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Documentary, 1996 Everest Catastrophe Documentary Seconds from Disaster- Into the Death Zone
#Documentary #Everest #DeathZone #EverestDeathZone
#Documentary #Everest #DeathZone #EverestDeathZone
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00:00Hi on Everest in the death zone with little hope of rescue a climber contacts his wife
00:21we're looking forward to looking after you when you get home
00:24seven lives have already been lost in Mount Everest's deadliest storm
00:48disasters don't just happen they're triggered by a chain of critical events
00:54unravel the clues and count down those final seconds from disaster
00:59Nepal Mount Everest May the 9th 1996
01:1010 15 p.m. climbers from two commercial expeditions prepare to leave camp for the highest camp on the mountain
01:26the teams have spent four weeks ascending from Everest base camp
01:34from camp four they will launch their final assault on the 8,850 meter peak
01:44Neil Bibleman is a guide for the commercial climbing company mountain madness
01:52I stuck my head outside the tent and it was it was very cold but it was clear and the winds were calm
02:00just before midnight we put our crampons on and I helped our clients get ready
02:1014 client climbers are making a bid for the world's highest peak
02:22led by six professional guides
02:28all of your mental and physical strength is focused on your next step nothing else
02:43it doesn't matter that you're dehydrated doesn't matter that you're malnourished doesn't matter that
02:55you're starved for oxygen sheer will is taking you to the summit
03:015 30 a.m.
03:13Lena Gamalgaard is a mountain madness client I felt excited scared I doubt it
03:23myself I wanted to test myself against this grandiose fantasy of becoming an
03:29an everest mountaineer that was capable of surviving
03:35above 8,000 meters the climbers have now entered the death zone where the air is
03:42too thin to support human life
03:46I knew that if I make the slightest mistake here I am going to die if you
03:52twist your ankle if you get a little bit lost from the main route you are dying
03:58as you climb higher because there's not enough oxygen to sustain yourself
04:05mountain madness leader Scott Fisher is at the rear of his group to help slower climbers
04:17adventure consultants leader Rob Hall adopts the same role for his team
04:22bob had climbed Everest seven times before he was an expert and we were engaging him for his leadership
04:29for the lead climbers the ascent begins to get more technical
04:34Neil Bidelman one of Scott Fisher's guides has to fix ropes up to the south summit 100 meters below the main Everest peak
04:419 58 AM
04:48I fixed all the ropes that I had and I arrived at the top of the south summit
04:50it was then that I had a realization that the faster people might be able to make it to the top but probably not everybody
04:57the teams had planned to summit by 1 p.m. in order to descend before nightfall
05:04but climbers waiting to use the ropes have begun bunching up
05:11speed is safety in the mountains and the mountains
05:14and the mountains are not enough to be able to get to the top of the south summit
05:17I arrived at the top of the south summit
05:19it was then that I had a realization that the faster people might be able to make it to the top but probably not everybody
05:24but climbers waiting to use the ropes have begun bunching up
05:31speed is safety in the mountains
05:34I was waiting and realizing that this is this is going to slow us down
05:38this is going to slow us down this is absolutely not good
05:45most of the climbers have now made it to the top of the south summit
05:49ahead of them is the southeast ridge and Hillary step
05:54again the trail needs fixing with ropes
05:59but one of the Sherpas assigned this role hasn't reached the south summit
06:06guides Neil Bidelman and Anatoly Bukhryev need to make a decision
06:10I looked at Anatoly and said look if anybody is going to summit today we got to do this and we got to do it right now
06:17the two guides start fixing the ropes
06:32the leading client climbers traverse the southeast ridge
06:35below them Lucas is gay is still climbing the south summit
06:44he knows the team are behind schedule
06:49I had promised my wife Sandy one attempt only on Everest this was it to come back home
06:59looking up I see the people moving ahead the only voice within me at that point was they're going I'm going and I continued to move up
07:20all of a sudden I dropped down to my knees and I'm hanging on to the ice axe
07:38everything went silent stone silent
07:43I began to hear another voice
07:48I believe it was the voice of the heart
07:50I believe it was the voice of the heart
07:52and I even think it might have been Sandy's heart crying out to be heard
07:57I looked up at the top
08:09because I wanted to visualize
08:12me standing on top of Everest
08:15a moment that was never going to happen in a place that I was never going to stand
08:27apart
08:32Lucas is gay turns around and heads back to account for
08:38above
08:41Bidelman a boot for a F reach the notorious Hillary step
08:45the only remaining obstacle between them
08:48and the summit
08:51It's another section that needs roping.
08:55Bukhryev sets off first.
08:59He climbed to the top of the Hillary step
09:02using some of the old ropes that were there and a nice axe.
09:10Climbers wait to ascend.
09:13The Hillary step was a bottleneck.
09:16I was aware that we are so many people on the mountain.
09:21It is slowing us down.
09:321.07 p.m.
09:36Above the Hillary step, Bukhryev makes the short climb to the top of Everest.
09:41When I arrived on the top, we congratulated each other.
09:58Part of their role is to get summiting clients moving down the mountain quickly.
10:04But an hour later, Bukhryev is starting to suffer.
10:07Bukhryev came over to me and said that he was going to head down.
10:13And at first I was like, oh, I'd like to go down too.
10:19But there were still other clients that were not accounted for.
10:262.10 p.m.
10:27Whilst Mountain Madness leader Scott Fisher approaches the Hillary step,
10:35Adventure Consultant leader Rob Hall summits.
10:40He radios base camp.
10:42It's cold and windy up here.
10:44If you don't hear from me again, it means everything's fine.
10:482.30 p.m.
10:55All the Mountain Madness clients reach the summit.
11:00But there's no sign of their leader, Scott Fisher.
11:06Neil Beidelman is now in sole charge of the group.
11:09Nobody was going to just touch the top and turn around in a minute.
11:15I just couldn't get people up fast enough to head back down.
11:25The Mountain Madness team begin their descent.
11:32Of the Hillary step, the group come across their expedition leader, Scott Fisher.
11:37He's still ascending.
11:39I was a little miffed when I passed him, that he was so far behind.
11:47I really expected him to be with the team.
11:52The descending Mountain Madness group make their way down the upper sections of the mountain
11:57to reach the south summit.
12:06That's where I really, for the first time,
12:09the first time had this sense of dread.
12:14Beidelman notices a marked change in the weather conditions below.
12:18I knew that we would be walking into, at minimum, a good squall.
12:2816 hours into the climb, oxygen supplies are running low.
12:32Then, at the bottom of the south summit, one of the clients, Sandy Hill Pittman, collapses.
12:43She's given an emergency shot of a steroid, dexamethasone.
12:55And I go over there, and Sandy can barely talk.
13:00She's just kind of gurgling into her mask.
13:02I looked at her tank, and she had a little bit of oxygen left, but it was getting near the end.
13:13I have to give all my effort to get Sandy stood up and start to drag her off the mountain.
13:18Otherwise, she's dead.
13:20And there's no question about that.
13:30The summit.
13:323.40 p.m.
13:36Mountain Madness leader, Scott Fisher, finally makes it.
13:39His lead, Sherpa, is waiting for him.
13:45We made it.
13:46God, I'm sorry.
13:50Get down the mantis, Scott.
13:57At the Hillary step, adventure consultant leader Rob Hall is assisting an exhausted client, Doug Hansen, down.
14:03Mike Groom, one of the six guides, spots him.
14:13I look up to the Hillary step, and I remember doing this to Rob, and he responded.
14:18So I thought, OK, everything's OK.
14:20But 15 minutes later, Rob Hall, radios base camp.
14:37We've run out of oxygen.
14:40And we're stuck, and he's collapsed above the Hillary step.
14:43We need oxygen to be brought up from the south summit.
14:46800 meters above, Rob Hall is with Doug Hansen, descending the Hillary step.
15:01And Scott Fisher, with his head Sherpa, are struggling down to the south summit.
15:06Below them, Mike Groom and Neil Beidelman are approaching the south col, when the storm finally strikes.
15:267 p.m.
15:27The winds are blowing fiercely.
15:41There's thunder and lightning in the sky now.
15:44It just, you know, they were almost instantaneous.
15:47It just, like, knocked you down.
15:49We're now really getting hammered by the wind, and because of darkness and wind-driven snow and ice, we've lost all sense of direction, all visibility.
16:06Lena Gammelgaard is with them.
16:09Everybody had run out of oxygen at this point, and that's just like pulling the plug from the electricity.
16:14People are collapsing.
16:17None of us are capable of carrying those that have collapsed.
16:24Don't wander off!
16:26Keep following me!
16:31On both sides of the south col are two very steep precipices, and I just had this feeling, almost a premonition, that if we didn't just stop and regroup, that we were going to walk right off the edge.
16:4410 p.m.
16:48The 11 climbers form a huddle.
16:52You sort of huddle together to keep each other as warm and protected as possible, and beat each other to help keep each other awake.
17:03That was pure survival.
17:07Keep moving your arms and legs!
17:11I don't want to die!
17:13I had to fight against the weight of just wanting to go to sleep and not wake up again.
17:31Then, for a brief moment, the clouds clear.
17:35What I saw was the outline of two peaks.
17:45This was the chance that we were looking for.
17:47This was our opportunity.
17:51Seeing the peaks gives the climbers a bearing.
17:54They set off towards camp four, but some are so exhausted, they can hardly stand.
18:03If you can't walk, crawl!
18:05The guides decide to leave those that can't move behind.
18:12It did make sense, otherwise, we're all probably going to die.
18:18Stay together!
18:20Don't separate!
18:22I'll go and get help!
18:23I'll bring it back!
18:24Groom and Beidleman struggle on with the climbers who can walk.
18:30We were the only ones at this point that were able to move.
18:36Five are left behind.
18:38We walked directly into where the camp was.
18:56And the tent door opens, and someone pulls me inside.
19:09And I recall them breaking ice off around my face,
19:15and throwing a couple of sleeping bags at the top of me.
19:19And that's the last thing I remember.
19:20I was shaking so uncontrollably that it was clear that me going back out,
19:30I'd be another victim.
19:34Lena Gammelgaard tells Anatoly Bukriyev about the group they left behind.
19:39I explained to Anatoly, they're so close.
19:43You have to walk in that direction to find them.
19:50Bukriyev heads off, alone, into the storm.
20:08He guides a barely conscious team member back to camp four.
20:12There was nobody except Anatoly, who were capable of moving to help anybody up there.
20:283 a.m.
20:31Bukriyev leads two more climbers to the camp.
20:34But he doesn't have the strength to rescue the remaining two clients.
20:49And at that point, Anatoly collapsed.
20:53There was nothing more in him.
20:55Six climbers from the two teams, including leaders Rob Hall and Scott Fisher,
21:12are still out on the mountain.
21:17They've been out there for over 24 hours.
21:20May the 11th, 1996.
21:39365 meters above Camp 4,
21:42Sherpas try to rescue Scott Fisher.
21:47They found Scott barely breathing.
21:51Not responding to anything.
21:54And felt that there was no way that they could get him back down.
22:06Sherpas attempt to reach Rob Hall on the south summit.
22:10But they are forced to turn back,
22:12213 meters below his position,
22:15due to worsening weather.
22:16He's still alive, but frostbitten,
22:22and unable to descend.
22:25Base camp patched Rob Hall's radio
22:26through to his pregnant wife at home,
22:29in New Zealand.
22:32Hey, darling.
22:33I hope you're tucked up in a nice, warm bed.
22:38You sound much...
22:39You sound much better than I thought you would.
22:44How are your feet?
22:46I haven't taken my boots off to check,
22:49but I think I may have a bit of frostbite.
22:52We're looking forward to looking after you when you get home.
22:55Rob Hall is never heard from again.
23:16The storm that struck Mount Everest on May the 10th, 1996,
23:30claimed eight lives.
23:31Adventure Consultants' client Doug Hansen,
23:39and guide Andy Harris,
23:40died above the south summit.
23:46From the same team,
23:48Japanese climber Yasuko Namba,
23:50died at the site of the huddle.
23:56Despite spending the entire night of the storm
23:58exposed on the south call,
24:01Clyde Beck Weathers survived.
24:03But he suffered severe frostbite
24:05that would cost him his right hand,
24:08and Rob Hall's body was found
24:09below the south summit
24:11on May the 23rd.
24:17Scott Fisher,
24:19Mountain Madness team leader,
24:21finally died alone,
24:22just above the south call.
24:25Three on the north face,
24:27also died that night.
24:30It was the worst single disaster
24:32in Mount Everest's history.
24:36As news of the tragedy
24:38traveled around the world,
24:40people wanted to know
24:41how so many climbers could die
24:43in a single day.
24:47Now, by rewinding the events
24:49and examining the evidence,
24:51we reveal why disaster was inevitable,
24:53and how two leaders
24:55as experienced and able
24:57as Rob Hall and Scott Fisher
24:58could end up in such a death trap.
25:06Alan Hinks is one of the few elite mountaineers
25:09to have summited all 14 mountains in the world
25:12that are over 8,000 meters above sea level.
25:18Everest, the highest of them all,
25:21is 8,850 meters.
25:25Above 8,000 meters,
25:26it's like another world.
25:29It's a bit like you're suffering from flu,
25:31and you've got a hangover,
25:32and you're trying to push yourself on a marathon.
25:34Everything takes a massive amount of effort,
25:38just thinking, just moving.
25:43On May 9, 1996,
25:45Alan Hinks was part of a British expedition
25:47on the north side of Everest.
25:51They were forced to postpone their summit bid
25:53when the storm struck.
25:59Alan Hinks believes that the disaster
26:01on the other side of the mountain
26:02was caused by a series of fatal miscalculations.
26:06In 1996, there was critical decisions made on Everest.
26:10Some were right, some were wrong.
26:15All attempts on high summits have a cut-off time,
26:19a time to turn around
26:21and head back down the mountain.
26:25Everest's accepted cut-off time is 1 p.m.
26:28Head for Camp 4 any later than that,
26:31and the risks begin to multiply.
26:35Turnaround times are important
26:36because you're going to get more exhausted,
26:38and you're going to run out of bottled oxygen.
26:42Delaying the descent beyond 1 p.m.
26:44also means returning in the dark.
26:47You can't see properly,
26:49even with a head torch up.
26:50And it's just adding to the disorientation
26:52with the fatigue at extreme altitude.
26:54On Everest, late in the day,
27:00the weather is also likely to rapidly deteriorate.
27:04Once it gets dark, it gets much, much colder.
27:0740 below is quite possible.
27:10And if it's in a storm with the wind,
27:11you could easily get minus 60.
27:14And it's just stripping the life out of your body.
27:16So you must have a turnaround time and stick to it.
27:24Before the 1996 ascent,
27:26both groups discussed a turnaround time of 1 p.m.
27:29We need to be on the ridge at daybreak.
27:35We need to be on the south summit by 10 or earlier.
27:39And an absolute drop-dead time was 1 o'clock.
27:45In the day.
27:48But at 1 p.m. on May the 10th,
27:51not a single climber from either expedition
27:54had reached the summit of Mount Everest.
27:56It's not until 4 p.m.
28:02that the final two climbers reach the top.
28:06One of them is Rob Hall,
28:08the adventure consultant's leader
28:09who had initially set the 1 p.m. deadline.
28:16Alan Hinks wants to understand
28:18why these delays in getting to the summit happened.
28:22The biggest delay on the ascent
28:24had been because of bottlenecks
28:26are two sections of the climb,
28:28below the south summit and on the Hillary Step.
28:31These are the most technically demanding parts of the climb
28:34and require fixed ropes.
28:37Fixed ropes are necessary on Everest
28:39to make sure people can get up,
28:40but more importantly, get down safely.
28:43Clearly, someone has to go first
28:44and fix the ropes on the steep sections.
28:47As the clients arrived at the bottom of the south summit,
28:50no ropes had been fixed.
28:55The plan was for Lapsang,
28:58our head climbing Sherpa,
28:59and Rob's head climbing Sherpa,
29:01to leave the tents two hours before us
29:03to enable them enough time
29:05to get the ropes in place.
29:07But as the climbers waited,
29:09Bidelman found Sherpa Lapsang
29:11showing signs of altitude sickness.
29:13There was Lapsang sitting with his elbows on his knees
29:18and he was vomiting.
29:21So I reached into Lapsang's pack
29:23and I grabbed all the ropes that he had.
29:27Lapsang never was able to recover
29:29and come to the front of the group
29:31and to start fixing ropes.
29:32Alan Hinks believes that the rope-fixing failure
29:37shows the plan itself was flawed.
29:40Sending two Sherpas up to fix the ropes,
29:43you know, a couple of hours
29:44before everybody went to the summit
29:46is cutting it fine.
29:48If one or both of those people
29:50are affected dramatically by the conditions,
29:53then that's the end of fixing the ropes.
29:57Guides Anatoly Bukrieff and Neil Bidelman
30:00eventually took responsibility for fixing ropes.
30:05But climbers from both teams
30:07were forced to wait as they worked.
30:12Nowadays, to help reduce the delays on every student,
30:15you'd send a team ahead
30:16to make sure the mount's fixed
30:18before anyone sets off.
30:21And you'd also have at least two ropes,
30:23a rope for going up
30:24and a rope for coming down.
30:25But even had the ropes been set earlier,
30:31with thirty-
30:32Pirates Going Up
30:37in 2018
30:50on Sunday
30:51and you wouldn't be able to
30:54suffer at all.
30:54If you have a diaper,
30:55you'll have a raise this
30:56after this right without
30:57getting rid of the rope.
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