Russian hero of Everest. The real story of the tragedy in the Himalayas
Every climber is well aware that mountain peaks whose height exceeds 8000 meters are fraught with mortal danger for their conquerors. Under conditions, the human body completely loses its ability to recover, which is often the reason. The tragedy on Everest in May 1996 was a clear confirmation of this.
Victims of the insidious peak
By a fateful coincidence, the entire year of 1996 became a sad page in the history of the conquest of Everest. During the season, fifteen people lost their lives storming this treacherous peak. Two commercial climbing groups, Mountain Madness and Adventure Consultants, were also affected by the disaster.
As evidenced by the chronicle of the 1996 Everest tragedy, they included six experienced, highly qualified guides, eight Sherpas - local residents hired as guides and porters, and sixteen clients who paid sixty-five thousand dollars for the opportunity to play with death on the icy slopes. For five, the ascent ended tragically.
How the 1996 Everest tragedy began
Early in the morning of May 10, when the sun's rays had not yet illuminated the peaks of the mountains, thirty daredevils began the assault on Everest, a peak rising 8848 meters above sea level. The groups were led by serious professionals Rob Hall and Scott Fisher. They knew that the entire area beyond 8,000 meters was called the “death zone”, and understood the need for careful preparation of climbers and strict adherence to established rules, especially when it comes to such treacherous peaks as Everest. The year 1996, the tragedy of which shocked sports fans, became a black page in the history of world mountaineering.
As those who were lucky enough to survive later testified, problems arose from the very beginning of the assault. The ascent schedule, which strictly regulated the time required to overcome each section of the slope, was immediately violated, as it turned out that the Sherpas had failed to install rope railings on the group’s path. When we finally got to the most critical area, which bears the name, we lost more than an hour of precious time there due to the accumulation of climbers from other groups.
Climbers have a rule that says: “If you're behind schedule, don't wait for trouble - come back!” Four commercial group clients, Stuart Hutchinson, John Tuske, Frank Fischbeck and Lou Kasischke, took this sage advice and survived. The rest of the climbers continued on their way. By five o'clock in the morning they reached the next important milestone, located at an altitude of 8350 meters and called the “Balcony”. There was again a delay, this time due to lack of insurance. But there were only a hundred meters left to the cherished peak. It beckoned, clearly silhouetted against the background of the perfect blue sky, and this proximity of the goal was intoxicating and dulled the sense of danger.
On the top
Is one hundred meters a lot or a little? If you measure from home to the nearest cafe, then they are very close, but when we are talking about an almost vertical slope, thin air and a temperature of -40 ° C, then in this case they can stretch into icy infinity. Therefore, each climber overcame the last, most difficult section of the climb independently, choosing speed depending on his own well-being and reserve of strength.
At about one o'clock in the afternoon, Russian Anatoly Bukreev, an experienced climber and Honored Master of Sports, climbed Everest. He first set foot on this peak in 1991 and subsequently conquered eleven more eight-thousanders on the planet. Twice he was awarded for personal courage. He has saved many lives, including during the ascent of Everest (tragedy 1996). Anatoly died a year later in an avalanche in the Himalayas.
Somewhat behind Boukreev, two more appeared at the summit - commercial client Jon Brakauer and Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris. Half an hour later they were joined by Mountain Madness guide Neil Beidleman and their client Martin Adams. The rest of the climbers were far behind.
Belated Descent
According to the schedule, the deadline for the start of the descent was set at two o'clock in the afternoon, but by this time most of the participants in the ascent had not yet reached the top, and when they finally succeeded, people rejoiced and took photographs for too long. Thus, time was irretrievably lost. This was one of the reasons for the event now known as the 1996 Everest tragedy.
Only at about sixteen o'clock a message was received at the base camp that all the climbers were at the top. He was the first to begin the descent, since of all those present he had spent the longest at the maximum altitude and could no longer cope without additional oxygen. His task was to return to Camp IV - the last stopping place before the summit, rest and return to help the others, taking with him oxygen cylinders and a thermos of hot tea.
In mountain captivity
Survivors of the 1996 tragedy on Everest later said that by the beginning of the descent of Anatolia, the weather had sharply deteriorated, the wind had risen, and visibility had deteriorated. It became impossible to stay further at the peak, and the rest of the team also pulled down. went down with one of the Sherpas named Lopsang.
Having reached the “Balcony” and finding themselves at a level of 8230 meters, they were forced to linger due to the extremely poor health of Fischer, who by that time had developed severe cerebral edema - a common phenomenon at extreme altitudes. He sent Lopsang to continue the descent and, if possible, bring help.
When Sherpa reached Camp IV, the people in it were not ready to leave the tents and again find themselves on the mountain slope among the snowstorm that had risen by that time. The last hope rested on Boukreev, but at that time he was leading three people out of snow captivity - Sandy Pittman, Charlotte Fox and Tim Madsen. Only in the middle of the next day did we manage to get to Fischer, but he was already dead. They couldn’t bring his body down, so they simply buried him with stones on a mountain slope. Everest, which he conquered (1996), became a monument to Scott. The tragedy continued its dark harvest.
By this time, the wind had become even stronger, and the snow it raised limited visibility literally to arm's length. In this most difficult situation, a group of climbers from the Adventure Consultants squad got lost, completely losing their bearings. They tried to find the way to Camp IV and moved blindly until they fell exhausted at the very edge of the abyss, fortunately, not reaching it a few meters.
It was the same Bukreev who saved them from certain death. In the impenetrable snow mess, he managed to find the freezing climbers and drag them one by one to the camp. This episode was later described in detail by Neil Beidleman, one of those who was lucky enough to avoid death while conquering Everest (1996).
Tragedy
Anatoly did everything in his power. He was unable to help only two people: the Japanese Yasuka Namba was already in a hopeless condition by that time, and another member of the group, Withers, got lost in a snowstorm and could not be found. The next morning he himself reached the camp, but was so frostbitten that no one hoped for a successful outcome. He survived, but when he was airlifted to the hospital, doctors had to amputate his right hand, all the fingers of his left and his nose. This is how the climb to Everest (1996) turned out to be such a misfortune for him.
The tragedy that unfolded on May 11 continued in full force the next day. When the last climbers left the summit, two people brought up the rear: Rob Hall and his friend Doug Hansen. After some time, an alarming message was received from Rob that Doug had lost consciousness. They urgently needed oxygen, and Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris headed towards them with a cylinder.
When he succeeded, Hansen was still alive, but in critical condition. The situation was complicated by the fact that Rob’s own oxygen cylinder regulator had frozen over and could not be connected to the mask. After some time, Harris, who arrived to help, suddenly disappeared in the snowy darkness.
During the last radio communication session, Rob Hall reported that both climbers with him were dead, and he was practically hopeless due to severe frostbite. The man asked to speak to his pregnant wife, Jan Arnold, who remained in New Zealand. Having said a few words of consolation to her, Rob turned off the radio forever. The 1996 Everest tragedy ended this man's life. It was not possible to save him, and only twelve days later his body, petrified in the cold, was found by members of another expedition.
The 1996 Mount Everest tragedy had a sad outcome. The Mountain Madness group suffered fewer losses, but its leader Scott Fisher died during the descent from the summit. The second team - “Adventure Consultants” - lost four people at once. These were: leader Rod Hall, his regular client Doug Hansen, climber-instructor Andy Harris and Japanese athlete Yasuko Namba, who did not reach Camp IV quite a bit.
Causes of the disaster
Today, after many years have passed since the sad events, analyzing the causes of this largest tragedy in the Himalayas, experts come to the conclusion that there were several of them. Conquering mountain heights exceeding eight thousand meters is always associated with risk, but its degree largely depends on how strictly the requirements for climbing participants are observed.
Among the reasons that resulted in the tragedy on Everest (May 1996), first of all, violations associated with the ascent schedule were noted. In accordance with the previously planned plan, both groups, starting their ascent at midnight on May 10, were supposed to reach the mountain ridge at dawn, and at 10 a.m. on May 11, be at the South Summit.
It was planned to climb to the final point of the ascent - Everest - at noon. This plan remained unfulfilled, and the ascent lasted up to 16 hours. The violations provoked a series of fatal events that resulted in the death of people. Rule “If you're behind schedule, don't wait for trouble - come back!” was ignored.
Researchers cite a number of delays during the ascent as one of the reasons why the tragedy occurred on Everest in May 1996. The plan for the climb was that Lapsang and Rob Sherpas would leave camp before the rest of the team and install rope railings near the South Summit for the safety of the climbers. They did not do this due to an attack of altitude sickness in one of them. This work had to be done by guides Boukreev and Beidleman, which resulted in additional delay.
Security violations
In addition, the organizers of the climb committed a gross violation of safety rules that day. The fact is that on May 11, three groups set out to storm Everest. The tragedy of 1996 occurred largely because there were an excessive number of climbers on the slope that day, and there was a traffic jam before the last, most difficult section of the climb.
As a result, at an altitude of 8500 meters, in thin air and severe frost, tired people were forced to wait their turn, standing in the piercing wind. Subsequently, analyzing the reasons that resulted in the tragedy on Everest in 1996, the organizers of the climb justified themselves with the hope that a large number of participants in the climb would help them more easily cope with deep snow and other difficulties of the route.
Impact of natural factors on climbers
Everyone who makes ascents, and especially those who organize them, should know that at extreme heights the human body is subject to a number of negative influences. Among them is a lack of oxygen caused by low air pressure, and frost, sometimes reaching -75 ° C.
Aggravated by extreme fatigue as a result of climbing a mountain slope, these factors lead to increased heart rate, respiration, and sometimes hypothermia and hypoxia. At such altitudes, the body completely loses its ability to recover, and increased physical activity leads to its extreme exhaustion. These are the dangers that Everest conceals. The tragedy of 1996, which took place on its slopes, became a clear and sad confirmation of this.
As practice shows, among the causes of death of climbers at high altitudes, the most common is cerebral edema. It occurs as a result of low oxygen content in the air and leads to paralysis, coma and death. Another cause of death in conditions of thin air and low temperatures is called pulmonary edema. It often ends in inflammation, bronchitis and rib fractures.
Lack of oxygen, aggravated by high exercise, often causes heart attacks, which can also lead to death in the absence of immediate medical attention. Blindness caused by the shine of snow in clear weather also poses a significant danger to a person who finds himself in the mountains. It leads to accidents that Everest witnessed. The tragedy (1996), photos of the participants of which illustrate this article, provided rich material for understanding its causes and developing safety measures.
And finally, frostbite. As noted above, on eight-thousanders the temperature often drops to -75 °C. If we consider that wind gusts here reach 130 kilometers per hour, it becomes clear what a danger such extreme weather conditions pose to people’s lives.
In addition to the extremely negative impact on a person’s physical condition, all of these factors significantly worsen his mental abilities. This affects short-term and long-term memory, clarity of mind, the ability to adequately assess the situation and, as a result, makes it impossible to make the right decisions.
In order to stimulate the body's resistance to negative factors affecting it, acclimatization is practiced. However, in this case, her schedule was disrupted. The reason for this was the delay in the installation of high-altitude camps, as well as the poor preparation of the ascent participants themselves. As can be seen from their memories, many did not know how to properly distribute their strength and, wanting to save it, showed unreasonable slowness on the rise.
Weather factor and lack of oxygen
Experienced climbers know that even the most careful preparation of an expedition is not a guarantee of success. A lot depends on whether you are lucky with the weather. Everest is an area where it changes with amazing speed. Within a short period of time, it is possible to transition from a clear sunny day to a snow hurricane, covering everything around with impenetrable darkness.
This is exactly what happened on that ill-fated day, May 11, 1996. The tragedy on Everest also erupted because when the climbers, who had barely survived the delight of conquering the peak, began their descent, the weather sharply worsened. Blizzards and blizzards severely limited visibility and obscured the markers indicating the path to Camp IV. As a result, a group of climbers got lost and lost their bearings.
Hurricane winds, the speed of which reached 130 kilometers per hour that day, and severe frost not only exposed people to the danger of being swept into the abyss, but also led to a decrease in atmospheric pressure. As a result, the oxygen content in the air dropped. It reached 14%, which greatly aggravated the situation. This concentration required the immediate use of oxygen cylinders, which by that time were completely used up. The result was a critical situation. There was a threat of loss of consciousness, pulmonary edema and imminent death.
The lack of cylinders is a mistake of the organizers of the ascent, which Everest has not forgiven them for. The tragedy of 1996 also occurred because some of its participants were unprepared people who could not tolerate rarefied air. During acclimatization trips, they had to sleep with oxygen cylinders, which significantly increased their consumption. In addition, they were needed in large numbers to rescue Ngawang Sherpa, who was urgently evacuated from a height.
The dangers lurking in the commercial approach to mountaineering
And one more important factor that caused the sad event of May 11, 1996. The tragedy on Everest was to some extent a consequence of the commercialization of mountaineering, which began in the nineties. Then structures appeared and quickly developed aimed solely at making a profit from the desire of clients to participate in conquering peaks. For them, neither the level of training of these people, nor their age, nor physical condition played a role.
The main thing was that the required amount was paid. In the case of Mountain Madness and Adventure Consultants, it was sixty-five thousand dollars. The price included the services of professional guides, expenses for food, equipment, delivery to the base camp and escort to the peak of the mountain.
Subsequently, one of the guides admitted that the clients who were part of the “Mountain Madness” were so unprepared for the climb that he was already sure of failure, and, nevertheless, led them to a height accessible only to experienced athletes. This endangered the lives of not only these tourists, but also everyone who went with them. At altitude, one person's mistake can lead to the death of the entire group. This is partly what happened. The Everest tragedy (1996), whose participants became victims of commercial interests, is a clear confirmation of this.
Based on the books: John Krakauer “In Thin Air”, 1996, M. and Bukreev A.N. and DeWalt “Ascension”, 2002, M. The tragedy on Chomolungma in May 1996 refers to the events that occurred on May 11, 1996 and led to the mass death of climbers on the southern slope of Everest. This year, over the entire season, 15 people died while climbing the mountain, which forever wrote this year in history as one of the most tragic in the history of the conquest of Everest. The May tragedy received wide publicity in the press, calling into question the moral aspects of the commercialization of Chomolungma. The opposite point of view was expressed by Soviet mountaineer Anatoly Boukreev in his book “The Climb,” co-written with Weston DeWalt. So, the characters and performers... Commercial expedition "Mountain Madness"Guides: Scott Fisher, expedition leader (USA) Clients: Martin Adams, Charlotte Fox (female), Lene Gammelgard (female), Dale Cruz (friend of Scott!...), Tim Madsen, Sandy Hill Pittman (female), Pete Schoening, Cleve Schöning.
Sherpas: Lopsang Jangbu (sirdar), Nawang Dorje, Tenjing, Tashi Tshering. Scott Fisher died.
Three clients almost died: Sandy Hill Pittman, Charlotte Fox and Tim Madsen. Commercial expedition "Adventure Consultants"
Guides: Rob Hall, expedition leader (New Zealand)
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Sherpas: Ang Dorje, Lhakpa Chhiri, Nawang Norbu, Kami. Taiwan expedition Gao Minghe (“Makalu”) led a team of 13 people along the South Slope of Everest. On May 9, a member of the Taiwanese expedition, Chen Yunan, died after falling into a cliff. As it turned out later, he went to the toilet, but did not put crampons on his shoes, which cost him his life.
Makalu Gao Minghe suffered severe frostbite.
Chronology of events
On this day, the start of the passage of the Khumbu glacier was scheduled, which ends at an altitude of 4,600 m. On April 13, the participants in the ascent reached an altitude of 6,492 m, where they organized the first high-altitude camp (“Camp 2”). On April 26, at the general meeting of expedition leaders - Fisher Scott (USA, “Mountain Madness”), Rob Hall (New Zealand, “Adventure Consultants”), Henry Todd Burleson (England, “Himalayan Guides”), Ian Woodall (South Africa, “ Sunday Times from Johannesburg) and Makalu Gao (Taiwan) decided to join forces on the climb and jointly set ropes from “Camp 3” to “Camp 4”. On April 28, when the climbers reached “Camp 3,” all participants noticed a sharp deterioration in Dale Cruz’s condition. He began to feel apathetic and was staggering. He was hastily taken down to “camp 2”. On April 30, all participants of the “Mountain Madness” expedition completed the acclimatization ascent. It was decided to begin climbing to the summit on May 5, but the date was later moved to May 6. Shortly after the start of the climb, Dale Cruz's condition worsened again, and Fisher decided to return and escort him down. According to Henry Todd of Himalayan Guides, he met Fisher while he was climbing the Khumbu Glacier. He was alarmed by the last words uttered by Fisher before continuing his journey: “I’m afraid for my people. I don't like the way things are going." On May 8, the Mountain Madness climbers were unable to leave for Camp 3 on time due to strong winds. However, A. Boukreev and S. Fischer managed to overtake the members of Rob Hall’s “Adventure Consultants” expedition. On May 9, the climbers went to “camp 4”. On the climb, they stretched out into a chain of 50 people, since in addition to the climbers of “Adventure Consultants” and “Mountain Madness”, another commercial expedition from the United States, led by Daniel Mazur and Jonathan Pratt, was also climbing. Having reached the South Col (South Col), the climbers encountered difficult weather conditions. As Bukreev later recalled, “it was truly a hellish place, if only hell can be so cold: an icy wind, the speed of which exceeded 100 km/h, raged on the open plateau, empty oxygen cylinders were scattered everywhere, abandoned here by participants of previous expeditions.” Clients of both expeditions discussed the possibility of delaying the summit, which was scheduled for the next morning. Hall and Fisher decided that the ascent would take place.Belated rise
Shortly after midnight on May 10, the Adventure Consultants expedition began their ascent up the southern slope from Camp 4, which was located at the top of the South Col (approximately 7,900 m). They were joined by 6 clients, 3 guides and Sherpas from Scott Fisher's Mountain Madness group, as well as a Taiwanese expedition sponsored by the Taiwanese government. Leaving “Camp 4” at midnight, the climbers, if everything went according to plan, could expect to be at the top in 10-11 hours. Unscheduled stops and delays soon began due to the fact that the Sherpas and guides did not have time to fix the ropes by the time the climbers reached the site. It cost them 1 hour. It is not possible to find out the reasons for what happened, since both leaders of the expedition died. However, there is evidence that several groups of climbers (approximately 34 people) were on the mountain that day, which undoubtedly could have affected the congestion of the route and caused delays. Reaching the Hillary Step Hillary Step , a vertical ledge on Everest's southeast ridge), climbers are again faced with the problem of loose gear, forcing them to waste another hour waiting for the problem to be fixed. Given that 34 climbers were climbing to the summit at the same time, Hall and Fisher asked expedition members to stay 150 m away from each other. According to Krakauer, he had to stop for a long time more than once. This was primarily due to the order of Rob Hall: in the first half of the walking day, before the ascent to the “Balcony” (at 8,230 m), the distance between the clients of his expedition should not exceed 100 m. Boukreev and Adams overtook all the climbers of their group and many of Hall's band members who came out earlier. Jon Krakauer and Ang Dorje climbed to a height of 8,500 m at 5:30 am and reached the “Balcony”. By 6:00 am Bukreev ascended to the “Balcony”. The “balcony” is part of the so-called “death zone” - a place where, due to cold and lack of oxygen, a person cannot stay for long, and any delay can be fatal. However, another delay arises. All climbers are forced to wait until the Sherpas tighten the railings again. Such railings must be laid to the South Summit (8748 m). If at hour X you have not yet reached altitude Y, then you need to turn back. By 10:00 Biddleman climbed to the South Summit, and Adams half an hour later. They had to wait an hour and a half, because there was only one railing, and there were a lot of climbers. Adventure Consultants expedition member Frank Fishbeck decides to turn back. The remaining clients of Rob Hall do not appear on the South Summit until 10:30. At 11:45 Lou Kozicki decides to begin his descent. Hutchinson and Taske also decide to turn back. At the same time, the South Summit is separated from the summit of Everest by only 100 m, and the weather was sunny and clear, although the wind was picking up. Climbing without the use of oxygen, Anatoly Boukreev reached the top first, at approximately 13:07. A few minutes later Jon Krakauer appeared at the top. After some time, Harris and Biddleman. Many of the remaining climbers did not manage to reach the summit before 14:00 - the critical time when it is necessary to begin the descent for a safe return to “Camp 4” and an overnight stay. Anatoly Bukreev began to descend to “camp 4” only at 14:30. By then, Martin Adams and Cleve Schoening had reached the summit, while Biddleman and the other members of the Mountain Madness expedition had not yet reached the summit. Soon, according to the observations of the climbers, the weather began to deteriorate; at approximately 15:00 it began to snow and it became dark. Makalu Go reached the summit early at 16:00 and immediately noticed worsening weather conditions. The senior Sherpa in Hall's group, Ang Dorje, and other Sherpas remained to wait for the rest of the climbers at the summit. After about 15:00 they began their descent. On the way down, Ang Dorje spotted one of the clients, Doug Hansen, in the Hillary Steps area. Dorje ordered him to come down, but Hansen did not answer him. When Hall arrived on scene, he sent Sherpas down to help other clients while he stayed behind to help Hansen, who had run out of supplemental oxygen. Scott Fisher did not reach the summit until 15:45, in poor physical condition, possibly due to altitude sickness, pulmonary edema and exhaustion from fatigue. It is unknown when Rob Hall and Doug Hansen reached the top.Descent during a storm
According to Bukreev, he reached “camp 4” by 17:00. Anatoly was sharply criticized for his decision to go down before his clients (!!!). Krakauer accused Boukreev of being “confused, not appreciating the situation, and showing irresponsibility.” In response to the accusations, Bukreev replied that he was going to help the clients coming down, preparing additional oxygen and hot drinks. Critics also claimed that, according to Boukreev himself, he went down with client Martin Adams, however, as it turned out later, Boukreev himself went down faster and left Adams far behind. Bad weather made it difficult for the expedition members to descend. By this time, due to a snowstorm on the southwestern slope of Everest, visibility had deteriorated significantly; the markers that had been installed during the ascent and indicated the path to “camp 4” had disappeared under the snow. Fischer, assisted by Sherpa Lopsang Jangbu, could not descend from the “Balcony” (at 8,230 m) into the snowstorm. As Go later said, his Sherpas left him at an altitude of 8,230 m along with Fischer and Lopsang, who also could no longer descend. In the end, Fischer convinced Lopsang to go down alone, leaving him and Go behind. Hall radioed for help, reporting that Hansen had lost consciousness but was still alive. Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris began the climb to the Hillary Steps at approximately 5:30 p.m., carrying a supply of water and oxygen. According to Krakauer, by this time the weather had worsened to a full-blown snowstorm. Several climbers got lost in the South Col area. Mountain Madness members guide Bidleman, Schoening, Fox, Madsen, Pittman and Gammelgard, along with Adventure Consultants members guide Groom, Beck Withers and Yasuko Namba, were lost in the snowstorm until midnight. When they could no longer continue their journey from fatigue, they huddled together just 20 meters from the abyss above the Kanchung Wall on the Chinese side ( Kangshung Face). Pittman soon began to experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Fox gave her dexamethasone. Around midnight, the storm subsided, and the climbers were able to see “camp 4,” which was located 200 m away. Biddleman, Groom, Schöning and Gammelgard went for help. Madsen and Fox remained with the group and called for help. Boukreev located the climbers and was able to bring out Pittman, Fox and Madsen. He was also criticized by other climbers because he gave preference to his clients Pittman, Fox and Madsen, while it was argued that Namba was already in a dying state. Boukreev didn’t notice Withers at all. In total, Boukreev made two trips to bring these three climbers to safety. As a result, neither he nor the other participants who were in “camp 4” had any strength left to go after Namba. On May 11, at approximately 4:43 a.m., Hall radioed and reported that he was on the South Slope. He also reported that Harris had reached the clients, but that Hansen, with whom Hall had stayed the previous day, had died. Hall said Harris later went missing. Hall himself claimed that he could not use his oxygen tank because the regulator was completely frozen over. By 9:00 am, Hall was able to control the oxygen mask, but by this time his numb legs and arms made it almost impossible for him to control the equipment. He later contacted Base Camp and asked to contact his wife, Jan Arnold, via satellite phone. Hall died shortly after this call; his body was discovered on May 23 by members of the expedition. IMAX, who filmed a documentary about the tragedy on Everest. At the same time, Stuart Hutchinson, who was part of Rob Hall's expedition and who had not completed the ascent, turned around near the summit, began to gather in search of Withers and Namba. He found both alive, but in a semi-conscious state, with numerous signs of frostbite, they could not continue their journey. Having made the difficult decision that it would not be possible to save them either in “Camp 4” or by evacuating them from the slope in time, he left them in place, letting things take their course. Krakauer wrote in his book “Into Thin Air” that later all participants in the ascent agreed that this was the only possible solution. However, Withers regained consciousness later that day and made it back to camp alone, much to the surprise of everyone in the camp as he suffered from hypothermia and severe frostbite. Withers was given oxygen and tried to warm him up, settling him in a tent for the night. Despite all this, Withers had to face the elements again when his tent was blown away by a gust of wind during the night, leaving him to spend the night in the cold. Once again he was mistaken for dead, but Krakauer discovered that Withers was conscious. On May 12, he was prepared for urgent evacuation from “Camp 4.” Over the next two days, Withers was lowered to "Camp 2", but he made part of the journey on his own. He was later evacuated by rescue helicopter. Withers underwent a long course of treatment, but due to severe frostbite, his nose, right hand and all the fingers of his left hand were amputated. In total, he underwent more than 15 operations, his thumb was reconstructed from his back muscles, and plastic surgeons reconstructed his nose. Scott Fisher and Makalu Go were discovered on May 11 by Sherpas. Fischer's condition was so serious that they had no choice but to make him comfortable and devote most of their efforts to saving Go. Anatoly Boukreev made another attempt to save Fischer, but only discovered his frozen body at approximately 19:00.Indo-Tibetan Border Guard
Less known, but no less tragic, are 3 more accidents that occurred on the same day with climbers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Service climbing the Northern Slope. The expedition was led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohinder Singh ( Commandant Mohinder Singh), who is considered to be the first Indian climber to conquer Everest from the North Face. 10 May Sergeant Tsewang Samanla ( Subedar Tsewang Samanla), Corporal Dorje Morup ( Lance Naik Dorje Morup) and Senior Constable Tsewang Palchor ( Head Constable Tsewang Paljor) climbed the North Face of Everest. This was an ordinary expedition, so Sherpas were not involved as ascent guides. This team was the first of the season to climb from the Northern Slope. The expedition members themselves had to fasten the ropes, as well as independently pave the way to the top, which in itself is a very difficult task. The participants were caught in a snowstorm while above “Camp 4.” Three of them decided to turn back, and Samanla, Morup and Palchzhor decided to continue climbing. Samanla was an experienced mountaineer, having summited Everest in 1984 and Kanchenjunga in 1991. At approximately 15:45, three climbers radioed the expedition leader and reported that they had reached the summit. Some of the expedition members who remained in the camp began to celebrate the conquest of Everest by the Indian expedition, but other climbers expressed concern about the timing of the ascent, since it was already quite late to conquer the peak. According to Krakauer, the climbers were at an altitude of approximately 8,700 m, i.e. approximately 150 m from the highest point. Due to poor visibility and low clouds surrounding the summit, the climbers probably thought they had reached the summit itself. This also explains the fact that they did not meet the team that was climbing from the South Slope. Climbers placed prayer flags at the summit. The leader of the group, Samanla, was known for his religiosity. Therefore, at the top, he decided to linger and perform several religious rituals, while he sent two of his colleagues to descend. He never made contact again. The expedition members who were in the camp saw a slowly sliding downward light from two headlamps (presumably these were Marup and Palchzhor) in the area of the second step - approximately at an altitude of 8,570 m. None of the three climbers descended to the intermediate camp at an altitude of 8,320 m.Controversy with the Japanese expedition
In his book Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer describes the events surrounding the deaths of the Indian climbers. In particular, the actions (or inactions) of Japanese climbers were subjected to careful analysis.Chronicle of events according to the Japanese expedition
May 11 06:15 – Hiroshi Hanada and Eisuke Shigekawa (First Fukuoka Group) departed from “Camp 6” (altitude approximately 8,300 m). Three Sherpas came out early. 08:45 – Radio message to base camp about approaching the mountain range. Not far from the top, they meet two climbers descending in a team. At the top they see another climber. They could not identify them because their heads were covered with hoods and their faces were covered with oxygen masks. The Fukuoka group had no information about the missing Indians; they decided that the climbers they met were from the Taiwanese expedition. 11:39 – Radio message to Base Camp about passing the second stage (altitude 8600 m). At a distance of about 15 m from the summit, they noticed two climbers descending. It was not possible to identify them again. 15:07 – Hanada, Shigekawa and three Sherpas ascend to the summit. 15:30 – Start of descent. After passing the triangle, they notice some unclear objects above the Second Stage. At the foot of the First Step, they notice a man on a fixed rope. Shigekawa stops and contacts Base Camp. As he began to descend, he passed another man who was also descending the railing. They exchanged greetings, although he was also unable to identify the climber. They only have enough oxygen to descend to Camp 6. 16:00 – (approximately) A member of the Indian expedition reported to Fukuoka Base Camp that three climbers were missing. The Japanese were going to send three Sherpas from Camp 6 to help the Indian climbers, but by that time it was getting dark, which prevented their actions. 12 May All groups located in “camp 6” were forced to wait for the end of the snow storm and wind. may 13 05:45 – The second group of Fukuoka began their ascent from “camp 6”. They promise their Indian colleagues that if they discover the missing climbers, they will help them descend. 09:00 – The group discovered one body before the First Stage and another one after overcoming the stage, but nothing could be done for them without risking their own lives. 11:26 – The group has reached the summit. 22:45 – The group returned to Base Camp. May 14 Several members of the Indian group descended to Base Camp, but did not tell the Fukuoka group anything about the missing climbers.Accusations from the Indian Expedition and Jon Krakauer
According to Krakauer, the lone climber whom the Japanese met on the ascent (8:45) was apparently Palchzhor, who was already suffering from frostbite and groaning in pain. The Japanese climbers ignored him and continued climbing. After they completed the "Second Stage", they encountered two other climbers (presumably Samanla and Morup). Krakauer claims that “Not a word was spoken, not a single drop of water, food or oxygen was transferred. The Japanese continued their ascent...". Initially, the indifference of the Japanese climbers stunned the Indians. According to the leader of the Indian expedition, “at first the Japanese offered to help in the search for the missing Indians. But a few hours later they continued to climb to the top, despite the deteriorating weather.” The Japanese team continued climbing until 11:45. By the time the Japanese climbers began their descent, one of the two Indians was already dead, and the second was on the verge of life and death. They lost sight of the traces of the third descending climber. However, Japanese climbers denied that they had ever seen any dying climbers on the climb. Captain Kohli, representative of the Indian Mountaineering Federation ( Indian Mountaineering Federation), who initially blamed the Japanese, later retracted his claim that the Japanese claimed to have met Indian climbers on 10 May. “The Indo-Tibetan Border Guard Service (ITBS) confirms the statement of members of the Fukuoka expedition that they did not leave Indian climbers without assistance and did not refuse to help in the search for the missing.” The managing director of ITPS said that “the misunderstanding occurred due to communication interference between the Indian climbers and their base camp.”Commercialization of Everest
The first commercial expeditions to Everest began to be organized in the early 1990s. Guides appear, ready to make any client’s dream come true. They take care of everything: delivering participants to the base camp, organizing the route and intermediate camps, accompanying the client and securing him all the way up and down. At the same time, conquering the summit was not guaranteed. In pursuit of profit, some guides take on clients who are not able to climb to the top at all. In particular, Henry Todd from the Himalayan Guides company argued that, “...without blinking an eye, these leaders appropriate a lot of money for themselves, knowing full well that their charges have no chance.”. Neil Biddleman, a guide for the Mountain Madness group, admitted to Anatoly Boukreev even before the ascent began that “...half of the clients have no chance of reaching the summit; for most of them, the ascent will end at the South Col (7,900 m)”. Todd spoke indignantly about one American: “This is business as usual for him. He hasn’t lifted a single person to Everest in the last two years!”. However, Todd reacted much more leniently to Scott's decision to take Cruise with him. “The thing is, you never know who will do well at the top and who won’t. The best climbers may not be able to cope, but the weakest and ill-prepared may not reach the top. On my expeditions this happened more than once or twice. There was a participant about whom I thought that if anyone could not rise, it would be him. This participant simply ran to the top. And with the other, it seemed to me that this was the right thing, I was ready to add him to the list of those who conquered the summit even before the start. But he couldn't. This happened on an expedition with Boukreev’s participation in 1995. The strongest of the clients could not rise, and the weakest reached the top before Tolya". “But,” Todd added, by inviting obviously weak clients, we risk ruining them and everyone else. We simply have to take to the top only those who can really climb to the top. We have no room for error". In preparation for the Mountain Madness expedition, little oxygen equipment was purchased. By the time the climbers reached Camp IV, they had only 62 oxygen cylinders left: 9 four-liter and 53 three-liter. Another shortcoming can be considered the outdated, ten-channel radios that Scott Fisher purchased for the expedition. American climber and writer Galen Rovell, in an article for the Wall Street Journal, called the operation carried out by Boukreev to rescue the three climbers “unique.” On December 6, 1997, the American Alpine Club awarded Anatoly Boukreev the David Souls Prize, awarded to climbers who saved people in the mountains at risk to their own lives.The tragedy on Qomolungma in May 1996 refers to the events that occurred on May 11, 1996 and led to the mass death of climbers on the southern slope of Qomolungma.
During the entire 1996 season, 15 people died while climbing the mountain, which forever inscribed this year as one of the most tragic in the history of the conquest of Chomolungma. The May tragedy received wide publicity in the press and the mountaineering community, calling into question the feasibility and moral aspects of the commercialization of Chomolungma.
The surviving participants in the events each offered their own versions of what happened.
In particular, journalist Jon Krakauer described the tragedy in his book.
Jon Krakauer, a journalist, mountaineer, and participant in an expedition in the Himalayas, chronicled a tragedy involving frivolity and vanity, fatal arrogance, courage and big money.
One of my feet is in China, the other is in the kingdom of Nepal; I'm standing on the highest point on the planet. I scrape the ice off my oxygen mask, turn my shoulder to the wind and absentmindedly look down at the vastness of Tibet. I had long dreamed of this moment, expecting unprecedented sensual delight. But now that I am actually standing on the top of Everest, I no longer have enough strength for emotions.
I haven't slept for fifty-seven hours. Over the past three days, I have only managed to swallow a little soup and a handful of chocolate-covered nuts. I have been tormented by a severe cough for several weeks now; During one of the attacks, two ribs were even cracked, and now every breath is real torture for me. In addition, here, at an altitude of over eight thousand meters, the brain receives so little oxygen that in terms of mental abilities I am now unlikely to give a head start to a not very developed child. Apart from the insane cold and fantastic fatigue, I feel almost nothing.
Next to me are instructors Anatoly Boukreev from Russia and New Zealander Andy Harris. I click four frames. Then I turn around and begin the descent. I spent less than five minutes on the greatest peak on the planet. I soon notice that in the south, where just recently the sky was completely clear, several lower peaks were hidden in the advancing clouds.
After fifteen minutes of careful descent along the edge of a two-kilometer abyss, I come across a twelve-meter cornice on the crest of the main ridge. This is a difficult place. As I fasten myself to the hanging railing, I notice—and this worries me greatly—that ten meters below, at the foot of the rock, about a dozen climbers are crowded together, still on their way to the top. All I have to do is unhook from the rope and give way to them.
Down there are members of three expeditions: a New Zealand team led by the legendary Rob Hall (I belong to it too), a team from the American Scott Fischer, and a group of climbers from Taiwan. As they slowly climb up the rock, I eagerly wait for it to be my turn to descend.
Andy Harris was stuck with me. I ask him to get into my backpack and turn off the valve of the oxygen cylinder - this way I want to save the remaining oxygen. Over the next ten minutes I feel surprisingly good and my head clears. Suddenly, out of the blue, it becomes difficult to breathe. Everything is swimming before my eyes, I feel like I might lose consciousness. Instead of turning off the oxygen supply, Harris mistakenly opened the valve all the way, and now my tank is empty. There are still seventy difficult meters down to the spare oxygen cylinders. But first you have to wait for the queue below to clear. I take off the now useless oxygen mask, throw my helmet onto the ice and squat down. Every now and then you have to exchange smiles and polite greetings with climbers passing up. In fact, I'm desperate.
Finally, Doug Hansen, one of my teammates, crawls up. "We did it!" - I shout to him the usual greeting in such cases, trying to make my voice sound more cheerful. Tired Doug mutters something unintelligible from under his oxygen mask, shakes my hand and trudges further upstairs.
Scott Fisher appears at the very end of the group. The obsession and endurance of this American climber have long been legendary, and now I am surprised by his completely exhausted appearance. But the descent is finally free. I fasten myself to a bright orange rope, with a sharp movement I go around Fischer, who, with his head down, leans on his ice axe, and, falling over the edge of the rock, I slide down.
I reach the southern peak (one of the two peaks of Everest) at four o'clock. I grab a full oxygen tank and hurry further down, to where the clouds are getting denser. A few moments later, snow begins to fall and nothing is visible. And four hundred meters above, where the summit of Everest still glows against the azure sky, my teammates continue to cheer loudly. They celebrate the conquest of the highest point on the planet: they wave flags, hug, take photographs - and waste precious time. It doesn’t even occur to any of them that in the evening of this long day every minute will count. Later, after six corpses were found, and the search for those two whose bodies could not be found was stopped, I was asked many times how my comrades could have missed such a sharp deterioration in the weather. Why did experienced instructors continue to climb, not paying attention to the signs of an approaching storm, and leading their less than well-prepared clients to certain death? I am forced to answer that in those afternoon hours of May 10, I myself did not notice anything that could indicate the approach of a hurricane. The veil of clouds that appeared below seemed thin, completely harmless and hardly worthy of attention to my oxygen-deprived brain.
A place on the death squad cost clients sixty-five thousand dollars
At the foot of Everest, four weeks earlier.
Thirty teams - more than four hundred people - were at that time on the Nepalese and Tibetan slopes of Everest. These were climbers from two dozen countries, high-altitude Sherpa porters from local residents, and quite a lot of doctors and assistants. Many groups were purely commercial: two or three instructors guided a few clients to the top who paid generously for their professional services. New Zealander Rob Hall is particularly lucky in this regard. In five years he has taken 39 people to the peak, and his firm is now advertised as "a leading organizer of Everest tours." Hall is about ninety meters tall, and he is as thin as a pole. There is something childish about his face, but he looks older than his thirty-five years, either because of the wrinkles around his eyes or because of his enormous authority among his fellow climbers. Unruly strands of brown hair fall over his forehead.
For organizing the climb, he demands 65 thousand dollars from each client - and this amount does not include either the cost of the flight to Nepal or the price of mountain equipment. Some of Hall's competitors charge only a third of that amount. But thanks to his phenomenally high top percentage this spring, Rob Hall has no problems with wealthy clients: he now has eight of them.
One of his clients is me, although the money does not come from my pocket. An American magazine sent me on an expedition to get a report on the ascent. For Hall, this is a way to once again express himself. Because of me, his desire to reach the top is noticeably intensified, although it is clear that the report will appear in the magazine even if the goal is not achieved.
Scott Fisher's team is climbing Everest at the same time as us. Fischer, 40 years old, is a quite sociable, stocky athlete with a tail of blond hair at the back of his head, driven forward by inexhaustible internal energy. If the name of Hall's company, Adventure Consultants, fully reflects the New Zealander's methodical, meticulous approach to organizing climbs, then Mountain Madness, the name of Scott Fisher's enterprise, defines the latter's style even more precisely. At the age of twenty, he was already famous in professional circles for his more than risky technique.
Team "Adventure Consultants Everest". 1996
Many people are attracted by Fischer's inexhaustible energy, the breadth of his nature and his capacity for childlike admiration. He is charming, has the muscles of a bodybuilder and the physiognomy of a movie star. Fischer smokes marijuana (though not while working) and drinks somewhat more than his health allows. This is the first commercial expedition to Everest he organized.
Hall and Fischer each have eight clients, a diverse group of mountain-obsessed people who are united only by their willingness to spend significant sums and even risk their own lives to stand on the world's highest peak. But if we remember that even in the center of Europe, on Mount Mont Blanc, which is half as low, dozens of amateur climbers sometimes die, then the commercial groups of Hall and Fischer, consisting mainly of rich but not very experienced climbers, even with favorable conditions resemble suicide squads.
Take one client, Doug Hansen, a 46-year-old father of two grown children and a postal worker from Renton, near Seattle.
To fulfill his life's dream, he worked day and night, saving the necessary amount. Or doctor Seaborn Beck Withers from Dallas. He gave himself a ticket to this far from cheap expedition for his fiftieth birthday. Yasuko Namba, a frail Japanese woman from Tokyo with very limited climbing abilities, at forty-seven years old, dreams of becoming the oldest woman to conquer Everest.
Many of these future conquerors send messages daily to almost every country in the world via satellite communications or the Internet. And yet the main correspondent is in Fischer's group. This is Sandy Hall Pittman, forty-one years old, a member of the prestigious New Yorker Society and married to one of the founders of the MTV music channel. An athletic woman, one meter eighty tall, even brought the spirit of New York to the Himalayas: she drinks aromatic coffee bought at her favorite store, and the latest issues of fashion magazines are sent to the base camp especially for her. With her characteristic egocentrism, Pittman managed to interest all the major New York newspapers in her expedition to Everest. This is her third attempt and this time she is determined to get to the top. This exposes Scott Fischer to the greatest temptation: if this VIP client gets to the top with his help, he will receive the most stunning publicity he could ever dream of.
Our expedition began at the end of March in Northern India, from where we went to Nepal. On April 9th we reached the base camp, located at an altitude of 5364 meters on the western side of Everest. In the following days, while the Sherpas slowly made their way up, we gradually got used to the cold and thin high-mountain air. Some even then felt unwell: there was not enough oxygen, their bloody legs ached, they suffered from headaches or, as in my case, a constant cough. One of the Sherpas accompanying us was seriously injured when he fell into a crack.
At an altitude of 6400 meters, we came face to face with death for the first time - it was the corpse of an unlucky climber, wrapped in a blue plastic bag. Then one of the best and most experienced porters of the Fisher team suffered from pulmonary edema. He had to be evacuated by helicopter to a hospital, but Sherpa died a few weeks later. Fischer's client with the same symptoms was, fortunately, brought to a safe height in time, and thanks to this his life was saved.
Scott Fischer quarrels with his deputy, Russian instructor Anatoly Boukreev: he does not want to help clients climb up the rocks, and Fischer has to do the grueling work of a guide alone.
At Camp III, our penultimate mountain shelter before the summit, we prepare for the final stage of the ascent. Nearby were climbers from Taiwan with their leader, photographer Min Ho Gau. Ever since the hapless Taiwanese needed rescuers to conquer Mount McKinley in Alaska in 1995, the team has become notorious for its lack of experience. The climbers from the Republic of South Africa are equally incompetent: their group is followed by a whole trail of scandalous rumors, and several experienced athletes separated from them at the base camp.
We begin the attack on the summit on May 6th. And although there is an agreement between the groups not to attempt the assault on Everest all at the same time - otherwise there will be queues and jostling on the approach to the very top - this, unfortunately, does not stop either the South Africans or the team from Taiwan.
The first victims of unpreparedness appeared on the way to the top of Everest...
On the morning of May 9 one of the Taiwanese climbs out of the tent to recover and wash himself. He only has soft chuni on his legs. Squatting down, he slips, flies, somersaulting, down the slope and after about twenty meters falls into a deep crack. The Sherpas pull him out and help him to the tent. He is in a state of shock, although at first glance there appears to be no serious physical damage.
Soon after, Ming Ho Gau leads the remnants of the Taiwanese group towards Camp IV, which is located on the south col, leaving his unlucky comrade to rest in a tent all alone. A few hours later, the poor man’s condition deteriorates sharply, he loses consciousness and soon dies. American climbers radioed about this tragedy to group leader Min Ho Gau.
“Okay,” he replies, “thank you very much.” And, as if nothing had happened, he informs his partners that the death of a comrade will in no way affect the schedule of their ascension.
On the southern col (height 7925 meters) there is a camp, which becomes our base for the duration of the assault on the summit. The South Col is a vast ice plateau between the wind-whipped cliffs of the upper Lhotse Mountain and Everest. On the eastern side it hangs over an abyss two kilometers deep, at the edge of which our tents stand. There are more than a thousand empty oxygen cylinders lying around, left behind by previous expeditions. If there is a more bleak and polluted place anywhere else on earth, I hope I don’t have to see it.
On the evening of May 9, the teams of Hall, Fischer, the Taiwanese and the South Africans reach the South Col. We made this multi-hour journey in difficult conditions - there was a strong wind and it was very slippery; some arrived at the place already in the dark, completely exhausted.
Here comes Lopsang Yangbu, senior Sherpa from Scott Fisher's team. He carries a 35-kilogram backpack on his back. Among other things, there are satellite communication devices - Sandy Pittman wants to send electronic messages around the world from an altitude of 7900 meters (later it turned out that this is technically impossible). It does not occur to Fisher to stop such dangerous whims of clients. On the contrary, he promised to personally carry Pittman’s electronic toys upstairs if the porter refused to carry them. By nightfall, more than fifty people had gathered here, small tents standing almost close together. At the same time, a strange atmosphere of isolation hovers over the camp. The gusty wind on the plateau howls so loudly that it is impossible to communicate even if you are in neighboring tents. As a team we exist only on paper. In a few hours the group will leave the camp, but each will move forward on his own, not connected to the others by any rope or special sympathy.
In the evening, at half past eight, everything calms down. It’s still terribly cold, but there’s almost no wind anymore; The weather is favorable for the summit attempt. Rob Hall shouts loudly to us from his tent: “Guys, today looks like today is the day. At half past eleven we begin the assault!
Twenty-five minutes before midnight, I pull on my oxygen mask, turn on the lamp, and step out into the darkness. Hall's group consists of fifteen people: three instructors, four Sherpas and eight clients. Fischer and his team - three instructors, six Sherpas and clients - follow us at intervals of half an hour. Next come the Taiwanese with two Sherpas. But the South African team, which found the grueling climb too difficult, remained in the tents. That night, thirty-three people left the camp in the direction of the summit.
At three forty-five in the morning, twenty meters below me, I notice a large figure in a poisonous yellow puff. In conjunction with her is Sherpa, who is much shorter in stature. Breathing noisily (he is not wearing an oxygen mask), the Sherpa literally drags his partner up the slope like a horse drags a plow. This is Lopsang Yangbu and Sandy Pittman.
We stop every now and then. The night before, the guides from the teams of Fischer and Hall had to hang the fixed ropes. But it turned out that the two main Sherpas couldn't stand each other. And neither Scott Fisher nor Rob Hall - the most authoritative people on the plateau - were able or willing to force the Sherpas to do the necessary work. Because of this, we are now losing precious time and energy. Hall's four clients are getting worse and worse.
But Fischer's clients are in good shape, and this, of course, puts pressure on the New Zealander. Doug Hansen wants to turn down, but Hall persuades him to go further. Beck Withers almost completely lost his sight - due to low blood pressure, the consequences of his eye surgery appeared. Soon after sunrise he had to be left helpless on the ridge. Hall promises to pick up Withers on his way back.
According to the rules, the leader is obliged to set a time when all members of the group, regardless of where they are, must turn back in order to return safely to the camp. However, none of us knew this hour.
After a while I see Lopsang in the snow: he is on his knees, throwing up. Sherpa is the strongest climber in the group, but yesterday he spent the whole day carrying Sandy Pittman’s useless satellite phone, and today for five or even six hours in a row he pulled her up. The right of the guide to go first in the group and determine the route is for Lopsang now additional load. Due to the poor preparation of the route by the warring Sherpas, the poor physical condition of Lopsang and Fischer himself, and mainly due to the endless delays caused by the limitations of such participants as Sandy Pittman, Yasuko Namba and Doug Hansen, we moved forward slowly and even optimally. for Everest, the weather conditions could not help us. Between one and two, when it was time to turn back, three-quarters of the climbers had not even reached the summit. Scott Fisher and Rob Hall were supposed to signal their groups to return, but they weren't even in sight.
Anatoly Boukreev, Mike Groom, Jon Krakauer, Andy Harris, and a long line of climbers on Everest on the Southeast Ridge, with Makalu behind, May 10, 1996. Photo from the book "Into Thin Air"
At the top of Everest, 13 hours 25 minutes.
Scott Fisher's team instructor Neil Beidleman, in conjunction with one of his clients, finally reaches the top. Two other instructors are already there: Andy Harris and Anatoly Boukreev. Beidleman concludes that the rest of his group will appear soon. He takes a few winning shots and then starts a playful tussle with Boukreev.
Scott Fisher's team on the summit ridge of Everest at 13:00 on May 10, 1996. Photo from Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air"
At 14 o'clock Still no word from Fischer, Beidleman's boss. Right now – and not later! - Everyone should have started to descend, but this is not happening. Beidleman has no way to contact other team members. The porters carried a computer and a satellite communication device upstairs, but neither Beidleman nor Boukreev had with them a simple intercom device that weighs practically nothing. This blunder subsequently cost clients and instructors dearly.
At the top of Everest, 14 hours 10 minutes.
Sandy Pittman makes it to the ridge, slightly ahead of Lopsang Yangbu and three other members of the group. She can barely drag herself - she is, after all, forty-one years old - and before the summit she falls down as if knocked down. Lopsang sees that her oxygen tank is empty. Luckily, he has a spare one in his backpack. They slowly walk the last meters and join in the general rejoicing.
By this time, Rob Hall and Yasuko Namba had already reached the summit. Hall talks to base camp via radio. Then one of the employees recalled that Rob was in a great mood. He said, “We're already seeing Doug Hansen. As soon as it reaches us, we will move down."
The employee transmitted the message to Hall's New Zealand office and a whole bunch of faxes scattered from there to the friends and families of the expedition members, informing them of complete triumph. In reality, Hansen, like Fischer, had not a few minutes to go to the top, as Hall thought, but almost two hours.
Probably, even in the camp, Fischer’s strength was running out - he was seriously ill. In 1984, in Nepal, he picked up some mysterious local infection, which developed into a chronic illness with frequent attacks of fever, like malaria. It happened that the climber was shaking all day with severe chills.
Rob Hall, Scott Fisher, Anatoly Boukreev, and Jon Krakauer - photo from Jon Krarauer's book "Into Thin Air"
A full oxygen tank is the price of human life in the “death zone.”
At the top of Everest, 15 hours 10 minutes.
Neil Beidleman has been lounging on the highest point of the planet for almost two hours by this point and finally decides that it is time to leave, although the group leader, Fisher, is still not in sight. By this time I had already reached the southern peak. I will have to continue the descent in a snow storm and only by 19.40 will I be able to reach camp IV, where, having climbed into the tent, I will fall into a semi-conscious state due to severe hypothermia, lack of oxygen and complete exhaustion of strength.
The only one who returned to base camp that day without any problems was the Russian, Anatoly Boukreev. At 17 o'clock he was already sitting in his tent and warming himself with hot tea. Later, experienced climbers would doubt the correctness of his decision to leave his clients so far behind - more than a strange act for an instructor. One of the clients would later say about him with contempt: “When the situation became threatening, the Russian ran out of there as fast as he could.
Neil Beidleman, 36, a former aeronautical engineer, on the other hand, has a reputation as a calm, conscientious instructor and is loved by everyone. In addition, this is one of the strongest climbers. At the summit, he gathers Sandy Pittman and three other clients together and begins the descent with them, heading to Camp IV.
Twenty minutes later they come across Scott Fisher. He, completely exhausted, silently greets them with a gesture. But the strength and abilities of the American climber have long been legendary, and it doesn’t occur to Beidleman that the commander might have problems. Much more disturbing to Beidleman is Sandy Pittman, who can barely move. She is staggering, her consciousness has become so dark that the client has to be secured so that she does not fall into the abyss.
Just below the southern peak, the American woman becomes so weak that she asks to be given cortisone, which should neutralize the effects of rarefied air for some time. In Fischer's team, every climber has this drug with him in case of emergency, in a case under his down jacket, so as not to freeze.
Sandy Pittman is looking more and more like an inanimate object. Beidleman orders another climber on his team to replace the journalist's almost empty oxygen tank with his full one. He ties ropes around Sandy and drags her down the hard, snow-covered ridge. To everyone's relief, the injection and additional dose of oxygen quickly have a life-giving effect, and Pittman comes to his senses enough to continue his descent without assistance.
At the top of Everest, 15 hours 40 minutes
When Fischer eventually reaches the top, Lopsang Yangbu is already there waiting for him. He gives Fischer the radio transmitter. “We were all at the top,” Fisher reports to base camp, “God, I’m so tired.” A couple of minutes later, Min Ho Gau and his two Sherpas join them. Rob Hall is also still up there, eagerly awaiting Doug Hansen. A veil of clouds slowly closes around the peak. Fischer again complains that he doesn’t feel well - such behavior is more than unusual for a famous stoic. At approximately 15.55 he begins his return journey. And although Scott Fischer made the entire route to the top wearing an oxygen mask, and in his backpack there is a third, almost full cylinder, the American suddenly, for no apparent reason, takes off his oxygen mask.
Soon the Taiwanese Ming Ho Gau and his Sherpas, as well as Lopsang Yangbu, leave the summit. Rob Hall is left all alone, still waiting for Doug Hansen, who finally appears around four o'clock in the afternoon. Very pale, Doug struggles to overcome the last dome before the summit. The delighted Hall hurries to meet him.
The deadline for everyone to turn back had expired at least two hours ago. Later, Hall’s colleagues, who were well aware of the New Zealand climber’s caution and methodical nature, were genuinely surprised by the strange clouding of his mind. Why didn't he order Hansen to turn around before reaching the top? After all, it was absolutely clear that the American did not meet any reasonable time frame to ensure a safe return.
However, there is one explanation. A year ago in the Himalayas, at about the same time, Hall had already told him to turn back: Hansen had returned from the southern peak, and for him it was a terrible disappointment. Judging by his stories, he went to Everest again largely because Rob Hall himself persistently persuaded him to try his luck one more time. This time, Doug Hansen is determined to get to the top no matter what. And since Hall himself had persuaded Hansen to return to Everest, it must now have been especially difficult for him to prevent the slow client from continuing to climb. But time was lost. Rob Hall supports the exhausted Hansen and helps him climb the last fifteen meters up. For one or two minutes they stand on the summit, which Doug Hansen finally conquered, and slowly begin their descent. Noticing that Hansen is barely able to stand, Lopsang stops to watch as the two negotiate the dangerous ledge just below the top. After making sure everything is fine, Sherpa quickly continues his descent to join Fischer. Hall and his client were left alone far behind.
Soon after Lopsang is out of sight, Hansen's oxygen tank runs out and he is completely exhausted. Rob Hall tries to bring him down, almost motionless, without supplemental oxygen. But the twelve-meter cornice stood before them as an insurmountable barrier. Conquering the peak required the exertion of all forces, and there are no reserves left for the descent. At an altitude of 8,780 meters, Hall and Hansen get stuck and contact Harris by radio.
Located on the southern summit, Andy Harris, the second New Zealand instructor, decides to take the full oxygen cylinders left there to Hall and Hansen for the return trip. He asks for help from Lopsang, who is descending, but the Sherpa prefers to take care of his boss Fischer. Then Harris slowly gets up and goes to help alone. This decision cost him his life.
Already late at night, Hall and Hansen, perhaps already together with Harris, who had risen to them, under an ice hurricane, everyone tried to break through down to the southern peak. A section of the path that under normal conditions climbers cover in half an hour, they walk for more than ten hours.
Southeast ridge, height 8650 meters, 17 hours 20 minutes
A couple of hundred meters from Lopsang, which has already reached the southern peak, Scott Fisher slowly descends along the southeastern ridge. His strength decreases with every meter. Too exhausted to perform tedious manipulations with the railing ropes in front of a series of cornices over the abyss, he simply descends along another - sheer one. It’s easier than walking along hanging railings, but then, to get back on the route, you have to walk a hundred meters knee-deep in the snow, losing precious strength.
At about 6 p.m. Lopsang catches up with Fischer. He complains: “I feel very bad, too bad to go down the rope. I will jump." The Sherpa insures the American and persuades him to slowly move along. But Fischer is already so weak that he is simply unable to overcome this part of the path. The Sherpa, also very exhausted, does not have enough strength to help the commander overcome the dangerous area. They're stuck. The weather gets worse and worse, they squat on a snow-covered rock.
At about 20 o'clock Min Ho Gau and two Sherpas emerge from the snowstorm. The Sherpas leave the completely exhausted Taiwanese next to Lopsang and Fischer, while they themselves continue their descent lightly. An hour later, Lopsang decides to leave Scott Fisher with Gau on a rocky ridge and makes his way down through a snowstorm. Around midnight, he staggers to Camp IV: “Please, go upstairs,” he begs Anatoly Boukreev. “Scott is really bad, he can’t walk.” Sherpa's strength leaves him and he falls into oblivion.
A blind client waited twelve hours for help.
And I didn’t wait...
South-eastern ridge, 70 meters above camp IV, 18 hours 45 minutes
But it's not just Rob Hall, Scott Fischer and those who walked with them who are fighting for their lives this night. Seventy meters above rescue camp IV, no less dramatic events unfold during a suddenly violent snow storm. Neil Beidleman, the second instructor of Fisher's team, who waited for almost two hours in vain at the top for his boss, moves very slowly with his group. The instructor from Hall's team is the same: he is exhausted with two absolutely helpless clients. This is Japanese Yasuko Namba and Texan Beck Withers. The Japanese woman ran out of oxygen long ago and cannot walk on her own. The situation is even worse with Withers. It was during the ascent that Hall left him at an altitude of 8400 meters due to almost complete loss of vision. And in the icy wind, the blinded climber had to wait in vain for help for almost twelve hours.
Both instructors, their charges and two Sherpas from Fischer’s team, who emerge from the darkness a little later, now form a group of eleven people. Meanwhile, the strong wind turns into a real hurricane, visibility is reduced to six to seven meters.
To get around the dangerous ice dome, Beidleman and his group make a detour to the east, where the descent is less steep. At half past eight in the evening they reach the gentle southern col, a very large plateau on which the tents of Camp IV stand just a few hundred meters away. Meanwhile, only three or four of them have much-needed flashlight batteries. In addition, they all literally collapse from exhaustion.
Beidleman knows they are somewhere on the east side of the saddle and the tents are located to the west of them. Exhausted climbers need to step towards the icy wind, which with terrible force throws large crystals of ice and snow into their faces, scratching their faces. The gradually intensifying hurricane forces the group to deviate to the side: instead of walking directly into the wind, the exhausted people move at an angle towards it.
For the next two hours, both instructors, two Sherpas and seven clients wander blindly across the plateau in the hope of accidentally reaching the rescue camp. Once they came across a couple of discarded empty oxygen cylinders, which means the tents are somewhere nearby. They are disorientated and cannot determine where the camp is. Beidleman, who is also walking staggeringly, at about ten o'clock in the evening suddenly feels a slight rise under his feet, and suddenly it seems to him that he is standing at the end of the world. He sees nothing, but feels the abyss beneath him. His instinct saves the group from certain death: they have reached the eastern edge of the saddle and are standing on the very edge of a steep two-kilometer cliff. The poor fellows have long been at the same height as the camp - only three hundred meters separate them from relative safety. Beidleman and one of his clients are looking for some kind of shelter where they could escape the wind, but in vain.
Oxygen supplies have long since dried up, and now people are even more vulnerable to frost, with temperatures dropping to minus 45 degrees Celsius. Eventually, eleven climbers squat on hurricane-polished ice under the precarious protection of a rock ledge barely larger than a washing machine. Some curl up and close their eyes, waiting for death. Others beat their comrades in misfortune with their senseless hands in order to warm themselves and stir them up. No one has the strength to speak. Only Sandy Pittman repeats without stopping: “I don’t want to die!” Beidleman tries his best to stay awake; he is looking for some sign that would foretell the imminent end of the hurricane, and shortly before midnight he notices several stars. The snowstorm continues below, but the sky is gradually clearing. Beidleman tries to get everyone up, but Pittman, Withers, Namba and another climber are too weak. The instructor understands: if he fails to find the tents and bring help in the very near future, they will all die.
Gathering those few who are still able to walk on their own, he goes out with them into the wind. He leaves four exhausted comrades under the care of the fifth, who can still move on his own. About twenty minutes later, Beidleman and his companions stumbled toward Camp IV. There they were met by Anatoly Boukreev. The unfortunate people explained to him as best they could where their five freezing comrades were waiting for help, and, having climbed into the tents, passed out.
Boukreev, who returned to the camp almost seven hours ago, became worried as darkness fell and went in search of the missing, but to no avail. He eventually returned to camp and waited for Neil Beidleman.
Now the Russian goes out in search of the unfortunates. Indeed, after a little over an hour he sees the faint light of a lantern in the snowstorm. The strongest of the five is still conscious and appears to be able to walk to the camp on his own. The rest lie motionless on the ice - they do not even have the strength to speak. Yasuko Namba seems dead - snow is stuck in her hood, her right shoe is missing, her hand is as cold as ice. Realizing that he can only drag one of these poor fellows to the camp, Boukreev connects the brought oxygen cylinder to Sandy Pittman’s mask and makes it clear to the elder that he will try to return as soon as possible. Then he and one of the climbers wander towards the tents.
A terrible scene is playing out behind him. Yasuko Namba's right arm is extended upward and completely frozen. Half-dead Sandy Pittman squirms on the ice. Beck Withers, who was still lying in the fetal position, suddenly whispers: “Hey, I got it!”, rolls to the side, sits on a rock ledge and, spreading his arms, exposes his body to the maddened wind. After a few seconds, a strong gust blows him away into the darkness.
Boukreev returns. This time he is dragging Sandy Pittman towards camp, with a fifth man lumbering behind him. The little Japanese girl and the blind, delirious Withers are considered hopeless - they are left to die. It's 4:30 a.m., it'll be dawn soon. Upon learning that Yasuko Namba was doomed, Neil Beidleman burst into tears in his tent.
Before his death, Rob Hall said goodbye to his pregnant wife via satellite phone.
Base camp, altitude 5364 meters, 4 hours 43 minutes
The tragedy of the eleven lost is not the only one on this frosty, hurricane night. At 5:57 p.m., when Rob Hall last made contact, he and Hansen were near the summit. Eleven hours later, the New Zealander contacts the camp again, this time from the southern summit. There is no one with him anymore: neither Doug Hansen nor Andy Harris. Hall's remarks sound so confused that it is alarming.
At 4.43 he tells one of the doctors that he cannot feel his legs and every movement is given to him with such colossal difficulty that he is unable to move from his place. In a barely audible, hoarse voice, Hall croaks, “Harris was with me last night, but now it’s like he’s not here. He was very weak." And then, apparently unconscious: “Is it true that Harris was with me? Can you tell me? As it turned out, Hall had two oxygen tanks at his disposal, but the oxygen mask valve was frozen and he could not connect them.
At five in the morning, base camp establishes a telephone connection via satellite between Hall and his wife Jan Arnold, who is in New Zealand. She is seven months pregnant. In 1993, Jan Arnold climbed Everest with Hall. Hearing her husband's voice, she immediately understands the seriousness of the situation. “It seemed like Rob was hovering somewhere,” she later recalled. “Once we discussed with him that it was almost impossible to save a person stuck on the ridge below the very top. He then said that it would be better to be stuck on the Moon - there are more chances.”
At 5:31, Hall injects himself with four milligrams of cortisone and reports that he is still trying to clear the ice from his oxygen mask. Every time he contacts the camp, he asks what happened to Fischer, Gau, Withers, Yasuko Namba and other participants in the ascent. But what worries him most is the fate of Andy Harris. Over and over, Hall asks where his assistant is. A little later, the base camp doctor asks what’s wrong with Dut Hansen. “Doug is gone,” Hall replies. This was his last mention of Hansen.
Twelve days later, on May 23, two American climbers followed the same route to the summit. But they didn't find Andy Harris' body. True, about fifteen meters above the southern peak, where the hanging railings end, the Americans picked up an ice ax. Perhaps Hall, with the help of Harris, managed to lower Doug Hansen to this point, where he lost his balance and, having flown two kilometers down the vertical wall of the southwestern slope, crashed.
What fate befell Andy Harris is also unknown. An ice ax found on the south summit, which belonged to Harris, indirectly indicates that he most likely remained at night with Hall on the south summit. The circumstances of Harris' death remain a mystery.
At six o'clock in the morning, base camp asks Hall if the first rays of the sun have touched him. “Almost,” he replies, and this awakens hope; Some time ago he reported that he was constantly shivering due to the terrible cold. And this time Rob Hall inquires about Andy Harris: “Did anyone but me see him last night? I think he went down during the night. Here is his ice axe, jacket and something else.” After four hours of effort, Hall finally manages to clear the ice from his oxygen mask and has been able to inhale oxygen from a cylinder since nine in the morning. True, he had already spent more than sixteen hours without oxygen. Two thousand meters below, the New Zealander's friends are making desperate attempts to force him to continue his descent. The voice of the head of the base camp is trembling. “Think about your baby,” she says on the radio. - In two months you will see his face. Now go downstairs." Several times Rob announces that he is preparing to continue his descent, but remains in the same place.
Around 9:30, two Sherpas, the same ones who had returned exhausted from the summit the previous night with a thermos of hot tea and two oxygen tanks, climb up to help Hall. Even under optimal conditions, they would face many hours of grueling climbing. But the conditions are not at all favorable. The wind blows at a speed of over 80 kilometers per hour. The day before, both porters were severely hypothermic. In the best case, they will reach the commander in the late afternoon and only an hour or two of daylight will remain for the difficult descent together with the sedentary Hall.
Soon, three more Sherpas go up to remove Fischer and Gau from the mountain. Rescuers find them four hundred meters above the south col. Both are still alive, but almost without strength. The Sherpas connect oxygen to Fischer's mask, but the American does not react: he is barely breathing, his eyes are rolled back, his teeth are clenched tightly.
Deciding that Fischer's situation was hopeless, the Sherpas left him on the ridge and descended with Gau, on whom the hot tea and oxygen had some effect. Tied to the Sherpas with a short rope, he is still able to walk on his own. Lonely death on a rocky ridge is Scott Fisher's lot. In the evening, Boukreev finds his frozen corpse.
Meanwhile, the two Sherpas continue to climb towards the Hall. The wind is getting stronger. At 3 p.m., rescuers were still two hundred meters below the southern summit. Due to frost and wind, it is impossible to continue the journey. They give up.
Hall's friends and teammates have been pleading with the New Zealander all day to go down on his own. At 18.20 his friend Guy Cotter contacts Hall: Ian Arnold in New Zealand wants to talk to his husband on a satellite phone. “Just a minute,” Hall replies. - My mouth is dry. Now I’ll eat some snow and answer her.”
Soon he is back at the machine and wheezes in a weak, distorted voice: “Hello, my treasure. I hope you are in a warm bed now. How are you doing?".
“I can’t express how worried I am about you,” the wife replies. -Your voice is much firmer than I expected. Aren’t you very cold, my love?”
“Considering the altitude and everything, I feel relatively good,” Hall replies, trying to reassure his wife as much as possible.
"How are your legs?"
“I haven’t taken off my boot yet, I don’t know for sure, but I think I’ve earned myself a couple of frostbites.”
“I don’t expect you to get out of there completely unscathed,” shouts Ian Arnold. - I only know that you will be saved. Please don't think about how lonely and abandoned you are. Mentally I send you all my strength!” As Hall ended the conversation, he told his wife, “I love you. Good night, my precious. Don’t worry too much about me.” These were his last words. Twelve days later, two Americans, whose path passed through the southern peak, found a frozen body on the glacier. Hall was lying on his right side, half covered with snow.
The bodies of living and dead climbers were covered with a crust of ice.
On the morning of May 11, As several groups made desperate attempts to rescue Hall and Fischer, at the eastern edge of the south col, one of the climbers found two bodies covered with a centimeter layer of ice: these were Yasuko Namba and Beck Withers, who had been thrown into the darkness by a strong gust of wind the previous night. Both were barely breathing.
Rescuers considered them hopeless and left them to die. But a few hours later, Withers woke up, shook off the ice and wandered back to camp. He was put into a tent, which was torn down the next night by a strong hurricane.
Withers again spent the night in the cold - and no one bothered about the unfortunate man: his situation was again considered hopeless. Only the next morning the client was noticed. Finally, the climbers helped their comrade, whom they themselves had already sentenced to death three times. To quickly evacuate him, a Nepalese Air Force helicopter rose to a dangerous height. Due to severe frostbite, Beck Withers had his right hand and fingers on his left amputated. The nose also had to be removed - its likeness was formed from the skin folds of the face.
Epilogue
Over the course of two days in May, the following members of our teams died: instructors Rob Hall, Andy Harris and Scott Fisher, clients Doug Hansen and Japanese Yasuko Namba. Min Ho Gau and Beck Withers suffered severe frostbite. Sandy Pittman did not suffer any serious damage in the Himalayas. She returned to New York and was terribly surprised and confused when her report on the expedition generated a flurry of indignant and contemptuous responses.
0b author:
Jon Krakauer lives in Seattle (USA) and works for Outside magazine. His diary of the fateful expedition to Everest in May 1996, Into Thin Air, sold seven hundred thousand copies in the United States and became a bestseller.
Rob Hall - this 35-year-old New Zealander was considered a star among the organizers of paid climbs. A calm, methodical climber and brilliant administrator, he had already stood on the planet's highest peak four times. At the same time, he managed to safely bring 39 people to the top. With his summit in May 1996, he became the only Westerner to climb Everest five times.
Climbing participants
Commercial expedition “Mountain Madness”
For the necessary acclimatization in the mountains, members of the Mountain Madness expedition were supposed to fly from Los Angeles on March 23 to Kathmandu, and fly to Lukla (2850 m) on March 28. On April 8, the entire group was already in Base Camp. Unexpectedly for everyone, the group's guide, Neil Bidleman, developed a so-called “high altitude cough”. After Biddleman, other members of the expedition began to have health problems. Nevertheless, everyone carefully followed the “acclimatization schedule.” However, as it turned out later, Scott Fisher was in poor physical shape and was taking 125 mg of Diamox (Acetazolamide) daily.
Commercial expedition "Adventure Consultants"
Chronology of events
Belated rise
Climbing without the use of oxygen, Anatoly Boukreev reached the top first, at approximately 13:07. A few minutes later Jon Krakauer appeared at the top. After some time, Harris and Biddleman. Many of the remaining climbers did not reach the summit before 14:00 - the critical time when they must begin their descent to safely return to Camp IV and spend the night.
Anatoly Boukreev began to descend to Camp IV only at 14:30. By then, Martin Adams and Cleve Schoening had reached the summit, while Biddleman and the other members of the Mountain Madness expedition had not yet reached the summit. Soon, according to the observations of the climbers, the weather began to deteriorate; at approximately 15:00 it began to snow and it became dark. Makalu Go reached the summit at early 16:00 and immediately noticed worsening weather conditions.
The senior Sherpa in Hall's group, Ang Dorje, and the other Sherpas remained to wait for the other climbers at the summit. After about 15:00 they began their descent. On the way down, Ang Dorje spotted one of the clients, Doug Hansen, in the Hillary Steps area. Dorje ordered him to come down, but Hansen did not answer him. When Hall arrived on scene, he sent Sherpas down to help other clients while he stayed behind to help Hansen, who had run out of supplemental oxygen.
Scott Fisher did not reach the summit until 15:45, being in poor physical condition: possibly due to altitude sickness, pulmonary edema and exhaustion from fatigue. It is unknown when Rob Hall and Doug Hansen reached the top.
Descent during a storm
According to Boukreev, he reached Camp IV by 17:00. Anatoly was heavily criticized for his decision to go down before his clients. Krakauer accused Boukreev of being “confused, unable to assess the situation, and showing irresponsibility.” He responded to the accusations by saying that he was going to help the descending clients with further descent, preparing additional oxygen and hot drinks. Critics also claimed that, according to Boukreev himself, he descended with client Martin Adams, however, as it turned out later, Boukreev himself descended faster and left Adams far behind.
Bad weather made it difficult for the expedition members to descend. By this time, due to a snowstorm on the southwestern slope of Everest, visibility had deteriorated significantly, and the markers that had been installed during the ascent and indicated the path to Camp IV disappeared under the snow.
Fischer, who was helped by Sherpa Lopsang Jangbu, could not descend from the Balcony (at 8230 m) in a snowstorm. As Go later said, his Sherpas left him at an altitude of 8230 m along with Fischer and Lopsang, who also could no longer descend. In the end, Fischer convinced Lopsang to go down alone, leaving him and Go behind.
Hall radioed for help, reporting that Hansen had lost consciousness but was still alive. Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris began the climb to the Hillary Steps at approximately 5:30 p.m., carrying a supply of water and oxygen.
Several climbers got lost in the South Col area. Mountain Madness members guide Biddleman, Schoening, Fox, Madsen, Pittman and Gammelgard, along with Adventure Consultants members guide Groom, Beck Withers and Yasuko Namba, were lost in the snowstorm until midnight. When they could no longer continue their journey from fatigue, they huddled together just 20 meters from the abyss at the Kanshung wall. Kangshung Face). Pittman soon began to experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Fox gave her dexamethasone.
Around midnight, the storm subsided, and the climbers were able to see Camp IV, which was located 200 m away. Biddleman, Groom, Schöning and Gammelgard went for help. Madsen and Fox remained with the group and called for help. Boukreev located the climbers and was able to bring out Pittman, Fox and Madsen. He was also criticized by other climbers because he gave preference to his clients Pittman, Fox and Madsen, while it was argued that Namba was already in a dying state. Boukreev didn’t notice Withers at all. In total, Boukreev made two trips to bring these three climbers to safety. As a result, neither he nor the other participants who were in Camp IV had any strength left to go after Namba.
However, Withers regained consciousness later that day and made it back to camp alone, much to the surprise of everyone in the camp as he suffered from hypothermia and severe frostbite. Withers was given oxygen and tried to warm him up, settling him in a tent for the night. Despite all this, Withers had to face the elements again when a gust of wind blew his tent away one night and he had to spend the night in the cold. Once again he was mistaken for dead, but Krakauer discovered that Withers was conscious and on May 12 he was prepared for emergency evacuation from Camp IV. Over the next two days, Withers was lowered to Camp II, part of the journey, however, he made on his own, and was later evacuated by rescue helicopter. Withers underwent a long course of treatment, but due to severe frostbite, his nose, right hand and all the fingers of his left hand were amputated. In total, he underwent more than 15 operations, his thumb was reconstructed from his back muscles, and plastic surgeons reconstructed his nose.
Scott Fisher and Makalu Go were discovered on May 11 by Sherpas. Fischer's condition was so serious that they had no choice but to make him comfortable and devote most of their efforts to saving Go. Anatoly Boukreev made another attempt to save Fischer, but only discovered his frozen body at approximately 19:00.
North slope of Everest
Indo-Tibetan Border Guard
Less known, but no less tragic, are 3 more accidents that occurred on the same day with climbers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Service climbing the Northern Slope. The expedition was led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohinder Singh. Commandant Mohinder Singh, who is considered to be the first Indian climber to conquer Everest from the North Face.
Initially, the indifference of the Japanese climbers stunned the Indians. According to the leader of the Indian expedition, “at first the Japanese offered to help in the search for the missing Indians. But a few hours later they continued to climb to the top, despite the deteriorating weather." The Japanese team continued climbing until 11:45. By the time the Japanese climbers began their descent, one of the two Indians was already dead, and the second was on the verge of life and death. They lost sight of the traces of the third descending climber. However, Japanese climbers denied that they had ever seen any dying climbers on the climb.
Captain Kohli, representative of the Indian Mountaineering Federation Indian Mountaineering Federation ), who initially blamed the Japanese, later retracted his claim that the Japanese had claimed to have met Indian climbers on May 10.
“The Indo-Tibetan Border Guard Service (ITBS) confirms the statement of members of the Fukuoka expedition that they did not leave Indian climbers without assistance and did not refuse to help in the search for the missing.” The managing director of ITPS stated that “the misunderstanding occurred due to communication interference between the Indian climbers and their base camp.”
Shortly after the incident, the twisted and frozen body of Tsewang Poljor was discovered near a small limestone cave at an altitude of 8500 m. Due to technical difficulties in evacuating the bodies of the dead, the body of the Indian climber still lies where it was first discovered. Climbers climbing the North Face can see the outline of the body and the bright green boots the climber wore. The term "Green Shoes" Green Boots ) soon became firmly established in the vocabulary of Everest conquerors. This is how the 8500 m mark on the North Slope of Everest is designated.
| I was lucky to survive the storm of 1996 and lucky to move on with my life. The Indian climber was unlucky. But it could have been different. If this happened, I would want a fellow climber to work hard remove my body from the sight of other climbers, and protect me from birds... Original text(English) "I survived the big storm of 1996 and was fortunate enough to be able to get on with the rest of my life," the British climber told TNN. "The Indian climber was not. The roles could have so easily been reversed. If that had happened I would like to think that a fellow climber would take it upon themselves to move me away from the sight of passing climbers and to protect me from the birds." |
Victims of the tragedy
| Name | Citizenship | Expedition | A place of death | Cause of death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Hansen (Client) | USA | Adventure Consultants | Southern slope | |
| Andrew Harris (Tour Guide) | New Zealand | Southeast ridge, 8800 m |
Unknown; presumably a fall on the descent | |
| Yasuko Nambo (Client) | Japan | South Col | External influences (hypothermia, radiation, frostbite) | |
| Rob Hall (Tour Guide) | New Zealand | Southern slope | ||
| Scott Fisher (Tour Guide) | USA | Mountain Madness | Southeast Ridge | |
| Sergeant Tsewang Samanla | Indo-Tibetan Border Guard Force | Northeast Ridge | ||
| Corporal Dorje Morup | ||||
| Senior Constable Tsewang Paljor |
Event Analysis
Commercialization of Everest
The first commercial expeditions to Everest began to be organized in the early 1990s. Guides appear, ready to make any client’s dream come true. They take care of everything: delivering participants to the base camp, organizing the route and intermediate camps, accompanying the client and securing him all the way up and down. At the same time, conquering the summit was not guaranteed. In pursuit of profit, some guides take on clients who are not able to climb to the top at all. In particular, Henry Todd from the Himalayan Guides company argued that, “... without blinking an eye, these leaders pocket a lot of money, knowing full well that their charges have no chance.” Neil Biddleman, a guide for the Mountain Madness group, admitted to Anatoly Boukreev even before the ascent began that “...half of the clients have no chance of reaching the summit; for most of them the ascent will end at the South Col (7900 m)."
The famous New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary had an extremely negative attitude towards commercial expeditions. In his opinion, the commercialization of Everest "offended the dignity of the mountains."
- American climber and writer Galen Rovell, in an article for the Wall Street Journal, called the operation carried out by Boukreev to rescue the three climbers “unique”:
On December 6, 1997, the American Alpine Club awarded Anatoly Boukreev the David Souls Prize, awarded to climbers who saved people in the mountains at risk to their own lives.
Literature
- Jon Krakauer In thin air = Into thin air. - M: Sofia, 2004. - 320 p. - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-9550-0457-2
- Bukreev A.N., G. Weston De Walt Climbing. Tragic ambitions on Everest = The Climb: Tragic ambitions on Everest. - M: MTsNMO, 2002. - 376 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-94057-039-9
- David Breashears"High Exposure, Epilogue". - Simon & Schuster, 1999.
- Nick Heil„Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season“. - Holt Paperbacks, 2007. -
Since the 80s of the last century, commercial expeditions began to be made to Chomolungma. The great mountain, probably one of the most difficult in the world in terms of natural conditions, took lives from the first attempts to conquer it.
However, the worst tragedy was on May 10, 1996, when the mountain took the lives of eight climbers, two of them were expedition leaders. . I advise you to read it first in order to delve into my speculations.
I became interested in this incident after seeing many foreigners in Nepal reading the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Krakauer is also known for the book Into the Wild, on which the film of the same name was based. In the book, Krakauer insulted Anatoly Boukreev, who quickly descended from the top without waiting for clients.
I also read Boukreev’s book “The Ascension”, where a lot of things fall into place. Krakauer does not have a special gift for writing (the book is written in simple language), he, like a journalist, takes on the investigation of various incidents. John participated in the 1996 climb. Many of his accusations were easily repelled by the climbers, the only problem is that his book sold out in large quantities, leaving an eternal stain of guilt on Anatoly Boukreev.
I don’t want to interfere, but I know what “mountain sickness” is, panic, hurricanes in the mountains, so I’ll add my two cents.
Anatoly Bukreev was a talented climber, but not a guide at all. He was harsh, but at the same time he was a good person. It's a shame that Krakauer couldn't see the good in him.
Krakauer makes accusations that he abandoned the group by running downstairs. But, however, Boukreev saved all the members of his group and even tried to save the head of the expedition, Scott Fisher. He could not save only the Japanese Yasuko Nambu, but by that time Anatoly was completely exhausted. Not one Sherpa or client wanted to help him save her. Krakauer even described in his book that it’s every man for himself.
After that, we were presented with the terrible facts of deaths on Everest. Every now and then we hear about loud scandals when friends abandon each other on the mountain or indifferently walk past freezing but living people.
Some scientists spread a rumor that at altitudes above eight thousand meters, brain cells die. It seems to me that this is a lie sown in the mass consciousness. Sergei Bershov spent four days trying to conquer Lhotse and remained alive - a great refutation of these facts.
But on the other hand, I can condemn Bukreev in haste. I'm more sympathetic to Neil Beidleman, who supported the people in the storm and helped them down to the tents. But Boukreev’s role is great when, completely exhausted, he bravely went into a hurricane night and saved people on the South Col.
Rob Hall and Scott Fisher were punished by the mountain for their greed. They led incapable people upward for money, for which they paid with their lives. Bukreev’s book describes that Scott was constantly calculating losses and his head did not rest, he was always thinking about making a profit. In addition, Scott took on a lot of work himself, for example, sending a sick client down the day before the ascent. As a result, Scott Fischer lost a lot of strength and died on the descent from fatigue. Rob Hall, another expedition leader, died because of a client to whom he promised to climb the mountain. As a result, they rose in the evening, before an approaching storm.
It played a role that many expeditions climbed on the same railings that day; the Sherpas were to blame for not hanging the safety railings in advance. But expeditions to Everest are still organized. I saw people in Namche Bazaar with the words "Adventure Consultants" - Rob Hall's company - on their T-shirts. People die, there is always a risk.
I cannot give an exact answer to the question “How to ensure safe conditions for climbing?” if the mountains can take any of us, and sometimes entire alpine camps, as was the case on Lenin Peak in 1990 (45 people died). People still go to the mountains to satisfy your ambitions. The mountains do not always accept them, and no matter how much you paid, the mountain decides in its own way.
Of the books, I consider Anatoly Boukreev’s book to be more objective. Not because he is ours, but because he writes everything objectively. It feels like the book was written by an experienced person. Jon Krakauer has an interesting book, but there is a lot of rubbish and vulgarity in it. It is no coincidence that Krakauer was angered by Bukreev’s response book and he began to treat Anatoly even worse after that.
A tragedy like the one in May 1996 can happen not only in the Himalayas, but also in simpler mountains like ours. I witnessed dramatic events, so these books are very close to me. He himself got into trouble with people. Therefore, I consider the profession of a mountain guide to be very dangerous.
