The 1996 Disaster · STORM OVER EVEREST · PBS Documentary
May 11th 1996, a fast moving storm trapped three climbing teams high atop Mt Everest. The exhausted climbers were soon lost in a fierce blizzard and far from the safety of Camp 4 at 26,000 feeet. Renowned Climber/filmmaker David Breasheers, who was on the mountain that fateful day, returns to Everest to tell the complete story of what really happened on that legendary climb.
-----1996 Mt Everest Disaster------
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10-11 May 1996, when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest season on Mount Everest at the time and the third deadliest after the 16 fatalities of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche and the 22 resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. The 1996 disaster received widespread publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest.
Numerous climbers were at a high altitude on Everest during the storm, including the Adventure Consultants team, led by Rob Hall, and the Mountain Madness team, led by Scott Fischer. While climbers died on both the North Face and South Col approaches, the events on the South Face were more widely reported. Four members of the Adventure Consultants expedition perished, including Hall, while Fischer was the sole casualty of the Mountain Madness expedition. Three officers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police also died.
🎥 Frontline
cir: 2008
Director: David Breashears
#Everest #StormOverEverest
Absolutely amazing! David Breashears a great mountaineer, writer and filmmaker. Above all he’s a good human being. Thank you for posting this wonderful documentary. Inspiring and heartbreaking. RIP Rob, Scott, Andy, Doug and all those who perished in the storm on Everest.
amazing that u know about it.. so many so called (i think in austria, where iam from) alpinist dont know a thing about the (sometimes tragic) history of "alpinclimb" and all the great human beeings who did all the great work we are today looking at.. wish u just the best. have a great day & keep up the good work. & may also your smile ;)
@Nilofar Bawa We will never forget Namba Yasuko ( 難波 康子 ) !
Read the book, “Into Thin Air”
@@buzasmihaly8763 I hated how she went.. All alone cold Frozen to the ice on the ground.. If they would have brought her inside a tent and nursed her she might have lived... Bless her ❤️
@Jesse Fromal oh yes- the weak woman who had conquered the highest peak in 7 continents 🙄
The Sherpas that came back to rescue Gau and even tried to reach Rob really are the unsung heros of this stormy day on the top of the mount everest...
Absolutely right. Theres a great documentary called Sherpa thats now on Netflix which really drives that home.
Yes, and these rich selfish bastards treat them appallingly
@@addictlee2008 After climbing Everest nearly every year since 1994, Sherpa Kami Rita has just summitted Everest for the 25th time and at the age of 51! He was one of the first people to summit this season, as he was fixing the ropes for all the groups. He's also climbed other major mountains, including K2. I'm hoping that he will now retire ...
Yes. and don't forget about Anatoli...
@@2684dennis good eye
I am endlessly fascinated by everest and k2 stories but at the same time I just can't grasp having the desire to climb it
even after watching this one day i want to tackle it, and if i die up there, at least id like to be frozen facing some nice view. Isnt that a better grave than being in box with piles of dirt on it
@@gamingforfun9000 - yes, yes it is
Nope... cus ur your dead. ACTUALLY dying up there also sounds horrible. If rather have a massive adrenaline dump, like an airplane crash or something.
@@gamingforfun9000 I live in the north. You clearly have no idea what it is like to work at -50 wearher. Freezing is the worst feeling in the world.
@@misterysmithers8566 well you don't know where I live or lived ;)
R.I.P David Breashears. This documentary evokes so much emotion. It is an awesome example of thoughtful storytelling.
Truly. 😭
This is such sad news, I cannot believe he passed. This is my favourite documentary. 🙏🏻 May he rest in peace. What a remarkable life he lived.
Truth
Anatoli’s rescue is beyond belief what a great man he was, RIP stud
Forsure ❤
When I watch documentaries about Mount Everest I always feel that the Sherpas doesn't get the credit they deserve. Watching how they carry most of the supplies for the climbers, securing the ladders and ropes before every season. I remember a scene from a documentary about a Mount Everest expedition I watched many years ago. I can't recall which documentary it was, but the scene was from one of the base camps late in the evening. Two Sherpas came into a tent with where some of the paying climbers where resting, and they asked the Sherpas where they had been. They answered that they had been up and secured some ladders and ropes. I can't say where this ladders and ropes was, but the look on the face of the other climbers was just disbelief. They simply couldn't fathom that they had climbed so far up and went down again, and the Sherpas acted as this was nothing special. They did this after carrying their own supply in addition to the paying climbers supply. The Sherpas are the true superhumans to me.
Sometimes people make them carry furniture. Like dining tables.
@@perseuslove1335 …WHAAAAT? Is this true? So it’s just a picnic, a day out!!! Unbelievable.
Except literally every video and comments section goes on and on about muh sherpas ! They didn’t even climb the mountains before westerners did …..
They get paid very well lol
The Sherpa people are extraordinary and living proof of human adaptation to their native environment. Sherpas DNA is sequenced in such an intricate way that they literally have a higher blood volume and the metabolism to accommodate it, completely in order to function at their best and healthiest at higher Earth altitudes, acclimated to process a lower atmosphere than non-Sherpa people, they thrive in thin air that would leave most of us breathless. Sherpa are BORN to live among the Himalaya, it is their gift. They live largely in villages throughout what is known as the Sagarmatha Zone (the Nepali name of Everest "Head of the Sky" In Tibet She is Chomolungma "The Mother of the World" and deeply revered by both cultures). They are wonderful people, and it is my joy to know a Sherpa gentleman (and yes, his name is Tenzing-- a common family name) He has a relative who has summited Sagarmatha eight times, each time he climbs to honor the five buddhas as well as to safely guide climbers who persist and pursue a personal conquest. Climbing fees are a boon to families of Sherpa guides. They are indispensable, gracious, and loving people.
A mountaineer once said, "Summiting is optional. Coming down is mandatory." Climbers who lose sight of that are doomed.
Ed Viesturs
all these people are egotists, addicted to adrenaline ----- an addiction always wants more
@@pjo2386 I'm Gen-X. In the words of Steve McQueen Racing is life, everything in-between, is just waiting. If you're not fulfilling your dreams then you're just waiting to die...
@@brandonbentley5453 hedonism sums it up - steve was also a sex addict, womanizer
@@pjo2386 Good Heavens. Spare us. Don't believe everything you see on KZhead or in the funny papers. 🙄
They didn't mention the Nepali Army pilot who flew a helicopter to 6,500 m to get Beck above the Khombu ice fall. It had been thought impossible because of the thin air. Col Madan Khatri Chhetri "KC" hovered but didn't land while they put Beck in the copter, so they wouldn't have to ge him across the ladders spanning the gaps in the ice fall.
yeah there's a lot they left out and that's was such a major part
Yes. How could they leave that out?
They have already showed him in the Everest 1998 IMAX film. This film is the addition to that.
The late Anatoli Boukreev said it best “Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” ...
Neil really said it best when he talks about Anatoly, "what he did was superhuman." Anatoly went out into the storm, alone, and at 1:00am and saved four people's lives. Extraordinary.
Anatoly killed in avalanch several years later.
Yes but he should of never went solo without oxygen. That's not something a guide does.
I don't understand that a guide left the climbers hours ahead of them reaching camp. Anatoly saved them, but he never should have left them to begin with.
@@rocketmom60 yes and because of him having no o2 it made him in a sense no longer a guide but just a climber that had to get back to camp to get o2
@@rocketmom60 I think he could only help two people at a time. But worse was leaving Beck Weathers in camp!
In watching this and reading a bit about the 1996 climbing season, it seems one of the truest climbers is Lou Kasischke. Having saved for years, worked to get into shape and got within a couple hundred feet of the summit, he looked at the summit, his condition, his remaining capabilities --- --- and turned back. With the goal of years so close he could almost taste it, he made a classic example of wise decision-making under extremely stressful conditions.
He deserves high praise for doing the safe thing. Such a difficult and devastating decision.
sounds like a loser. losers quit. he is going to have to live with the question of "what if" i guarantee you it will haunt him on his deathbed.
@@DanRustle And you sound like an idiot who could easily end up as a meatsicle on the side of a mountain. At least he gets a life beyond Everest. That's worth more than any summit.
@@neuralmute hahhaha amazing
@@neuralmute Dan is already a kind of 'meatsicle' where one of his very few pleasures is trolling on the internet..
"Character is what someone does when no one is watching",....Felt that.
I wonder what Beck meant by that. He obviously felt slighted by someone.
@@wesgilmer5391ya, and unfortunately, as he stated that "slight" on a national scale, he'll have to eat those words
That would be integrity
@@wesgilmer5391Mike Groom.
In my opinion, climbing Everest, but not making it to the peak, still counts as climbing Everest. You climb 12 or 15 hours from Camp 4 to get to the peak but you are short an additional 500 or 1000 feet, or whatever distance , before you can safely come back is good enough. You have still climbed Everest. Your loved ones will be thrilled to see you back and you get to keep your fingers, toes, and nose- and your LIFE.
Anywhere above camp 4 is considered done in my book.
Nope… didn’t make it.
Summiting is optional - getting down is mandatory.
Totally agree! When you become a parent or married, you don’t have to stop everything but you do have to think about them as well
Not to mention your there for weeks before doing other climbing and acclimatizing BEFORE you even get to Everest.
My dad was a mountain climber. He climbed the Grand Teton and most of the mountains in Utah. I’m thankful we were poor so he couldn’t afford a trip to Mt. Everest.
Mountaineering is mostly for the rich. Which is why ridiculous things like this happen. It should be for everyone that's able to climb. Sorry your grandad didn't get to see my everest
You don't really climb Everest anymore. Sherpas carry everyone's shit to camp while the fucks just take pictures and brag about how cool they are lol
Your Dad sounds Awesome
Most of them are Dentist's and Lawyer's that want stories about conquering Everest to tell for the next 40 years at cocktail parties.
Grand Teton = Big tit 😍
I attempted Mount Williamson a week back, but turned around because I wouldn't make the summit in time and I met experienced climbers who told me that you should summit no later than 1pm since afternoon thunderstorms are common. I think it was a big mistake that the climbers in this doc weren't keeping with their turn around time, and I think this doc teaches us climbers that we should always stick to our turn-around time. As an experienced climber once told me, "the mountain will always be here." I think it should be in our ethics that safety should always be our #1 priority.
Absolutely.
Sadly, summiting, is such a driving force that it motivates these people to take unacceptable risks. Then, when they reach the point where they are oxygen-deprived, they aren't thinking clearly.
@@cremebrulee4759 They weren't thinking clearly when they woke up one morning, hugged their wife and kids and thought to themselves, "I think I'll go climb Mt. Everest."
summited , sent in 1984 at age 13 😌
Williamson is quite the challenge for a California peak. Best luck next time.
God speed David, you were an inspiration to so many. Thank you for leaving us this documentary about life, death, and Mount Everest. Rip David 🙏
I didn’t realize he died just a couple months ago. RIP David.
Makalu Gau is so sympathetic... the way his whole body is involved in telling the story... His survival story.. His language sounds beautiful
Bruh! did you see his hands?
@@str8cndian Yes, and, ‘Bruh’? 🙄 That’s the result of frostbite. He still told his story with his whole body.
Very expressive indeed!
he survived like a champ
He made the documentary a 10 when it would've been a 7
To me, this documentary shows exactly why the commercialisation of dangerous high peaks like Everest is fundamentally wrong. Up there in the Death Zone, you can't be thinking about paying clients to whom you feel an obligation to provide a full 'summit experience'.
Thank you! Well said
This is so true :( God Bless you all.
Adults are adults.
There are many dangerous activities. Adults make their own decisions based on risk. Silly comment.
@@garymitchell5899 I think you're just too thick to understand it, and his comment was basically saying when you've been paid to get people to the summit, then you're more likely to take risks.
The one thing that continues to amaze me every time is the music in this documentary. When I watch the documentary and listen to the music in the background, it makes me feel like I am with them climbing up Everest. Bravo to the composer of the scores!
Agreed. Superb score.
I'm having difficulty finding the composers name. Anyone? Is the score on Spotify?
Ive watched this so many times.. Tonight there is a wind warning that piped up on the hillary step 😆
@@miri745 It seems, especially in the first half hour, to have been very heavily influenced by Ralph Vaughan William's "Lark Ascending" which you are going to love if you liked this!
@@Thepourdeuxchanson it's beautiful!
I love how Beck describes climbing at night, the blackness punctuated by a string of headlamps representing everyone completely silent each alone with themself in the darkness. Makes it seem more like a pilgrimage.
He's very poetic.
the music in this documentary is fantastic. just. perfect.
Imagine dying and then a bunch of dorks tell a boring story about it to jaunty woodwinds.
I thought the music echoed violins.
Jocelyn Pook is also the composer of "Masked Ball" from "Eyes wide shut" Kubrick.
@@christopherknowlessounds like an ok deal to me
@@rjmoney9 as long as I get to die
Mount Everest has become a high end tourism destination. It is no longer a magical quest for the select few, but a lineup at a mall. Majestic and deadly as the mall is, the disrespect for it is obvious.
Are you high bro?
It's foolishness at its worst. That being said, I would love to see the Himalayas. I am deeply saddened by the destruction of Tibet and its people. FREE TIBET!
@@stj971 agree with you it is so sad to see how they have commercialised everything just for the sake of t he mighty dollar
I blame late stage Sherpa capitalism.
It should be available to anyone that can finance and make the trip.
That Anotoly dude sticks out of this story like a Greek god or something - Wow what a legend of a dude. This story keeps going from bad to worse to WORSE, then this guy pops out of NOWHERE, who summited alone, and WITHOUT OXYGEN, and flies by everyone helping them etc .. I was like where did that character pop up in this story? And How the heck was he so seemingly unaffected by the storm, conditions, lack of oxygen etc?! Dude was a pure LEGEND. Wow
He was a very famous climber from Kazakhstan (USSR at the point of his birth) raised in 5000m .he died the next year on another pick
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoli_Boukreev
Thanks for posting his Wiki link. He had a prophetic dream where he died in an avalanche, but refused to stop climbing. I gained some respect for him after reading his quotes and thoughts about climbing. He was a hero, and that's how he should be remembered. :)
He is russian😂
Earth Angel ❤
RIP. David Breashears. Unforgettable.
Goodnight, David Breashears. Thank you for the gift of telling your story. 😭
The real hero was Anatoly Bukreev - he saved lifes... This story teach - not everything possible to buy!
He really was heroic in rescuing those in the huddle. Neal Beidleman was also amazing.
Boukreev is absolutely the hero of this story.
From the little bit that I read he seem to have missed a few of his guiding duties and went to enjoy the summit alone. He then went straight to camp 4 instead of helping the group under his responsibility going down. He ultimately saved everyone under his supervision but it could have been worse. He was also "lucky" that they managed to get that close from camp 4 by themselves. He is however indeed a true selfless hero! No one can take that away ~ (I am absolutely not an expert on this event 😊 these are bits that I have collected from his book and Krakaeurs' and I thought it gave an interesting alternative angle^^)
@@gabrielfestini - no, Anatoly was given an award for exceptional bravery by the mountaineering soc. No one on his group died. He saved many people, because, having rested he was the only one strong enough to do. Don’t listen to those who bad mouthed him for their own agenda / writing sensationalist stories. Also, Krakeur was asked to help, but remained in his tent.
@@jeffbrunton3291 oh i don't make an opinion based on that yeap 😉 i just thought it was an interesting angle since no one will ever know exactly what happened!
The real footage, the re-creations, the music, the tone of the survivors, the cinematography... everything about this documentary is just superbly done. Absolutely top notch stuff. 10/10. Everything done with respect for all involved. Those who survived, and those who didn't.
For me, there are a few stand out moments but the moment where Rob Hall's friend and team member, Helen Wilton, explaining facilitating the last phone call between Rob and his wife, Jan, was hammered home in that final look at 1:26:15 after explaining what she was doing was a terrible thing but also a good thing. A range of emotions that she's still feeling as she retells the story.
The music is too overbearing and sounds like a funeral.
@@CoIoneIPanic it was a funeral.
@@CoIoneIPanic it was hardly a New Year's party.
@@jsbach9848 but this is a video and it has distracting music .
I have watched this documentary now 2-3 times. I feel so many emotions with the incredible beauty of Everest; the anxiety of trying to survive in those conditions; the awe of physical and mental toughness of climbers; and also the sorrow of losing a friend to the mountain. Thank you David Snow.
Thank David Breashears.
Read Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air. This film supplements his writing beautifully.
❤ lovely comment 🙏🏼🫶🏼
This is the best documentary about the 1996 tragedy. RIP to all those who lost their lives.
It really hits home when you start seeing that some of the survivors have no fingers.
David Brashears declined to film their injuries (for their privacy) even though he could have recorded a once in a lifetime event.
Bro
@@saund102 you can see their missing fingers on several. It’s heart wrenching
@@theaxe6198 he means that he didn't film the injuries ON Everest. The black skin, the blood coming out of their mouths and noses.
I wonder how many climbers of Mount Everest have also lost their penises to frostbite🥶😱
Having watched and read almost everything about the 96 expedition and tragedy, I can only say that those in charge of the various teams did not follow the most important of all rules..."wherever you are on the mountain above camp 4, you MUST turn back within the "return window" no matter how close you are to the summit." Minutes are one thing but, many of those who tragically perished in 96 were HOURS beyond the return window of 1:00pm!!! It's a matter of obeying absolute leadership absolutely.
William, While there is undeniably truth in some of what you say about scrupulously following the “window” rule, there were also many unavoidable devastating mishaps such as the log jam of climbers, lack of available supplemental oxygen and of course the severity of the STORM that contributed to this CATASTROPHIC loss of so many priceless lives.
Everyone having a radio would have also helped. Two different climbers were just waiting for people who would not return to them. They are pretty much standard now.
Ur wrong... All I can see is the great leadership from Scott and Rob... That's all....
return window is a misnomer also it was 2 not 1
Agreed
I only just learned of this tragedy from watching the movie Everest on Max, I went into it completely blind. I thought it was going to be one of those "tragedy strikes and maybe one side character dies but they all pull through in the end" kind of films. I'm a full grown man and by the time I realized Robb really wasn't making it I started tearing up. The only positive I can think about is that these men died doing what they love.
If you read Into Thin Air you get a lot more context about why there was such a bottleneck at the top on that fateful day. Climbing groups that had agreed to summit on different days all broke their verbal contracts and greedily joined the queue which slowed everyone down, causing missed turnaround times. Throw in the dynamics of Rob and Doug trying to get their respective clients to the top and breaking their own rules, throw in a storm, etc., you've got a monumental shit show at the top of the world that largely could have been prevented.
Doug was Rob's client. You mean Rob and Scott's dynamics. So many steps could have been prevented, indeed..
The Sherpa didn't fix ropes like they should have. The guides had to do it and it took a lot of time.
@@rickp3753 Because the Sherpas were exhausted from carrying Sandy Hills stuff to the high camps, like her 40 pound satellite phone
Well said, thank you. Combination of bad complications and low leadership. All the odds stacked up and you had this. Rare, but this is a worst case.
@@rickp3753 Sandy arrived with 200 pounds of carry on luggage. They are brilliant, but they are not pack mules or wild beasts.
The sherpas Norbu, Ang Dorjee, Ngawang Sya Kya, Tashi Tseri and all the others are heros in the words true meaning. May they live long and happy lifes and have good fortune.
Not to mention Anatoly Andreev - the Russian who went out at 1AM into the nightmare storm to try and rescue people. That was courage.
@@ballaservices9275 -Apparently you missed my other post. Where I wrote- 🇷🇺 Anatoli Bukrejev 🇰🇿 _"deus ex camp IV"_ Rest in Peace _Now you can look down on Mount Everest_ _from the heaven you were reaching for_ januari 16 1958 december 25 1997
@@DEATH-THE-GOAT Yes I did! But we're travelling on the same bus here- they're all heroes as you say.
@@ballaservices9275 I'm sorry how my answer came out. I now see it sounds awful and nasty. I'm sorry
@@DEATH-THE-GOAT No, no, nothing to apologise for at all. I agree entirely with your main post on the Sherpas!!
This is an amazing documentary, but I also read "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakhouer, and that really filled in some of the finer points of this climb. So many mistakes were made, and so many people should NOT have been on that mountain. Several people who said they reached the summit were actually carried there by sherpas. What a tragedy!
I believe this is the only show I've seen where Sandy is involved. She was the one being carried up by Scott Fishers "Mountain Madness" Sherpa.
In my opinion it does NOT count if someone carries you up the mountain.
If you’re really interested in certain truths, read The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev.
@@amandamosteller1371no, she wasn’t. Not true.
@lisahertel2415 I'm just repeating what's been told from several accounts of people who were there first hand. Idk what's true or not because I wasn't there. However I do know that several people saw her being carried up and she has ran out or refused any interview where she is asked about it.
I can't even being to imagine what that night in the tent felt like for Beck Weathers. It was as if he had become a ghost before his life has ended. He must have felt utterly desperate and isolated... It's heartbreaking. I'm glad that he made it back to his wife and children in the end.
Yeah, him becoming aware that they were leaving him alone to die, because no-one thought he'd last to the morning, was heartbreaking.
As BRILLIANT as this doc was in almost every aspect of film making, the ONE thing I kept wishing was to see a Damn MAP of the routes, camps, distances between camps and altitude breakdowns. Maybe some viewers are experts on this already but it would have helped me so much to have a better overall view of the magnitude of what makes Everest near impossible to summit, and why walking 200 yards is a virtually impossible task (for the most accomplished climbers in the world..) in certain parts.
Yeah Same. Also Everest is easier to climb compared to some other 8000m plus peaks in this region like K2, Annapurna and Kanchenjunga. 40% of the ppl who climb annapurna (10th highest mountain) die. Also one reason why one can't walk continuosly is coz at high altitude u get tired very easily to u need to make sure that u can't overwork yourself.
That's one of those things that many people miss about climbing Everest and other major mountains - just how HARD it is: it's super high elevation, it's steep, you're climbing in crampons (not fun) many of of the climbers were sick prior to the climb, you're not able to digest food properly (and had been going through that for weeks prior to the ascent), many things. Jon Krakauer goes into more detail about the physical demands and problems that he and many others went through.
Google "everest south col route" you will find plenty of maps.
There are good KZhead videos with 3Droutes to accompany this doc.
When you are In high altitudes you feel heavier than what you are. It takes more effort to climb just like it would if you had weights on you. You also are carrying layers and things to help you. The weather also makes things painful and the higher you go the harder it gets to breath.
I was involved with a few teams climbing Everest at that time. My team and I designed the suits and gear for the climbers, (including Ed Viesturs) that David was filming for the IMAX movie planned. Fortunately none of them were injured, but we also supplied tents for Scott Fisher and I think for Rob Hall too, both of whom were killed. Pretty heartbreaking. Scott and Rob were very experienced, but they were guiding folks that really wanted to summit and just made some decisions that weren't correct in hindsight.
Don't suppose your design team was Marmot (or affiliated with Marmot)? The reason I ask is that I'm reasonably sure Marmot got its start as a company/corporation designing suits and gear for Clint Eastwood's filming team on his movie "The Eiger Sanction." They won the bid. I recall that being some twenty-six suits or a jacket/pants combo then and they leveraged that small start into the firm they are today. IIRC, Ed Viesturs was so strong (huge lungs) that he summited seven times WITHOUT oxygen. BIG chest on his suit. 44 shoulders, 60 chest....
I'm not related to David Snow, who's presentation this is, BTW. The shared last name is just a coincidence.
My husband constantly says that it is possible to wear battery operated suit warmers on Everest. Is that a possibility? I would worry about sweating then freezing and it would be crazy hard to carry a bunch of extra batteries.
@@kayk2956 old motorcycle rider's trick is to short out 9v batteries and throw them in their boots.
Prove it
Probably my favorite documentary about the 1996 Everest tragedy. I’ve seen it at least t a dozen times. RIP to all who lost there lives that day
I’ve watched this documentary atleast 3 times already. It never gets old.
It is astonishing to me how people can prepare for years to climb Everest, knowing the hardships, suffering, both mental and physical, the potential loss of life, all the risks, to reach the summit, and only be able to stand there for a few minutes. If you reach it at all... Unbelievable. Soul-wrenching. It must be a holy moment. 🤯❤😇
it is reckless and not worth losing your life for
@@jonathanbuss7538 Reckless to you is a challenge to them. Why train for and run a 26 mile marathon? Myself, I’m of the opinion I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) put someone else’s life at risk for mine.
@@jonathanbuss7538 agree. Chasing a high that isn't different than that of a drug addict imo
Aren't they stayed there for several hours? Did I heard it correctly in documentary. They were waiting others to climb.
@@myentertainment55 yup for 1 hour because there was no rope guide..somebody has to put it and secure😢
I was at base camp in 1998 - watching climbers through a telescope way up.............................the emotions and energy from 1996 was palpable. Walking past Rob Hall's stone cairn got me.💔
Why would you just go to the basecamp instead of climbing mount everest? Doesn't make sense
The music in this doc is so powerful
I've seen this documentary several times and each time it strikes me as a very compassionate piece of film.
Yes! That’s it! Compassionate to everyone
The musical score was absolute perfection. It captured the majestic yet ominous nature of Everest. As well as the initial tempered optimism of the climbers, that slowly segued into full blown dread.
@Logan Hughes Nice, thanks.
Do you know name of music?
@Shadysif The score blew my socks off. I had never heard of Jocelyn Pook. She is up there with Howardf Shore as far as I'm concerned.
Yes - it was by Jocelyn Pook who did the entire score which is on soundcloud
Pictures from an Exibition? Musical score?
This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. I’ve watched Everest, the movie many times and like it very much but this documentary is at another level. The way in which they capture the effects of the wind is incredible and done much more effectively than the 2015 movie. I’m stunned that this is so much better at putting you in those moments and in that place than the movie was able to do. I didn’t know this even existed. It’s brilliant.
The wind on a summit above treeline is just incredible... There's nothing like it. Temp drops over 30 degrees instantly and winds picks up to 100mph. It's intense
If you want to find out more there are a number of excellent books told from the perspectives of those who lived it. Into Thin Air, After the Climb, Left for Dead, Climbing High, After the Wind, A Day to Die for, and more. It's a long list but I recommend the first two at the very least. I was very disappointed in the 2015 movie. It didnt do the story justice at all and got a LOT of things wrong.
David breashers who directed this film was also a producer on the theatrical movie Everest. I don't think you can fully replicate every thing from the mountain on a movie. Given with the movie they would have to edit out the wind to hear the dialogue and re-add it with sound design in post production. Which would have been very tricky as well. Although I agree what we are presented with here is phenomenal for sure.
I have watched this several times, and have been memorized by the music, background etc. The loss of life was truly heart breaking. They were doing what they loved.
This is my go to video for the music and narration. Neal Biedleman (sp) also has a great narration voice. It doesn't keep me up as I know what happens and distracts me from my pain. This is still my favourite Everest video.
Hail the Traveler, David Breashears. A great story teller, documentarian and mountaineer.
Scott Fischer was on my board of directors in 1996. He was so big and so strong, a man to be reckoned with and a man to be trusted.
Without a doubt he was one of the strongest climbers in the world.
This is so much better than any other film made on these events. It's priceless to have the story told polyphonically by the survivors.
Nice word ✅
Incredibly, Lopsang sherpa carrying the fixed ropes leaves camp 4 behind everyone else and instead of going past everyone to arrive ahead and fix the ropes, Scott is assigning him to drag exhausted Sandy way behind the other climbers. So right off the camp 4 Lopsang had no chance whatsoever to arrive ahead and fix the ropes with Ang Dorje. it caused 2.5 hours of delay for all climbers waiting at the rIdge near the Hillary Step in bitter cold and winds, without moving, exhausting energy and oxygen
I was searching everywhere for this comment. That was for me the main reason.
That is a bit too simplistic,though often repeated. Sandy Pitman seems pretty awful, but to say this was her fault is juvenile. There were so many delays that day (see below) plus the storm itself, which had nothing to due with tone deaf and weak Sandy Pitman.
"But they weren't going anywhere. I was at the back of the line wondering why they were so slow." I think that's a feeling we can all relate to.
Rob literally gave his life to try and save Doug over and over again he tried but in the end it cost him his life. Very sad that yumiko perished because she finally completed all seven peaks sad for all those who perished. Beck’s survival is out of this world, seeing his family again gave him the drive to walk on But the true heroes are the Sherpas who go up there every single day and aren’t given the proper recognition RIP TO ALL
True hero in that night was Anatoly Bukreev. Only person who went back to save lives on storm. He might dead in that night.
Doug ass woulda been left I'm fr he knew the consequences
Would have been nice if they gave a drink to a suffering man even if he would have died.
@@FalkorA333 That’s inaccurate. They risk the lives of the Sherpas. One third of people who have died on Everest have been Sherpas.
Who is yumiko ?
When Lou said, "I thought, why isn't anybody here? Why am I alone?... I felt lonely. I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't want to die alone." that about broke my heart. I didn't think I would cry watching this old documentary, and I was sorely mistaken. From that moment on, I was in tears.
i just cant fathom anyone surviving that storm. i lived in the interior of Alaska where every winters cold season sees an average of -40F. Even with appropriately rated ECWCS gear, and a fuel stove, it's unbelievably freezing cold. going through nights like that was miserable. i cant imagine it being that cold with the additional wind from that storm. i truly am having a hard time imagining it. super human people.
Yes, unless you have personally felt that temperature AND extremely high wind/storm you really can't truly fathom it.
Without their oxygen tanks they would be nowhere
I read into Thin Air shortly after it came out maybe 1998. Now retired it inspired me to trek to Mount Everest base camp three times in my life. I’m not finished; I have taken 3 routes Gokyo, Chola, 3 passes and I’m not finished yet. I don’t think I ever will be.🙏
Good Luck on your Journey.
Base camp…slow down gramps
@@strattus99He knows his limits. Could you get there?
@@strattus99a trek to base camp is no easy feat.
As a narcoleptic person with bad knees, I am amazed that people can have the physical abilities to climb a mountain over a mile tall. I struggle with stairs, but the fact people can climb for 12 hrs straight really is a testament to the human endurance and drive some people have.
If we are going by absolute height from sea level it is more like 5 or 6 miles high.
@@jeansullivan3869 and if Mallory and Irving did actually make it in tweed suits and hobnail boots that would be the most amazing of all.
Narcolepsy AND bad knees? Yeah, baby Xenon, you're not making that climb any time soon!
It is definitely an amazing achievement. There is also a lot of effort put in, such as months of physical training and once you are at base camp you will need to spend weeks up there for your body to acclimatize, which involves making higher attempts everyday and returning back to camp to sleep until the final summit push.
@@vniDubs A thought for the peoeple who don't make it past base camp due to altitude sickness. And have to return without trying for the summit.
Omg i love watching Gau talk he is so animated we almost didnt need the subtitles lol
yeh and a heartless piece of shit
I can tell you, as a Mandarin speaker, that the subtitles don't do his story justice. He gets a pretty bad rap in Krakauer's book, and after watching this, I don't think he deserved it.
@@LesSharp they were at fault.. they were inexperienced and thus got all of the other groups in danger. They also didn’t hold true to their word not to ascend on the 10th but later.
@@LesSharp What's the bad rap he got?
He was amazing to watch
Knowing that Sandy Pittman was short-roped to a Sherpa and essentially dragged up the mountain (the only reason she summited AND the only reason there were no ropes equipped for climbers ahead of her) and was the most vocal about her suffering, makes me value her contribution a lot less than anyone else's on this documentary.
I am dead against climbing these mountains. It is getting out of hand.
I wonder if people like Sandy Pittman, whose wellbeing requires so much of other peoples' resources, ever come away from an experience like this changed. I wonder if she had any kind of epiphany that maybe she could become the one who is the contribution to others. Somehow I doubt it.
@@gtaylor6937i could never find a video or article from Sandy where she thanks the sherpas publicly. I don't even know if she thanked the other climber for giving her medicine and her own oxygen tube. She always talked as if them dragging her up&down Everest was just them doing their job.
That's what I thought through the whole thing! Not mentioning being short roped and a contributing factor of why they were an extra 2 hrs late on fixed ropes. She shouldn't of been on there.
@gtaylor6937 She looks like Kaitlyn Jenner, right? I was thinking, "I wonder which Sherpa's nose that used to be."
Breasheers did the best job of anyone documenting this! Well done dude!
No matter how many times I've seen same stories about Everest it doesn't stop to amaze me, it's like watching it for the first time again and again.
Great documentary, but it does irk me when folk criticise Anatoly Boukreev for leaving the summit before the rest of the team. The man climbed without supplementary oxygen, fixing ropes for the paying climbers as he went. Was he supposed to sit there with them and risk his own life to hypoxia, just as some kind of grand gesture? To my mind he did the most sensible thing by descending, avoiding altitude sickness and making sure he was in a fit condition to go back and be of genuine assistance to his fellow climbers. Remarkable and courageous man!
He was one of the few with any sense and respect for the rules.
This was so well done. I've seen many documentaries on the 96 Everest disaster but this is one of the best. Footage here I'd never seen before.
The Sherpas are truly amazing, the amount of work and strength to do it is incredible.
My Uncle T. Smanla leader of Indo Tibetan Police team with two others also died/lost on that fateful day of 10th May 1996, he was a great mountaineer/climber from Ladakh region, having scaled more than 35 peaks in the Himalayas including K2 and Saser peaks in the Karakoram ranges.
My condolences
Must have been a brave man
So sorry for your loss. I hope you find peace knowing he passed doing something he loved. RIP uncle.
I am sorry for your loss
No documentary on the May 10th 1996 Everest tragedy is complete without the mention of three Indian mountain climbers from Indo-Tibet Border Police, who scaled the summit from the north face. Subedar (Commissioned Officer) Tsewang Smnala, Lance Naik (Corporal) Dorji Morup and Head Constable Tsewang Paljor were three members of the six member team of ITBP expedition which attempted to reach summit from the north face and thus becoming the first Indian group to do so. One of the bravehearts, became what is now known as the 'Green Boots' and the place where they found his body is known as the 'green Boots Cave'. But I guess this documentary has been made by westerners for the western people, so makes sense they did not include that story, which was equally tragic and devastating. RIP Subedar Tsewang Smnala Lance Naik Dorji Morup Head Constable Tsewang Paljor
Anatolie did an amazing job rescuing those people he did. I bet it was hard for him to leave Beck and Yasuko. Yes my spelling sucks, but no disrespect is meant if I've misspelled anyone's name.
This is the best documentary on Everest in my opinion.
So glad I am terrified of heights. I can watch documentaries on Everest from the comfort of my home near sea level.
Me too. I'd be into hiking too base camp, though. It sounds like a really challenging trek of about 15-20 days and you get to see Everest in the flesh...or rock. 😅
Very well done. I particularly liked hearing from the Sherpa's. So often they are just treated like pieces of furniture when they are the only reason these climbers can do what they do. I also like the fact that Anatole was not demonized like in Krauker's account. I have read several sides of what went on that night (including Anatole's own account) and there is no doubt that he went above and beyond to help pull people to the safety of the camp while others sat on their asses with their only contribution being criticism of the efforts made by others to save lives.
Exactly 💯 💯
you mean the same sherpas that left that Chinese guy out to die? They said they would find the ropes and come back for him, but they never went back.
Anatoly is first class. Respect from 🇨🇦
This documentary was absolutely riveting. So well done!
Anatoli is a true hero. He came back to save many people! Incredible and remarkable. These are the real heroes, who save lives without expecting any benefit. Respect!
The survival of Beck Weathers is a feat of inhuman grit and determination. When he spoke about his wife and children spurring him on I totally lost it.
Check out his talk, "Left for Dead", also on KZhead. Totally gripping retelling of his personal experience of this tragedy.
What in the hell is a person doing on top of the highest mountain in the world if they have a wife and a kid? Show some responsibility! Get over yourself and be a man.
@@jackfanning7952 agreed.
@@jackfanning7952 Are you suggesting that all climbers with partners and kids shouldn’t be allowed to climb Everest? I’m sure he discussed it with his wife before he left. What they decided between them isn’t really anyone else’s business.
True story, they were on the brink of divorce before the trip.
I knew what kind of man Beck is when he said " I understand why they left me but they should have tried to save Yasuka " . WOW . Even near death he still thought of a person he barely knew .
They really should have done more for her.
@@alkalinerainforestherbs Like what? She was dead. If you're unresponsive and can't move at that altitude in that weather on a mountain, you're dead. Beck was in much better shape then her, if he understands why they left him, I can't imagine why he thought they could do anything to save Yasuko. She'd been in worse shape for far longer then Beck.
I've watched this documentary about five times and everyone in it now feels like an old friend. Odd to think we've never met and never will
Haaaa, and the Lincoln Hall rescue one.
Rob had his duty to himself, his family and team. It’s unfortunate he allowed Doug Hansen’s desire to summit overrule his better judgement.
In Krakauer’s book it’s written that Mr. Hansen stepped out of the summit line and wanted to turn around but Rob Hall spoke with him - then he suddenly changed his mind. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s possible Rob talked him into continuing up.
I remember reading an article about this and how the camp leaders were told about the impending storm that would be due sometime between the 9th, 10th and 11th, but that they ignored it as the 10th was Rob's previous lucky date to reach the summit.
That’s too bad..Mother Nature always has the last word..🙏🏾
Storm was predicted
That I never knew. Wow
I was surprised to read this comment - that an impending storm was forecast. But, given that its origin was a cyclone, it really should NOT have been a surprise to me, let alone the guides
The sherpas are amazing ! Their ability to put their own lives at risk to help rescue others is truly heartwarming. They are true hero’s
But if you think they agree to these rescues without negotiating a fee you're very naive
@@robyn-lee-INFJ and their word always charges a fee in the thousands to attempt these rescues. Funny how so few of these shows ever tell ppl that. For example they only agreed to bring back the dead bodies of two Indian climbers after the Indian govt paid them €90000. So heros... I guess. But heros for free? Not a chance
@@darrenlamb5640 why should they not be paid for their skills and expertise?
@@banaabekwegirl5731 did I say they shouldn't. You really haven't understood a single point I've made.
@@banaabekwegirl5731 that isnt the point I'm making at all. The point is I keep reading what heroes the sherpas are as if they do it solely out of the goodness of their hearts which is nonsense.
2023 was the most disastrous season so far. 17 deaths. Like China, Nepal needs to implement certain prerequisites such as having summited peaks over 8,000 meters. Novice climbers should not be allowed, if you want to attempt these types of feats you must do the work and training required. RIP to the sherpas and climbers who lost their lives over the years 💔
Such a tragic case of bad calls and uncontrollable circumstances leading to this incident. This documentary is so well done to shed light on what went through the climbers minds that night. ❤ I can't imagine tne pressure the guides felt to have their clients reach the submit. I often hear Rob should have left Doug but I just don't think his heart would ever allow that. RIP to all those lives lost on both the south and north side of the mountains on that terrible day.
I wouldn't a left him either! I would have a commanded a few sherpa's too stay with him while I head down the mountain too safety!
Gau has an incredible spirit and very strong. Even in another language I could feel what he was expressing, a moment that changed his life forever.
And he got screwed over pretty badly.
The Taiwanese team, led by Gau, was one of the big problems that day. Instead of having a space between each team member on the rope while ascending, like normal, considerate climbing teams all do, they kept tightly grouped on the rope, making it near impossible for the better, faster climbers behind them to pass them. They were the talk of base camp that year, because they looked so ill prepared.
@@frankkolton1780 but wasnt the main problem that everyone ignored the turn around time except for Anatoli?
@@frankkolton1780 and to add, the Taiwanese were not supposed to summit on the same day as Rob and Scott’s team. That agreement was blatantly ignored
yet he and his team were too inexperienced and he shouldve never been there. hes had to be rescued from every mountain he climbs
It's hard to imagine climbing down the mountain, with only those headlamps, a few steps at a time. In a blinding snowstorm. It's beyond my realm of imagination. RIP 🙏 to those who perished.
The Hillary step
Glad to hear Beck made it. He kept his word to his mate to wait for him. We can only hope to get a climbing partner/friend with that much integrity.
I’ve watched a few similar documentaries and one thing seems to contribute the most to the danger: the long back ups, waiting hours to continue the climb. Seems to me they should reduce the limit of number climbing to summit at any given time.
An intelligent leader would have turned his team around at these back ups. All that followed was foreseeable and easily predictable at this point.
I was thinking the same
These super athletes could probably do with some of your ideas. That’s what they need
@@corkyvanderhaven3391 right? 😂 He is prob afraid to leave his parent's basement...
I have a love affair with stories about climbing Everest! I know I will never do it myself so I am amazed and grateful to have docs like this to give an idea of the incredible experiences of these courageous climbers!
The Nepali word for Everest is Sagarmatha ("The Head of the Sky") In Tibet she is Chomolungma ("The Mother of the World") Astronomical climbing fees, No restrictions on climbing passes handed out like circus tickets, Border disputes, Avarice, Amateur climbers who have had to be short roped and TOWED to say "They Climbed Everest", oxygen bottles left to defile a goddess to her native people, the freakish nature of weather and a mountain sacred to the world, to be honored, never to have been conquered caused the catastrophic loss of life in the disaster of 1996. At least three of the survivors interviewed for this documentary had very few hard climbing hours and were ill prepared for this ascent -- oh, but armed with climbing fees ranging up to $65,000 and with hubris to match -- Everest literally became a tourist trap. And spinning a Bengali Cyclone into a raging windstorm, Sagarmatha finally made her ire as a 'thing to be conquered' known. And has done so with less heartbreaking, and minimally reported results, since. Some places in this world we are given, are best left to be things or awe and wonder, pay them their due.
I believe the same. However I believe it can be done with respect, with a mindset of exploring nature and creation and exploring our own.. psyche, spirit, self whatever. Not a mindset of " I'm a badass, I'm gonna make this mountain my bitch and get eo many likes on insta"
I hope Everest is Closed!!!!
God Bless "Sagarmartha"
Makalu is my favourite. The way he describes things...a phenomenal story teller ❤
Beck Weathers casually to Rob Hall: "oh, forgot to mention in the form, I had recent eye surgery and now have a dodgy eye and can't see" *near the summit of Everest*. Rob Hall: "OK, stay here until we come back". That conversation could've gone *very* differently. RIP Rob Hall.
This was AMAZING, and not being a climber I thought it would not affect me the way it did...but I cried as I watched...the human experience versus the natural world and how people reacted to what happened. The courage and self-less-ness of some of these people was truly an inspiration to me and Breashears gave me a whole new perspective on the human condition under stress. Thank you, Mr. Breashears!!!
Also not a climber, but it has affected me the same way, and for many years now. You will probably know that the movie "Everest" is largely based on these events, and, though it speculates in parts, is still pretty good and, IMO, reflects the flavor* [* Embarrassing to even characterize it in such terms--it was any but] of the events. That said, this film is better.
The two famous books about the 1996 expeditions are Into Thin Air, by John Krakour and The Climb, by Anatoly Borkiev. It is interesting that Krakour did not partake in this documentary. Also noteworthy is that Anatoly, who was awarded a Climber of the Year for his heroic actions, died in an avalanche the following year....
Anatoli Boukreev died on Annapurna, a killer mountain in it's own right, during an avalanche.
im rtying to figure out if this is the same expedition as "Into Thin Air" since its been over a decade since I read it.
@@KYurbanHOMESTEADINg Yes, it is the same season and group of expeditions. You should consider reading those two books, both excellent and well written.
Breashears said elsewhere that he and Krakauer spoke about this documentary, but the goal here was to focus on the experiences of the individuals who were caught out in the storm.
Yes it is the same climb...
When they say turn around at 2pm, DO IT! When you climb Everest or other mountain, you have to expect the unexpected You start as a team but very often, you end up by yourself. Great documentary
Thank you for posting this documentary and I’ve just watched it on the 25th anniversary of that fateful and tragic night. I have read just about every book written on this subject and am so glad that Anatoli Boukreev managed to tell his tale, before he too was tragically taken whilst climbing Annapurna. The dedication shown by Boukreev and Rob Hall to save lives that night was above and beyond and well deserving of an excellent documentary. I would also like to acknowledge the skill and bravery of the Nepalese helicopter pilot who flew Weathers and Gau of the mountain. RIP to those that didn’t come home.
anyone know that pilot's name?
Madan “K. C.” Khatri Chhetri
Oo
Rob Hall is the villain of this story.
I understand Beck when he talks about depression and trying to physically push your body to depths you didn't know existed.
I do also thanx
Just not the part where your self centered thinking gets you in a position to put other's lives at risk due to your need.
Yes, his comment really struck me as well. We would rather experience physical pain, almost suffocate, and teeter 29,000 terrifying feet above the world than suffer alone with the isolated pain of depression. A very powerful statement.
I understand that feeling of looking for anything to relieve the pain.
When you move and push and get adrenaline going in a low state, then endorphins release to get you centered. I garden, even though it is mostly bending and pulling little weed sprouts and raking. Strangely enough., it has sustained me 30 years feeling balanced. It can be strenuous, but somwthing gratifying about watching things grow.
One if the biggest lessons i learned from life is: its never too late to quit. You will never go too far to turn back.
Just this year began learning about mountaineering, and about the various triumphs and tragedies of those drawn to this kind of adventure. Thank you.
I remember watching this on PBS like 5 years ago. It is one of the best made documentaries ever made. Super intense.
It helped me through a rough time, and I have no climbing ambition at all. I don’t even know how I found it at the right time back in 2009/2010. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it.
Let's not exagerate, it is not that good.
Anatoly Bukreev, what an amazing man.
I so appreciate watching and learning from these stories! I am physically unable to climb, so it is thrilling to experience mountaineering thru your art and hard work! Thanks to all climbers and filmmakers, like David B.!!🎉🎉❤❤❤😊
When Makalu was on the verge of death, that man thought… let’s disco. And it worked. Respect.
I have been obsessed with stories about Everest recently, I find it terribly sad the number of bodies people will see on their way up, but at the same time it’s like a car crash I can’t stop watching videos about it.
I am in the same boat! I keep watching but it’s terrifying but also a subculture of people doing insane things I need to see.