Robert Edwin Hall was born in 1961 in the city of Christchurch, in the south of New Zealand. He was the youngest of nine children in the family, and the Halls lived near the mountains, so he began mountaineering from childhood. It is also known that when Rob was only 14 years old, he offered the Alp Sports company the design of clothing for climbers, and soon Rob left school and began working as a designer. A couple of years later he was already a manager, and even later he moved to New Zealand's largest sports equipment company, Macpac Wilderness Ltd. However, hired work occupied almost all of young Rob’s time, and in the meantime he was simply eager to go to the mountains, and therefore at the age of 21 he switched to his own business, opening a small company “Outside”. This allowed Hall to devote more time to his beloved mountains.
By this time, Rob had already climbed several notable peaks, such as Ama Dablam and Numbur in the Himalayas, but he dreamed of more, and by the late 1980s he made several attempts to conquer eight-thousanders .
His partner and close friend was Gary Ball, and together they conquered Mount Everest in 1990. This was a huge victory, it gave both of them confidence in their abilities, and the friends decided to set a kind of record, conquering seven other eight-thousanders in the world in seven months.
They were successful, and in the early 1990s, Rob and Gary opened their own company, calling it Adventure Consultants. They were involved in organizing commercial groups and hiking to the peaks, and soon the mountain guides Hall and Ball were already well known - in 1991, they simply masterfully escorted their first group to the top of Everest.
Success was inspiring, the business was gaining momentum, and new, yet unconquered heights awaited Rob and Gary. But fate decreed otherwise - in 1993, Gary died as a result of pulmonary edema during the ascent. Broken by the death of his friend and companion, Rob still managed to pull himself together and continue working.
In 1996, Hall was planning another expedition to Everest - his group included guides New Zealander Andy Harris and Australian Mike Groom and six of Rob's clients. On May 10, all nine people (three guides and six clients) climbed Everest, and as they began to descend, a strong storm arose. In general, 1996 was the most tragic year in the history of Everest - it was then that the largest number of people in history died on its slopes. So, Rob’s group was also unlucky - first they lost a Japanese climber, then two Americans became weak from frostbite. The group fell apart, and Rob was left with the dying Doug Hansen on the South Summit, but he soon died too. The Nepalese at his base camp tried valiantly to organize help, but bad weather prevented them from reaching the summit.
Late in the afternoon on May 11, Rob radioed base camp and asked to speak to home, his pregnant wife Jan Arnold. This was his last communication session, and after that no one saw Rob Hall alive. As it became known later, in the conversation he convinced Jen not to worry and go to bed calmly.
His body was found on May 23 by climbers from the IMAX expedition. Rob's daughter was born two months after the tragedy, she was named Sarah.
Best of the day
Later, many wondered why Rob Hall, an experienced climber and guide, did not cancel the ascent, because he was definitely aware of the impending snow storm. So, the only thing that could explain this was excessive self-confidence and a desire to take risks. At the same time, many professionals understood that since he was carrying out commercial climbing, he should not have exposed the lives of his clients, who had also paid huge sums of money for the climb, to such a terrible risk. However, it was no longer possible to correct anything.
It is known that much later, already in 2010, Hall’s body was thrown down. When the Nepalese, who were organizing an expedition to lower the bodies of dead climbers, turned to Rob’s widow, Jen, after thanking her, refused, citing the fact that she no longer wanted people to put themselves at risk.
Many people not associated with mountaineering cannot understand what can be so good in the mountains that they need to risk their lives for it. After all, the mountains constantly collect their terrible tribute. But climbers believe that “ better than the mountains there can only be mountains that no one has been to” and take mortal risks to set new records and test their body’s strength. So, a post about those who died in the mountains, but went down in history.
George Mallory was a mountaineer who was part of three British expeditions to Everest in 1921, 1922, 1924. It is believed that it was he who first attempted to climb to the top of the mountain.
On June 8, 1924, he and his partner, Andrew Irwin, went missing. Last time they were seen through a gap in the clouds rising towards the summit of Everest, and then they disappeared. The height they reached was 8570 meters.
Only 75 years after the ascent, the body of George Mallory was discovered. On May 1, 1999, an American search expedition found it at an altitude of 8155 meters. It was located 300 meters below the north-eastern ridge, approximately opposite the place where Irwin’s ice ax was found in 1933 by the British expedition led by Wyn-Harris, and was tangled with a broken safety rope, which indicated a possible failure of the climbers.
Also found next to him were an altimeter, sunglasses tucked into his jacket pocket, a mask from an oxygen machine, letters, and most importantly, a photograph of his wife and a British flag, which he wanted to leave on the top of the mountain. Andrew Irvine's body has still not been found.
Maurice Wilson is an Englishman famous for his flight from England to India, and for his belief that fasting and prayer would help him reach the top of Everest.
Wilson described his ascent to the mountain in his diary. He knew nothing about the intricacies of mountaineering; he had no climbing experience. Wilson decided to go his own way, and not the ready-made route of the British expedition. He himself said that he would rather die than return to Great Britain. On May 29, he set out to climb alone. In 1935, his body was discovered at an altitude of about 7400 m. The remains of a tent and a backpack with a travel diary were also found.
There is a version that Morris Wilson nevertheless visited the summit, and died on the descent, since the Tibetan climber Gombu allegedly saw an old tent at an altitude of 8500 m, which no one except Wilson could install there at that time. But this version not confirmed.
On the northern slope of Everest there is a corpse marking the 8500 meter mark. They call it "Green Shoes". It is not known exactly who it belongs to, but there are assumptions that it is Tsewang Paljor or Dorje Morup, both members of the Indian expedition who died during the tragic events of 1996 on Chomolungma. During the ascent, a group of six people got caught in a snowstorm, after which three of them decided to return, and the rest - to continue moving towards the top. They later radioed to announce that they had reached the summit, but then disappeared.
English mathematics teacher and mountaineer, David Sharp, who tried to conquer Everest alone, died from hypothermia and oxygen starvation.
He was sitting in a cave right next to the “Green Shoes” and was dying when climbers passed by, not paying any attention to him, focused on their goal. Only a few of them, including the Discovery Channel crew who filmed him and even tried to interview him, stayed with him briefly, giving him oxygen.
American mountaineer and guide, the first American to conquer Lhotse Peak, the fourth highest peak in the world. Fischer died in the May 1996 Everest tragedy, which claimed the lives of seven other people.
Having reached the top, Fischer encountered numerous problems already on the descent. Lopsang Sherpa walked with him. At an altitude of approximately 8350 m, Fischer realized that he did not have the strength to descend and he sent Lopsang to descend alone. Lopsang hoped to return for Fischer with an additional oxygen tank and rescue him. But the weather conditions did not allow it. On May 11, 1996, Fischer's body was discovered.
In 2010, a special expedition was organized on Everest, the purpose of which was to remove debris from the slopes and lower the bodies of dead climbers. Organizers hoped to lower Scott Fischer's body as well. His widow, Ginny Price, hoped that Scott's body could be lowered and cremated at the foot of Everest.
Soviet-Russian climber, master of sports of the USSR, two-time winner of the highest international mountaineering award “Golden Ice Axe”. He climbed 11 of the 14 peaks of the planet, more than eight thousand meters high.
Died on May 15, 2013 due to a broken rope that rubbed against the rocks, falling from a height of 300 meters. Alexey Bolotov claimed to be the first Russian climber- winner of the “Crown of the Himalayas”.
Wanda is considered one of the most outstanding female climbers in history. On October 16, 1978, she became the third woman, the first Polish and the first European to summit Everest, and on June 23, 1986, the first woman to conquer the world's second eight-thousander, K2.
She was the main contender for conquering all 14 eight-thousanders, but managed to climb 8 peaks.
Wanda Rutkevich disappeared in 1992 while attempting to climb the northwest face of the world's third peak, Kanchenjunga. Her body was discovered in 1995 by Italian climbers.
Soviet and Kazakh high-altitude climber, mountain guide, photographer, writer. Winner of the title “Snow Leopard” (1985), Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1989). He conquered eleven eight-thousanders on the planet, and made a total of 18 ascents on them.
Died while climbing the Annapurna peak (8078 m). Upon returning to the base camp for the rest of the climbers, Bukreev, Moreau and Sobolev were covered by a snow cornice, which caused a sudden avalanche. Moreau managed to survive and call for help, but by that time, Boukreev and Sobolev were already dead. Their bodies were never found.
Honored Master of Sports (2000), Master of Sports of International Class (1999), captain of the Ukrainian mountaineering team in the high-altitude class (2000-2004). During his career he made more than 50 ascents of 5-6 difficulty categories. In 2001, he was the first to summit Manaslu along the southeastern ridge.
Here is an excerpt from his interview: “... Mountaineering is part of me. It would become boring to live without moving upward, without setting difficult goals for yourself. Any achievement forces you to sacrifice something, to overcome something. Sometimes this can be excruciatingly difficult. But, in the end, this is what gives color to life. If there were no mountains and ascents, it would become gray and dull for me.”
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.
Each of the surviving participants in the events offered their own version of what happened. In particular, journalist Jon Krakauer described the tragedy (read in volume 3 of ACC “Madness on Everest”) in his book “Into Thin Air,” which became a national bestseller in the United States.
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);
Anatoly Bukreev (USSR); Neal Beidleman.
Clients: Martin Adams, Charlotte Fox (female), Lene Gammelgaard (female), Dale Cruz (Scott's friend!...), Tim Madsen, Sandy Hill Pittman (female), Pete Schoening, Cleve Schoening.
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);
Mike Groom and Andy Harris
Clients: Frank Fischbeck; Doug Hansen; Stuart Hutchinson; Lou Kazischke; Jon Krakauer; Yasuko Namba (Japanese); John Taske; Beck Withers.
Sherpas: Ang Dorje; Lhakpa Chhiri; Nawang Norbu; Kami.
Killed: Rob Hall, Andy Harris and two clients - Doug Hansen and Japanese Yasuko Namba.
Beck Withers suffered severe frostbite.
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 beginning of the passage of the Khumbu glacier, which ends at an altitude of 4,600 m, was scheduled.
On April 13, the climbers 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 their climbing efforts and jointly fix the 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 expedition leaders 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.
Upon reaching the Hillary Step, a vertical ledge on Everest's southeast ridge, climbers were again faced with the problem of loose equipment, 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 height 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 summit 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 reached the summit only at 15:45, being in bad 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 Bukreev 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 Kangshung Face on the Chinese side. 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 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, by satellite phone. Hall died shortly after this call; his body was discovered on May 23 by members of the IMAX expedition who were filming on Everest documentary about the tragedy.
At the same time, Stuart Hutchinson, who was part of Rob Hall's expedition and who had not completed 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 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 at the camp, as he was suffering 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 was amputated. right hand and all the fingers of the left hand. In total, he underwent more than 15 operations, his back muscles were reconstructed thumb, and plastic surgeons restored the 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, who is considered the first Indian climber to conquer Everest from the North Face.
On May 10, Sergeant Tsewang Samanla, Corporal Lance Naik Dorje Morup and Head Constable Tsewang Paljor were climbing 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 Southern 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.
May 12
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 states 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, a spokesman for the 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 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 Bidleman, 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 getting to the top; 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. Over the past two years, he has not lifted a single person to Everest!”
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.
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, awarded to climbers who saved people in the mountains at risk to their own lives.
Scott Fisher is a climber who, at the age of 20, showed himself to be a true professional in conquering mountain peaks. But most people know him from the tragedy on Everest in 1996, when 8 people from three expeditions, including Fischer himself, died within 24 hours.
The beginning of a passion for mountaineering
As children, we dream of the most heroic professions. An astronaut, a fireman, a rescuer, a pilot, a ship captain - they are associated with a certain risk and therefore look so romantic in the eyes of a child. Scott Fischer knew at age 14 that he would be a mountain climber. He took rock climbing courses for two years. Then he graduated from the school of guides and became one of the best professional mountaineering trainers. During these years, he was actively involved in conquering high mountain peaks.
In 1982, he and his wife Jean moved to Seattle. Fisher's children, Andy and Katie Rose, were born here.
Conquest of Lhotse
Scott Fisher, climber the highest level, became the first American high-altitude climber to conquer the fourth-highest peak of Lhotse.
The “Southern Peak” (this is how the name of the eight-thousander is translated) is located in the Himalayas, on the border of China and Nepal. It is divided into three peaks. Today, several routes have been laid to them, but the conquest of Lhotse remains incredibly difficult. Walk along South wall considered practically impossible. Only a team of Soviet climbers was able to do this in 1990. Seventeen people worked harmoniously so that only two of them could climb to the top.
"Mountain Madness"
Energetic and enterprising, Scott Fisher opened his own high-mountain tour company in 1984. At first, this work was of little interest to the climber - the main thing in his life was climbing. The company helped him do what he loved. For a long time, Mountain Madness remained a virtually unknown travel company. Everything changed in the 90s, when conquering Everest became the cherished dream of ordinary tourists. Experienced high-altitude climbers became guides, accompanying those who wanted to climb to the top for money. The process of commercialization of Everest begins. Companies appear that promise to organize a rise to the top for a tidy sum. They took upon themselves the delivery of expedition members to the base camp, preparation of participants for the ascent and accompaniment along the route. For the opportunity to become one of the conquerors of Everest, those wishing to shell out huge sums - from 50 to 65 thousand dollars. At the same time, the organizers of the expeditions did not guarantee success - the mountain might not be conquered.
Scott Fisher's Everest Expedition. Reasons for its organization
The success of commercial expeditions by other climbers, including Rob Hall, led Fischer to consider a route to the Himalayas. As company manager Karen Dickinson later said, this decision was dictated by time. Many clients wanted to go to the highest point in the world. Scott Fisher, for whom Everest was not the most difficult route, by that time was seriously thinking that it was time to change his life. An expedition to the Himalayas would allow him to make a name for himself and show what his company is capable of. If successful, he could count on new clients who would allow themselves to pay large sums for the opportunity to climb to the top of Everest.
Compared to other climbers whose names never left the pages of magazines, he was not so famous. Few people knew who Scott Fisher was. Everest gave him a chance to become famous if the Mountain Madness expedition was successful. Another reason that forced the climber to go on this tour was an attempt to improve his image. He had a reputation as a brave and reckless high-altitude climber. Most wealthy clients wouldn't like his risqué style. The expedition included Sandy Hill Pittman, a newspaper reporter. Her report on the ascent would be excellent advertising for Scott Fischer and his company.
Events of 1996 on Everest
Much has been said about the tragedy that occurred in the Himalayas. The chronology of events was compiled from the words of the surviving members of the three expeditions and witnesses. 1996 was one of the most tragic years for the conquerors of Everest - 15 of them never returned home. Eight people died in one day: Rob Hall and Scott Fisher, the expedition leaders, three members of their teams and three climbers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol.
Problems began at the beginning of the ascent. Sherpas (local guides) did not have time to adjust all the railings, which greatly slowed down the ascent. Numerous tourists also interfered, who that day also decided to storm the summit. As a result, the strict ascent schedule was disrupted. Those who knew how important it was to turn back in time returned to the camp and remained alive. The rest continued to climb.
Rob Hall and Scott Fisher were far behind the rest of the field. The latter was in poor physical condition even before the expedition began, but hid this fact from others. His tired appearance was noticed during the ascent, which was completely uncharacteristic for an energetic and active climber.
By four o'clock in the afternoon they reached the top, although according to the schedule they were supposed to begin their descent at two o'clock. By this time, the light veil that covered the mountains had turned into a snowstorm. Scott Fisher descended with Lopsang Sherpa. Apparently, at this time his condition deteriorated sharply. It is assumed that the climber began to suffer from swelling of the brain and lungs, and a severe stage of exhaustion began. He persuaded the Sherpa to go down to the camp and bring help.
Anatoly Boukreev, the Mountain Madness guide, saved three tourists that day, delivering them to the camp alone. He twice tried to climb to Fischer, having learned from the returning Sherpa about the climber’s condition, but zero visibility and strong winds prevented him from reaching the group leader.
In the morning the Sherpas reached Fischer, but his condition was already so bad that they made the difficult decision to leave him where he was, making him more comfortable. They lowered Makalu Go into the camp, whose condition made it possible to do this. A little later, Bukreev also reached Fischer, but the 40-year-old climber had by that time died of hyperemia.
The reasons for the tragedy that occurred with Fischer and other participants in the ascent
Mountains are one of the treacherous places on the planet. Eight thousand meters is a height at which the human body can no longer recover. TO terrible tragedy Any, even the most insignificant reason can be given. That day on Everest, the climbers were catastrophically unlucky. They were way behind their strict schedule due to large quantity tourists who were on the route at the same time. The time when it was necessary to turn back was lost. Those who reached the summit later than everyone else were caught in a severe snow storm on the way back and did not find the strength to go down to the camp.
Everest Open Graves
Scott Fisher, whose body was found frozen on May 11, 1996, was left at the scene of his death. It is almost impossible to bring down the dead from such a height. A year later, having returned to Nepal again, Anatoly Boukreev paid his last respects to his friend, whom he considered the best high-altitude climber in America. He covered Fischer's body with stones and stuck an ice ax over his makeshift grave.
Scott Fisher, whose body, along with the bodies of several dead Everest conquerors, was buried right at the site of his death, could have been lowered to the foot in 2010. Then it was decided, as far as possible, to clear the slopes of the mountain from the debris that had accumulated over many years and try to lower the bodies of the dead. Rob Hall's widow rejected this idea, and Fisher's wife Ginny hoped that her husband's body could be cremated at the foot of the mountain that killed him. But the Sherpas were able to find and lower the remains of two other climbers. Scott Fisher and Rob Hall still remain on Everest.
Reflection of the tragedy on Everest in literature and cinema
Participants in the incident, journalist Jon Krakauer, climber Anatoly Boukreev, Beck Withers and Lin Gammelgaard, wrote books in which they expressed their point of view.
Cinema could not stay away from such a promising topic as the 1996 tragedy on Everest. In 1997, John Krakaur's novel was filmed. It formed the basis of the film Death on Everest.
In 2015, the film “Everest” was released. The leader of the Mountain Madness expedition was played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Scott Fisher looked a little different in appearance (he was blond), but the actor fully managed to convey the energy and charm that the climber radiated. Rob Hall played. Keira Knightley, Robin Wright and Sam Worthington can also be seen in the film.
(Scott Fisher in the film "Everest") belongs to that category of actors whose skills grow before the eyes of the audience. Over the past two years, he has managed to please his fans great game in the films “Stringer” and “Lefty”. The Everest tragedy was no exception. The film received high marks from viewers and critics. Climbers also spoke positively about it, noting only a few minor errors in showing the behavior of people in conditions of oxygen starvation.
Is a dream worth a human life?
The desire to be on top high point the world is quite clear. But Scott Fisher and Rob Hall, professionals of the highest level, showed weakness and went along with the ambitions of their clients. And the mountains do not forgive mistakes.
