I love these old films.. So real so raw none of the bells whistles and drama of today.. When man just climbed and endured.. All respect to the sberpas true King's of the mountain
What an unimaginably full life Doug Scott led. Thousands of children survived childhood mortality due to his lifelong work with CAN. A thoroughly good man. RIP
Gotta remember, no gortex, no plastic double boots at half the weight of leather. No modern lightweight oxygen systems, The sherpas back then moved loads up fixed ropes but NEVER Fixed the ropes as nowadays. A good effort.
@@Tommy2shoe811 Chris Bonington is a legendary climber; there were very few people qualified to lead an Everest expedition back in the 70's, he was one of them. Idk where you get the idea he's a moron; he was literally awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire for this expedition.
1:06:15 Peter Boardman. Seven years later Pete went back to Everest and tried to climb the north side of the mountain. He died on the way up. His body is still up there.
Petey was a skilled mountaineer and a talented writer. I love his book The Shining Mountain and i ve read it so many Times since my childhood years Rest in Peace,brother
Maybe , the mountain was less polluted and less explored. But I think I’d much prefer to have the modern equipment of today. it’s still an achievement today, I think permits must be limited though . Hopefully one day I’ll climb it , I’d like to climb from Tibet via the North. Maybe if I start training and saving now I can go in 15-20 years.
The expedition was very bittersweet. Although they fulfilled the task, they lost a brilliant cameraman Mick Burke, whose footages are used here too. The tragic story is told 1:06:40. To the bitter irony of fate, the story is told by Peter Boardman, who himself was to be killed on the same mountain 7 years later with another skilled cameraman Joe Tasker.
It seems that this was the start of the circus. Barclays Bank International payed 400 porters and 100 Sherpas to get four drunk Brits to the summit and back. Two died and they called it a success? Modern travel agencies have a better rate than that and the tourists pay for themselves. Respect!
@@caravaggio31 Everest became a circus in 1978, with all the media hype surrounding Messner and Habeler. Now "everybody" wanted to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen, and a lot of tragedy followed. That is my opinion, and you can disagree all you want.
Mountaineering before Everest tourism despoiled the place. It was still relatively few actual mountaineers going on meaningful exploratory expeditions.
I've known mountaineers. A lot of them love to drink and seem to have an unusual superpower to drink while doing extremely hard things, on and off the mountain. Don't try it at home kids. I went to a memorial service for a mountaineer friend -death totally unrelated to mountaineering or alcohol. A story was told about how on an extreme and very cold trip the booze bottle got smashed. I guess it was in plastic or something because they still had it but mixed with broken glass. With classic inventiveness they strained it through a snotty mitten so they could drink it. Serious determination. Lol. He was a fun, incredibly playful,warm, loving and delightful guy. Not an egomaniac. Just wired differently but in a nice way. I'm not a mountaineer and never would be, but I have appreciated my contact with these "different animals" I've encountered. And I'm talking real mountaineers. Not ultra wealthy people who think they can play at being one without courting disaster.
It astounds me that these expeditions were ever successful, when one considers the quality of the clothes and equipment, and the weight of these items 46 years ago!
I’ve been learning English watching all Everest stories, and this guys accent is the best one I’ve ever heard. I also enjoy listening Messner, his German accent sounds fascinating. Probably this effect caused by the reason that they both are great climbers and very wise people
@@johnforealdoe8999 He has an English accent: specifically RP (received pronunciation), which is a well-spoken English accent from England, hence RP English accent. British accents are English, Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish; but they each sound completely different, so to say someone has a 'British accent' is a misnomer and makes no sense. Which 'British accent'? Is their 'British accent' English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish? Also, is the British person English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish? English = belonging to or relating to England, or its people: Englishwoman, Englishman. British = belonging to or relating to the United Kingdom, or to its people (English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish) or its culture. Great Britain = large (hence great) geographical island in the British Isles containing three small countries: England, Scotland, and Wales. United Kingdom = country, the kingdom consisting of four smaller countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Englishwoman = me. Hope this helps. xx
I am deeply impressed by the ability and fortitude of the Sherpa. Some of the greatest human beings on this earth without a doubt. I’ve been on minor expeditions around the world and have a small understanding of how harsh and hard life can become in extreme environments such as the desserts and mountains. They do it better than anyone. Brilliant stuff.
The tobacco smoking is a stimulant first, a hunger suppressant second, and has a calming effect on the cortisol released through the fight or flight response to long term stress and adrenaline built up daily. The whiskey, is a suppressant designed to induce relaxation in your muscles and your mind which is in a constant state of alert, and helps to induce good sleep. It has been my experience in several high altitude mountain climbing expeditions over several continents. However it is not shared by every high altitude climbers.
I worked with a doctor (2004 - 2006) who had been on two Everest expeditions with Ranulph Fiennes. He wasn't a regular smoker but he would smoke as part of his pre Everest preparations. He said it raised the production of red cells, which improved oxygen carriage, very helpful to combat the effects of altitude. N.B. we were working on a Coronary Care Unit !
@@LadyPercy. Thank you for your obvious experience and knowledge into this anomaly! You are correct about the increase in red blood cells as that information is usually too far over most peoples heads. In my original comments I used 3 easily understood uses thag I had 1st hand experience with as a way for most people to understand why tobacco use was sometimes used by high alpine climbers and mountaineers! I very much appreciate you contributing your know and expertise to this rather unusual subject matter @Jacqueline Devonshire! I would be fascinated to sit down for a longer, deeper, and more detailed conversation with you to learn more about your experiences, knowledge and expertise, as you clearly have something to share and impart to others!
As a fact checker, I must point out that many of the older expeditions included climbers that were indeed wealthy. Climbers came from highly-educated backgrounds and wealthy families , which enabled them to climb many months out of each year around the globe.
@@icecreamforcrowhurst In the other video from 71 there were students that worked and schooled full time. One saved for 3 yrs to go. The expedition was only 500 then.
Kind of agree... I don’t think these “modern climbers” know how lucky they are... laders put up for them... ropes put there for them.. there tents put up for them, the list goes on... are you a mountain climber if you use ladders at every hurdle 🧐 and have everything done for you 👀
Always amusing is the number of climbers on the British Everest expeditions who smoked. Don Whillins and Mick Burke come to mind. Certainly, there were others since the expedition manifest lists several hundred cartons. Not only for personal consumption but for barter as well.
If that were true, no pro mountaineers or Sherpas would die ,but in fact with the best equipment and circumstances they do in fact die climbing Everest. Be well✌️
The glory days for climbing and for Everest; gone forever now in a rush of greed and idiocy. Nonentities paying thousands of dollars to be pulled up the mountain by the Sherpas. Tragic.
@Wyatt Judah I wish you'd keep your medal-worthy accomplishments to yourself. There's enough trolls phishing for our private information JUST because we didn't agree with them about something. Putting out information like you do is putting PEOPLE'S PERSONAL AND PHYSICAL SAFETY at risk - and I've told you this several TIMES BEFORE. But you don't give a 💩 do you.
I just read the entire book of the same name by Chris Bonington at my cabin , within one day. Took most of the day , but I was rapt. It's a very complete narrative of the expedition. Just starting the video, and it looks very true to form of the book. It's nice to see the original video that was shot. I'm looking forward to watching the entire video as I know the book was extremely informative, complete with several appendices giving a breakdown of absolutely everything from the type, brand and quantity of all gear used, reasons for individual team member selection, transportation, communication and even the contents of their daily rations. As usual, there is a bit more of a complete telling /explanation of the whole process/story. This video surely will be a welcome addition to my understanding of this expedition as I finished the book approximately 13 hrs ago. Some of the numbers vary significantly, but I guess that depends on the point of view of the person relating the story? Thanks for posting this video. Fabulous story Edit: read the book!
Ya it did. Some of them that knew him felt really bad and weren't sure what to do. All in all, I think they had to carry on because there was nothing they could do about it and they couldn't stop this huge expedition. Death is just a part of these journeys
@hello sweetheart There are 2 full pages about the incident, and the book is dedicated to him (and Mick Burke). The account mentions the large search operation for him; Doug found him and wept uncontrollably at his loss, (he was fond of the lad and had got to know him on a previous expedition and had also helped him carry his loads) and Chris also wept with Doug when he found him.
@@hellosweetheart3350Christ here we go ....maybe STFU already with your other savior complex.....they're not gods. And stop acting like anyone that ISNT is some monster Christ so sickening and WRONG.
How much things have changed on The Mountain...Could you imagine having the whole hill all to yourself - just one expedition! And there's no one there in August/September. Now it's rotations throughout March, April and a summit push in early May. That is the norm now...and traffic jams. The Mountain was a different place in 1975.
But the book speaks in depth about the film crew being present. He even states that the filming was highly successful. Were you reading it with your eyes closed? 🤣*Jokes
@@upsidedahead Buddy, I wouldn't know. I read the book decades ago and I've read hundreds since. Not the kind of detail I would remember nor the thing that struck me most about the story.
Really enjoyed this historic record, thank you. The accompanying book is excellent also, good to see both. It’s the first time I read it ( and watched this) since I summited the normal route myself in 2008, and I appreciate their achievements all the more!
Thank you for normal posts .really there's a fact checker here? Wtf .just watch or go away .really don't need the b.s lessons on ssherpas. It's not easy if rich or poor . B. S. Is the reality from the know it alls. Congrats all who attempt
I'm the same way my dad was- I've gotta be in control. Avalanches, collapsing seracs, embolisms, freak storms. Who lives or dies is luck of the draw. I'd go nuts up there.
Really enjoy watching anything Everest...always so fascinating! I've not seen this b4...great documentary... How is it that this was posted 8 mo ago & just now finding it?!🤔 Thank you for posting!
Irish King to be fair the porters only carried load to the bottom base camp the climbers seem to fix all there own lines ladders and camps only using the Sherpas as labourers. Now a days the Sherpas do everything for the client right up until the summit. There’s a documentary on YT called Sherpas the true hero’s of Everest
@@gratefulant2489 The sherpas did most of the work here too for £ 1 per day. 100 sherpas - more than 12 sherpas per climber! Most of the porters were women. The rest were children. The porter wage was extremely low.
@@fuglbird £1 (In 1975) day equates to about 1,300 Nepali rupees today, three times the Nepali minimum wage. Aprox a weeks wage bonus for each trip to camp five, a fortnight's wage bonus per trip to camp 6.
Wow, you are a grumpy old man, aren't you. Not gonna lie, I'm feelin that energy. I get along very well with grumpy old men- I just be like mm-hm, and agree with everything 🤣
He was amazing. One detail from the book left out of the film - it took two Sherpas just to carry the cigarettes he chain-smoked ... while front-pointing ... at extreme altitude. And the cigarettes weren't any "light", smooth blend with a filter, they were Gitanes, (or Gauloises), French for tar in a wrapper.
@@samaelcoral7297 Wow, i first didn't believe the first comment that it took two Sherpas to carry the cigarettes he chain-smoked but then a different person, you, talking about a different expedition giving cigarettes numbers that confirms it. I realize it's true. In a way that explains why he took a bigger risk to summit. I must have known that he was running life on the 'fast lane'.
Everest the hard way was the first mountaineering book I ever read and still a great read. I’d never seen the documentary however. Much of the film would have been shot by BBC cameraman Mick Burke who died whilst attempting to summit.
Sir Chris bonington visited brammah 1 6416mtrs in 1973 which hasn't been recorded yet and not even in last 5 decades..we wish climbers will turn towards this conical peak in kibber valley of kishtwar himalayas
Such a different time ..I got pictures of my pops hanging from a hammock on El Capitan smoking a joint...it was in 79 while my mom was at home pregnant with me
In his last months he led a climb Everest on your stairs. Many of his peers followed. He raised several funds for Nepalese villages in need of basic sanitation.
@@heiroot It is not a question of figuring it out. It is a question of being able to afford infrastructure we take for granted, adapted to some of the most unique terrain on earth. It also has to do with resources being lifted out of that general region of the world for some 300 years by those who built their way out of not having basic sanitation and said infrastructure by the riches taken through colonialism. London 400 years ago lacked basic sanitation, as did many places in Europe. The Pilgrims EXACTLY 401 years ago this November had to have their turkey bacon saved by Native Americans because they couldn't figure out how to grow their crops. A lot of figuring for people of European descent has come at the expense of the people of the Global East and South... so no need to look down on the Nepalese.
@@hymnodyhands I'm sure if they were born and raised in one of the poorest places on earth, where everything you do gets wiped out by a fucking monsoon by spring, they'd be digging wells, designing irrigation systems, and working on their PhD.
@@hymnodyhands Don't lump everybody with the anglo saxon way. French for example did not impose their ways to indians but shared it. You're a hegemonic anglo who assumes the world is what you know. Big news you don't know much at all.
A neat bracing shot of whiskey suits me fine on a cold, snowy day! (Ciggies and cannabis, not so much. I smoke only on rare social occasions and haven’t had cannabis since my first year of college. To give you a clue how long ago, we called it pot and worried very little about getting VD, because a shot of penicillin would take care of it.).
He did, but after the 82 try on the North east face when they lost Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker it really was hard on Chris. Very sad we lost some fine mountaineers
beeble2003 --- Yup, that's inflation for you. Seems mad people that lived through the times, but younger people, today don't notice the odd difference in pricing. Same for us and our parents generation.
Beer was 20p/pint in 1975 in pubs in the UK so £1 was quite pricy. Beer I'm sure was a luxury and fair play to the locals making some money out of the rich britishers.
Let me add that I live in Manila in 2020 and can buy a 33cl bottle of beer in a bar for £1. Thats 45 years later than 1975 although not a 568cl pint bottle.
Had this conversation with my wife the other day. I get up go to work, pay the bloody bills rinse and repeat. I've run a few marathons and served my country. Have two kids who are highly intelligent and that's where I found my joy. I hope you feel better and find a way through it all. I totally understand. All the best.
Reinhold Messner did it the hard way - alone, without oxygen and during the monsoon in 1980. However, his attempt to do it barefoot without ropes failed.
Was that the music on the outro? If so, it caught my attention as being unusually appropriate for the mood at the close of this documentary, it was just the right touch. I had to go look it up though, never heard it before. Very good stuff, I'm not even sure what kind of music it is, but it sounds awesome.
Bonington is still alive. He is 86. Dougal Haston sadly died in a avalanche just two years after this expedition. Doug Scott just died a couple of years ago.
?? Hahahahah well, obviously, if ur to dumb to know the difference between weather and climate, well u should prob be in a nursing home! Good luck! Lol
Climate change (like the real thing) was noticed in the 50s and ignored. The ice age thing was made more of than there was. People didn't really worry about the ice agd just like they don't worry nearly enough about climate change now😶🌫️
@@annnee6818 Are you deliberately ironic joking? Climate hysteria was wrong back then and it's WRONG NOW, entirely unscientific and clickbait media driven. Climate Alarmists have NO IDEA what they are talking about.
@@michaeljones7372 you would be surprised at the amount of climbers eat temple balls of hash and sometimes opium in the Himalayas I should add, likely not on summit day,
See how the Sherpas were beaming when the pair that bivvied got back? They must have been certain that those guys were done for... But nope... back next morn for tea and biscuits!
because it was Europeans who introduced the Sherpas to climbing and taught them how to do it... Sherpas only do it now because people pay to them- in the same way that the guides in the Alps are European- because its in Europe.
The book about the expedition is a must have; it explains/shows nicely how Nick found the way out of the left gully and onto the yellow band. An avoidable tragedy losing Mick Burke; he should have turned back and maybe have a second try. His commitment to film the second summit bid was the trigger that lead to his death
The deteriorating weather led to his death. He also had prescription glasses under his goggles which would have hindered his vision in the whiteout. Filming was his job as a climbing cameraman for the BBC, so I would hardly say it was the trigger.
I’ve been aware of Mick Burke since I saw this on television when it first came out in the 1970s. I dedicated a painting to him (not that anyone will ever see it). I was also a cameraman in a past life. I suspect Mick Burke was feeling the pressure to get it done. Not much point going to Everest if you don’t get the money shot. I think he probably knew the window of opportunity was closing and he had to balance the risk. Unfortunately it didn’t end well. Let’s not forget the young Sherpa who died either.
I meet a few young guys from Nepal and those areas, they look like small figure, but extremely powerful, I can’t carry 5 kg backpack for more than 1h in a flat road, what they doing is unimaginable hard ..
I had to chuckle when I heard Chris Bonington was asked to keep a small tape recorder as an audio diary. Tape recorders were pretty big back then! Must have been a bit cumbersome! Anyway, this group reminds me more of the groups that went up before the war than the climbers nowadays.
It was September when they were going up the mountain and all the snow is because they were in the tail end of the monsoon season. Bonnington mentions that the winter winds will be starting soon
@@geneappeal plus it's misleading cus most of the footage is from the southwest face that most people haven't seen before so it's hard to compare. They weren't showing the typical South Col or North side routes etc
I love these old films.. So real so raw none of the bells whistles and drama of today.. When man just climbed and endured.. All respect to the sberpas true King's of the mountain
Society was much more simple and clear. I believe today's society is mentally disturbed.
@@ericastier1646 “Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.”- Franklin Pierce Adams
Hush little munchkin
Old films! Cheek. 😂
@@johnbarlow1428 sorry John! 🙈 I'm 44 I meant from the good days in my mind the 70s and 80s.... Xxxx
An authentic account on a true story. No loud noobs around. Peaceful solidarity. The good old times!
Old school
“Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.”- Franklin Pierce Adams
I absolutely love this Expedition! So many greats in the Climbing community all in one. ❤❤❤
What an unimaginably full life Doug Scott led. Thousands of children survived childhood mortality due to his lifelong work with CAN. A thoroughly good man. RIP
A true hero!
👍 ❤️
Doug was also on K2 with Nick Estcort when the latter was killed by an avalanche. This was Bonnington's most difficult loss.
💯❤
I love how most of them smoke, drink beer, neck whisky, all while climbing the world's tallest mountain
Nepalese hashish is even better on top of the world.
They must be Democrats.
@@deecee1522 I'm bored of everything being political, it's taking the fun out of life, seriously
Too Many Chromosomes Amen.
@@wh0586 U know what I'm bored of?? Alcoholic and drug smoking hippies. GET A F___IN' JOB, YOU BUMS!! :-(
Adore the vintage expeditions of Everest so much more. And Chris Bonington sounds so much like Nigel Thornberry😆
He sounds like Nigel Thornbury. I grew up in Jersey and sound like the mom on Bob's Burgers. Sometimes life's just not fair.
Gotta remember, no gortex, no plastic double boots at half the weight of leather. No modern lightweight oxygen systems, The sherpas back then moved loads up fixed ropes but NEVER Fixed the ropes as nowadays. A good effort.
The only issue was the expedition was led by a complete nincompoop. There’s nothing worse than a moron that thinks he’s a genius.
@@Tommy2shoe811 How was he a "nincompoop"? Seemed like a really good operation to me.
@@Tommy2shoe811 Chris Bonington is a legendary climber; there were very few people qualified to lead an Everest expedition back in the 70's, he was one of them. Idk where you get the idea he's a moron; he was literally awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire for this expedition.
And phones so you can request your own rescue 😆☠️
@@rangerjones5531 as always on 8,000 m peak doesn't mean someone's going to be able to get to you
Chris Bonnington is outstanding in every way.....
1:06:15 Peter Boardman. Seven years later Pete went back to Everest and tried to climb the north side of the mountain.
He died on the way up. His body is still up there.
Every dead body on Everest was once an extremely motivated person
Petey was a skilled mountaineer and a talented writer.
I love his book The Shining Mountain and i ve read it so many Times since my childhood years
Rest in Peace,brother
@@RezaQin With money. Apart from the postman in 1996. Possibly the only instance on Everest where not being moneyed killed.
Peter Boardman is known even today in Nepal as 'Stiev asa' which can be loosely translated as 'The heart (of the mountain)'
Body is but some Sherpa stole his wallet and watch, true story 🍺
There was definitely something more pure about this era, compared to commercial era tbh
@Dan B compared to the rubbish dump and the escalator of amateurs that Everest now is..it seemed more pure then
Maybe , the mountain was less polluted and less explored. But I think I’d much prefer to have the modern equipment of today. it’s still an achievement today, I think permits must be limited though . Hopefully one day I’ll climb it , I’d like to climb from Tibet via the North. Maybe if I start training and saving now I can go in 15-20 years.
@Dan B lol
@Dan B that's their job and they're free to choose a different career path if they so choose.
@@disprogreavette8545 your a fecking idiot.....
The expedition was very bittersweet. Although they fulfilled the task, they lost a brilliant cameraman Mick Burke, whose footages are used here too. The tragic story is told 1:06:40. To the bitter irony of fate, the story is told by Peter Boardman, who himself was to be killed on the same mountain 7 years later with another skilled cameraman Joe Tasker.
The last great expedition before Everest became a circus. Thank you for uploading.
It seems that this was the start of the circus. Barclays Bank International payed 400 porters and 100 Sherpas to get four drunk Brits to the summit and back. Two died and they called it a success? Modern travel agencies have a better rate than that and the tourists pay for themselves. Respect!
Great ? 2 people died moron
@@gowdsake7103 that’s actually not a lot. I’d expect more
Bullshit, Everest became a circus along the 90's, we're in 1975 here. All expeditions til the end of the 80's were the real thing.
@@caravaggio31 Everest became a circus in 1978, with all the media hype surrounding Messner and Habeler. Now "everybody" wanted to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen, and a lot of tragedy followed.
That is my opinion, and you can disagree all you want.
If everyone had to do this much work to climb Everest it would be a much better place than the shit covered dump it has become.
It’s just walking up hill, acting like it’s epic or some religious experience is straight bullshit
I so agree
The real vids and voice in this documentary is On a diff level. Better than today's ones.
Somehow I felt like I was watching a very long episode of Monty Phyton...
🤣
The Monty Python episode would have taken the silly route to the peak
Right!!!! A dumb deaf kid drowning???? Like wtf
@@skunkoceros Yes, but with one addition: The silly route to the two peaks :)
Read 'The Ascent of Rum Doodle'...written in 1956...for full python appreciation.
Bonington must surely take the prize for having the greatest beard in mountaineering history.
Everything was cooler back then.
Except the hair. They look homeless😆😆😆
@@annnee6818 they didn t gave a fuck 😂
"Is this a beer I see before me?!" Love that literary allusion.
MacBeth?
@@ald7140 yeah, it's from the scene where he's hallucinating a dagger.
Made me laugh!
The handle t’ward my hand.
Mountaineering before Everest tourism despoiled the place. It was still relatively few actual mountaineers going on meaningful exploratory expeditions.
I've known mountaineers. A lot of them love to drink and seem to have an unusual superpower to drink while doing extremely hard things, on and off the mountain. Don't try it at home kids.
I went to a memorial service for a mountaineer friend -death totally unrelated to mountaineering or alcohol. A story was told about how on an extreme and very cold trip the booze bottle got smashed. I guess it was in plastic or something because they still had it but mixed with broken glass. With classic inventiveness they strained it through a snotty mitten so they could drink it. Serious determination. Lol.
He was a fun, incredibly playful,warm, loving and delightful guy. Not an egomaniac. Just wired differently but in a nice way. I'm not a mountaineer and never would be, but I have appreciated my contact with these "different animals" I've encountered. And I'm talking real mountaineers. Not ultra wealthy people who think they can play at being one without courting disaster.
It astounds me that these expeditions were ever successful, when one considers the quality of the clothes and equipment, and the weight of these items 46 years ago!
I love how Chris Bonington speaks. He could recite the alphabet and I'd still be completely transfixed.
Not direct and simple enough-loves the sound of his own voice?
He reminds me so much of Nigel Thornberry!
What british accent does he have? Its so matter of fact lol
I’ve been learning English watching all Everest stories, and this guys accent is the best one I’ve ever heard. I also enjoy listening Messner, his German accent sounds fascinating. Probably this effect caused by the reason that they both are great climbers and very wise people
@@johnforealdoe8999 He has an English accent: specifically RP (received pronunciation), which is a well-spoken English accent from England, hence RP English accent.
British accents are English, Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish; but they each sound completely different, so to say someone has a 'British accent' is a misnomer and makes no sense. Which 'British accent'? Is their 'British accent' English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish? Also, is the British person English, Welsh, Scottish, or Northern Irish?
English = belonging to or relating to England, or its people: Englishwoman, Englishman.
British = belonging to or relating to the United Kingdom, or to its people (English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish) or its culture.
Great Britain = large (hence great) geographical island in the British Isles containing three small countries: England, Scotland, and Wales.
United Kingdom = country, the kingdom consisting of four smaller countries: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Englishwoman = me.
Hope this helps. xx
I am deeply impressed by the ability and fortitude of the Sherpa. Some of the greatest human beings on this earth without a doubt. I’ve been on minor expeditions around the world and have a small understanding of how harsh and hard life can become in extreme environments such as the desserts and mountains. They do it better than anyone. Brilliant stuff.
I absolutely agree
I love how they roll there tongues!! I wish I could be able to do that they are all such fun loving people 😊
The tobacco smoking is a stimulant first, a hunger suppressant second, and has a calming effect on the cortisol released through the fight or flight response to long term stress and adrenaline built up daily. The whiskey, is a suppressant designed to induce relaxation in your muscles and your mind which is in a constant state of alert, and helps to induce good sleep. It has been my experience in several high altitude mountain climbing expeditions over several continents. However it is not shared by every high altitude climbers.
I agree with you on the whiskey but cigs on the mountain have just made me wease.
I worked with a doctor (2004 - 2006) who had been on two Everest expeditions with Ranulph Fiennes. He wasn't a regular smoker but he would smoke as part of his pre Everest preparations. He said it raised the production of red cells, which improved oxygen carriage, very helpful to combat the effects of altitude. N.B. we were working on a Coronary Care Unit !
@@LadyPercy. Thank you for your obvious experience and knowledge into this anomaly! You are correct about the increase in red blood cells as that information is usually too far over most peoples heads. In my original comments I used 3 easily understood uses thag I had 1st hand experience with as a way for most people to understand why tobacco use was sometimes used by high alpine climbers and mountaineers! I very much appreciate you contributing your know and expertise to this rather unusual subject matter @Jacqueline Devonshire! I would be fascinated to sit down for a longer, deeper, and more detailed conversation with you to learn more about your experiences, knowledge and expertise, as you clearly have something to share and impart to others!
Plus, what fun would an expedition with your friends be without smoke and drink?
Alcohol is not conducive to good sleep plus dilates your blood vessels so you freeze faster. But they probably didn't know that in 75
RIP Doug Scott.
Didn't realize he recently passed...
Rest in Peace, great documentary, enjoyed it. they were something special.
If one reaches the top it doesn't necessarily mean one has won. One must still go back down to one's mates.
Really great archive film. Superb adventure.
That satellite hand held phone though, and they probably thought that it could not get more advanced than that, just like we think today.
This is not the normal route to the summit .... this is the most extremely difficult way to climb hence the title , ignore the ignorant comment below.
Stfu
The British expedition guys were real mountaineers, not the wealthy brats who pay someone to hold their hand all the way up Everest.
eh i see the sherpas doigng all the work. only theyre payed less than a pound a day
As a fact checker, I must point out that many of the older expeditions included climbers that were indeed wealthy. Climbers came from highly-educated backgrounds and wealthy families , which enabled them to climb many months out of each year around the globe.
100 climbing sherpas and 400 porters!?! Actually these dudes are pretty spoilt and, unless the Queen was stumping up the cash, pretty wealthy too! 😂
@@icecreamforcrowhurst In the other video from 71 there were students that worked and schooled full time. One saved for 3 yrs to go. The expedition was only 500 then.
Kind of agree... I don’t think these “modern climbers” know how lucky they are... laders put up for them... ropes put there for them.. there tents put up for them, the list goes on... are you a mountain climber if you use ladders at every hurdle 🧐 and have everything done for you 👀
I was comfortable in my chair watching this video .. and after seeing it ... I feel even better in my chair ROFL
Bed is best!
@@somjasa Yep
Always amusing is the number of climbers on the British Everest expeditions who smoked. Don Whillins and Mick Burke come to mind. Certainly, there were others since the expedition manifest lists several hundred cartons. Not only for personal consumption but for barter as well.
This is real mountaineering, not what Everest has become today unfortunately.
It’s become a circus for the wealthy elite that have no experience and put the Sherpas lives at risk
If that were true, no pro mountaineers or Sherpas would die ,but in fact with the best equipment and circumstances they do in fact die climbing Everest. Be well✌️
That's gotta be an eerie sound hearing those booming avalanches knowing you're headed that way!
Man if we could go back in time and give these guys a few 4K Go Pros
The glory days for climbing and for Everest; gone forever now in a rush of greed and idiocy. Nonentities paying thousands of dollars to be pulled up the mountain by the Sherpas. Tragic.
If Doug Scott was leading, what sort of hero was the cameraman who was already above, filming him as he climbed towards the camera?
Sherpa
They never remember the camera man, well done Graham, well done.
@Wyatt Judah
I wish you'd keep your medal-worthy accomplishments to yourself. There's enough trolls phishing for our private information JUST because we didn't agree with them about something. Putting out information like you do is putting PEOPLE'S PERSONAL AND PHYSICAL SAFETY at risk - and I've told you this several TIMES BEFORE. But you don't give a 💩 do you.
@Wyatt Judah you are so lame there are no words
the cameraman was the only one that died. Mick Burke was their cameraman working partly for BBC and he's the only one that disappeared on this summit
I just read the entire book of the same name by Chris Bonington at my cabin , within one day. Took most of the day , but I was rapt. It's a very complete narrative of the expedition. Just starting the video, and it looks very true to form of the book. It's nice to see the original video that was shot. I'm looking forward to watching the entire video as I know the book was extremely informative, complete with several appendices giving a breakdown of absolutely everything from the type, brand and quantity of all gear used, reasons for individual team member selection, transportation, communication and even the contents of their daily rations. As usual, there is a bit more of a complete telling /explanation of the whole process/story. This video surely will be a welcome addition to my understanding of this expedition as I finished the book approximately 13 hrs ago. Some of the numbers vary significantly, but I guess that depends on the point of view of the person relating the story? Thanks for posting this video. Fabulous story
Edit: read the book!
Did it say anything about the "deaf and dumb" boy who drown? They seemed to feel anxious to move on and could really care less about others
Ya it did. Some of them that knew him felt really bad and weren't sure what to do. All in all, I think they had to carry on because there was nothing they could do about it and they couldn't stop this huge expedition. Death is just a part of these journeys
@hello sweetheart
There are 2 full pages about the incident, and the book is dedicated to him (and Mick Burke). The account mentions the large search operation for him; Doug found him and wept uncontrollably at his loss, (he was fond of the lad and had got to know him on a previous expedition and had also helped him carry his loads) and Chris also wept with Doug when he found him.
@@Euro3000 looks like Chris wept when he has found out that the first two have summited successfully
@@hellosweetheart3350Christ here we go ....maybe STFU already with your other savior complex.....they're not gods.
And stop acting like anyone that ISNT is some monster
Christ so sickening and WRONG.
A gripping documentary - stimulates and fascinates the mind without gloss or pr is refreshing
Real climbers. Not the bullshit of today with outta shape rich kids. These people are amazing. Glad they had the climbs before Everest was trashed
All these morbidly obese united statians today. They should be charged when in public place for ruining the view.
I loved the Mike Oldfield, Ergest Ridge music, on 51mins.
How much things have changed on The Mountain...Could you imagine having the whole hill all to yourself - just one expedition! And there's no one there in August/September. Now it's rotations throughout March, April and a summit push in early May. That is the norm now...and traffic jams. The Mountain was a different place in 1975.
42:31: You've already won once Shredded Wheat Pope is on your team.
Its a gore-tex high altitude Shredded Wheat hat. Very expensive.
one of those occasions when it actually was not joke when you see their badly burned faces and noses.
Hamish McInnes, the guy with that hat, was a kind of scottish mac gyver...he was good at create object with every material he had...so they say
5:28 Men's shorts in 1975 were a whole different vibe weren't they?
I read the book but didn't know there was a movie. Awesome!
I had the book too, back in late 70,s think it's only book I've ever read..
But the book speaks in depth about the film crew being present. He even states that the filming was highly successful. Were you reading it with your eyes closed? 🤣*Jokes
@@upsidedahead Buddy, I wouldn't know. I read the book decades ago and I've read hundreds since. Not the kind of detail I would remember nor the thing that struck me most about the story.
Top class.... Thank you very much plamiCZECH...
Rip Mick
I ❤ Dougal Haston. RIP.
The Philosopher
Really enjoyed this historic record, thank you. The accompanying book is excellent also, good to see both. It’s the first time I read it ( and watched this) since I summited the normal route myself in 2008, and I appreciate their achievements all the more!
Congratulations Mike!
congrats man! a lifetime dream of mine!
Congrats Moodymike - what’s the book title pls mate
@@jonnyboysilva it was also “Everest the Hard Way”!
Thank you for normal posts .really there's a fact checker here? Wtf .just watch or go away .really don't need the b.s lessons on ssherpas. It's not easy if rich or poor . B. S. Is the reality from the know it alls. Congrats all who attempt
I'm the same way my dad was- I've gotta be in control. Avalanches, collapsing seracs, embolisms, freak storms. Who lives or dies is luck of the draw. I'd go nuts up there.
Really enjoy watching anything Everest...always so fascinating!
I've not seen this b4...great documentary...
How is it that this was posted 8 mo ago & just now finding it?!🤔
Thank you for posting!
I prefer these these old climbing docs for some reason.
You look at the sherpas load make you feel like a wimp for just carrying a backpack
MacInnes and Scott passed away recently. RIP
That's because you're a snowflake keyboard warrior. Real men climb mountains and die.
These are the ol school climbers of the 70s. You don't get footage like this anymore. A lot of them are old or dead today.
All of the surviving ones are old now.
That mountain is just so majestic and beautiful but I have no desire to climb it!!
Still the highest bivouac successfully survived of all time
And no frostbite! They were Extremely lucky
i vaguely remember other people have spend a night on the top of everest and survived or almost near the top but maybe I am wrong and they succombed.
@eric astier Lincoln Hall survived a night near the summit. He died 6 years later from lung cancer.
Love this film. Chris Bonnington is so cool. Cant believe Nick's description of climing through the Rock Band.
Back in the days before Everest became a big paid babysitting service for the rich to get dragged up the mountain.
I’m only ten minutes In and I see sherpas carrying there bags.narrator mentioned 100 sherpas and 400 porters
Irish King to be fair the porters only carried load to the bottom base camp the climbers seem to fix all there own lines ladders and camps only using the Sherpas as labourers. Now a days the Sherpas do everything for the client right up until the summit. There’s a documentary on YT called Sherpas the true hero’s of Everest
@@gratefulant2489 The sherpas did most of the work here too for £ 1 per day. 100 sherpas - more than 12 sherpas per climber! Most of the porters were women. The rest were children. The porter wage was extremely low.
@@fuglbird £1 (In 1975) day equates to about 1,300 Nepali rupees today, three times the Nepali minimum wage. Aprox a weeks wage bonus for each trip to camp five, a fortnight's wage bonus per trip to camp 6.
Wow, you are a grumpy old man, aren't you. Not gonna lie, I'm feelin that energy. I get along very well with grumpy old men- I just be like mm-hm, and agree with everything 🤣
“Everest the hard way”. I immediately thought it was without Sherpa help.
lol the hard way should be without Sherpa help, and blind folded.
Alloneword, I think blind has been done, no ropes and no down.
@@Smokey66s holy shit. Right, then the Hardest way should be Sherpa free, blind folded AND walking backwards!
Whilst dragging an anvil.
Climbers these days don't know they're born.
R.i.p Mick Burke.
He was amazing. One detail from the book left out of the film - it took two Sherpas just to carry the cigarettes he chain-smoked ... while front-pointing ... at extreme altitude. And the cigarettes weren't any "light", smooth blend with a filter, they were Gitanes, (or Gauloises), French for tar in a wrapper.
@@geneappeal i read that in annapurna expedition of 1970 mick took with him 7000 gauloises...and he smoke almost the entire amount!
Mick was a brave prince; he should be remembered more often in mountaineering history
@@samaelcoral7297 Wow, i first didn't believe the first comment that it took two Sherpas to carry the cigarettes he chain-smoked but then a different person, you, talking about a different expedition giving cigarettes numbers that confirms it. I realize it's true. In a way that explains why he took a bigger risk to summit. I must have known that he was running life on the 'fast lane'.
@@samaelcoral7297 That can't have helped him any, well done him😬
Everest the hard way was the first mountaineering book I ever read and still a great read. I’d never seen the documentary however. Much of the film would have been shot by BBC cameraman Mick Burke who died whilst attempting to summit.
Rest In Peace Mick Burke- Your Job Well Done❤️
The Mountain Heritage Trust have been working on digitizing his slide collection in recent times. Hoping we get to see them one day soon.
Brilliant documentary…. Legends everywhere
Sir Chris bonington visited brammah 1 6416mtrs in 1973 which hasn't been recorded yet and not even in last 5 decades..we wish climbers will turn towards this conical peak in kibber valley of kishtwar himalayas
Such a different time ..I got pictures of my pops hanging from a hammock on El Capitan smoking a joint...it was in 79 while my mom was at home pregnant with me
In his last months he led a climb Everest on your stairs. Many of his peers followed. He raised several funds for Nepalese villages in need of basic sanitation.
Couldn't the Nepalese figure that out on their own?
@@heiroot thats what im saying. I think its high time we stop treating "brown" people like children
@@heiroot It is not a question of figuring it out. It is a question of being able to afford infrastructure we take for granted, adapted to some of the most unique terrain on earth. It also has to do with resources being lifted out of that general region of the world for some 300 years by those who built their way out of not having basic sanitation and said infrastructure by the riches taken through colonialism. London 400 years ago lacked basic sanitation, as did many places in Europe. The Pilgrims EXACTLY 401 years ago this November had to have their turkey bacon saved by Native Americans because they couldn't figure out how to grow their crops. A lot of figuring for people of European descent has come at the expense of the people of the Global East and South... so no need to look down on the Nepalese.
@@hymnodyhands I'm sure if they were born and raised in one of the poorest places on earth, where everything you do gets wiped out by a fucking monsoon by spring, they'd be digging wells, designing irrigation systems, and working on their PhD.
@@hymnodyhands Don't lump everybody with the anglo saxon way. French for example did not impose their ways to indians but shared it. You're a hegemonic anglo who assumes the world is what you know. Big news you don't know much at all.
important history. thank you for posting this.
Çççççhuh
A neat bracing shot of whiskey suits me fine on a cold, snowy day! (Ciggies and cannabis, not so much. I smoke only on rare social occasions and haven’t had cannabis since my first year of college. To give you a clue how long ago, we called it pot and worried very little about getting VD, because a shot of penicillin would take care of it.).
So exactly around the time this was shot... give or take a week. Nomnomnom
How about another go at it, Sir Bonington?💪🏼😎❤️
He did, but after the 82 try on the North east face when they lost Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker it really was hard on Chris. Very sad we lost some fine mountaineers
@@Bella.216 a decent man and a great mountaineer
So glad that they refer to Tibet as Tibet. Not China. Free Tibet!
18:50 - dude smoking a ciggy climbing Everest. ah the 70s.
Beards smokes and drinks ahaah though men those climbers in that time incredible✌️😁😎💪
A smoker's pipe would be cooler even with those beards.
@@ericastier1646 And a joint cooler still. Twas the hippie times
@@annnee6818 i see hippies as a negative movement, but the beards were popular in the 19th century.
4:45 "Beer at a pound a bottle" Ahh, what was ludicrously expensive in 1975 sounds ludicrously cheap in 2020.
beeble2003 --- Yup, that's inflation for you. Seems mad people that lived through the times, but younger people, today don't notice the odd difference in pricing. Same for us and our parents generation.
In reality the owner of the beer probably overcharged them seeing white people in the party
Beer was 20p/pint in 1975 in pubs in the UK so £1 was quite pricy. Beer I'm sure was a luxury and fair play to the locals making some money out of the rich britishers.
Let me add that I live in Manila in 2020 and can buy a 33cl bottle of beer in a bar for £1. Thats 45 years later than 1975 although not a 568cl pint bottle.
A pound was what they paid a sherpa for one day of work. The porters were all women and children because of the low pay.
All I do is go to work pay my bills and keep my house clean run my car buy food and I'm miserable.
Had this conversation with my wife the other day. I get up go to work, pay the bloody bills rinse and repeat. I've run a few marathons and served my country. Have two kids who are highly intelligent and that's where I found my joy. I hope you feel better and find a way through it all. I totally understand. All the best.
@@SimDeck thank you for that whomever you are, I'm gonna try do more things for myself rather than this system that don't care about us.
A simple hobby can change your outlook on life, gardening, painting, bodybuilding, whatever
@Diane Tomecko been there done that no regrets
buy a motorcycle and go to your local dragway
Reinhold Messner did it the hard way - alone, without oxygen and during the monsoon in 1980. However, his attempt to do it barefoot without ropes failed.
Good thing, I understand if that was successful the next attempt was to be stilettos in a thong.
Butt naked is the only way to climb with no aids
@@geneappeal HAHAHAHH got me dying yooo hahahaha XD
Messner was overrated...3 or 4 climbers are better than him.
He made up for it when he came back and did it with hands tied behind his back
So many legendary mountaineers on one expedition
wonderful film
Love it.thank you so much dude
Good to hear Mike Oldfield’s Hergest Ridge 👍
Was that the music on the outro? If so, it caught my attention as being unusually appropriate for the mood at the close of this documentary, it was just the right touch. I had to go look it up though, never heard it before. Very good stuff, I'm not even sure what kind of music it is, but it sounds awesome.
@@jb1934 It's a superb album.
I’ve watched so many of these Everest docs that I can recognize individual snow flakes
Many of these people are well their 70s and 80s now.
Bonington is still alive. He is 86.
Dougal Haston sadly died in a avalanche just two years after this expedition. Doug Scott just died a couple of years ago.
Tut Braithwaite is alive
ok
This is how the British conquered many nations
It is sad too see not even 1k like...as shitty videos having 1m....what these people are doing no one can dare to do it...
Absolute badasses.
They had extreme weather events even back when we were worried about the impending "next ice age"...who knew.
?? Hahahahah well, obviously, if ur to dumb to know the difference between weather and climate, well u should prob be in a nursing home! Good luck! Lol
Climate change (like the real thing) was noticed in the 50s and ignored. The ice age thing was made more of than there was. People didn't really worry about the ice agd just like they don't worry nearly enough about climate change now😶🌫️
@@annnee6818 Are you deliberately ironic joking? Climate hysteria was wrong back then and it's WRONG NOW, entirely unscientific and clickbait media driven. Climate Alarmists have NO IDEA what they are talking about.
It's the 70's so in many of the shots it looks like Fleetwood Mac and The Doobie Brothers mounted and expedition to Everest!!🤣🥰
Nepalese hashish is even better than alcohol at the top of the world. AD 1980
Good luck descending while baked off your ass. As if less oxygen intake is what you need, you experienced this yourself?
@@michaeljones7372 you would be surprised at the amount of climbers eat temple balls of hash and sometimes opium in the Himalayas
I should add, likely not on summit day,
@@michaeljones7372 did you not see them smoking cigarettes?
Fair enough Frankie. Did see that
This was great to watch, such a fascinating documentary, the team was fantastic, working so well with one another. 😎
See how the Sherpas were beaming when the pair that bivvied got back? They must have been certain that those guys were done for...
But nope... back next morn for tea and biscuits!
When I look in a dictionary for the definition of “mountaineer” I see two pictures, one of Sir Chris Bonington and one of Reinold Meisner.
The style of narration and filming reminds me of “Pumping Iron”. Well done. Nick better of had that bottle of whiskey available.
Kudos to the camera men
Europeans pathfinding/trail breaking the khumbu, wow how times have changed..
because it was Europeans who introduced the Sherpas to climbing and taught them how to do it... Sherpas only do it now because people pay to them- in the same way that the guides in the Alps are European- because its in Europe.
The book about the expedition is a must have; it explains/shows nicely how Nick found the way out of the left gully and onto the yellow band. An avoidable tragedy losing Mick Burke; he should have turned back and maybe have a second try. His commitment to film the second summit bid was the trigger that lead to his death
Hubris!
The deteriorating weather led to his death. He also had prescription glasses under his goggles which would have hindered his vision in the whiteout. Filming was his job as a climbing cameraman for the BBC, so I would hardly say it was the trigger.
did Mick fall down the Kangshung face?
@@etluxaeterna Most likely.
I’ve been aware of Mick Burke since I saw this on television when it first came out in the 1970s. I dedicated a painting to him (not that anyone will ever see it). I was also a cameraman in a past life. I suspect Mick Burke was feeling the pressure to get it done. Not much point going to Everest if you don’t get the money shot. I think he probably knew the window of opportunity was closing and he had to balance the risk. Unfortunately it didn’t end well.
Let’s not forget the young Sherpa who died either.
I meet a few young guys from Nepal and those areas, they look like small figure, but extremely powerful, I can’t carry 5 kg backpack for more than 1h in a flat road, what they doing is unimaginable hard ..
Omg for real what is your age?
No offense but your physical strength is lacking beacuse I am 19 and i have climbed 3 6000m peaks with 30kg weight.
Im sorry to say it to you like this but you are weak as fuck. You have the strength of a 9 year old.
@@danielgoncalves5067 Language.
@@jamezrobertz8638 what about language?
@@danielgoncalves5067 The Fuck part. Sorry, if Im being nosy.
Guys are crushing heaters at 20k ft like its nothing..😆
August/September indeed! - now its only ever April/May
That's what's publicized. People climb in September also. There's another weather window in September.
I had to chuckle when I heard Chris Bonington was asked to keep a small tape recorder as an audio diary. Tape recorders were pretty big back then! Must have been a bit cumbersome! Anyway, this group reminds me more of the groups that went up before the war than the climbers nowadays.
Yaw guffaw.
A small tape recorder was anything more dainty than a ghetto blaster😉
Amazing men are the sherpar
Leadership at its finest
Not sure what time of the year this was filmed but It appears there was far more snow on Everest back then than you see these days
I think September. But yeah I agree
Filmed in late summer, early fall. They got to base camp late August.
Normal climbs from April through early July this is a winter climb I think
It was September when they were going up the mountain and all the snow is because they were in the tail end of the monsoon season. Bonnington mentions that the winter winds will be starting soon
@@geneappeal plus it's misleading cus most of the footage is from the southwest face that most people haven't seen before so it's hard to compare. They weren't showing the typical South Col or North side routes etc
It's like Monty Python does Everest.
Or the muppets
Monty Python had much better hair