this tragedy and am still watching it idk whyyyyyyy ??

[@janstroud8705]

It has had the same effect on me. It haunts me in a way.... the bad decision to break the 2 o clock rule, being caught in an unexpected storm, the fact that Hansen died anyway, the oh so remote places Rob Hall and Scott died, the way the rest died...

[@Baskerville22]

1000 times ? Either a lie or you need help.

[@somjasa]

Yeah... same here.

[@DJ-jn3on]

One of the best documentaries on Everest I've seen,and despite the awful tragedy of so many people losing their lives, it did show that the human spirit can prevail.

[@epicscreenname989]

The Nepalese are really incredible people

[@freestyle9368]

Viesturs and Brashears too.

[@mspixiedust100]

+Freestyle Freestyle, yes

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

@@freestyle9368 absolutely world class climbers, and true mountaineering royalty.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

@Danny Branderson it's not subjective. Many sherpa have multiple summits of hardcore mountains such as Everest, K2, Makalu, Nanga Parbat, Shisha Pangma, Annapurna etc, and have shown themselves to be not only highly moral and ethical people but incredibly skilled mountaineers aswell. How you can even suggest this to be a spurious claim defies any measure of logic. (My edit was to correct a spelling mistake in mountain. I'd spelt it mountian and it bugs me to leave errors in my posts.)

[@cyrene7784]

I wonder what they think of these entitled twats?

[@croakingfrog3173]

Definitely some hero's here. Beck Weathers is quite a phenomenal guy. Anatoli too. And then there's that brave helicopter pilot. And others.

[@rosejaune6701]

AND NONE OF THEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Jon Krakauer, author of the book “Into Thin Air” says, “You want to climb Everest? Talk to me, talk to Rob Hall’s wife, talk to Scott Fischer’s kids…” And still the idiots climb, and leave their feces and trash, and die miserable, excruciatingly painful deaths alone in the dark and sub-zero cold, so their bodies can rot and ruin the water supply of the Sherpa’s homes. And the armchair idiots say, “Respect, man!” "Heroes!" NO, Morons, all of them.

[@croakingfrog3173]

@@rosejaune6701 You certainly have some harsh words for them. Sometimes we humans get ourselves into messes. Once we are in the mess, we can still choose to make the most of it or to give up and indulge in self-pity. If you have never gotten yourself into a mess, you are certainly unique.

[@kch7051]

@@rosejaune6701 Relax Rose. Maybe you're the idiot who starts frothing over this? Bodies are frozen...you ever know anything to rot that was frozen? Exactly. Another blowhard Know nothing. Do you live up in that moral high chair, or do you ever come down to join the rest of us? You're silly with an anger problem

[@followthewhiterabbit414]

Everyone forgets, and this documentary shamefully doesn't even mention the heroism of Andy Harris who could have gotten himself down to camp 4 but instead when Rob and Doug reported that they were in trouble over the radio, Andy went back up the mountain, into the heart of the storm, with bottles of oxygen to try to help Rob Hall and Doug Hanson. And he not only tried, but he made actually made it to them, as Rob Hall reported that he was there, but that he had disappeared during the night. He was never seen again. Some of his equipment was found near Rob Halls final resting place.

[@ozzyaarseth]

Rob was such a good guy. such a positive heart

[@CountyLineForge]

I dont know what to think. The movie everest makes he seem like he's a great, compassionate man who cared more about client safety then success. Other documentaries claim that Doug didn't even want to leave camp 4 because he wasn't comfortable with the weather forecast. But Rob was competing with Scott and mountain madness, to get all their clients to thw top. So he pushed Doug to summit. If it weren't the case, he would have absolutely turned Doug around instead of waiting and helping him summit 2 to 3 hours past their scheduled turnaround time. Remember, he didn't go up to saveDoug. He waited for Doug and didn't turn him around. He was already disappointed that 3 clients turned back early and a 4th was slow blind and could t go any further. If not for Krakaur and Yasuko already submitting ahead of him, he would have had 0 clients summit that year. That is bad for business when all of Scott's team summited. He pushed Doug and it cost them all their lives.

[@ozzyaarseth]

@@CountyLineForge oh, i didn’t know that doug didn’t want to go. i’m surprised he would do that. are there any witness reports of him doing that? just curious

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

@@ozzyaarsethother people tell it as Doug was determined to go up so Rob went with him against his better judgement. Guess the full truth will never be known now.

[@drishy94303]

I have read Into Thin Air and The Climb.. This is by far the best presented documentary on the 1996 Everest disaster. They got to the root of the problem. Major professional competition blinded the guides combined with summit fever and too many punters, celebrities, and distractions above 8000m. If they had turned around at 2pm likely nobody would have died. They would have all been below the south summit when the storm hit. Fixed ropes would have been visible. One of the major things that was not stated was that the storm obscured the fixed ropes to Camp 4 underneath fresh drifts, that was a major downfall of the storm. I have been out on Mount Baker in a storm up around 9000 ft. I can only imagine what similar wind and snow conditions are like 20,000 feet higher.

[@MrPaddyo88]

Blizzards don't help much, either.

[@janstroud8705]

Yep. Broken rules and wasted time.

[@robertx1603]

The PBS/Nova documentary is also excellent.

[@ruth4376]

I don't know if the professional competition was as much of a factor once they were up there, it seems to have been more a case of very poor preparation (the unfixed ropes, the empty oxygen) and the guides' determination to get specific clients up at all costs, either for publicity (Sandy) or friendship (Doug) and this stopped the whole process running on time for the others

[@youtubeshadowbansme494]

@@ruth4376 $$$ money was probably a motivating factor for the guides.

[@Blaine10024]

Beck Weathers nearly dies and in the end gives up his seat to save the life of a stranger, that is the measure of a man.

[@scentlessapprentice88]

Lol he chose to go up there and leave his family behind. Hardly.

[@ironwoodnf9128]

@@scentlessapprentice88 I'm not gonna poke holes but.... Your cover is a us army seal... Y'all leave your family for 6+ months at a time. Ah yah keeping sheela safe from haji like a good American boi.

[@annielafreniere4682]

The measure of a man who shouldn't have been on the mountain in the first place. Amateurs like him make Everest a dangerous place for everyone. If you can't look after yourself and don't have the experience of Anatoli Boukreev, Ed Viesturs or Reinhold Messner, stay the fuck home pal. But being the circus that it's become, all about money and fake prestige, almost anyone can head to Everest and be dead weights for sherpas and experienced climbers, risking everyone's life. That Beck Weathers was turned into some kind of hero is the stupidest thing ever. It just makes a good sensational story on tv, nothing else.

[@nagone11]

He's got a lecture appearance that you can see right here on KZbin...he's a remarkable guy, so lucky he survived because in all reality, he should not have made it.

[@kch7051]

@@annielafreniere4682Gee...imagine if someone told that to Messner and Viesturs prior to gaining all there experience? if people listened to your dumb ass, nobody would ever be able to climb enough to GAIN the experience. I'll agree, Everest aint the place for that, but still, what you're spouting is nonsense

[@sahilsharma2483]

One fact that often goes unnoticed is that Sandy Pittman took one of the sherpa's to short rope her on the climb who was supposed to fix ropes with the other sherpa and that's why the ropes at Hillary's step were not fixed and it cost the teams an hour. An hour wasted in the death zone is like an invitation to death. A lot of casualties could've been prevented if that had not happened. Of course there were a lot of other bad decisions made that lead to the deaths but this one affected everyone summiting that day. Now she proudly sits there like a survivor who suffered at the hands of nature through no fault of her own.

[@robertx1603]

She did not ask to be short-roped up, it was Lopsang that felt getting her to the top was Fischer's number one priority, so he made that decision. A very costly decision as that hour was critical.

[@washedupwarvet2027]

@@meaningfulsongspoetry6269 Doug was told to turn around. Rob hall pushed him to continue. Robs death is his own fault

[@jamesmichaels4979]

That was the fault of the Sherpa and the guide. Shes a client. Shes there to climb, not to make the big decisions like this one

[@amaramilligan349]

Apparently Sandy Pittman also had a Sherpa carry up an espresso machine.

[@adelaczaplinski1555]

Pittman was selfish. That was not her paid Sherpa on her team, he worked for another team. She never even tipped them.

[@gurungpritam5167]

Anatoli Boukreev is Superman. who saved peoples life. Boukreev was killed in an avalanche during a winter ascent of Annapurna in Nepal.In 1997 R.I.P Anatoli Boukreev. Lop Shang Sherpa , Neil vitale man and Pilot Lt. Col. Madan K.C are heroes . We Salute you guys.🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@cat_lover007]

Beck's willpower is as grand as the tallest mountain.

[@MrPaddyo88]

No doubt!!

[@87dramarama]

ur hot

[@janstroud8705]

@Ike Mike i totally agree.

[@kurtvonfricken6829]

Ike Mike Pathologists are MDs. Yes they don't deal with live patients and their training is not as difficult as a surgeon but they are still doctors.

[@walk-tall-hikes]

@Ike Mike a pathologist is a medical doctor. They go through medical school and medical residency just like every other doctor. The only difference is they specialize in pathology when they're done. In fact in some ways a pathologist is more skilled than many surgeons. They're the ones that actually diagnose most cancers. If they get it wrong people die.

[@ironlakcdn7349]

Sherpas are the real hero's of Everest and most other mountains

[@arthurvandeliegh8681]

They live in that altitude so it's easier for them. There are plenty of them who are heroic, but there are plenty of climbers from other countries who are heroic as well.

[@oneactionman]

No one is disputing that

[@croakingfrog3173]

Sherpas are hero's yes but there are other real hero's too.... You can't just say there is only one group that has all the "real" hero's.

[@danial469]

@@oneactionman,k

[@patmuzz2492]

Totally agree

[@millieatr]

In the words of Harry Calahan " A man's got to know his limitations "

[@romanshilmester5431]

Anotoli was that real hero Rest In Peace he was the best truly the best🙏

[@millieatr]

Its amazing how humans can endure such pain and misery and in some cases cant wait to do it again

[@jmackenroth]

We did it when Obama was elected.

[@jennymcmillin5668]

brad fiser Isn’t child birth just like that?

[@computern4me]

I like the helicopter pilot. The dude took care of business.

[@stephanieoliver8634]

He had a giant set of cihonas

[@rosebudbaxter4671]

Does anyone else tear up when Beck Weathers stays in place like he said he would? It's so endearing. I always get teary-eyed.

[@harryflashman4542]

He refused to go back down when told to. He hoped his eyes would clear so he could summit.

[@dana102083]

@@harryflashman4542 not exactly, he needed to be short roped and the climbers descending didn't have one. He also promised Rob he wouldnt move from where he was. I havent seen any info state he wanted to clear his eyes to summit.

[@sammysouth8372]

Yeah even he now admits that was foolish. Here’s this guy calls that stupid decision which nearly cost this guy his life endearing. Sheesh people are dumb.

[@terrismith9662]

The real heroes in this disaster?? Anatoli Boukreev and the Sherpas.

[@silviafarfallina]

Yeah, and at the beggining they make it sound as if the sherpas didn´t show up because they didnt want to, but as I read, one sherpa had altitude sickness and the other one couldnt work alone.

[@kermitfroggo8444]

No. The sherpas actually had some fault. Lopsang, Scott’s Sherpa refused to collaborate with Rob’s Sherpa because of some problems between the two and it affected the whole expedition because the ropes were not fixed and it caused more time to be lost

[@Cor_Nelis]

@Ike Mike *himself. Hisself is not a word.

[@Cor_Nelis]

@NEGUS MBARKA You are one hateful piece of shit deranged ape aren't you.

[@gsfbffxpdhhdf7043]

NEGUS MBARKA they are not muslim u dumb fuck

[@barbmoody4892]

I have been a climber for over 50 years. The last thing I would want to do is to climb Everest, or for that matter any peak higher the Mt. Rainier - that was high enough for me. I think it takes a special kind of climber to tackle high altitude peaks. For me, give me some beautiful granite and sunny warm weather and I’m happy.

[@normatible9795]

The mountain is Everest. Ever rest. Forever rest in peace

[@Larry_Harvilla]

While "EVV-er-est" has become the universally accepted pronunciation of the mountain's name, the man who was the mountain's namesake, a British surveying chief named Sir George Everest, pronounced his own surname "EEV-rist." Sir George originally objected to the adoption of his name for the mountain, in large part because he believed the "EEV-rist" pronunciation could not be duplicated in Hindi, but eventually relented. (The Nepalese language was not a concern to the British survey teams of the 1850s because Nepal was off-limits to foreigners at that time.)

[@Garde538]

Gay

[@losteden]

Anatoli is the best im gonna buy his book to honor him

[@borismuller86]

RBG he was heavily criticised by other climbers that trip.

[@losteden]

@@borismuller86 expedition leaders need more guides or sherpas!! and dont let go weak clients, Anatoli dont had radio and after waiting almost 2 hour at sumit he decide go down because something happend and after reach Fisher he agrees Anatoli goes to camp 4 to be prepared

[@losteden]

Dear Mr. Bryant: I am writing you because I think Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air,” which appeared in your September, 1996 issue, was unjustly critical of my decisions and actions on Mount Everest on May 10, 1996. While I have respect for Mr. Krakauer, share some of his opinions about high altitude guiding, and believe he did everything within his power to assist fellow climbers on that tragic day on Everest, I believe his lack of proximity to certain events and his limited experience at high altitude may have gotten in the way of his ability to objectively evaluate the events of summit day. My decisions and actions were based upon more than twenty years of high-altitude climbing experience. In my career I have summited Mount Everest three times. I have twelve times summited mountains of over 8,000 meters. I have summited seven of the world’s fourteen mountains over 8,000 meters in elevation, all of those without the use of supplementary oxygen. This experience, I can appreciate, is not response enough to the questions raised by Mr. Krakauer, so I offer the following details. After fixing the ropes and breaking the trail to the summit, I stayed at the top of Everest from 1:07 P.M. until approximately 2:30 P.M., waiting for other climbers to summit. During that time only two [Mountain Madness] client climbers made the top. They were Klev Schoening, seen in the summit photograph (here-here) taken by me, and Martin Adams, both of them from Scott Fischer’s expedition. Concerned that others were not coming onto the summit and because I had no radio link to those below me, I began to wonder if there were difficulties down the mountain. I made the decision to descend. Just below the summit I encountered Rob Hall, the expedition leader from New Zealand, who appeared to be in good shape. Then I passed four of Scott Fischer’s client climbers and four of his expedition’s Sherpas, all of whom were still ascending. They all appeared to be all right. Then, just above the Hillary Step, I saw and talked with Scott Fischer. He was tired and laboring, but said he was just a little slow. There was no apparent sign of difficulty, although now I have begun to suspect that his oxygen supply was, then, already depleted. I said to Scott that the ascent seemed to be going slowly and that I was concerned descending climbers could possibly run out of oxygen before their return to Camp IV. I explained I wanted to descend as quickly as possible to Camp IV in order to warm myself and gather a supply of hot drink and oxygen in the event I might need to go back up the mountain to assist descending climbers. Scott, as had Rob Hall immediately before him, said “OK” to this plan. I felt comfortable with the decision, knowing that four Sherpas, Neal Beidleman (like me, a guide), Rob Hall, and Scott Fischer would be bringing up the rear to sweep the clients to Camp IV. Understand, at this time there were no clear indications that the weather was going to change and deteriorate as rapidly as it did. Given my decisions: (1) I was able to return to Camp IV by shortly after 5:00 P.M. (slowed by the advancing storm), gather supplies and oxygen, and by 6:00 P.M. begin my solo effort in the�� ef onset of a blizzard to locate straggling climbers; and (2) I was able, finally, to locate lost and huddled climbers, resupply them with oxygen, offer them warming tea, and provide them the physical support and strength necessary to get them to the safety of Camp IV. Also, Mr. Krakauer raised a question about my climbing without oxygen and suggested that perhaps my effectiveness was compromised by that decision. In the history of my career, as I have detailed it above, it has been my practice to climb without supplementary oxygen. In my experience it is safer for me, once acclimatized, to climb without oxygen in order to avoid the sudden loss of acclimatization that occurs when supplementary oxygen supplies are depleted. My particular physiology, my years of high-altitude climbing, my discipline, the commitment I make to proper acclimatization, and the knowledge I have of my own capacities have always made me comfortable with this choice. And, Scott Fischer was comfortable with that choice as well. He authorized me to climb without supplementary oxygen. To this I would add: As a precautionary measure, in the event that some extraordinary demand was placed upon me on summit day, I was carrying one (1) bottle of supplementary oxygen, a mask, and a reductor.* As I was ascending, I was for a while climbing with Neal Beidleman. At 8,500 meters, after monitoring my condition and feeling that it was good, I elected to give my bottle of oxygen to Neal, about whose personal supply I was concerned. Given the power that Neal was able to sustain in his later efforts to bring clients down the mountain, I feel it was the right decision to have made. Lastly, Mr. Krakauer raises a question about how I was dressed on summit day, suggesting I was not adequately protected from the elements. A review of summit day photographs will show that I was clothed in the latest, highest-quality high-altitude gear, comparable, if not better, than that worn by the other members of our expedition. In closing, I would like to say that since May 10, 1996, Mr. Krakauer and I have had many opportunities to reflect upon our respective experiences and memories. I have considered what might have happened had I not made a rapid descent. My opinion: Given the weather conditions and the lack of visibility that developed, I think it likely I would have died with the client climbers that, in the early hours of May 11,1 was able to find and bring to Camp IV, or I would have had to have left them on the mountain to go for help in Camp IV where, as was in the reality of events that unfolded, there was nobody able or willing to conduct rescue efforts. I know Mr. Krakauer, like me, grieves and feels profoundly the loss of our fellow climbers. We both wish that events had unfolded in a very different way. What we can do now is contribute to a clearer understanding of what happened that day on Everest in the hope that the lessons to be learned will reduce the risk for others who, like us, take on the challenge of the mountains. I extend my hand to him and encourage that effort. My personal regards, Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev

[@frankh.rockel5811]

Boukreev was an excellent climber but a lousy guide. And in 1996 he was member of the Mountain Madness team as (the best paid) guide and not as a solo climber. He had massive responsibility for Fischer's clients and failed totally. Fischer knew this, Ingrid Hunt knew this, Dr. Caroline McKenzie knew this, and all clients also knew this. Irresponsible! April, 22th, 1996: Where has been Boukreev when sherpa of the Mountain Madness team Ngawang Topche collapsed on HAPE in camp 2 and had to be rescued? May, 7th, 1996: Scott Fischer advised Boukreev to guide clients from camp 1 to camp 2. Boukreev ignored his device, took a shower, and left the camp 5 hours later than his clients. The clients he was responsible for climbed without any guidance when Dale Kruse collapsed on a relapse of HACE. Scott Fischer had to ascend very fast to rescue Kruse. Because of Boukreev's indiscipline Scott Fischer had no day's rest. That was very important to prepare for summit day and is obviously one (of many) reason why Fischer had no power to descent on summit day and died on the mountain. May, 10th, 1996: The whole summit day Boukreev didn't care about any client. He climbed without additional oxygen. No guide has ever done anything like this before because the lack of oxygen makes helping others merely impossible in the death zone. Boukreev was no guide on summit day. He was a solo climber trying to become the first one reach summit in 1996. Unbelievable selfish! May, 10th, 1996: When Boukreev left Camp 4 to search for the missing climbers he climbed towards summit. The problem with his "heroic rescue mission": He didn't know who was in trouble? He didn't know where climbers were in trouble? And he didn't know what kind of trouble they had? He had no radio set. The truth: The clients he was resposible for (Madsen, Fox, Gammelgaard, Pittman-Hill and Klev Schoening) were already on the plateau of camp 4 only approx 200 m far away from the tents fighting against death. Sounds like irony! Remember: Mountain Madness team members think the same. David Breashers thinks the same. Ed Viesturs thinks the same. Reinhold Messner thinks the same.

[@DADKZ]

@@frankh.rockel5811 Idiot. See Storm over Everest All Customers Mountain Madness back to base camp. It is main result of Boykreev job.

[@msullivan85]

Is it me or did they not mention Andy "Harold" Harris who climbed back up the mountain to try and help Rob and Doug at all? Id have to watch it again but I don't remember hearing anything about him. Pretty messed up to leave that out.

[@martinturtak4901]

no they did not mentioned him suckers !!

[@davidreardon3068]

No the only thing they mentioned was the Sherpas that tried to rescue him the next day and had to turn around and come back because of more bad weather they never mentioned Harold going back up there to try to save Rob Hall and Doug

[@PaultheSheik]

You’re right. Sloppy and disgraceful reporting. That’s completely unacceptable. They also didn’t give a follow up on where Anatoli Boukreev was although it appears may have been recorded before his passing in December 1997.

[@ladyjane747]

I made the same comment. They completely left Harris out of this story.

[@georgethompson3763]

But it's a 1997 documentary, barely a year after the disaster, more is known now.

[@kathrynmasters6854]

the Real Hero's of Mt. Everest....The Sherpa's & Col. Anatoli Boukreevi Who flew a Helicopter into where none have ever flown before & did it 2 X'S...!! I Salute You Too...!!

[@naturalist7022]

Information mentioned in the book "The Climb" that has not been spoken about in these documentaries was that David Breashears had state of the art weather mapping equipment and knew the ferocious storm was heading in. This was the reason he and his team headed down. It was reported in the book that Breashears advised Rob that there was a window for the summit before the storm would hit. David himself would climb after Rob's return as to avoid crowding. It sounded like Breashears knew the window was small, that he didn't want to risk being caught up in the storm and that he wanted the mountain free of "commercial climbers" for his advantage. I know no-one can be held solely accountable for this tragedy and many factors came into play but this information doesn't sit well with me and he got a documentary out of it. If only Breashears had said to Rob "With how the weather map is reading I wouldn't recommend you climb till after the storm has passed."

[@vihockeyguy1]

The window was small, but still doable. Due to the small window, they needed pretty flawless execution of setting fixed ropes ti maintain a timely climb, and the discernment to turn around if they weren’t going to summit before the turnaround time. Of course, none of those things happened, and the consequences were grave. If anything, the knowledge that Brashears spread about the impending storm makes all the decisions that everyone else made which slowed them down, and then not turning around when they missed their summit window that much more egregious by all climbing parties involved. They knew the elevated risks, yet they were irresponsible, and many paid with their lives. Brashears gave them the requisite knowledge to cling safely, but at the end of the day, it was up to everyone else to execute the climb safely

[@ThatGuy2005.]

Information presented in "the climb" is greatly disputed. Especially by Jon Krakauer himself in the book "into thin air". I do not think that the climb has accurate information

[@ThatGuy2005.]

Summit days were also pre determined to reduce crowding. They met beforehand to determine when each expedition would summit. May 10 was for adventure consultants and mountain madness.

[@48laveo]

As a doctor, how could Beck not know about the effect of high altitude on the eye? Crazy.

[@TeeLBCify]

Ignorant.

[@Duke_Togo_G13]

He's a pathologist... Totally different from M.D.

[@primus7776]

Speaking as a Garbage Collector, I can affirm that the low 02 / High Altitude effects of a post-operative Radial Keratotomy procedure to correct Myopia were not an area of (then) current optometric research. Probably due to a lack of subjective test cases. I think. Probably. I could be wrong.

[@robertx1603]

Radial keratotomy was a pretty new procedure at the time, and there were probably no studies on altitude side effects.

[@walk-tall-hikes]

@@Duke_Togo_G13 no actually a pathologist is an MD They go to medical residency after medical school just like every other doctor... The only difference is they specialize in and become pathologists in the end. In some ways he should have known more about the human body than the average doctor because they study it extensively. They're the guys that examine cells and diagnose you when you have cancer. Believe me he would have known a lot about the human eye and the effects of altitude on it after surgery. He admitted in later interviews that he kept the information about his failing eyesight from Hall for quite some time. He was well aware of what was happening to him before it got to the point that it did and he should have left the mountain as soon as he realized what was happening. He risked other people's lives by staying up there.

[@LuckyDogGaming]

Thanks for leaving the Nissan commercial in! Lmao

[@Avenging_Archer]

I think we can all agree the Russian is an incredible hero, regardless of how some media outlets tried to smear his name.

[@frankkolton1780]

No, two of the most elite mountaineers in the world, David Breashears and Todd Burleson didn't think of him so highly as a guide. I would trust their opinions on his actions over anyone else.

[@reallychosen8976]

Agree. He saved all those people

[@lukasjohnson8385]

Frank Kolton No. (Stupid opening response anyway) Who actually cares what two cats who were miles away from anything at the time thinks? Like Krakauers clear smear job, these fools contribute nothing to anything...yet want an opinion of a dead man. You and your hero's are pathetic.

[@frankkolton1780]

Lukas Johnson What heros? Opinion of what dead man? Both Burleson and Breashears are alive. The facts are Boukreev refused to do his job as a guide in the days before the tragedy according to multiply statements by those on the Mountain Madness expedition. Instead Fisher was stretched to the point of exhaustion because had to do the things that Boukreev was supposed to be doing. Boukreev is somewhat responsible for Fishers death. Boukreev was a blowhard that lacked social skills in dealing with the clients. Karma ended up getting Boukreev in the end.

[@reallychosen8976]

Frank yep, it IS even better (if that's possible!!) on audiobook. Green light my man

[@andrewrivera4029]

It’s nice to Remember when ABC wasn’t fake news...

[@ethanpen3470]

I agree! And when Donald Trump didn’t have a Fake tan.

[@andrewrivera4029]

@@ethanpen3470 I agree! And when biden didn’t have to wear a diaper!

[@susanlett9632]

​@@andrewrivera4029 🙄 grow up

[@andrewrivera4029]

@@susanlett9632 never.

[@dirkdarwin2571]

I'll always remember my expedition back in '97 with the (now legendary) Ken 'Eddie' Kennedy of the Downtown Nepal crew. We left camp 4 at about 10pm and made it as far as the Zabriskie Doormat. Then the weather suddenly worsened. At that time you couldn't use online weather radars. We ground to a halt and it took another hour to make it to the middle of Sumner's Handbasket, which was one of the most icy points. By that point, and without the benefit of a piste map or any salt buckets, we decided it was best to turn back. There would be no summits that day. But one thing's for sure, being in places I'd only ever heard about, was definitely something to think about. And I still do, to this day. RIP Kenny boy. You're the man.

[@Dutchinvegas]

This disaster and the 2008 K2 disaster are fascinating for me, what went wrong, why, how, who, etc. I'm not a climber.

[@FoamingPipeSnakes]

Theres a good book about it. You should check it out.

[@christophercolumbus1169]

I keep wondering, if Sandy Pittman wasn’t there, would they have summited hours earlier and made it back safely?!

[@lauramartel5297]

The failure to turn back at 2 was the problem. I took mountaineering classes that helped turn me back six times on mediocre Mount Princeton, in CO. Thunderstorms were coming in each time antd the 14er had monuments to the famous dead killed in thunderstorms. The 2 pm problem triggered almost everything else for this group. The pressure on Rob to go against Mountaineering 101 was obvious. Did she add to the main problems? Yes. You shouldn't expect or have to be babied along with short roping. I probably would have needed it, but I gave up my Seven Summits Dream a few years before 1996 because I saw what Russian Roulette was involved with the sport, relative to my mediocre ability.

[@lisahertel2415]

No. She is not the cause of these deaths. Krakauer made that storyline

[@-ShootTheGlass-]

Turn back at 2pm... why the F have that rule if it only gets ignored! Turn back and the risk is lowered, go on and the risk multiplies. I don’t get it to be honest but I wasn’t on the mountain so I guess I never will.

[@ironwoodnf9128]

but the girl came with a TV!

[@robertx1603]

No it was Lapsong's decision to short-rope and tow Sandy up from Camp 4, as he understandably but unfortunately decided getting her to the summit was the number one priority, ahead of fixing ropes. That decision cost everyone an hour at least, and put them into the jaws of the storm.

[@deekurtz46]

The socialite millionaire Sandy Pittman-- who had the Sherpa carry her unnecessary gear and short rope her up the mountain when he was to be helping secure ropes at The Hillary Step--is to blame for the delay of both teams' ascents and descents. A selfish woman who in my mind never made the summit.

[@Moishe555]

That is simply not true, what about the climbers on the north side, did she kill them too?

[@CalopsitaVanderbilt1911]

They follow the money as well. Sherpas are no gods.

[@VagueMemory]

@@CalopsitaVanderbilt1911 Of course they aren't gods but I know one thing for sure.. They are far braver than you or I and incredibly loyal. They take this job because it is one of the only ways to take care of their family in such a poor country without having an education. They only get paid around 5000K for 3 months of work and they put their lives on the line every single day to make this climb possible. On top of that, when the situation becomes dire and a westerner is on the verge of dying, they do everything they can to bring that person down, even to the point of nearly killing themselves. Far more decent, courageous people than you or I. They may as well be a god to you.

[@CalopsitaVanderbilt1911]

Mad Pierrot yes, you’re right

[@RK831]

Had there been no storm Sandy Pittman would be exonerated, but we can at least say this: her selfish actions did not help the situation.

[@Divchyk]

Huge praise to the helicopter pilot Colonel Madan Khatri Chhetri (KC) and Beck Weathers, who retained his ability to remain a human being and let another to take first ride, even though this helicopter was dispatched for him. What is really mind boggling for me is. People are willing to pay more than 60K for this "experience" and unwilling to invest in proper preparation - training their own body and mind, practicing "oxygen" starvation" in a controlled environment and become at least somewhat experienced climber before you actually attempt Everest. Also greed prevents companies who provide guides to insist on mandatory experience, medical before being accepted. In addition someone like Sandra Hill should not be there at all unless she was provided individual extra help, so the ropes could be fixed! Staying more that an hour longer on the summit, passing the known deadline of 2 p.m. - pure stupidity, which can be expected form teenagers, but not from an adults and experienced guides! Greed and ego - reasons for that disaster. Very sad, especially because lessons were not learned.

[@dennyhooper8987]

Absolutely, massive props to Beck Weathers & the brave pilot, if not for Mr Weathers’ wife’s massive efforts, this story could have ended worse than it did . Beck later admitted that he felt depression was the driving force in his attempt to scale mountains. Everyone battles their inner demons in different ways, I guess.

[@Tina06019]

@@dennyhooper8987 understand Beck’s motivation completely. The only thing that staves off my depression is exercise, and extreme exertion and a bit of danger helps me the most. Not surprisingly, alpine mountaineering is very attractive to me, but I know I am not capable of it.

[@dandan4092]

@@Tina06019start small, build up your skills, knowledge and savvy day by day. Look for local climbs in your area, or country. There’s guides, classes, etc. that will usually have equipment. I’m in the UK, our highest peak is only just above 4400ft but there’s some amazing climbing. Hopefully the Himalayas lie ahead but if you want to start alpine climbing, no reason to tell yourself you can’t. I take huge satisfaction in summiting even the smallest walls. Best of luck!

[@travislocklear8316]

When his wife said they talked about their unborn child I lost it so sad this happened to someone that was so experienced. RIP Rob Hall

[@Joelswinger34]

It wasn't sad so much as angering for me . He chose to risk his life on that mountain, knowing he might leave his pregnant wife alone and never be a father to his child. How incredibly selfish.

[@cathyizzo7886]

@@Joelswinger34yes I feel the same way. I lost my father when I was 10 and and it was miserable. It would not have helped me feel better if someone had told me my dad died living his dream. Also, I was diagnosed with cancer when my kids were toddlers. I fought so hard not to die on them and here are people who have the opportunity to stay alive and they just throw that chance away.

[@cbstevp]

They don't mention Andy Harris, another New Zealand guide with Rob Hall's team, who died trying to go back and rescue Hall and Doug Hansen. Perhaps his family refused to let his name be used in the report.

[@petergianakopoulos4926]

You can't not not give permission silly

[@PaultheSheik]

A Little Story About Rob Hall In late May 1989 Rob Hall and Gary Ball came down to Kathmandu, exhausted, after a failed expedition to Everest via the South Col route and Artur Hajzer came down from Messner expedition on Lhotse South Face. They got a note that some Poles had been avalanched on Everest West ridge - 5 were killed but Andrzej Marciniak was alive, badly smashed up, blind, stranded near the Lho La and about to die. Hall, Ball and Artur Hajzer tried to have a heli but it failed, so they immediately sorted a jeep and permission to enter Tibet (the border was closed because of the Tiananmen Square protests), drove to Zhangmu, swapped into a truck and drove to Everest BC. They did this trip pretty much in a day or so, though it is breathlessly recounted as some great and interesting intrepid adventure by most Everest 'climbers' on their websites nowadays. They then immediately hiked up the central Rongbuk, into the basin and up to the Lho La from the north, where they found Marciniak (camp II on 6100m), treated him, carried him down and out to EBC and back to KTM. The whole thing took 4 days (100 hours)."

[@susanbengston3496]

WOW!!

[@mchandrashekhar4043]

👍👍🫡🫡

[@Katwoman4318]

No human should be on Mt. Everest. God Bless the people that do. Thank you Sherpas.

[@MJ-fj9yv]

And Sherpas can’t feed their families. Way to go you racist elite.

[@stonno719]

Why isn't there a mention of Andy Harris? He tried to save Doug and Hall but died during the night with Rob while Doug was already dead...

[@jlgaming2540]

AwayAttack that's not what actually happened

[@noobzrule]

Are u basing it on the movie 😹😂

[@brittanymorris943]

Jl Gaming rob had radioed in saying that Harris was with him to base camp

[@jlgaming2540]

Brittany morris rob hall radioed that Harris was gone and only his tools were left

[@katana5562]

Jl Gaming Stop spreading misinformation. Harris tried to help them. Ger out of here!

[@MarimbaBuddy]

After seeing the episode of this from "Seconds from Disaster," it amazes me just how much younger some of these people looked in their interviews, particularly Neil Beidleman.

[@bebebrunette007]

Watching this in bed makes me feel really over privileged and spoiled. Then again I don’t have 65K to spend on this either

[@jonwayne70]

Yeah, but most these people were bored and privileged! Most of them spent a small fortune on being able to climb that mountain.

[@marlagarrason2005]

Over privileged are the ones on the mountain. You're smart enough to not do something so stupid and selfish. Even if you had the money. Money doesn't buy intelligence.

[@John-ji9bh]

It’s 100 k now

[@ozzyaarseth]

$69,000 on adventure consultants website for the 2021 climb

[@warshipsatin8764]

there are plenty of difficult climbs you can do without 65k

[@jmiller4280]

'After the Wind' by Louis Kasischke, client of Adventure Consultants has a read as good as 'The Climb' and 'Into thin Air'. Low on oxygen and and hitting the turn around time, he was about to keep going up, but "after the wind" he turned back.

[@cpchehaibar]

Taking measures for being able to watch movies in your tent and actually watching them must be the most idiotic thing ever. It's missing the entire point of camping/climbing.

[@freestyle9368]

This whole episode is like a Greek tragedy. Krakauer had a very good climbing career years before this, about which he wrote eloquently, yet recieved little money or fame. Then he gets caught up in this ordeal, expresses noting but regret, and teh resulting book becomes a bestseller, making him the richest climber in history, while all the other protagonists are dead or disfigured. Even the couple who took over Mountain Madness ended up dying within ten years. I'll take my nice rock climbing vacations in the warm southwestern sandstone or Mediterranean limestone, thank you.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

That's just the way the cookie crumbles chief. You can't hold it against krakauer.

[@garymingy8671]

Dude , don't climb on limestone! , It's weak , it fractures , it melts in the rain, the layers are lines of weekends , every obvious layer , is weak. Lord I hope you know what your doing , godspeed!

[@ancaas7945]

@@NiSiochainGanSaoirse You can. Krakauer's book is all misinformation and lies.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

@@ancaas7945 says who? You werent there, but he was, so I'll believe his real time story over your hater drama

[@katana5562]

Anca AS Stop spreading misinformation. Krakauers Book is the most accurate version of what truly happened. Boukreev left his clients behind in the Death Zone while descending, and made himself comfortable at camp 4. He only moved his a** when the catastrophe was long on the way. He was responsible for them. So saving at least a few of them later was his effing duty. He messed up. Don‘t tell people bs, I have read both books. While Krakauer interwieved everybody afterwards to create the most accurate picture, Boukreev and his publisher conveniently „missed“ to ask tons of people for their version what really happened. He only wanted to deliver one thing: A version of the story that made himself not look as bad. He never took any responsibility for his faults, the only thing he was is defensive. Does not make him look good. At all. With his book and his attitude he only did one thing: he proved Krakauers point. Boukreev was way too self centered to be a reliable and responsible guide.

[@dennyhooper8987]

Anatoli saved people & was still made out to be the bad guy ( by some) He was one of the few that actually had any business or ability to be up there.

[@skeptigal2785]

Well, he was hired as a guide, and yet went up and down initially completely alone -- and w/o oxygen, which is irresponsible when you're supposedly responsible for others. So he deserves criticism for that.

[@omusialo]

He also was the first one (or one of the first back at camp 4 from what I read) and some criticized him for his possible intentions to only help himself. He claimed that he did it to rest, get hot tea, oxygen and warm up for when he needed to go back up and help others (which is exactly what he did) - but I suspect that Russian/American relations and his alpha bravado were factors in how others on the mountain that day perceived him - naturally leading them to make judgements about him.

[@skeptigal2785]

@@omusialo, except that while he was resting and drinking tea in his tent, he didn't have a radio. How would he even know if anyone needed rescuing? Boukreev was all about Boukreev. It was dishonest of him to agree to be a guide (and take money for it) when he had no intention of performing as one.

[@seekingtruth1856]

@@skeptigal2785 in the end however, he was a lifesaver to multiple ppl. So he played a quite valuable role. If it weren’t for him those he saved would’ve perished

[@skeptigal2785]

@@seekingtruth1856 , it can be argued with equal logic that had he stayed with the group and DONE HIS JOB, they wouldn't have ended up lost and stranded on the mountain in a storm. The Antoly worship is strong here...

[@blinderII]

Thanks for the post. A fascinating story. I've seen just about every documentary on this tragedy, and this, in my opinion, was the best told.

[@chatman2a]

I wholeheartedly agree. This production was, quite simply, the best.

[@blinderII]

This was even better than the movie, which I was very disappointed in.

[@jenifferkiruki1695]

Forrest Sawyer voice makes it all better..

[@itwasflavor-aid]

Storm over Everest is really good, made by David Breasears.

[@87dramarama]

"The following day, there was a memorial service for Fischer, and the group talked about their grief and guilt. People were torn up about the deaths. Earlier they had made a pact that no one would talk to the press until they were all down from the mountain. Pittman ended her Web postings, noting, “I need to feel the impact of all this.” They also agreed that although they had lost their leader they had gone in as a team and would hike out as a team. Beidleman said, “Nobody wants to feel like they’re running from any of this.” But the next morning, when the team hiked down to Pheriche, the town below Base Camp, it was obvious that Pittman was in a hurry to split. She pled media obligations. A team member recalls, “She was worried about damage control.” First thing Friday, she chartered a helicopter to Kathmandu for $2,500, offering a ride to Madsen and the team doctor, Ingrid Hunt. For the same sum she could have chartered a large Russian helicopter to take everyone down. On Monday, May 20, Fischer’s team gathered in the Yak and Yeti garden for a group picture. Pittman, who had originally refused to pose for Vanity Fair (saying she didn’t “want to do anything to stand out from the group”), arrived fully made up, wearing a tight black miniskirt, a black blouse with mandarin collar, and an elaborate Tibetan headdress. The other climbers, most of them casually dressed, appeared taken aback. Throughout the evening, there was an almost palpable tension between Pittman and some of her fellow climbers. There were those who felt that she tried to keep her distance from Beidleman and Boukreev, the men who had risked their own necks to save hers. During the NBC interview and a lengthy background session with Newsweek the day before, Pittman never mentioned that she had been in serious jeopardy or that she would probably have died had she not been helped by Beidleman and Boukreev. In a subsequent telephone conversation, when asked about her apparent lack of appreciation toward the two gentlemen who had saved her life, Pittman responded tersely: “Which two gentlemen is that?”

[@underthefallenstars2788]

WOW 😑

[@bnegs521]

Thank you so much for that post.

[@robertx1603]

Interesting stuff. But re. helicopters, not sure that a large fully loaded copter could fly to/from base camp at 17500 ft. High altitude helicopters are a special breed.

[@gabrielepresby9120]

She’s a rhymes with witch.

[@andreamatheson5760]

Jeez so Madsen flew off without his girlfriend Charlotte Fox. That seems so strange.

[@momthree789]

Why didn't Rob Hall follow through with his own rule about turning around by a certain time??? As soon as he realized the lines weren't set, he should have turned around.

[@borismuller86]

momthree789 altitude and summit fever, plus a bit of empathy for his friend Doug.

[@nawfali2670]

Poor judgment

[@alexbraintree]

indiscipline

[@monixism]

his soft heart killed him

[@monahawk]

I believe he wanted to let his friend stay for a while since Rob refused to let the friend summit the year before due to bad conditions and a late start. I could be wrong but I think they imply that somewhere - if not in this video. So he thought he was doing him a favor I guess. Sad loss of all who perished...

[@Navyyy9]

Rob hall shouldn’t have died💔😭 such a pure soul😞

[@junioradult6219]

Doug shouldnt have been on been allowed back on after what happened the first time. He was a known risk

[@teewoods4886]

He left his unborn baby , he should of stayed home

[@kaylamls5703]

Jan Arnold and Beck Weathers... such incredibly strong and gentle souls. So inspiring. Have a feeling I will always be enamoured with this story and mountain.

[@SUNANDSANDS590]

Dear Sir , I belongs to India , a Capital of New Delhi ..and my name is virender. I am into the profession of Travel and Tours , along with the adventure tours , today I saw this movie EVEREST , a True Story ... this is really heart touching and I am sorry for lost there lives .However ...people are keep adventuring and do the summit.This movie is really directed very nice.

[@nancyjones6780]

Neil and Anatoly and the Sherpas are the unsung heroes of this tragedy! Beck was the miracle!

[@petergianakopoulos4926]

They are sung all the time.

[@amandajstar]

Wonderful story, and the Weathers family is as well. Thank you, Lt. Col. Madan KC!

[@juliejenkins2376]

I wonder if they were able to buy that helicopter pilot a big enough chopper to carry his massive great balls?! Jesus christ, what a freaking champion!

[@deniseassissilva4511]

The mountain isn't guilty of anything ..please! It had never called people to climb there...

[@billcosbybutbeforetherapes7553]

No one blamed the mountain you douche

[@WhyAreTheyOverHere]

I conquered EVEREST. If you don't believe me, just ask my sherpas who carried all my gear and attached the rope to the summit.

[@a.walters123]

"I have no business being on this mountain." -Sandy Pittman (socialite, not climber).

[@shephherd]

Ashley Burgia ...nice one. Seriously

[@a.walters123]

Bhavesh Athawasya I do what I can ;)

[@mspixiedust100]

Sherpas seem like the real heros

[@Yuffie191]

mspixiedust100 damn right, that nigga lopsang not only conquered the mountain, he dragged a lazy business woman up, and dragged his guide down, true beast

[@edbroaotearoa1198]

I have nothing but respect for anyone that chase their dream. You want it then go for it, just don't trample on others for Your dreams

[@Bribosome]

Beck Weathers is a true miracle. those with no high altitude experience just cant comprehend what an absolute miracle it is he survived.

[@dana102083]

Oh I can comprehend right from the comfort of my bed. Mind blowing, yes, to be left for dead twice and losing fingers and face..the quiet of a whistling storm and being alone. Do you live somewhere warm or something?

[@junioradult6219]

​@@dana102083😂 lol i can imagine being cold and alone also. Alone and cold on top of everest is probably even worse

[@MrDlt123]

And now the crowd on Everest is 3 times what it was in '96 during the climbing season....

[@beckyshock3099]

I am just amazed every time I hear this story, at the bravery, and heroizem that was shown. I would never do anything like that even if I was able to, I'm 63 and glad I'm able to climb out of bed when morning comes, and make breakfast..... Mr Weathers making it back to his family was inspirational. All the survivors deserve an award, and those who didn't. We all Love somebody, and I pray for everyones loved ones to be safe.

[@Ghostshadows306]

Heroism by who? And for what? What exactly is heroic about climbing a mountain for your own personal thrill and ending up dead or having to be carried off without all your body parts? What do you think these people are doing up there? Curing cancer, fighting a war, saving a family of geese? Their up their playing reindeer games with frosty the snowman, which is perfectly fine to do but don’t confuse it for something it’s not. It’s not heroism, it’s just not. They may be hero’s to you and others personally and if so then state it that way.

[@dana102083]

@@Ghostshadows306 someone posting on youtube is expressing personal perspective and feelings. Are people signing up for a job also not eligible as a hero cuz its paid? Why cant heroism come from recreation..just because your personal opinion says so? Come on man..

[@Ghostshadows306]

@@dana102083 I’m sorry I don’t see your point and it’s misguided to call people hero’s who are doing nothing heroic by any reasonable definition of the word.

[@Abnsdllnnlosnfd]

This is soooooooo 90s!!!

[@mspixiedust100]

well duh

[@Jayade04]

true i miss this time

[@Mnt2ride]

Its so nice to watch journalists reporting great stories. We miss real stories without political narrative.

[@johnny2929]

Is it really such an achievement to be short-roped up Everest? If you're not able to proceed from camp 4 on your own steam you should really be turned around!

[@Ruouiji]

Amazing documentary! I have always had great respect for those who brave the highest mountains of the world!

[@lovesallanimals9948]

I have to say the Pilot is freaking awesome!!

[@LynnRC1957]

Beck Wethers has a heroic story of all that I have read... #1 ) the DEATH ZONE IS NOT A LIE...AND MUST NOT BE MINIMIZED . #2 ) is that the Summit IS Only HALF OF THE WAY #3 a Team Guide must be the Decision maker at SUMMIT TIME...

[@pug-man6861]

Anatoly in the Everest film defo didn’t get the props he deserved for going back out in to the storm multiple times saving 3 people

[@katana5562]

Mr T What props? Boukreev left his clients behind in the Death Zone while descending, and made himself comfortable at camp 4. He only moved his a** when the catastrophe was long on the way. He was responsible for them. So saving at least a few of them later was his effing duty. He messed up. Don‘t tell people bs, I have read both books. While Krakauer interwieved everybody afterwards to create the most accurate picture, Boukreev and his publisher conveniently „missed“ to ask tons of people for their version what really happened. He only wanted to deliver one thing: A version of the story that made himself not look as bad. He never took any responsibility for his faults, the only thing he was is defensive. Does not make him look good. At all. With his book and his attitude he only did one thing: he proved Krakauers point. Boukreev was way too self centered to be a reliable and responsible guide.

[@katana5562]

Mr T What happened before: Boukreev (a guide) left his clients behind in the Death Zone while descending, and made himself comfortable at camp 4. He only moved his a** when the catastrophe was long on the way. He was responsible for them. So saving at least a few of them later was his effing duty. He messed up. I have read both books. While Krakauer interwieved everybody afterwards to create the most accurate picture, Boukreev and his publisher conveniently „missed“ to ask tons of people for their version what really happened. He only wanted to deliver one thing: A version of the story that made himself not look as bad. He never took any responsibility for his faults, the only thing he was is defensive. Does not make him look good. At all. With his book and his attitude he only did one thing: he proved Krakauers point. Boukreev was way too self centered to be a reliable and responsible guide.

[@pug-man6861]

Kata Na ahh fair enough I wasn’t aware of the full facts thanks for the info

[@albertawheat6832]

@@pug-man6861 Boukreev had actually taken a client to the top and returned with him to camp. smh at some peoples comments.

[@pug-man6861]

@@albertawheat6832 people will never cease at the chance to hate or put other people down! It’s the sad state of people today

[@jadedlove1345]

This was a very good documentary. Well done!

[@deputyVH]

Guide to Client..."If you want to reach the summit of this mountain today, we're both going to die. Are you sure you want to carry on?"

[@christinestill1990]

I have always thought this would be the last thing I would ever try. I got altitude sickness in Switzerland. They put me in a shack used by Olympic skier Jean Claude Killey to revive me! Feels like hell !

[@Lisa1111]

When there is a human traffic jam at the top of Everest, it needs to cease immediately! Human destruction makes me sick.

[@awnutz]

Too many people with too much money on the planet. We’re trashing everything on the planet. Personally, I feel for the yaks. Who’s looking after them?

[@stephanieleach2767]

I am so happy right now, thank you for keeping my favorite commercial ever in the video. Come in dirty bird

[@bnegs521]

Charlotte Fox made it through all this on Everest and then later died falling down the stairs in her home. Life is that way sometimes

[@SilhouetteSE]

God surely works in mysterious ways... Also, May 10 - the day of the disaster - was her birthday. In the PBS docu, she admitted to have resigned to dying that day, having summitted and fulfilled her dream.

[@bnegs521]

@@SilhouetteSE I did see that doc. Yes she did. Her man did not let her give up.

[@roamingirl]

Oh, wow. That stings!

[@connormurphy7684]

This is a polite version of what happened

[@icecool2383]

It still frustrates me to this day why they didn't follow their own rules of, turn back by 2pm regardless of where you are. Rob should've been firm with Doug and said no, money isn't everything if it was he would be spending his now, and dreams are just that. Scott knew he was struggling as he was slow, why risk it for reputation, and that rich woman had no business on the mountain. Too many mistakes that should have been avoided... It's one thing to be killed by natural causes like an avalanche but to die with silly mistakes frustrates me as life is precious and we shouldn't gamble with it.

[@davidgeisler9885]

Highlander Cool they though they would still get away with it not knowing that terrible storm was coming

[@brianwright1901]

The paid for every single one though. This trip was all about money, and it showed.

[@conors4430]

Highlander Cool you are right, but you are also forgetting that at those altitudes you can’t think properly either

[@cathyizzo7886]

There is a specific thing regarding this that still bothers me. When Rob Hall told Beck Weathers to sit there and wait for him to come back, did the thought of Beck Weathers ever cross his mind again during the course of the rest of the day, like when Doug (allegedly) convinced to go up hours past turn around time, did Rob Hall ever consider the fact that Beck would just be sitting there for all those hours waiting for him? Doug wasn't his only client. According to BW's book, "Left for Dead". Rob was very explicit that he wanted Beck to wait for Rob to come back. Beck had asked that him if he could start seeing again, could he head down and Rob told him no. That is a shame because Beck had 2 chances to head down but he wanted to follow Rob's instructions because he know it would confuse things for him not to be where Rob expected to find him.

[@skeptigal2785]

I agree it's very weird that both leaders acted so irrationally and out of character; I don't think apoxia can be blamed for all of that (they both used oxygen). Rob, especially, was adament about turning around at 2:00, then blatantly disobeyed his own order! It almost seems like the mountain possessed them in order to kill them. The whole thing reminds me of the movie, "Picnic at Hanging Rock," where the very mountain itself exerts a malevolent influence.

[@greatmystery9729]

The Seepa would be my God if I were ever to climb Everest. The only person that I'd listen to. He's not worried about getting likes on the internet!

[@amberagee7294]

That Russian sounded pretty badass, rescuing all those people.

[@PaultheSheik]

He was. Google him.

[@katana5562]

Amber Agee Boukreev left his clients behind in the Death Zone while descending, and made himself comfortable at camp 4. He only moved his a** when the catastrophe was long on the way. He was responsible for them. So saving at least a few of them later was his effing duty. He messed up. Krakauer interwieved everybody afterwards to create the most accurate picture, Boukreev and his publisher conveniently „missed“ to ask tons of people for their version what really happened. He only wanted to deliver one thing: A version of the story that made himself not look as bad. He never took any responsibility for his faults, the only thing he was is defensive. Does not make him look good. At all. With his book and his attitude he only did one thing: he proved Krakauers point. Boukreev was way too self centered to be a reliable and responsible guide.

[@nickbrown9163]

@@katana5562 it ain't Disneyland. I am reading his book. He said his English was bad. He was not social. He didn't have a radio. He took the job cause Fisher hired him. In the Marines we hold our leaders accountable. The only one who died on the mm team was Fisher. Rob Hall sure could have used the Russian to bring back his awful clients. Blaming the Russian with all the logistics issues is foolish.

[@junioradult6219]

​@@katana5562he left them as was agreed upon with scott to go ahead and get things ready st camp and launch a resue if need be. Funny how you convenently leave that out😂

[@davedipak8688]

This tragedy is very sad. 1996 is sad to remember today. The team with Rob Hall and all the mountaineers is really brave. Which has been marked as a brave squad in history. His family is also very strong in expressing goodwill for him.Along with the Indigenous Border Police, were originally Indians who died.Seeing this film on the tragedy, the scene was very interesting, which was very heartbreaking.

[@Adarsh-sz5wu]

I think Rob Hall's only mistake was to stick with Doug Hensen for long. He should have seen it coming. And hats off to Beck W. 😊

[@helenal.7881]

Doug Hansen should never have climbed. My husband is an ENT surgeon and said he doesn’t think that Doug told his surgeon that he was about to climb Everest. If his surgeon knew, he would have rescheduled either the surgery or Hanson’s climb. Sad.

[@junioradult6219]

​@@helenal.7881after what happened his first go he was a known risk. Dont know why he was allowed back

[@nickenzio1]

Sandy is too embarrassed because she came back telling her friends that she made the summit which when this film aired it showed how she lied lol.

[@wht-rabt-obj]

I agree with the guy at 10:12, SO many people have climbed it, it’s not that rare anymore. Used to be you might be one of less than 100 people to have done it, but now, like he said “every Tom, Dick and Harry from all walks of life have done it”. Anyone who is somewhat fit and has enough cash, can get to the top of Everest, it’s just not that special anymore. That picture of the “traffic jam” at the summit a year or so ago just proved that too many people are on Everest.

[@maiden4life303]

K2 is so underrated

[@sazziestar202]

THAT BEK W IS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO HAS THE QUALITIES OF A LEADER.. THE DETERMINATION OF THAT MAN... AND HE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE BITTER AGAINST THOSE WHO LEFT HIM

[@shanereynolds4276]

That helicopter pilot is a true gangster

[@raulkrump7738]

The music in these type of documentaries are always so creep.

[@jmackenroth]

What kind of person leaves his wife who is 7 months pregnant to go climb Mt. Everest? Someone who is incredibly selfish.

[@jennymcmillin5668]

Purrelli I could not agree more! 🙄🙄😤😤😠

[@davidwadsworth8982]

agree totally.In the service you risk your life sometimes, but it is for a much higher purpose.There was poor leadership on display here.

[@becca0668]

She was a climber too and they both did everest together. It was his business to provide for his wife and family. Alot of people do jobs to support their families. It's not that selfish especially when the wife and husband is are climbers. If she wasnt pregnant she would have went too.

[@davidwadsworth8982]

@@becca0668 He took up I gave up people that were not qualified.That is a fact.He did THAT for huge money.Had a publicity machine going, FACT ! I gave up my career(Merchant Marine) to be with my family, he put HIM SELF first,FACT.

[@jmackenroth]

@@becca0668 That does put a different perspective on it. Perhaps they were both reckless in deciding to bring a child into the world until they got their life risking behavior out of their system.

[@mspixiedust100]

Well that Neal Beiderman is a looker.

[@georgethompson3763]

Still alive, he summitted Everest in 2011 and 2018.