The film by Baltasar Kormakur, based on the books by John Krakauer and Anatoly Bukreev, tells about the tragedy on Everest on May 11, 1996, when a combination of circumstances claimed the lives of three guides and two clients of commercial expeditions to the most high point planets.
On September 24, AlpIndustriya organized a private screening of the premiere of Everest. Together with a full hall of interested viewers, the film was watched by two special guests who know firsthand about Everest - Sergey Kovalev, who climbed to the top in 2008, and Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny, who participated in ascents seven times and visited the summit twice.
After the screening, the climbers shared their impressions of the film and answered questions from the audience.
Carefully! Spoilers in the text.
Sergei Zon-Zam, Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny and Sergei Kovalev at the premiere of the film "Everest"
History of the tragedy of May 11, 1996
In the 1990s, Everest began to attract a large number of commercial tourists who can afford to spend several tens of thousands of dollars, but are often completely unprepared physically and mentally.
On May 10, 1996, two competing commercial companies simultaneously tried to take their clients to the top: Mountain Madness under the direction of Scott Fisher and Adventure Consultants under the direction of Rob Hall. At the same time, the Taiwanese expedition of Gao Minghe, sponsored by the government of Taiwan, and another commercial group, Americans led by Daniel Mazur and Jonathan Pratt, made the ascent.
As a result, due to a whole bunch of various negative factors (weather conditions, an unprepared route, long queues due to the influx of commercial tourists, etc.), the expeditions ended in the death of Scott Fisher from Mountain Madness and several members of the Adventure Consultants team at once, including Rob Hall himself and another guide, Andrew Harris. Of the eight clients, two died: Japanese Yasuko Nambo and American Doug Harris.
Three more members of Hall's expedition, lost on the descent in a snow storm, could stay forever on Everest. They were rescued by the Soviet climber Anatoly Bukreev, who worked as a guide in Scott Fisher's team. Alone at night in terrible weather conditions at an altitude of 8000 meters, he sought out three climbers and dragged them one by one to the camp.
Another participant, Beck Withers, was left on the slope twice, believing that he was cold, but both times he found strength in himself and, despite severe frostbite and a serious condition, managed to get to the camp on his own and survive. He had his nose amputated right hand and all the fingers of his left hand, but he survived and later wrote the book Left for Dead (2000).
John Krakauer, a journalist for Outside, a member of the Rob Hall expedition, was able to return alive, and in the same year the book Into Thin Air (1996), which tells about the tragedy, saw the light of day. Largely due to the participation of a journalist, it was these tragic events, out of many that happened on Everest, that became widely known. A year later, Anatoly Boukreev outlined his vision of events, co-authoring the book The climb (The climb, 1997) with Wenston DeWalt.
The controversy surrounding Anatoly Bukreev has not faded to this day. In his book, Jon Krakauer blamed him for his decision to descend from the summit before his clients. Anatoly was also scolded for his unwillingness to use oxygen, and the Fisher expedition itself for the lack of conventional walkie-talkies and other flaws. On the other hand, in 1997 Anatoly Boukreev received the American Alpine Club David Souls Award for rescuing members of the Rob Hall expedition at the risk of his own life.
The causes of the tragedy and the role of guides in what happened in the mountaineering world are still being debated, and the truth, as Nikolai Dmitrievich said before the show, is, as always, somewhere in the middle...
Rob Hall, Scott Fisher, Jon Krakauer, Anatoly Boukreev, Beck Withers and his wife
Nikolai Cherny and Sergey Kovalev about the film "Everest"
Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny
Honored Master of Sports and Honored Coach of the USSR.
He climbed Everest seven times, including as part of the very first Soviet expedition in 1982, reaching the mark of 7800.
He has been to the summit of Everest twice, one of them in 2009 at the age of 71.
Sergei Viktorovich Kovalev
Master of sports of international class.
Ten-time Champion of Ukraine, two-time Champion CIS and two-time Champion of Moscow in mountaineering.
He climbed the summit from the south in 2008.
Has successful experience rescue work on Everest at an altitude of 8600 m and immediately after that two nights in a row at around 8300 in 1999.
Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny: cinema is cinema
The film was shot exactly according to the books of Anatoly Bukreev and John Krakauer with all the details, exactly according to the facts. But there is only one but.
I walked this route as a guide in 2009 (at the age of 71 - ed.), and we did not have such passions, although we had good weather. But in general, it is not so difficult there, in fact. (audience laughs - ed. note). There are no such cornices and rocks on the route, as shown in the film - there is a normal ridge, but in the film it is painfully steep. But this is a movie - there must be passion in it.
Hillary's step in the film is shown as something. I went through it up and down. If in reality you walk in the snow and you don’t have to hold on to the rock with your hands, then in the film you have to. If you feel normal, then there are no technical difficulties, especially if the railing is hanging. In the film, they complicated this section, for fear, apparently.
But the fact that the route is easier than shown in the film does not make the task any easier. In such weather, in which the heroes of these tragic events fell, in general ... Zero chances. So take care of yourself. If you're not sure, don't bother. And most importantly - turn around in time.
Sergey Kovalev: an accident is made up of little things
If we consider the whole situation from the very beginning, each such accident in the mountains does not begin in the process of climbing, when a person dies, but is made up of small things, each of which separately would not lead to a tragic outcome. And together they, like a chain, are connected into links: they left a little later, did not bring oxygen to the southern peak, did not hang the railing. As a result, they lost the most important resource at the height - time.
Now there is more experience in the logistics of ascents, the flow of people on the routes is getting divorced. Weather forecasts have become much more accurate: it is possible to schedule the next three days by the clock and plan the ascent more carefully. These factors have significantly reduced the number of such accidents.
Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny: people have paid for everything and want success
In this movie, expedition members pay $65,000 each to climb Everest... Do you see the picture?
That's when the Soviet country collapsed, in the early years, masters of sports, candidates for masters of sports, that is, experienced people, went to serious peaks. Somewhere they borrowed money, somewhere they scraped together, somewhere they found a sponsor. Now mostly people are traveling who have already visited ... the Maldives ... (audience laughs - ed. note). Everywhere. And here there is something else - we'll go there!
Therefore, the percentage of successful commercial ascents is not so large, and it is harder for guides to work, because people go with ambitions, they paid for everything, they want success.
Rob Hall led his old client to the summit, who came to Everest for the second time with the last money, dreaming of climbing to the top. And when it was necessary to turn, Hall instead went on about the client, gave up slack ...
Sergei Kovalev: a film about victory and struggle
In fact, this is a film about love, about struggle, about victory over oneself and circumstances. The events were picked up by the press and formed the basis of several books. The story arouses genuine interest among people, because the heroes really fought, someone won and survived, someone died - this is life in miniature, a small life lived in two months from start to finish.
Every person who has returned from this or another ascent changes. And the film just tells about the changes in a person: what happens to a person after and during the ascent. Events and the film are interesting for this, rather than some kind of "darkness" associated with the death of people.
Viewer Questions
Myths and reality of "Everest"
Having climbed to the top of Everest, all the heroes take off their glasses and oxygen masks.
Nicholas Black: In the movies, if the hero on the top of Everest does not take off his glasses and mask, you simply will not understand who is talking. (Nikolai Dmitrievich himself laughs and the whole audience laughs - ed.). It's unrealistic. You can, of course, but this is a movie, you know. Of course, there are people who climb Everest without oxygen. The same Boukreev never used oxygen at all. But this is from God. physiological phenomenon.
The heroes pass the entire route without helmets.
Sergey Kovalev: On Everest above camp 7900, helmets are not worn, at least if they come from the south, because there is nothing to fall from there - after the 8000 m mark, this is a ridge route, it is quite safe there in this regard. It is better, of course, to go to camp 7900 in a helmet.
Climbers go along the route without stops and respite.
Nicholas Black: In reality, on the route from the south, we left the saddle at nine in the evening and at six we were at the top - we practically did not stop, except perhaps on the descent, when the sun appeared.
Stops at this height are made for technical reasons: to change the oxygen tank or if there is a traffic jam on the route. You can only drink tea, but you don’t want to eat on the route.
Sergey Kovalev: Whatever oxygen consumption you set, you do not rest. The heroes use Russian 5-liter Poisk cylinders. The oxygen supply can be adjusted: 1.5 liters per minute will last for six hours, at a maximum supply of 5 liters per minute it will be easier to walk and the speed of movement will increase, but the oxygen will run out after 2.5 hours.
From the point of view of physiology, at such a height, oxygen acts as a dope: it burns out resources that the body might not have used. It allows you to use the reserves of energy that are stored in the body for a rainy day. When you stop on the route - this is not a rest, you burn strength and excess energy. It is better to move slowly but constantly than to sit still for an hour.
The heroes of the film have large assault backpacks, which they never took out.
Nicholas Black: In general, there is nothing special to carry on the route. Maximum - a thermos, spare gloves and spare glasses in case you miss the main ones. All clothes are on. One or two oxygen tanks. The volume of cylinders is 3, 4 and 5 liters. A 3-liter full cylinder at 280 atmospheres weighs 3 kg. By the way, the whole world uses Russian-made composite cylinders.
The heroes of the film do not take out the first-aid kit, they only inject themselves with something.
Sergey Kovalev: The characters in the film were injected with dexamethasone, a very powerful stimulant that shakes the entire body. It was once used to bring a person out of a state of shock or coma. By the way, it's practically harmless.
Participants of commercial ascents in the film are frightened by cerebral edema.
Sergey Kovalev: In 90% of cases, cerebral edema occurs due to incorrect or insufficient acclimatization. It does not arise on its own. If the climber acclimatized correctly, did not rush and controlled his condition, it would not come to brain edema.
The heroes of the film actively drink alcohol at altitude.
Nicholas Black: Scott Fisher did use.
Sergey Kovalev: Alcohol is a contentious issue. Like a medicine, it depends on the dose: you can be cured or poisoned. Alcohol acts as a weak natural stimulant. If you use it within reasonable limits, it will be useful.
Judging by the film, Scott Fisher, constantly running around with toilet paper, tried to cure his stomach of Giardia with the help of whiskey - in the process of this disease, a person loses strength very quickly. At that time, Fisher was one of the strongest climbers in America, he was sick on this expedition, this is reflected in the book.
According to the film, it is quite light in the mountains at night.
Sergey Kovalev: The most stable weather in the mountains is during the full moon, at this time it is usually quite light. When the moon is shining, in such high mountains you can see as in the daytime, you can go without a flashlight. You can look at the dates of the phases of the moon, perhaps the heroes moved on the full moon. And if there is no moon, then the eyes of a person without light sources also get used, so you can see.
Nicholas Black: By the way, if earlier we went from May 1 to May 9, now the schedule has shifted to the end of the month: they go from May 20 to the end of May or the beginning of June.
Rob Hall, who had already begun to descend after a night under the summit, suddenly stopped his attempts.
Sergey Kovalev: The film is only a reconstruction of events, and it is difficult for us to judge what state Rob Hall was actually in. But if we take what was shown in the film as a basis, then at first some moments, for example, the voice of his wife, helped him to gather himself, but as soon as the stimulus disappeared, his strength also disappeared. In the situation shown in the film, he was doomed.
At an altitude above 8000 m, climbers pass Beck Withers, who is clearly not in the best condition, freezing in the snow, content with his slurred “Yes” to the question whether everything is fine.
Sergey Kovalev: I would like to believe that we have a slightly different attitude to this and in such a situation we would have acted differently, because we have developed philanthropy and we are a team.
Nicholas Black: You can help a person 100% only by giving him oxygen. Everything else is poetry. If with oxygen he does not move independently along a difficult route above 8500, you will not do anything with him.
Sergey Kovalev: A full-fledged team should work if the person does not start moving on his own. In this case, the people passing by were themselves not in the best condition and after ten steps they could lie down on the snow in the same way.
In 1999, I had to lower a man from a height of 8600 m. The man was in approximately the same condition as the expedition members in the film. When a team is working on the mountain and the circumstances and the weather are a little more successful, a person can be lowered from such a height. Russian and Ukrainian teams have proven this more than once. If the team works and people are ready to risk their lives for the sake of their teammate, then the person can be saved. Even after a day. Even if he spent the night without oxygen. Yes, our rescued man's fingers were cut off a little, but now he is alive and well and still goes to the mountains.
Rescuing a person from a height of 8000 m is possible if there is good preparation, a team, experienced guides and Sherpas. But the most The best way- Don't be in that situation. It is better not to ascend twice than not to descend once.
Editor's note: In 1999, as part of the First Ukrainian Everest Expedition, Sergiy Kovalyov climbed to 8600m, where he found his blind teammate Volodymyr Gorbach on the verge of life and death (pressure 60/10). For four hours, Sergei dragged Vladimir alone, after which Igor Svergun and Nikolai Goryunov joined them. After ten hours of the hardest descent, they managed to reach the assault camp 8300, where they spent another two nights.
Personal experience of climbing Nikolai Dmitrievich Cherny and Sergey Kovalev
Movies about mountaineering often show discos in the base camp. Did you have those too?
Sergey Kovalev: And why not, if there is an opportunity to get together with the whole big company (laughs - ed. note).
How long does the expedition take?
Sergey Kovalev: The ascent takes 2 months - about 50 days, including acclimatization. The window in which they go is 7-10 days - this is the phase of the moon, close to the full moon, and the interval between cyclones, the time before the monsoons, the arrival of rains. They try to plan the last exit for this window, which is why crowds happen on Everest. Sometimes the weather lasts a month, and sometimes just one day, as it was in 1996.
Are there really frozen bodies of climbers on Everest? Why isn't everyone filmed?
Sergey Kovalev: I climbed to the top from the north and from the south, they say that there were bodies left there, but in 2009 I did not see any bodies. Everything was removed from the south, but there is from the north.
Nicholas Black: Tel no. They fall down with avalanches, they cover with snow, you understand.
Sergey Kovalev: For the sake of the living, people are ready to risk their lives as long as there is at least some chance to save a person. As soon as a person has died, no matter how cruel it may sound, he becomes a load of 80-90 kg, which must be lowered down. This is a dilemma for any person: is it necessary to lower the body, risking his life?
And to be completely honest, this is actually the price of the issue. If there is a person willing to pay, then the people who work there professionally will do it.
Nicholas Black: The next year, the Japanese Yasuko was lowered by an organized Japanese expedition, and Sherpas were hired.
How long did you spend at the top?
Sergey Kovalev: Probably about an hour. It depends on conditions, weather. We had good weather, we felt great. Why not take a picture, say hello to loved ones? At that time, cosmonauts we knew flew there, we called cosmonaut Volkov through the Mission Control Center - it was fun.
How many women climb Everest?
Nicholas Black: It happens, of course ... I know in Russia, probably 5-7 people. Don't go there girls.
Have you been to K2?
Sergey Kovalev: I was not.
Nicholas Black: I was the coach of the team that passed western wall K2. This is my most serious route.
Nikolai Dmitrievich, you climbed Everest several times, but did not reach the top. Is it a coincidence, a lack of strength, or was it planned?
Nicholas Black: I was on seven expeditions as a participant, guide, coach. Twice I was at the top: from the north and from the south. A couple of times I returned from about 8300, a couple of times from the saddle.
Capturing the weather is hard. We went out to the saddle - it blew out. We didn't go further. We spent the night - we realized that we would not survive the second. Gone down. There may simply not be enough health or time for the “second shot”.
Who pays for the expeditions?
Nicholas Black: I definitely didn't pay, I don't have that kind of money. When I work as a guide, I get paid.
Sergey Kovalev: The cost varies depending on the style of the expedition. If the style is sporty, you pay only for a permit and equipment, you can meet 15-17 thousand. If you take a full package with a guarantee and a personal sherp, the price can reach up to 60-65 thousand. There may be intermediate options, but no one will give you a guarantee to return alive.
You have conquered Everest and many other peaks - and what's next?
Nicholas Black: Let's go to the mountains! I work as a guide. This summer I climbed Elbrus four times with a group.
Sergey Kovalev: In fact, we just love it. I just love going to the mountains.
Nikolai Cherny with a group on the top of Elbrus in 2001. Photo by Michael Brown
Kovalev Sergey, the summit of Everest
Big question: Who can climb Everest?
Sergey Kovalev: Of course, I want to say right away that you first need to become a master of sports and everything in the world, and only then climb Everest with a load of your medals.
If you use the tactics of commercial expeditions, you are accompanied by an experienced Sherpa, they bring you oxygen and set up tents, you have the experience of going through a mountain school and some kind of base so that you don’t have to learn to walk in crampons on the route itself, like in the movie, you climbed a dozen or two climbs - you have more chances to ascend. And most importantly, your chances of surviving are greatly increased.
Guides are not gods, and even guides die at the top. As a rule, not voluntarily, but saving their clients. It is very important to go to the mountains with the knowledge that it is not safe, and a situation may arise when your life on the mountain will depend only on you, your skills and abilities. Left alone with the mountain - it doesn't matter if it's Mont Blanc, Everest or Elbrus - you need to have skills and abilities with you that you can use. It does not require a lot of effort, a lot of money and a lot of time.
If you are going to Everest, start this journey from Elbrus. Or seven-thousanders, like the peak of Communism and Khan-Tengri - this is an excellent school, excellent training.
The most important thing that is required on Everest is not the ability to climb a vertical rock and perform some kind of miracles, but the ability to survive in a certain situation. Wake up in the morning in a tent, make tea for yourself, put on your boots, come to the tent, leave the tent and at the same time not freeze your hands and feet, not get lost and not fall down the mountain. This should be learned to a greater extent than some technical skills - you will still master them in the process of ascent.
Therefore, the path to Everest can stretch for two, three years or even a lifetime. But this path is real and you can go through it, you just need to start.
Prepared by Maria Kurochkina.
When Beck fell exhausted, his comrades left him to die. Lying in the cold, at the unthinkable height of the slope of Everest, he was conscious, but his body was shackled by frostbite and fatigue. He was considered dead, thereby starting the countdown of victims terrible tragedy on Everest in May 1996, in which 15 people died. But in spite of everything, Beck survived, and when he suddenly appeared in the fourth base camp AFTER A DAY AND HALF, it was a real shock - Beck Withers was resurrected from the dead.
After graduation, he began a medical practice in his state of Texas, and in 1996, Beck, who was then 49 years old, became one of the many climbers who climbed Mount Everest. He went as part of a group led by an experienced New Zealand climber Rob Hall (Rob Hall), who, alas, never returned from this expedition, as well as 14 more people who became victims of a capricious and formidable mountain. The expedition was purely commercial, and climbing to the top was very important for many people - Withers was one of them. So, when a strong storm arose, it was clear that it was better to postpone the ascent, but people simply rushed to the top, and when the wind deceptively weakened, Rob Hall decided to go up. This was a huge mistake.
Beck Withers began to suddenly go blind - this was the effect on his eyes of height and rarefied air. It was incredibly cold, oxygen was running out, and the ascent turned into a real hell. When he became exhausted and fell, they left him - at that time people no longer had the strength to take care of those who could not move on their own. Lying in the snow and freezing, Beck still lived. His body seemed to be frozen - he could hear how later someone found him, examined him and said: "He is dead." The climbers left, but Beck remained lying - he could not even blink his eyes, and, nevertheless, life still glimmered in the frostbitten body.
He lay in the snow a day, a night, and another day. Later it was called the "Medical Miracle on Everest", but at that moment Beck did not feel any miracle. He just lay there, realizing that, it seems, this time he was very unlucky. And then he said to himself something like: "I don't want to die. I have a family, I have to think about them."
And he just got up and went downstairs. The doctors puzzled over how he succeeded with the frostbite that he had at that moment - according to all medical indicators, this was impossible, especially considering how long Beck lay in the snow.
But it happened - he stumbled into the tent of Ken Kamler (Ken Kamler), the expedition's only doctor, and said: "Hi, Ken! Where can I sit here? Will you accept my insurance?". Camler was simply dumbfounded at the sight of Beck, it was simply impossible, because everyone had already known for a long time that Beck Withers was dead!
He had terrible frostbite - one arm was completely white, the same was with Beck's nose and face. And yet he was alive.
Evacuation down was still impossible - the snowstorm continued to rage, and it was impossible to even think about descending. In truth, when Beck was still alive the next morning, many were surprised to themselves - no one believed that he would pull through. He screamed in pain at night, but the wind drowned out these cries, and his tent was torn off by the wind, and he again remained on the snow.
And again he was mistaken for dead, but Krakauer found that Withers was conscious and on May 12 he was prepared for urgent evacuation from Camp IV. Over the next two days, Withers was lowered to Camp II, part of the way, however, he made his own, and later he was evacuated by a rescue helicopter.
Later, he wrote a book about this - "Left For Dead" (note "Abandoned to die"), where he described everything that he had to endure, and what a person who was left to die feels when there is no hope for help and you know for sure that your life is completely in your weak frostbitten hands.
Withers underwent a long course of treatment, but due to severe frostbite, his nose, right hand, and all fingers of his left hand were amputated.
In total, he underwent more than 15 operations, he was reconstructed from the back muscles thumb, and plastic surgeons restored the nose. Beck lives in Dallas, Texas, continues to practice medicine, lectures in his specialty and mountaineering ... And when asked how he managed to survive, he replies that he was helped by love for his family and God.
Based on the books: Jon Krakauer "In rarefied air", 1996, M. and Bukreev A.N. and DeWalt "Rise", 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, for the entire season, 15 people died while climbing the mountain, which forever entered this year in history as one of the most tragic in the history of conquering 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 the Soviet climber Anatoly Boukreev in his book "Ascent", co-authored with Weston DeWalt. So, the actors and performers ... Commercial expedition "Mountain Madness"Guides: Scott Fisher, Expedition Leader (USA) Clients: Martin Adams, Charlotte Fox (female), Lene Gammelgaard (female), Dale Cruise (Scott's friend!…), Tim Madsen, Sandy Hill Pittman (female), Pete Schöning, Cleve Schoening.
Sherpas: Lopsang Jangbu (sirdar), Nawang Dorje, Tenjing, Tashi Tshering. Scott Fisher is dead.
Three clients almost died - Sandy Hill Pittman, Charlotte Fox and Tim Madsen. Adventure Consultants Commercial Expedition
Guides: Rob Hall, expedition leader ( New Zealand)
|
|
Sherpas: Ang Dorje, Lhakpa Chkhiri, Nawang Norbu, Kami. Taiwan expedition Gao Minghe ("Makalu") led a team of 13 people up the South Face 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 the cat 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 climbers reached an altitude of 6.492 m, where they organized the first high-altitude camp ("Camp 2"). 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, " The Sunday Times from Johannesburg) and Makalu Gao (Taiwan) decided to join their climbing efforts and hang ropes from Camp 3 to Camp 4 together. On April 28, when the climbers reached "Camp 3", all participants noticed a sharp deterioration in the condition of Dale Cruz. He began to apathy, he was shaking. He was hurriedly lowered to Camp 2. On April 30, all members of the expedition "Mountain Madness" completed the acclimatization ascent. It was decided to start climbing the summit on May 5, but later the date was moved to May 6. Shortly after the start of the ascent, Dale Cruz's condition worsened again, and Fisher decided to return and see him down. According to Henry Todd of Himalayan Guides, he met Fischer while he was climbing the Khumbu Glacier. He was alerted by the last words thrown by Fischer before continuing the journey: “I am afraid for my people. I don't like the way things are going." On May 8, Mountain Madness climbers were unable to head to Camp 3 in time due to strong winds. Nevertheless, A. Boukreev and S. Fisher managed to overtake the members of Rob Hall's "Adventure Consultants" expedition. On May 9, the climbers went to "camp 4". On the ascent, they stretched into a chain of 50 people, because in addition to the climbers "Adventure Consultants" and "Mountain Madness", another commercial expedition from the USA was also climbing, led by Daniel Mazur and Jonathan Pratt. Having reached the South Col (South Col), the climbers faced severe weather conditions. As Boukreev later recalled, “it was truly a hellish place, if only it can be so cold in hell: an icy wind, the speed of which exceeded 100 km / h, raged on an open plateau, empty oxygen cylinders were scattered everywhere, thrown here by members of previous expeditions.” Clients of both expeditions discussed the possibility of postponing the ascent to the summit, which was scheduled for the next morning. Hall and Fisher decided that the rise would take place.belated rise
Shortly after midnight on May 10, the Adventure Consultants began their ascent up the southern slope from Camp 4, which was 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, climbers, if everything went according to plan, could expect to be at the top in 10-11 hours. Soon, unplanned stops and delays 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 expedition leaders died. However, there is evidence that there were several groups of climbers on the mountain that day (approximately 34 people), which, undoubtedly, could affect the congestion of the route and cause delays. Reaching the "Hillary Step" Hillary Step , a vertical ledge on Everest's southeast ridge), climbers are once again faced with the problem of loose equipment, forcing them to waste another hour waiting for the problem to be fixed. Considering that 34 climbers were climbing the summit at the same time, Hall and Fisher asked the members of the expedition to keep a distance of 150 m 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 day, before climbing 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 members of Hall's band who had come out earlier. John Krakauer and Ang Dorje at 5:30 in the morning climbed to a height of 8.500 m and went to the "Balcony". By 6:00 in the morning, Bukreev ascended 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 a long time, and any delay can be fatal. However, there is another delay. All climbers have to wait until the Sherpas re-tighten the railing. Such railings should be laid up 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 the South Summit, and Adams another 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 at the South Summit until 10:30. At 11:45, Lou Kozicki decides to start the descent. Hutchinson and Taske also decide to turn back. At the same time, only 100 m separate the South Peak from the top of Everest, and the weather was sunny and clear, although the wind was picking up. Making the ascent without the use of oxygen, Anatoly Boukreev reached the summit first, at about 13:07. A few minutes later, Jon Krakauer appeared at the top. Some time later, Harris and Biddleman. Many of the remaining climbers did not reach the summit until 2:00 pm, the critical time to begin their descent to safely return to Camp 4 and spend the night. Anatoly Bukreev started descending to Camp 4 only at 14:30. By that time, Martin Adams and Clive Schoening had reached the summit, while Bidleman and the other members of the Mountain Madness expedition had not yet reached the summit. Soon, according to the observations of climbers, the weather began to deteriorate, at about 15:00 it began to snow and it got dark. Makalu Go reached the summit at the beginning of 16:00 and immediately noted the worsening weather conditions. The senior Sherpa in Hall's group, Ang Dorje, and other Sherpas stayed 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 descend, but Hansen did not answer him. When Hall arrived at the scene, he sent the Sherpas downstairs 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 3:45 p.m., in a bad mood. physical condition: possibly due to altitude sickness, pulmonary edema and exhaustion from fatigue. When Rob Hall and Doug Hansen reached the summit is unknown.Descent during a storm
According to Bukreev, he reached "camp 4" by 17:00. Anatoly was heavily criticized for his decision to go down before his clients (!!!). Krakauer accused Bukreev of being "confused, not assessing the situation, showing irresponsibility." Boukreev replied to the accusations that he was going to help descending clients, prepared additional oxygen, a hot drink. 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. The 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 marks that had been set during the ascent and indicated the path to Camp 4 disappeared under the snow. Fisher, who was assisted by Sherpa Lopsang Jangbu, could not descend into the snowstorm from the "Balcony" (at around 8.230 m). As Goh later said, his Sherpas were left 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 and leave him and Go. Hall radioed for help, saying that Hansen was unconscious but still alive. Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris began his ascent to Hillary's Step at approximately 5:30 pm, carrying a supply of water and oxygen. According to Krakauer, by this time the weather had deteriorated to a full blown blizzard. Several climbers got lost in the area of the South Col. Mountain Madness members Guide Biddleman, Schoening, Fox, Madsen, Pittman, and Gammelgard, along with Adventure Consultants guide Groom, Beck Withers, and Yasuko Namba, wandered through the blizzard until midnight. When, due to fatigue, they could no longer continue their journey, they huddled together just 20 meters from the abyss over the Kanchung wall from China ( Kangshung face). Pittman soon developed symptoms of altitude sickness. Fox injected her with dexamethasone. Around midnight, the storm subsided, and the climbers were able to see "Camp 4", which was 200 m away. Biddleman, Groom, Schoening and Gammelgard went for help. Madsen and Fox stayed with the group and called for help. Boukreev discovered the climbers and was able to get Pittman, Fox and Madsen out. He was also criticized by other climbers because he preferred his clients Pittman, Fox and Madsen, while it was claimed that Namba was already in a dying state. Withers Bukreev did not notice at all. In total, Bukreev made two walks to bring these three climbers to a safe place. As a result, neither he nor the other participants who were in "camp 4" had the strength left to go after Namba. On May 11, at approximately 4:43 am, Hall got in touch on the radio and said that he was on the South Slope. He also said that Harris got to the clients, but that Hansen, with whom Hall had stayed the previous day, had died. Hall reported that Harris was later missing. Hall himself claimed that he could not use his oxygen tank because the regulator was completely iced over. By 9:00 am, Hall was able to cope with the oxygen mask, but by this time his stiff legs and arms made it almost impossible for him to control the equipment. He later contacted Base Camp and asked to be contacted by his wife, Jan Arnold, via satellite phone. Shortly after this call, Hall died, 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 a member of Rob Hall's expedition and who did not complete the climb, 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 traces of frostbite, they could not continue on their way. Having made the difficult decision that it would not be possible to save them either in "camp 4", or having evacuated from the slope in time, he left them in place, leaving the matter to take its course. Krakauer, in his book Into Thin Air, wrote that later all the participants in the ascent agreed that this was the only possible solution. However, later that day, Withers came to his senses and made it to the camp alone, which surprised everyone in the camp, as he suffered from hypothermia and severe frostbite. Withers was given oxygen, they tried to warm him up, arranging him to spend the night in a tent. Despite all this, Withers had to face the elements again when a gust of wind blew away his tent at night, and he had to spend the night in the cold. And again he was mistaken for dead, but Krakauer found that Withers was conscious. On May 12, he was prepared for urgent evacuation from Camp 4. Over the next two days, Withers was descended to "Camp 2", part of the way, however, he made 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 fingers of his left hand were amputated. In total, he underwent more than 15 operations, his thumb was reconstructed from the back muscles, and plastic surgeons restored his nose. Scott Fisher and Makalu Go were discovered on May 11 by Sherpas. Fisher's condition was so severe that they had no choice but to make him comfortable, and throw the main forces to save Go. Anatoly Boukreev made another attempt to save Fischer, but only discovered his frozen body at about 19:00.Indo-Tibetan Border Guard
Less well-known, but no less tragic, were 3 more accidents that happened on the same day with climbers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Guard who climbed the North Slope. The expedition was led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohinder Singh ( Commandant Mohinder Singh), who is considered the first Indian climber to conquer Mount Everest from the North Slope. May 10 Sergeant Tsewang Samanla ( Subedar Tsewang Samanla), Corporal Dorje Morup ( Lance Naik Dorje Morup) and Senior Constable Tsewang Palchjor ( Head Constable Tsewang Paljor) climbed the North Face of Everest. It was an ordinary expedition, so the Sherpas were not involved as climbing guides. This team was the first of the season to climb from the North 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. Participants got into the snowstorm, being above the "camp 4". Three of them decided to turn back, and Samanla, Morup and Palchzhor decided to continue climbing. Samanla was an experienced climber, having summited Everest in 1984 and Kangchenjunga in 1991. At about 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 late enough to conquer the summit. According to Krakauer, the climbers were at an altitude of approximately 8.700 m, i.e. about 150 m from the highest point. Due to poor visibility and low cloud cover surrounding the summit, the climbers probably thought they had reached the summit itself. This also explains why they did not meet with the team that was climbing from the South Slope. At the top, climbers set up prayer flags. The leader of the group, Samanla, was known for his religiosity. Therefore, at the top, he decided to linger and perform several religious rites, while he sent two of his colleagues to descend. He didn't get in touch anymore. The expedition members who were in the camp saw the light from two headlamps (presumably, they were Marup and Palchzhor) slowly sliding down 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 death of Indian climbers. In particular, the actions (or inaction) 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 Group Fukuoka) set off from "Camp 6" (altitude approximately 8300m). Three Sherpas left early. 08:45 - Radio message to the base camp about approaching the mountain range. Not far from the summit, they meet two climbers descending in a bundle. At the top they see another climber. They could not identify them because their heads were covered with hoods and their faces with oxygen masks. The Fukuoka group had no data on the missing Indians, they decided that the climbers they met were from the Taiwan expedition. 11:39 - Radio message to the Base Camp about the passage of the second stage (height 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 - Khanada, Shigekawa and three Sherpas ascend to the summit. 15:30 - Beginning of the descent. After passing through the triangle, they notice some obscure objects above the Second Stage. At the foot of the First Step, they spot a man on a fixed rope. Shigekawa stops and contacts Base Camp. As he began his descent, he passed another man who was also descending the railing. They exchanged greetings, although he also failed 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 Phu Quoc 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 had begun to get dark, which prevented their actions. 12 May All the groups that were in Camp 6 were forced to wait for the end of the snow storm and the wind. may 13 05:45 - The second group of Fukuoka began their ascent from Camp 6. They promise their Indian colleagues that if they find the missing climbers, they will help them down. 09:00 - The group discovered one body before the First Stage and another after overcoming the stage, but nothing could be done for them without risking their own lives. 11:26 - The group conquered the summit. 22:45 – The group returned to the Base Camp. May 14 Several members of the Indian group descended to the 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 their ascent. After they climbed the "Second step", they collided with two other climbers (presumably Samanla and Morup). Krakauer claims that “Not a word was said, not a single drop of water, food or oxygen was given. The Japanese continued to climb ... ". 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 their ascent to the summit, despite the bad 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 other was on the verge of life and death. They lost sight of the tracks of the third descending climber. However, the Japanese climbers denied ever seeing dying climbers on the ascent. Captain Kolya, representative of the Indian Mountaineering Federation ( Indian Mountaineering Federation), who at first blamed the Japanese, later retracted his claim that the Japanese claimed to have met Indian climbers on 10 May. “The Indian-Tibetan Border Guard (ITPS) confirms the statement of the members of the Fukuoka expedition that they did not leave the Indian climbers without the help and did not refuse to help in the search for the missing.” The managing director of ITPS stated that "the misunderstanding was 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 fulfill any dream of the client. They take care of everything: transportation of participants to the base camp, organization of the path and intermediate camps, escort of the client and his safety net all the way up and down. At the same time, the conquest of the summit was not guaranteed. In the pursuit of profit, some guides take clients who are not able to climb to the top at all. In particular, Henry Todd of the Himalayan Guides stated that, “... without blinking an eye, these leaders appropriate a lot of money for themselves, knowing full well that their wards have no chance”. Neil Biddleman, the guide of the "Mountain Madness" group, even before the start of the ascent, confessed to Anatoly Bukreev 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 an American: “It's business as usual for him. In the past two years, he has not lifted a single person on Everest!. However, Scott's decision to take Cruz with him was much more gentle. “The thing is, you never know who will do well and who won't. The best climbers can fail, and the weakest and poorly trained climb to the top. In my expeditions, this happened more than once or twice. There was a member that I thought if anyone couldn't get up, it would be him. This participant just ran to the top. And with the other, it seemed to me that this was the right thing, I was ready to put him on the list of those who had conquered the summit even before the start. But he couldn't. It was on an expedition with the participation of Bukreev in 1995. The strongest of the clients could not rise, and the weakest was on top before Tolya ". “But,” added Todd, inviting obviously weak clients, we risk ruining them and everyone else. We are simply obliged to take up 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 tanks left: 9 four-liter and 53 three-liter. Another shortcoming can be considered outdated, ten-channel walkie-talkies, which were purchased for the expedition by Scott Fisher. American climber and writer Galen Rovell, in an article for the Wall Street Journal, called the operation carried out by Boukreev to rescue three climbers "unique". On December 6, 1997, the American Alpine Club awarded Anatoly Boukreev the David Souls Prize, given to climbers who saved people in the mountains at the risk of their own lives.|
|
Three versions of one terrible tragedy, told by its participants and researchers
Everest 1996
Three versions of one terrible tragedy,
told by its participants
and researchers
In the cinemas of the world, the film "Everest" is in full swing, dedicated to the terrible events of 1996 that unfolded on the "roof of the world" due to massive commercial expeditions, inconsistency in the actions of guides and unpredictable weather. The dry summary of the tragedy is as follows - on May 10-11, 1996, after a series of ascents, 8 climbers forever remained on the mountain: a storm that suddenly caught them on a late descent disoriented the travelers, forcing them to wander in complete darkness and blizzard in the death zone without oxygen. Thanks to several night outs of one of the guides, three climbers were saved; another, presumed dead, later came to the camp on his own, half-dead and frostbitten. About the tragedy on Everest in 1996, at least 4 books were written, dozens of articles and several films were shot, 2 of them were feature films. But for almost 20 years, no one has managed to put an end to the discussion - except, perhaps, the new film by Balthazar Kormakur mentioned above. Today we will turn again to this terrible drama and present three main points of view on the events of May 1996.
The main controversy unfolded between Jon Krakauer (now living), a member of the Adventure Consultants expedition, who went to Everest as a guest journalist from Outside, and the Mountain Madness expedition guide, Anatoly Bukreev, one of the most prominent climbers of the Soviet school, who conquered 11 eight-thousanders of 14 and those killed on Annapurna in 1997. Today we will try to understand this avalanche of mutual accusations and understand why, despite the total popularity of the views of the Outside journalist, it was Bukreev who was given the award for courage in the United States, and in the film Everest the role of the Russian is one of the leading ones. So, meet: theses from the books "In rarefied air" (Jon Krakauer, USA, 1997) and "Climbing: tragic ambitions on Everest" (Anatoly Boukreev, Weston de Walt, USA, 1997), as well as
- Statistics on the dead on May 10, 1996:
- "Adventure Consultants": 4 dead (2 guides, 2 clients)
- "Mountain Madness": 1 dead (guide)
- Indian expedition: 3 dead (military)
reconciling disputant version from the movie "Everest" (Balthazar Kormakur, USA, 2015). And although the outcome of the tragedy and the lists of the dead are described in detail on Wikipedia and various portals, we still warn you: be careful, spoilers!
Version number 1: the accusation
Jon Krakauer is one of the most notable US outdoor journalists of the last 20 years. It was he who wrote the book-investigation about Alex Supertramp - a traveler who traveled alone across America to Alaska and met his death there. Based on this book, the cult film "Into the wild" was shot, which fans of free travel consider the most important movie of the 2000s. But long before that, an important literary achievement of Krakauer was an attempt to understand the tragedy on Everest in 1996, in which he was a direct participant. He belonged to Rob Hall's unfortunate Adventure Consultants expedition, which buried most of its members on that ill-fated day. It was he who first spoke publicly and announced his version of what happened - first with an article in Outside magazine, then with the documentary novel Into Thin Air.
Krakauer focuses on the mistakes of guides: unhealthy competition, lack of proper organization, inattention to client illnesses and lack of a plan in case of a disaster.
Krakauer focuses on the mistakes of guides: their desire to compete with each other in the quality of the service provided in order to attract new participants for the next year, the lack of a proper level of organization, inattention to the needs and illnesses of clients, and, finally, the lack of a plan in case of a disaster. In the bottom line, all his claims are true: Rob Hall, the head of the "Consultants", at that time really was a monopolist of commercial ascents on Everest, but the experienced and adventurous Scott Fisher ("Mountain Madness"), who was preparing for the expedition, suddenly began to step on his heels almost at the last moment and recruited as guides strongest climber Soviet school - Anatoly Bukreev. Hall got Outside's best-selling correspondent Jon Krakauer on his team, giving him a good discount and literally snatching him out of Fischer's grasp. Fisher, in turn, took Manhattan star, socialite Sandy Pittman, to the mountain, promising NBC to go live from the mountain. Naturally, behind all this debate and attempts to please elite clients, real organizational issues have been left far aside.
Frame from the movie "Everest". Photo: independent.co.uk
Hall, Fisher and other guides who were on the mountain, in the general pursuit of fame, did not keep track of a huge number of things: safety ropes (handrails) were not hung along the entire route, which greatly slowed down the ascent; many clients were frankly unprepared for the ascent (poorly prepared physically or insufficiently acclimatized), and the control time for returning from the mountain was never exactly named, which is why many climbers stood unforgivably long at the top, losing precious minutes. Finally, Fisher's team didn't even have proper walkie-talkies, which prevented the team from coordinating when disaster struck. But for some reason Anatoly Bukreev got the most from Krakauer - the only one who was able to orient himself and go out at night to help his clients. It was Bukreev, during the night out in a terrible snowstorm, who discovered a group of 5 people lost 400 meters from the camp and saved those three who could still walk. Nevertheless, Krakauer writes in his book that the Russian climber was taciturn and did not help clients, followed his own climbing and acclimatization schedule, which he alone understood, did not use oxygen on the ascent, and in a difficult situation left all those who died higher on the mountain . Oddly enough, the fact that Krakauer blames Boukreeva saved the lives of three people: the cylinders he saved were useful to those who were dying of frostbite in the disaster zone, and an early return to the camp from the mountain allowed the climber to make two night searches in absolute solitude. lost. Perhaps it was the closed, non-contact nature of Bukreev and his poor English that prevented Krakauer from understanding the situation, but he did not refuse the written words even after the death of Anatoly in 1997 on Annapurna, although he agreed to review other points in his book.
Scott Fisher (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) in Everest. Photo: wordandfilm.com
For some reason, Anatoly Bukreev got the most from Krakauer - the only one who was able to navigate and go out at night to help his clients
The fact that the world has completely trusted Krakauer and his point of view seems very strange, if not suspicious. A journalist who at the last moment switched from one team to another because of the price; an unprofessional (albeit strong) climber who not only managed to get to the tents on his own, but also to go to the aid of a group of 5 people in distress, who made a number of serious factual errors (he confused Martin Adams' client with the guide of the "Consultants" Andy Harris, who died higher up on the mountain, thereby giving vain hope to his relatives) - how could Krakauer give an objective assessment of what happened on the mountain, just a few weeks after what happened? As in the case of the later book “Into the Wild”, all the relatives of the victims, without exception, were offended by Krakauer: Rob Hall’s wife for the publicized last conversation with her husband via satellite phone, Fisher’s friends for accusations of unprofessionalism, the husband of the deceased Japanese climber Yasuko Namba - for the fact that, like the others, he considered the still breathing woman unworthy of salvation. Be that as it may, many of his arguments are valid, and the book "In rarefied air" was and remains an absolute bestseller among all literature about the tragedy on Everest in 1996.
Rob Hall speaks to his wife on a satellite phone. Frame from the movie "Everest", kinopoisk.ru
Version number 2: feat
Dumbfounded by Krakauer's accusations, Bukreev responded to the journalist with the book "Ascent", the main work on which was done by the interviewer Weston de Walt. Oddly enough, in many ways his explanations do not contradict Krakauer's theses, but confirm them: Boukreev tells in detail about the devastation that reigned during the preparation of the Fischer expedition and how desperately they tried to hide from the clients the fact that oxygen was barely enough to rise and the descent of all participants, and the money remaining with Fisher will not be enough for rescue operations in case of emergencies. Bukreev was also surprised by the fact that the most experienced climber Fisher did not follow the acclimatization schedule, ran up and down the mountain to meet the needs of clients, not sparing himself, and signed his own death warrant. In addition, Boukreev was much more sober in assessing the abilities of his team members: several times he asked Fisher to “deploy” several participants, but he was adamant and wanted to bring as many clients to the top as possible. These actions put the lives of other climbers at risk: for example, the senior Sherpa Lobsang Jambu, instead of hanging ropes on a dangerous section of the route, actually dragged the overworked Sandy Pittman upstairs.
The partial apologies that Krakauer included in the 1999 reprint of his book were no longer seen by Boukreev: in December 1997, he died on Annapurna
Bukreev also made two important mistakes: during the night exits, he decided that it was no longer possible to save Yasuko Nambu and Beck Withers, who were frostbitten and did not show signs of life, and returned to the camp with climbers who could walk. The next day, the expedition members again returned to the frozen comrades and considered their condition hopeless, although they were still breathing. Beck Withers returned to the camp against all laws of life and physics. Yasuko Namba died alone among the ice and stones. Subsequently, during an Indonesian expedition in April 1997, Boukreev found her body and built an arch of stones over it to prevent high mountain birds from eating. He repeatedly apologized to Namba's widower for failing to save her. Bukreev failed to help his boss: in the book, he says that, unlike the Sherpas, he perfectly understood that Fischer had no chance of surviving after a night in a snowstorm at a great height. However, on May 11, around 7:00 pm, he went upstairs to certify the death of a comrade.
Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson as Boukreev. Frame from the movie "Everest". Photo: lenta.ru
Weston de Walt devotes several chapters of the book to what preceded the ascent: Anatoly’s high-altitude work (he laid the route with the Sherpas when he realized that he was short of hands), his acclimatization process, working with clients and talking with Fisher. If he and Hall had followed the advice of Boukreev, the victims could have been avoided altogether, but history does not know the subjunctive mood, just as mountains do not know the feeling of compassion. The partial apology that Krakauer included in the 1999 reprint of his book was no longer seen by Bukreev: in December 1997, an avalanche overtook him and high-altitude cameraman Dmitry Sobolev on Annapurna. The bodies were never found. Boukreev was 39 years old.
Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson as Boukreev. Photo: letmedownload.in
Version number 3: elements
Balthazar Kormakur, who made the difficult decision to make a blockbuster based on the tragedy, which will turn 20 next year, decided not to put an end to the endless debate of the parties, but to go the other way. The creator of the film "Everest" was much more interested in the elements and the challenge that each of the travelers was thrown by the death zone in exchange for conquering the roof of the world. Neither profession, nor family, nor venerable age can stop someone who once caught mountain fever - the film focuses on how each climber hides his illness and weakness in order to reach the top at any cost. To create a reliable story, the film team did not turn to the texts of "professionals" at all - the works of Krakauer and Boukreev were left aside. The greatest attention was paid to the book of Beck Withers - the same client who himself crawled to the camp on frostbitten hands and feet. It is not without reason that it is called “Abandoned to Die”: Withers felt for himself that not only a mountain, but also people in extreme conditions can be cruel. Left for dead three times (the first time by Rob Hall on the rise when he was struck by snow blindness, the second time on the South Col, and the third time at night in a camp tent during a new storm), he nevertheless managed to save more than his life , but also a sympathetic attitude towards other participants in the tragedy.
The creators of Everest did not take sides: they sought to show the personal drama of everyone who was destined to be on the mountain that day, and the struggle for life in spite of all obstacles
Another source of information for the film crew was the transcript of conversations between the leader of the Adventure Consultants and his wife, Jan Arnold. In these dialogues, Rob Hall reports on the situation, freezing on Hillary's steps alone, and tells the details of what happened at the very top in the midst of a storm, and says goodbye to his pregnant wife. The scene of the personal drama in the film is reproduced as detailed as possible: Hall died saving one of his clients, Doug Hansen, whom he once did not have time to lift up the mountain and took with him a second time with an eye to victory. The manifested humanity cost him his life: having started the descent too late and wasting oxygen, both remained forever on the mountain.
Frame from the movie "Everest", kinopoisk.ru
Also, Kormakur, unlike many researchers of the situation, guessed to talk not only with the expedition members, whose memories are clouded by oxygen starvation, cold and horror from the death of their comrades, but also with those who watched the disaster from the sidelines and participated in rescue operations. David Breashears, a member of the IMAX expedition that filmed the documentary about Everest that spring, donated his oxygen to the victims and helped them descend, and also told the creators of the new film many interesting details. The creators of Everest did not take sides: they sought to show the personal drama of everyone who was destined to be on the mountain that day, and the struggle for life in spite of all obstacles.
However, we still know something about which of the climbers the creators of the new film sympathized with: in Everest, Krakauer only had a couple of remarks - a strange question “why are you all here” in the base camp, addressed to the expedition members, and the phrase “I won’t go with you,” thrown to Bukreev before the start of his rescue operation. But the team approached the selection of an actor for the role of the Russian climber as seriously as possible (he is played by the Icelandic movie star Ingvar Sigurdsson, who has already played Russians), and Boukreev himself is shown in detail in the climbers' rescue scene.
If you believe the Sherpas - the indigenous inhabitants of these places - every act has its consequences and every sown seed of karma will come up sooner or later. Since that tragedy, much more terrible events have occurred on Everest. And now, 20 years later, in the lenses of the cameramen of Kormakur, the tragedy on Everest in 1996 is gradually losing its heroic flair and becoming what it really was - a fatal combination of circumstances, mistakes and omissions of many people. All this would not have led to anything serious if it were not for a terrible unforeseen storm that collected bloody tribute on the mountain. Despite the horror of the situation, the drama at its peak taught those who advocated commercial ascents a lot, forcing them to be more careful and prudent, and reminding clients of the value of great ambitions. And if, despite everything, the eight-thousanders still beckon you, we advise you to dive as seriously as possible into the Everest 1996 case and decide for yourself whether you are ready to pay a similar price for your name to be inscribed in history.
We went to the movie "Everest", an ambivalent feeling. On the one hand, it's just great that another film about mountains and Everest came out, with high-quality footage. On the other hand, there is a share of negativity due to the fact that the expedition "Mountain Madness" is shown somehow not very correctly and one-sidedly, and specifically: Scott Fisher and Anatoly Bukreev.
Anyone who has not read the books and just wants to romanticize a little about high-altitude ascents should like the film.
For an unbiased perception of the film, I advise you to read both books and “The Ascent” by Boukreev and “In rarefied air” by Krakauer before watching, then you will be able to more adequately and fully perceive the events shown in the film, form your own point of view.
I like it:
1. Shooting in the mountains is great. There are simply fantastically beautiful shots, to goosebumps. The greatness of the Himalayas will never cease to amaze.
2. Technically, the ascent is shown somehow simply, but with taste. I do not pretend to be objective, there are many people who have climbed the Mountain more than once, and my maximum limit on the track is 5000 meters.
3. Line about the Beck family. I have repeatedly felt that when someone thinks about you, prays, really wants everything to work out, it gives strength and sometimes leads to miraculous salvation. I always remember how in Namibia on the Skeleton Coast, we got stuck in a jeep in the sand out of sight from the road. Considering that the places are deserted, and only 20 cars drove through the park in just a day, two of them agreed to help us. I am sure that only mother's support mentally, invisibly and powerfully pulled us out of trouble then.
4. The fact about the salvation of people by Anatoly Bukreev is present in the film, although there is no emphasis on it. Of course, it is much easier to spin the line with Rob Hall and his pregnant wife or Beck, who was not physically ready for the ascent.
Did not like:
1. Expedition "Mountain Madness" and, specifically, Scott Fisher was presented in a shabby, unfavorable light. The manager himself, some kind of nutcase who behaves eccentrically and treats his work irresponsibly. The guide and leader drink right before the ascent. At least out of respect for the climber, it was possible to simply technically identify the shortcomings of the expedition, where does such rapture and desire to denigrate come from? To be objective, it should be noted that Scott Fisher was a competent and professional climber, the first American to climb Lhotse, he repeatedly participated in rescue operations in the mountains, and this was not his first commercial expedition. Why is he so subjectively presented in the film? Why did they make him a frivolous boss who only pursues fame?
In addition, analyzing the outcomes of the expeditions, it becomes clear that Scott could have even more secure clients, but, in principle, there are practically no victims in their team.
Extract from Wikipedia:
“The outcome of the expeditions was as follows:
On the expedition of Scott Fisher, only Fisher, who fell ill, died, freezing during the descent (his body was found a day later by Boukreev), and all six clients (also Dane Lin Gammelgard and Klev Schening, who were brought out by Beidlman), two instructors - Beidlman and Boukreev - and four Sherpas climbed to the top and returned alive.
On the expedition of Rob Hall, Hall himself and his old client Doug Hansen, who froze during the descent from the peak, died, instructor Andy Harris, who returned to help them from the South Summit, where he had already accompanied Krakauer, and client Yasuko Namba (47 years old), who fell behind groups in pitch darkness and snowstorms near camp IV (Bukreev found her a year later and apologized to the Japanese that he could not save her). The instructor Mike Groom, two Sherpas, who visited the peak, and the climbing journalist Jon Krakauer, who wrote a book about this tragedy, remained alive. Also alive was a client, Beck Weathers (50), who was twice left on a mountainside, believing he was cold, but he survived, remained disabled and then wrote the book Left for Dead (eng. Left for Dead, 2000).
It is clear that the point is the hired guide Anatoly Bukreev, who did the impossible: after storming the summit, without the help and support of the Sherpas, he was able to pull three of his clients from the mountain.
I liked the phrase from Wiki:
As the well-known American climber Galen Rovall said later (in May 1997) in an author's column on the pages of The Wall Street Journal: once went upstairs. At night, at an eight-kilometer height, he walked through a raging snowstorm and saved three climbers who were already on the verge of death ... "
2. Boukreev in the film is just a set of Hollywood clichés of a Russian person. He is strong, taciturn, drinks a lot and speaks poor English, plays the accordion ... A look distorted by stamps, so the viewer will believe more.
3. Too many melodramatic conversations with Base Camp. The filmmakers didn't do it very well.
In general, the film is on the subject of "5" points, on the implementation of "3" because of the one-sidedness and denigration of the deceased Scott Fisher, it somehow turned out dishonorably.
I discovered an interesting thing for myself that there are still some books by expedition participants in English about those events, I wrote it out in my search list:
Beck Withers "Left for Dead"
- Lin Gammelgaard "Climbing High"
- book by writer Robert Birker "Mountain Madness", dedicated to Scott Fisher.
People should not die in the mountains, but still, death on Everest is not the worst fate....
