One of the best things about this video is the other women sharing their very personal stories around experiencing sexism. And no shocker, it also brought the misogynists out of the woodwork who try really hard to invalidate our experiences. But don't worry, they're not welcome here and immediately blocked. The rest of you, feel free to keep sharing, this is a safe space! I got your back! 👊🏼 Pro tip - if women sharing these experiences makes you defensive, maybe ask yourself why these stories hit a nerve. It says more about you than our collective stories. If you haven't seen the first video on Sandy Hill, here it is: ua-cam.com/video/bQTkGIpNKaM/v-deo.html
Beware the easy path mentality of labeling injustices as "isms." The victim mentality is a crutch that divides. Differing perspectives on the same situation are routine. See the Kurosawa movie Rashomon. I have been enjoying your videos. Excellent work and research.
I am a man and I have always taken risks in the mountains (not at altitude, but hiking and skiing Mount Wahington in NH, down death gullys :D ) ... too old for that now :\ I have always taken Krakauer with a grain of salt, Sensationalist is pretty obvious. Now we see sexist too. Can "Chump" be spelled with a 'K' and still work? Kchump. Yep it works lol
Death Gully = Dodge's Drop. The gully is 4 meters wide at the top, narrowing to 2 meters at its steepest points. Always icy because snow won't stick to that incline with the constant winds. Rocks on both sides are sharp and angular, like knives. One slip and its not going to be good. Anyone who does this gully more than one time is a real fool. Been there, done that lol
I am the same age as Jon Krakauer, and I was death defying in the mountains while he was making a career with "Outside" mag back then. None of us took him seriously back then, a guy with a camera and a mc sitting down on the lunch rocks lol
@nicktaylor3747 It's incredibly naive to think that just because you personally only saw a few comments, the issue isn't widespread. I've had to delete tons of sexist, offensive comments and I don't allow attacks on women sharing their stories, period. Women sharing their stories about sexism isn't "making a mountain out of a molehill" - it's about creating a space where they can talk without being silenced or ignored. Dismissing it like you did just proves my point.
The gag is: Krakauer didn't pay a dime to climb Everest in 1996. Outdoor Magazine paid his climbing fee to the Nepalese government and Rob Hall absorbed the entire cost of him climbing. That's why his slant towards painting Hall in a good light is the way it is. Also, Krakauer abandoned Yasuko Namba on the descent below the balcony once the storm hit. Groom sent them down together bc she was climbing that well. He got back to his tent at 7pm. Yasuko never made it down.
Well, what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't help Yasuko. Up there, you can't just carry someone down if they're unable to walk and you're struggling to survive too.
@@lelisbet Yasuko needed guidance, not the kind pf phsycial help you are implying. When they left together she was descending well. Krakauer was a good climber and well versed with the route. At some point he left her. Imagine the psychological devastation on her shoulders, being insecure about the route, in a blizzard.
@@lelisbet and how can you assume she needed that kind of help? They were both well when Groom let them two together. No one should stand alone. Why did he leave. He writes about so many things, like coffee machines and faxes and ropes. why not about this?He did not say. Is it not strange?
@@Clanner666 you're totally wrong. She had a terrible physical conditioning. Beyond terrible. Yasuko took 1:30 just to pass Hillary Step. She was a disaster
You’d think it can’t get any worse than what he did to Sandy, but there is a decent chance that he straight up abandoned Yasuko Namba on the descent and that if he hadn’t she could have survived. We can never know whether Michael Groom or Krakauer was more accurate in their books but knowing what we know now about Krakauer I tend to believe Grooms account more
For me the two people that deserve more critiquing are Rob Hall & Beck Weathers. Beck admits in the movie Storm Over Everest that he refused Rob’s offer to have 2 Sherpa help him down to camp 4. Rob ignored his own turn around time and he persuaded Doug Hanson to continue when Doug informed Rob he was too ill to continue beyond camp 3.
@@benjaminwaters241, he also put a lot of undeserved blame on Boukreev as well even though there is a radio interview with Fischer saying that Boukreev will be climbing without oxygen.
Quite an interesting and well-researched video. Thank you. The first book I read about the Everest tragedy was Krakauer's and I initially accepted his criticism of Pittman. That all changed for me over time as I read many different accounts of this tragedy from others in the expedition including guides, other teams who were there, and others. I finally came to see Pittman in an altogether positive light. I so identified with your story about you going to pick up your chainsaw. Years ago I researched tirelessly in preparation for buying my first brand new car. I took my Dad along with me to the dealership for support. I had a list of questions about the model car I was most interested in. As I asked my first question, I still remember the salesman saying to me: "Honey, don't worry your pretty little head about what you need in a new car. Your Dad and I will fix you up." I was so grateful when my Dad said: "My daughter is the one buying a car, not me. Please answer her questions or we will find another car dealer."
I’d happily listen to anything you want to educate us about. You’re an amazing orator and storyteller. Thankyou. From a disabled wheelchair bound girl in Lancashire in England, UK.
Sadly, a lot of people were only too happy to buy into the narrative put forth in Into Thin Air, that Sandy Hill Pittman and, to a slightly lesser degree, Anatoli Boukreev, were the villains of the story. That distortion of reality was a lot easier to swallow than the truth: that Rob Hall and Scott Fisher were to blame for the deaths on the mountain during that awful event. Into Thin Air also did a horrible disservice to Andy Harris, who heroically went up the mountain and tried to save Rob Hall and Doug Hansen at a time when everyone else, including Jon Krakauer, cared only about getting down the mountain and saving their own lives, which is actually perfectly understandable. What's not understandable is Jon Krakauer not giving Andy Harris his due. It's a shame that Into Thin Air became the definitive account of the 1996 disaster, because it presents such a skewed, one-sided, self-glorifying version of the story.
You must have read a different book. I never got the impression Krakauer thought Pittman or Boukreev were the villains of the story. Maybe read it again? Maybe also consider what your opinion would be if Beidleman had NOT made it back to Camp 4 that night.
Is there a better book to read about this topic instead of into thin air? I was thinking about reading it, but now I'm wondering if it is worth reading.
I didn't get the impression that he was down on Andy Harris at all. Boukreev a little bit, but he was also a guide. He questiones the whole phenomenon of guided climbs and the crowded mountain. Fair enough! Look at it now😢
The worst part of this is that Mike Groom sent Yasiko down with Krakauer and at some point Krakauer made it back to the tents and Yasiko was found sitting in the snow - almost like she had been abandoned. But Sandy is the bad guy in this story…. Riiiiiiiight.
I read the book as a teenage girl and while I really enjoyed it, I was also struck by how 'I'm not like the other girls,' he portrayed himself. I always thought Krakauer figured out very early that he should not have been there, that he didn't have the experience, and his position as a journalist was not popular with some of his fellow climbers, who rightly felt like they were under scrutiny that they had never signed up for. I also think that both group leaders, Hall and Fischer, made bad choices at least partly because they were both well aware that their actions and potential failures were going to go global. Krakauer's best chance of playing the 'I'm a SERIOUS journalist here for SERIOUS reasons' card was to distance himself as much as possible from Pitman. She was a rich, flightly, New York socialite, playing at being a mountain climber, so all her equipment was a waste and a burden. He was different. He deserved to be there. He deserved the free ride he got from his magazine. He deserved to be taken seriously. Despite having a similar job to do, and less high altitude experience, he was a man's man reporting on men's things. She... Liked cappuccinos.
Too true. Even if Pittman or any other climber's actions were putting the expedition in danger it's still the leaders responsibility to control the situation.
What’s so annoying is just how many other videos, channels and publications can’t be bothered to do even 5% of the research you’ve done for this video. Thank you so much for this upload. And hello, again 😊
I go on lots of camping and hiking and backcountry ski adventures. I wouldn't criticize someone for bringing an espresso or cappuccino device. In fact, I'd encourage it!
My cousin and I aren't tough backcountry trackers like y'all, just camp at state parks, but she brings her Keurig lol! We get such looks as we use it at the plugs in the restroom but other people appreciate the effort lol! It's important to start the day in a way that makes you feel like yourself.
Little luxuries can make a big difference in morale when you're living rough in the wilderness. I'm in favor of good coffee, chocolate, or whatever other reasonable treat will give you a boost.
Oh yes! Set the record straight! I love to see it. Krakauer was a lying POS who left two people for dead, yet tried to shift his own guilt onto others. He lied about Anatoli too.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt that he was asked to help Yasuko back to camp 4. its a thought if Yasuko had the help she would have lived. However for whatever reason he left her behind as he climbed down. This was shortly before the storm hit. Also there were other details that were incorrect, this is based on multiple survivors saying x was or wasnt true vs how he worded it.
Why? He didn't actually beat anyone but himself up. The real villain was the mountain. Always is. And I'm sorry, had the leaders stuck to their hard 2 pm turn around, none of this would have happened.
🙄 Um...no. It's a first hand account of what happened and 99.99% of what he wrote was accurate. Perhaps some meaningless details weren't 100% but when your body is in the process of asphyxiating and freezing you'd forget small, meaningless details as well. That doesn't negate anything he wrote.
@@astoriacubMr. Krakauer's book is a cautionary tale. There will always be; a class system. narcissistic persons. opportunities to place yourself under weak leadership. It's your life to do with as you will. This book helped me to make better decisions particularly in situations with grave consequences for poor judgment.
I think David Breashears’ Storm over Everest, released in 2008, is easily one of the best retellings of what happened on the Nepal side of Mt. Everest in the ‘96 disaster. It’s freely available on UA-cam, and is an absolute, must watch, and though brief because it’s telling the story from so many different perspectives: clients, guides, and Sherpa from Hall and Fischer’s expeditions, it’s much more fair and accurate towards Sandy; her motivations for being there, what exactly happened with her while descending from the summit, and how she’s always felt about it to this day. In it, Sandy doesn’t hesitate to credit and thank guide Neal Beidleman for helping her get back down, fellow client Charlotte Fox for injecting her with dexamethasone after she collapsed on descent, and lastly and most warm heartedly, the late Anatoli Boukreev for keeping his promise to return for her on the South Col at the height of the deadly storm that nearly killed them all.
Hall's wife has been pretty open in interviews about that call - including right afterward. I saw one just the other day on a tabloid show from the day...
It's the worst 'crime' a woman can do isn't it? He seems obsessed with her normal, decent relationship "offending" the gods and directly provoking the storm. C'mon man!!
That story about picking up your chainsaw is so real. My cousin has a PhD in computer science and teaches it at a university, but when she went computer shopping with her husband the worker would talk to her husband instead of her even though he is kind of clueless about computers.
My husband and I have PhDs from the same university. His alumni mail comes addressed to Dr. His Name and mine comes addressed to Ms. My Name. If I can’t even get the same level of respect as my husband does from the university that awarded me a doctorate, there’s no hope of getting it from the rest of the world.
I drove the big old truck my husband usually drives to work one day. An older man came in the office and said oh, there must be a workman here; that truck's been here all day. I asked him if he was talking about the F150 out there, and he said he was. I told him that truck was mine, and got the funniest look. Yes, sometimes the secretary drives a work truck.
@@goingcrazeeI had sort of an opposite funny experience at work years ago. On a break I took out a small crochet project I was working on, and my coworker -- kind of a grumpy, no-nonsense old guy -- said "you're lucky. I can't take my hobby to work!" I assumed he meant woodworking maybe, but it turned out he was a quilter 😅
I reached out to Sandy to ask her a question. I am a complete stranger to her. She was very kind, friendly & gracious. At that point, I started digging more into the story and came to the conclusion that she is not the villain many claimed.
Thank you for taking up the banner for Sandy. I read Krakauers book and thought he was rather critical of Sandy and let other people, like the team leaders, off the hook. If there's any fault to be had, it can be spread around the organizers and guides who we're directing climbers, including Krakauer. Sandy was a strong athlete who deserved to be on Everest. I hope one day Krakauer the Complainer will revise his book and give Sandy her due.
I’m ambivalent to Pittman. Yes, she cheated on her husband on the expedition, she had a flair for extravagance, but I have to admit she was done dirty by Jon Krakauer. She wasn’t any more out of place on Everest than Krakauer. In fact, while krakauer was a skilled technical climber, he never was on such high altitudes, meanwhile Sandy had 6 out of 7 summits under her belt, and 2 previous Everest attempts, where she wisely descended when the conditions to summit weren’t good. Sandy’s mistake was going down to a village below base camp to dine with friends instead of resting the day before the ascent. But to be fair, that was also on Fischer, because he let his clients have a free rein during acclimatization period. Krakauer was quick to point out everything he thought everyone else has done wrong, and Sandy, and Anatoli were definitely vilified the most. Jon needed to take a good look at the mirror before pointing fingers at everyone else. I feel like he was bitter that Sandy belonged to a different social class than he was at the time. Anatoli was easy to vilify too, with Cold War still being fresh on everyone’s mind, Anatoli was still learning English, and Fischer, who could shed light on some of the decisions, was dead. Krakauer’s book was directly responsible for public negative perception of both Sandy, whose son was even bullied because of her role in the disaster, and Anatoli, who was painted as unprofessional, lazy guide. Jon’s goal was to make money off the disaster, he couldn’t care less about blaming others, as long as the book sell. He cherry picked facts to support his narrative, instead of building the narrative based on the facts.
It’s not cheating if you are separated, and even if she was really cheating, what on Earth does it have anything to do with her skills and ability on the mountain? Was she extravagant? Maybe, but that does not make her a bad person. I actually like her even more for that. Watch her interview if not done already. Krakauer is a real POS how he represented her. I think it hides a darker side, a deflection on what the public opinion would have focused on, him, had he not villified her and Boukreev.
Her husband married David Breashears' ex-wife. Think they both broke their vows. However, her sex life is irrelevant in the context of the events of May 10, 1996.
Sandy was mean-girl gossip catnip to the NYC media. She was already a socialite & high-society tabloid fixture. It let them cattily target a competitor- she was a former fashion editor. Plus, her presence allowed more than just the hard news to cover it, adding new angles & extending interest. Creating this storyline was irresistible to the media. They still do it & we still eat it up.
Unfortunately, this is true. And no one area more than politics and celebrities lives.. it's disgusting.. I don't believe more than half the stuff I read these days.
I read into thin air, and even then did not think it was all her fault. So many poor choices made by the leaders, along with many climbers. Beck Weathers was never called on on his choice, especially as he had eye surgery!
I don't remember Krakauer putting any blame on Pittman. He just described what saw. Pittman got a bit more coverage because more things happened around her (ie the stupid cappuccino machine saga) and because she was a journalist, like him. And he was left with the horrible thought that the accident might not have happened if one or both of them weren't there, with the result the team leaders might not have been competing so hard with each other.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt I think the mistake they both made - and paid with their lives for - was treating marketing as more important than safety...which they clearly may have done. If the key metric was how many of their clients summited, that would definitely change behavior I think. I still can't imagine why Hill was so fixated on getting Doug up there...and why he could not leave him when he should have. Bizarre.
It’s weird getting back into this story. This happened 10 days after my birth, and I actually first found out about it when I picked “into thin air” at random selection from a list, for a high school book report. I was captivated by this story as a student, and now 28 I am equally as fascinated. I had always taken into thin air at face value. This was a weird way to be reminded the importance of exploring the validity of well formed narratives.
I wonder if sexism was the only reason. Like obviously it played a huge part, but wonder if Krakauer maybe saw her as "undeserving" competition in the media landscape around Everest, especially considering he harps on about the equipment she brought. He went on a smear campaign to make sure nobody would listen to her and turn to his recountings instead and it worked for many years ...
I think he had contempt for her background, and the fact she was an apparent tourist. The impression I got from Sandy was that she used her money to buy whatever support she needed to get up those hills...rich people have a way of getting what they want, because they can buy it and overpay for it. Hill was also deeply ensconced in the tabloid press and scene of New York City - another thing a kid from Oregon was likely to find contemptible.
@@MarkCampanella-k9g I mean that's literally every single person who goes to Everest. You need 20-50k just to get there, and you pay for sherpas and guides and everything else. The vast majority of people on that mountain, even the most experienced still pay for the support of sherpas. And heaven forbid she 'overpay' those poor sods. I'm not defending rich folk, I think they're morally devoid in their own right, but it's comical how one set of priviledged folk (aka the others on that mountain), can point fingers at someone else.
Yes, last week I was "complaining" about the bingeability of these videos as well. One rainy weekend and I was through. Now I have to WAIT for each one.:(
Obviously I wasn't there. I've read extensively about this tragedy. How SP was singled out is beyond me. That Everest climb, was a disaster with lots of personalities and lots of decisions... some good and some not so good. Laying the blame on one person is total BS.
I used to be a grad student in oceanography. That coffee story reminds me of something I did on a research boat. I pre-ground some specialty coffee beans and brought an aeropress to make my own little "espresso" style coffee out on the Gulf of Mexico. One other woman on the trip said it was the best coffee ever'd ever tasted - not because it actually was, but because after a long day of working, simple pleasures are elevated to the extraordinary. Coffee is one of those simple pleasures for me that I wouldn't give up
Brilliant!! This is now my favorite UA-cam video of all time. I’ve been waiting for someone brave enough, if that’s the right word, to tell this truth in story form. I hope Sandy Hill sees this!! My little Internet crush on you/your content has intensified tenfold!
You really have a knack for this! You made excellent points about Krakauer. He seems to be very envious of Sandy, a woman, having her connections, direct contact to give live updates by phone or computer. She was way ahead of him and by the time he could get his story out it was old news. I also got riled up over the so called espresso machine! Watch all your video’s several times.
You were right! I really liked this video! As you have experienced it yourself: We live in the 21st century and women are still treated contemptuously, underestimated and discriminated. When I was a kid, I loved playing soccer and I played in a boy's team. I was good but when I played better than the boys, the focus was usually placed on the boys having a bad day rather than on a girl's good performance. I grew up in a rural area and it was very unusual for a girl playing soccer at that time. My parents supported me but my mum told me many years later that they had received a lot of bad feedback and criticsm from friends and relatives because they had let me play soccer with boys. That's not appropriate for a girl! This was in the late 80s. Since then, many things have changed, but it's still there, sexism in sport, in society, in business. How difficult and painful it must have been for Sandy to hear and read these untruths and accusations over and over again over these years.
@@adventuresgonewrong haha...I played hockey as well. However, not in an official team, just with the boys on the pond outside the village. Some years ago the company I work for organized a tournament and I played for my department. Only 3 women in total took part in the tournament and actually we were the most experienced ones in terms of playing. Most of the guys couldn't even stand on the ice, let alone play. It was fun to see that I haven't forgotten how to play yet 😁
To be honest, I don't know how more women aren't just terribly resentful and radically feminist. If I was treated like women are for the whole of human history, I would be so fucking livid and hateful. Lol. Kind of a credit to women everywhere that most aren't like that at all.
@@adventuresgonewrong sports, engineering, science, computers, business - I could go on. My own extended family told me point blank that they would not help learn about computers (this was the '90s) and I should go elsewhere if I wanted to know more (which I did).
It's nice to see some clap back against his narrative. The biggest giveaway is how many unnecessary details he included about her personal life, relationships, etc. in his book. It's giving hater vibes for sure.
It kinda sounds like he hit on her and she rejected him and his male ego didn't get over it. Why else would you be this resentful towards one specific person.
I highly doubt it. Krakauer was/is happily married, and if you read between the lines, he kinda held Sandy largely in contempt. He viewed her a tourist who didn't belong there. I'll leave that to others to decide, but I believe thinking that she rejected an advance from him is absurd.
This was awesome! Don't get me started on misogyny-I'll never stop. Thanks for shouting out Michael Tracy's channel. His video analyzing Fischer's South Summit photo is an excellent companion piece to this one. But yours is one of the best channels on UA-cam.✌🏼
Jon Krakauer didn't even pay for his place on the expedition! I loved Into the Wild, but I can't bring myself to read Into Thin Air. Sometimes I wonder if it's extreme survivors guilt but it seems like a combination of trauma, misogyny and also US prejudice against former USSR / Russians. Krakauer's attitude towards Anatoli is disgusting.
You're not missing out on anything, since a lot of Into Thin Air is straight-up fanfiction, with Krakauer himself as the Mary Sue protagonist. So much of that book is full-on lies and slander of other climbers, just to make himself look better. So much for journalistic integrity...
Maybe you should read it and make your own decision. He was a semi experienced climber and he just described what he saw. Nobody has seriously disagreed with any of what he said.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt That's not true. A lot of his accounts are easily disproven, too - in fact, the photos he includes in his own illustrated edition directly contradict a lot of his stories. Not that he acknowledges that, of course.
That chainsaw story! yup. A few years ago, my lawn mower broke so I sat on the front porch and took it apart to fix it. Every man in my cul-de-sac came over to offer to let me use his lawn mower and told me that I would not be able to fix mine (and not to take that personally, because they didn't know how to fix a lawn mower; it was just a hard thing and I needed to call a professional). I did, in fact, fix the lawnmower (I then blasted "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child, danced in the front yard, and when the song was over I mowed my lawn). I've also had a man try to tell me how to rebuild a toilet by inserting himself in a conversation he was not part of just to mansplain (he actually said "don't forget to turn off the water") and I finally snapped and pointed out that I've rebuilt at least three of them and I think I know to turn the water off thanks. Another time a neighbor thought I "got myself a man" after I bought a truck and became confused when no man ever appeared to drive the truck - instead, I drove the truck. Finally asked me about it and I replied "I got myself a horse. They're less work than a man." And OMFG, if one more man asks if he can talk to my husband ... I am not married and I bought and paid for my house and land by working my ass off. I am sure there are men who tell stories where I am the villain.
@@adventuresgonewrongAnother lady offgrid here. when i bought my chainsaw the sales guy told me to "be careful because this can cut you, you know??"🤦🏽♀️ i get comments like that regularly, thanks for sharing this, it does get a bit much sometimes.
This happens to me all the time too, especially when I'm upgrading my power tools. The fact is that when you live alone, you need to know how to fix things, and I happen to enjoy both fixing and building stuff. I worked my way through school in a steel foundry, as the only woman on the midnight maintenance crew back in the 90's, so you can imagine what that experience was like before I did a small display of basic self defense on a guy from a different crew who got too handsy. (I didn't get in trouble because he didn't want to admit that he'd had his nose broken by a 5', 100lb girl.) Got a bit more meat on me now, but the guys *still* haven't figured out that yes, I know exactly what blades I need for what saw, I know my fasteners inside out and backward, and I probably know the paints and adhesives far better than they ever will. Not to mention that I more or less rebuilt my girlfriend's toilet for her last week, because the maintenance guy in her building is useless! She says that a woman who will rebuild your toilet is a keeper, so wish me luck!
@@TonyNichols-uk7do You’ve completely missed the point. Women sharing their personal stories of sexism isn’t the same as saying all men are like that-it’s highlighting real experiences that happen to them. Denying these stories or brushing them off by calling them "sexist" is a lazy way to dismiss the fact that sexism exists. If you’re feeling defensive, maybe ask yourself why these stories hit a nerve, instead of assuming every woman is attacking all men. It’s about accountability, not blaming an entire gender. And don't come on here calling women liars. Your other comment has been removed.
Have to tell you how amazing I think you are. You are an inspiration to so many. The deep dive you take for the circumstances that have unfolded can be eye opening and I appreciate the care you take when you share. Honesty and Integrity is what you show and I am here for it! Keep it up, keep being amazing and educating those who try to turn that blind eye. Congrats to you!!!! To Sandy, I hope you know that not everyone will follow the masses and you have support!
Some self reflection? Given the evidence that he fabricated a bunch of lies to cover up his culpability in regard to Yasuko Namba's death, I think he needs something much harsher than that.
@@jrregan technicaly being responsible for somebody death - time has nothing to do, he still did it. He left her for death and just act like it's nothing.
Honestly based on the series that you did on this disaster my interpretation was that most of the blame lies in the expedition leaders who made seemingly numerous mistakes and decisions of very poor judgment for the sake of business success. But even then I feel like ultimately the risks were known by the climbers and ultimately they made their own decisions to go up there and to not call it quits when they should have
Thank you for another great video! Into Thin Air treated Sandy and Anatoli unfairly...always wondered what the basis was? I'm glad to see people speaking up for the two of them, even all these years later.
How did it treat either of them unfairly? He described what he saw, as a good journalist should. I haven't read the book for a long time but I don't remember him blaming Pittman. She did a few things that apparently upset some people, and he conveyed that information. As far as I remember, she was the most accomplished female climber across those two teams, but the altitude did get to her, as it can anyone. I don't think she was blamed for that.
The situation was tragic enough, did this man really need to invent a villain for this story? He lays it out like something out of a Dickens novel-the duplicitous rich woman terrorizing the plebes of Everest with her demands to carry an espresso machine everywhere so that she can drink cappuccino at the summit. I’m surprised he didn’t accuse her of needing oxygen tanks covered in gold leaf.
I have listened to your Everest 1996 so many times and will continue to because even though the subject matter is sad, I find your voice and story telling sooooo relaxing!! So annoying that Sandy had to go through this bulls**t after barely surviving something so horrific, but alas she is not the first and will certainly not be the last to have her story twisted into something lacking connection to reality. A good reminder to take everything you read and hear with a grain of salt, remain skeptical and understand that all humans have plenty of biases making it hard to see objective reality.
Thank you for returning to this story again. I have been watching Michael Tracey and I’m glad you’re also debunking all those false stories about Sandy. JK is the hero of his story and Sandy the convenient villain. He certainly made big bucks out of it but I’m glad people are finally exposing his lies.
Cappuccino Machine? That would be nothing these days - The last doc. I saw on Everest ~ l was blown away at all the unnecessary “crap” wz at camp ~ even a full size thick billiard table - not a little fold up kind ~ a massive 😅 pool table … at Everest … it’ll be interesting how Everest tourism will play out in the future
All that junk seems to be direct opposition to why most people climb mountains in the first. Isn't the point to get away and experience the solitude of nature? I've never climbed mountains, but I have backpacked and hiked. I'm sure hanging out at base camp for months gets boring, but maybe don't climb Everest if you can't live without a pool table for a month🤷🏼♀️
@@gigibythesea1133 my thoughts, too. Where I come from, you go hiking/climbing to get away from things, and that _definitely_ includes luxuries. I'm still baffled by people who run in the park with headphones on. Aren't you there to hear nature? I think these days too many people go out in nature to tick a bucket list item rather than to enjoy nature for its own sake.
@@adventuresgonewrong I don't want to impose, but I wonder if it would be interesting to do an episode on the junk up there? I first heard about it ages ago and it immediately gave me food for thought. Like, I wish someone organized a cleaning operation up there (and not just there, there's a lot of junk these days everywhere you go in nature).
I want to thank you for posting this too. I learned the truth - that Sandy HP was not responsible for the tragedy on Everest that day as Jon K and some others would like you to believe. For that very reason I would never buy JK's book. Sandy was climbing Everest as the seventh summit to reach her goal to climb the 7 summits. She had to be an awesome climber to reach this goal, in my opinion. Thank goodness the " coffee machine" rumor has been laid to rest too. Everything I saw or read mentioned that coffee machine. My thoughts were "so what". She paid someone to carry it so that is none of their business. Turns out that was not true either. There was no coffee machine. Way to go Sandy Hill Pittman! You survived a nightmare that is impossible to imagine. Hats off to those who are giving you credit for that! ❤ You earned it!
great point. There wouldn't have been an expedition in the first place without the people who could afford to pay or got enough sponsorship. JK himself only got part of his expenses paid and not by himself. I dislike the fact that this sport is so expensive but facts are facts.
@phoebehill953 people like to pretend this isn't the case but it is. Just like how all of our government assistance programs work. They can't handle the guilt.
The villain?? Definitely Krakauer. He tried to do the same thing to Anatoli - and he had NO room to talk! I never thought Sandy was a villain and I even learned some new info here that supports that. Thank-you for this great follow-up, it sets the record straight. So glad to see you're back. Side note: I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where there are plenty of very old abandoned hunting camps with awesome old outhouses. I spent years going all over the U.P. taking pictures of them. Some are no longer there. I love outhouses - they are a forgotten icon of the past that at one time everyone had to have - rich and poor! Many here who live off the grid still do. Cheers!
Thank you very much for your always great content presented in a captivating narration! You are always a delight to listen to! Also thank you very much for speaking up against the sexism and misogyny of this story and what women worldwide still have to deal with. I could tell quite a lot stories of my own. Regarding Sandy Pittman: her story has been repeated so often by men without any critical research. The last video painting her as an entitled and narcissistic socialite who was to be blamed for this tragedy came from Dr. Tod Grande here on YT. It made me so mad that he didn’t make any effort to check the facts or dig deeper. Unfortunately sexism and misogyny is everywhere on YT anyhow. I wish you the very best and hope your channel will continue to grow. You deserve it!
My experience with sat phones is they can work and then 5 mins later drop... then wait 5 mins and get signal again. Not sure if it's location of satellites in orbit or what 🤷♀️.
I always rush to watch your uploads, you’re the best! Thank you for talking about sexism in male-dominated spaces. I did my undergrad degree in a 90% male subject and the other girls and I often talked about how we had to be practically flawless to get the same respect that the guys got just for showing up.
I can't help it, I know we're supposed to be nice but to me, Krakauer is exactly the (German) sausage whose name he shares - the Wurst. Thank you for doing this and setting the record straight. And although I'm not the outdoorsy type I really love to listen to you, your storytelling is fantastic!
Sandy represented the opposite lifestyle that Krakauer had. His background informs his opinion of a rich lady. He was a poor guy who got lucky in his career path. She could buy into whatever she wanted....that said history has not been kind to his narrative. But it sold alot.
Krakauer was never a poor guy though. He’s originally from Brookline, MA and his jfamily were fairly well off. He is just one of those types who downplays this. The fact that he had a different style of wealth than Sandy gave him a cocky superiority complex. He’s unduly biased and was unfair in his sexist perspective, throwing Sandy under the bus, but he was never remotely at a disadvantage , which makes him even more of a hypocrite.
Love your channel so much! You can never do too much on the 1996 disaster and I enjoy your debunking of it! I’d truly love it if you could do a comparison of the movie “Everest” vs the reality of what happened. I’m sure that would involve a lot of work on your end but I am so curious to see what the movie got right and what it got wrong! Anyway thank you for all that you do and your fun commentary that makes me laugh along with in-depth analysis that I find so interesting 🤍
I absolutely love your videos. This is another powerful one! Krakauer is a sad self important little man. I thought he was obnoxious and self congratulatory by just reading Into the Wild, even before having heard any of this. Everything had to be about him. I agree with some of the other comments. He probably hit on Sandy, and her rejection made him act out like a child.
The way she said "would you like a cappuccino" is absolutely adorable. Like who could get mad at that! She was bringing good vibes and good coffee and I respect it lol
Excellent work! Fisher was sick and exhausted that day and there was an issue with ropes. There was a lot more going on. Krakauer wrote an excellent book about our local university's Long time ignoring of sexual crimes on campus. I appreciate these other perspectives on him.
Fantastic as usual. This chainsaw-wielding female really appreciates you setting the record straight! Sandy has been s gracious throughout all of this. Pure class.
@@adventuresgonewrong I wrote this comment before I got to the part where you mention his channel. Great! That must mean you are researching Mallory and Irvine expedition as well. Looking forward to that ;)
THANK YOU for directing people to Michael Tracy's channel! Ive been trying to send people that way for a while. Hes got a very good series on Mallory and Irvin too.
You and Everest Mysteries have done a great job getting to the truth and spreading it. Im currently studying Into thin Air, The Climb, and Left for Dead and it’s tragic and interesting. Beck Weathers is my favorite.
One word misogyny! There is people to blame 2 men who ran the expeditions poorly and were more concerned with marketing then the safety of their clients.
There’s so many angles here that are misogynistic or sexist. Those who don’t see it simply have no clue, refuse to see it and/or definitely have never experienced it.
Thanks for this stacie! Would you ever discuss the Meru film? I was a big Jimmy Chin / Jon Krakauer fan prior to seeing it and how they treated Renan and spoke about enabling Conrad (who always happens to be at the scene of some heinous crime, whether it be the death of his old climbing partner and marrying his wife or coercing renan in a vegetative state that he needed to climb again with a 100% guarantee of stroke on the summit journey) was super jarring to me. That plus the truth about Sandy has really changed my perspective on some of these people I used to really admire and it’s so helpful to hear another woman calling it out.
I read both Into Thin Air and the Boukreev book not terribly long after they each came out. I honestly do not remember Sandy Pittman even being a prominent character in either of them. These books did instill in me a fascination about why people even want to put their bodies through a climb like this! It is not a question of whether you will suffer from HAPE or HASE but whether it will kill you. I have not watched your video yet, but I wanted to put this here before my feelings are changed by your video!
One of the best things about this video is the other women sharing their very personal stories around experiencing sexism. And no shocker, it also brought the misogynists out of the woodwork who try really hard to invalidate our experiences. But don't worry, they're not welcome here and immediately blocked.
The rest of you, feel free to keep sharing, this is a safe space! I got your back! 👊🏼
Pro tip - if women sharing these experiences makes you defensive, maybe ask yourself why these stories hit a nerve. It says more about you than our collective stories.
If you haven't seen the first video on Sandy Hill, here it is: ua-cam.com/video/bQTkGIpNKaM/v-deo.html
Beware the easy path mentality of labeling injustices as "isms." The victim mentality is a crutch that divides.
Differing perspectives on the same situation are routine. See the Kurosawa movie Rashomon.
I have been enjoying your videos. Excellent work and research.
I am a man and I have always taken risks in the mountains (not at altitude, but hiking and skiing Mount Wahington in NH, down death gullys :D ) ... too old for that now :\
I have always taken Krakauer with a grain of salt, Sensationalist is pretty obvious. Now we see sexist too.
Can "Chump" be spelled with a 'K' and still work? Kchump. Yep it works lol
Death Gully = Dodge's Drop. The gully is 4 meters wide at the top, narrowing to 2 meters at its steepest points. Always icy because snow won't stick to that incline with the constant winds. Rocks on both sides are sharp and angular, like knives. One slip and its not going to be good. Anyone who does this gully more than one time is a real fool. Been there, done that lol
I am the same age as Jon Krakauer, and I was death defying in the mountains while he was making a career with "Outside" mag back then. None of us took him seriously back then, a guy with a camera and a mc sitting down on the lunch rocks lol
@nicktaylor3747 It's incredibly naive to think that just because you personally only saw a few comments, the issue isn't widespread. I've had to delete tons of sexist, offensive comments and I don't allow attacks on women sharing their stories, period.
Women sharing their stories about sexism isn't "making a mountain out of a molehill" - it's about creating a space where they can talk without being silenced or ignored. Dismissing it like you did just proves my point.
The gag is: Krakauer didn't pay a dime to climb Everest in 1996. Outdoor Magazine paid his climbing fee to the Nepalese government and Rob Hall absorbed the entire cost of him climbing. That's why his slant towards painting Hall in a good light is the way it is. Also, Krakauer abandoned Yasuko Namba on the descent below the balcony once the storm hit. Groom sent them down together bc she was climbing that well. He got back to his tent at 7pm. Yasuko never made it down.
Well, what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't help Yasuko. Up there, you can't just carry someone down if they're unable to walk and you're struggling to survive too.
@@lelisbet Yasuko needed guidance, not the kind pf phsycial help you are implying. When they left together she was descending well. Krakauer was a good climber and well versed with the route. At some point he left her. Imagine the psychological devastation on her shoulders, being insecure about the route, in a blizzard.
@@lelisbet and how can you assume she needed that kind of help? They were both well when Groom let them two together. No one should stand alone. Why did he leave. He writes about so many things, like coffee machines and faxes and ropes. why not about this?He did not say. Is it not strange?
@@Clanner666 you're totally wrong. She had a terrible physical conditioning. Beyond terrible. Yasuko took 1:30 just to pass Hillary Step. She was a disaster
The more i look at the 96 disaster the worse Krakauer looks. Some people just have bad spirit and he seems to be one
You’d think it can’t get any worse than what he did to Sandy, but there is a decent chance that he straight up abandoned Yasuko Namba on the descent and that if he hadn’t she could have survived. We can never know whether Michael Groom or Krakauer was more accurate in their books but knowing what we know now about Krakauer I tend to believe Grooms account more
For me the two people that deserve more critiquing are Rob Hall & Beck Weathers.
Beck admits in the movie Storm Over Everest that he refused Rob’s offer to have 2 Sherpa help him down to camp 4.
Rob ignored his own turn around time and he persuaded Doug Hanson to continue when Doug informed Rob he was too ill to continue beyond camp 3.
@@treehugger496 Hall definitely deserves more critiquing and less hero worship.
You are SO right ; this Krakaur looks like a lier and a despisfull individual.
@@benjaminwaters241, he also put a lot of undeserved blame on Boukreev as well even though there is a radio interview with Fischer saying that Boukreev will be climbing without oxygen.
Quite an interesting and well-researched video. Thank you. The first book I read about the Everest tragedy was Krakauer's and I initially accepted his criticism of Pittman. That all changed for me over time as I read many different accounts of this tragedy from others in the expedition including guides, other teams who were there, and others. I finally came to see Pittman in an altogether positive light.
I so identified with your story about you going to pick up your chainsaw. Years ago I researched tirelessly in preparation for buying my first brand new car. I took my Dad along with me to the dealership for support. I had a list of questions about the model car I was most interested in. As I asked my first question, I still remember the salesman saying to me: "Honey, don't worry your pretty little head about what you need in a new car. Your Dad and I will fix you up." I was so grateful when my Dad said: "My daughter is the one buying a car, not me. Please answer her questions or we will find another car dealer."
your dads a badass
I’d happily listen to anything you want to educate us about. You’re an amazing orator and storyteller. Thankyou. From a disabled wheelchair bound girl in Lancashire in England, UK.
❤👋
I agree! This is one of my favorite channels.
I too, am in a wheelchair. I love these stories, and to dream of being at BaseCamp.
Sadly, a lot of people were only too happy to buy into the narrative put forth in Into Thin Air, that Sandy Hill Pittman and, to a slightly lesser degree, Anatoli Boukreev, were the villains of the story. That distortion of reality was a lot easier to swallow than the truth: that Rob Hall and Scott Fisher were to blame for the deaths on the mountain during that awful event.
Into Thin Air also did a horrible disservice to Andy Harris, who heroically went up the mountain and tried to save Rob Hall and Doug Hansen at a time when everyone else, including Jon Krakauer, cared only about getting down the mountain and saving their own lives, which is actually perfectly understandable. What's not understandable is Jon Krakauer not giving Andy Harris his due.
It's a shame that Into Thin Air became the definitive account of the 1996 disaster, because it presents such a skewed, one-sided, self-glorifying version of the story.
Well Said 🎯👍
You must have read a different book. I never got the impression Krakauer thought Pittman or Boukreev were the villains of the story. Maybe read it again? Maybe also consider what your opinion would be if Beidleman had NOT made it back to Camp 4 that night.
Is there a better book to read about this topic instead of into thin air? I was thinking about reading it, but now I'm wondering if it is worth reading.
always read books
I didn't get the impression that he was down on Andy Harris at all. Boukreev a little bit, but he was also a guide. He questiones the whole phenomenon of guided climbs and the crowded mountain. Fair enough! Look at it now😢
The worst part of this is that Mike Groom sent Yasiko down with Krakauer and at some point Krakauer made it back to the tents and Yasiko was found sitting in the snow - almost like she had been abandoned. But Sandy is the bad guy in this story…. Riiiiiiiight.
I read the book as a teenage girl and while I really enjoyed it, I was also struck by how 'I'm not like the other girls,' he portrayed himself. I always thought Krakauer figured out very early that he should not have been there, that he didn't have the experience, and his position as a journalist was not popular with some of his fellow climbers, who rightly felt like they were under scrutiny that they had never signed up for.
I also think that both group leaders, Hall and Fischer, made bad choices at least partly because they were both well aware that their actions and potential failures were going to go global. Krakauer's best chance of playing the 'I'm a SERIOUS journalist here for SERIOUS reasons' card was to distance himself as much as possible from Pitman. She was a rich, flightly, New York socialite, playing at being a mountain climber, so all her equipment was a waste and a burden. He was different. He deserved to be there. He deserved the free ride he got from his magazine. He deserved to be taken seriously. Despite having a similar job to do, and less high altitude experience, he was a man's man reporting on men's things. She... Liked cappuccinos.
The bottom line is the neglect of the leaders, who didn't adhere to their own rules.
Too true. Even if Pittman or any other climber's actions were putting the expedition in danger it's still the leaders responsibility to control the situation.
What’s so annoying is just how many other videos, channels and publications can’t be bothered to do even 5% of the research you’ve done for this video.
Thank you so much for this upload. And hello, again 😊
I go on lots of camping and hiking and backcountry ski adventures. I wouldn't criticize someone for bringing an espresso or cappuccino device. In fact, I'd encourage it!
Same! I’d be like “hey sandy can I have some coffee please’ 😅
My cousin and I aren't tough backcountry trackers like y'all, just camp at state parks, but she brings her Keurig lol! We get such looks as we use it at the plugs in the restroom but other people appreciate the effort lol! It's important to start the day in a way that makes you feel like yourself.
Little luxuries can make a big difference in morale when you're living rough in the wilderness. I'm in favor of good coffee, chocolate, or whatever other reasonable treat will give you a boost.
Oh yes! Set the record straight! I love to see it. Krakauer was a lying POS who left two people for dead, yet tried to shift his own guilt onto others. He lied about Anatoli too.
Do you think that’s what Beck Wethers meant when he said people showed their true selves on that day?
What did he lie about?
@@christinasibley2791I think so. He was unhappy about what happened to Yasuko.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt that he was asked to help Yasuko back to camp 4. its a thought if Yasuko had the help she would have lived. However for whatever reason he left her behind as he climbed down. This was shortly before the storm hit. Also there were other details that were incorrect, this is based on multiple survivors saying x was or wasnt true vs how he worded it.
@MsMollieh I'll check out Michael Tracy. I've read and listened to Into Thin Air about four times. I liked Jon reading the audio book. Cheers.
It's high time Krakauer's book gets moved to the fiction section.
Ahahaha! NICE.
Why? He didn't actually beat anyone but himself up.
The real villain was the mountain. Always is. And I'm sorry, had the leaders stuck to their hard 2 pm turn around, none of this would have happened.
@@upsidedown1972
Absolutely 💯.
Nicely said.
🙄 Um...no. It's a first hand account of what happened and 99.99% of what he wrote was accurate. Perhaps some meaningless details weren't 100% but when your body is in the process of asphyxiating and freezing you'd forget small, meaningless details as well. That doesn't negate anything he wrote.
@@astoriacubMr. Krakauer's book is a cautionary tale.
There will always be; a class system.
narcissistic persons.
opportunities to place yourself under weak leadership.
It's your life to do with as you will. This book helped me to make better decisions particularly in situations with grave consequences for poor judgment.
I think David Breashears’ Storm over Everest, released in 2008, is easily one of the best retellings of what happened on the Nepal side of Mt. Everest in the ‘96 disaster. It’s freely available on UA-cam, and is an absolute, must watch, and though brief because it’s telling the story from so many different perspectives: clients, guides, and Sherpa from Hall and Fischer’s expeditions, it’s much more fair and accurate towards Sandy; her motivations for being there, what exactly happened with her while descending from the summit, and how she’s always felt about it to this day. In it, Sandy doesn’t hesitate to credit and thank guide Neal Beidleman for helping her get back down, fellow client Charlotte Fox for injecting her with dexamethasone after she collapsed on descent, and lastly and most warm heartedly, the late Anatoli Boukreev for keeping his promise to return for her on the South Col at the height of the deadly storm that nearly killed them all.
if John Krauker has no haters i’m dead. Between his treatment of Sandy and him publishing Rob Hall’s final call with his wife, he is despicable
Hall's wife has been pretty open in interviews about that call - including right afterward. I saw one just the other day on a tabloid show from the day...
5:54 why was he so obsessed. Lmao did he hit in her and she reject him?
It is almost like an obsession. It's like enough already Krakauer, we get it. You hate her.
That’s what I was going to comment!! He’s mad because he likes her and he can’t get her!
I wondered that too. She is a looker.
@@adrieneceleste maybe he got jealous of her wealth
It's the worst 'crime' a woman can do isn't it? He seems obsessed with her normal, decent relationship "offending" the gods and directly provoking the storm. C'mon man!!
That story about picking up your chainsaw is so real. My cousin has a PhD in computer science and teaches it at a university, but when she went computer shopping with her husband the worker would talk to her husband instead of her even though he is kind of clueless about computers.
That’s so infuriating. Sadly it’s so common. I have 20 more stories like the chainsaw one.
@@adventuresgonewrong :( That must be really frustrating. Also, you asked in the video if we'd want a part three to Sandy Hill and I definitely would!
My husband and I have PhDs from the same university. His alumni mail comes addressed to Dr. His Name and mine comes addressed to Ms. My Name. If I can’t even get the same level of respect as my husband does from the university that awarded me a doctorate, there’s no hope of getting it from the rest of the world.
I drove the big old truck my husband usually drives to work one day. An older man came in the office and said oh, there must be a workman here; that truck's been here all day. I asked him if he was talking about the F150 out there, and he said he was. I told him that truck was mine, and got the funniest look. Yes, sometimes the secretary drives a work truck.
@@goingcrazeeI had sort of an opposite funny experience at work years ago. On a break I took out a small crochet project I was working on, and my coworker -- kind of a grumpy, no-nonsense old guy -- said "you're lucky. I can't take my hobby to work!" I assumed he meant woodworking maybe, but it turned out he was a quilter 😅
I reached out to Sandy to ask her a question. I am a complete stranger to her. She was very kind, friendly & gracious. At that point, I started digging more into the story and came to the conclusion that she is not the villain many claimed.
so glad you’re covering this, can’t think of a better person to tell this story how it needs to be told.
Appreciate that!
@@adventuresgonewrong No kidding, you are one of my favorite youtubers now because of your fairness and unique perspective.
@@melindahajdin I agree!
@@adventuresgonewrong I just discovered your channel with this video, and I'm hooked and subbed! You really get it.
SERIOUSLY! …Finally an opinion I trust!
Thank you for taking up the banner for Sandy. I read Krakauers book and thought he was rather critical of Sandy and let other people, like the team leaders, off the hook. If there's any fault to be had, it can be spread around the organizers and guides who we're directing climbers, including Krakauer. Sandy was a strong athlete who deserved to be on Everest. I hope one day Krakauer the Complainer will revise his book and give Sandy her due.
👍 yes, I agree.
agree with your sentiments, but wouldn't hold my breath about the last sentence.
I’m ambivalent to Pittman. Yes, she cheated on her husband on the expedition, she had a flair for extravagance, but I have to admit she was done dirty by Jon Krakauer. She wasn’t any more out of place on Everest than Krakauer. In fact, while krakauer was a skilled technical climber, he never was on such high altitudes, meanwhile Sandy had 6 out of 7 summits under her belt, and 2 previous Everest attempts, where she wisely descended when the conditions to summit weren’t good. Sandy’s mistake was going down to a village below base camp to dine with friends instead of resting the day before the ascent. But to be fair, that was also on Fischer, because he let his clients have a free rein during acclimatization period.
Krakauer was quick to point out everything he thought everyone else has done wrong, and Sandy, and Anatoli were definitely vilified the most. Jon needed to take a good look at the mirror before pointing fingers at everyone else. I feel like he was bitter that Sandy belonged to a different social class than he was at the time. Anatoli was easy to vilify too, with Cold War still being fresh on everyone’s mind, Anatoli was still learning English, and Fischer, who could shed light on some of the decisions, was dead.
Krakauer’s book was directly responsible for public negative perception of both Sandy, whose son was even bullied because of her role in the disaster, and Anatoli, who was painted as unprofessional, lazy guide. Jon’s goal was to make money off the disaster, he couldn’t care less about blaming others, as long as the book sell. He cherry picked facts to support his narrative, instead of building the narrative based on the facts.
You nailed it.
My thoughts exactly. There was some truth between all the stories.
It’s not cheating if you are separated, and even if she was really cheating, what on Earth does it have anything to do with her skills and ability on the mountain? Was she extravagant? Maybe, but that does not make her a bad person. I actually like her even more for that. Watch her interview if not done already. Krakauer is a real POS how he represented her. I think it hides a darker side, a deflection on what the public opinion would have focused on, him, had he not villified her and Boukreev.
she was long divorced from her husband by the time she went to Everest,.
Her husband married David Breashears' ex-wife. Think they both broke their vows. However, her sex life is irrelevant in the context of the events of May 10, 1996.
Sandy was mean-girl gossip catnip to the NYC media. She was already a socialite & high-society tabloid fixture. It let them cattily target a competitor- she was a former fashion editor. Plus, her presence allowed more than just the hard news to cover it, adding new angles & extending interest.
Creating this storyline was irresistible to the media. They still do it & we still eat it up.
Great comment. I think Krakauer was probably told to play up the tabloid nature of Sandy's presence to sell books. It may have worked.
Unfortunately, this is true. And no one area more than politics and celebrities lives.. it's disgusting.. I don't believe more than half the stuff I read these days.
I read into thin air, and even then did not think it was all her fault. So many poor choices made by the leaders, along with many climbers. Beck Weathers was never called on on his choice, especially as he had eye surgery!
I don't remember Krakauer putting any blame on Pittman. He just described what saw. Pittman got a bit more coverage because more things happened around her (ie the stupid cappuccino machine saga) and because she was a journalist, like him. And he was left with the horrible thought that the accident might not have happened if one or both of them weren't there, with the result the team leaders might not have been competing so hard with each other.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt I think the mistake they both made - and paid with their lives for - was treating marketing as more important than safety...which they clearly may have done. If the key metric was how many of their clients summited, that would definitely change behavior I think. I still can't imagine why Hill was so fixated on getting Doug up there...and why he could not leave him when he should have. Bizarre.
Once Krakauer started bandying lies about over this Everest disaster in his book _Into Thin Air_ , all bets were off.
It’s weird getting back into this story. This happened 10 days after my birth, and I actually first found out about it when I picked “into thin air” at random selection from a list, for a high school book report.
I was captivated by this story as a student, and now 28 I am equally as fascinated. I had always taken into thin air at face value.
This was a weird way to be reminded the importance of exploring the validity of well formed narratives.
and he had the audacity to complain that the Everest movie was based on Boukreev's book and not his. Sorry Krak, not following your lies this time
I wonder if sexism was the only reason. Like obviously it played a huge part, but wonder if Krakauer maybe saw her as "undeserving" competition in the media landscape around Everest, especially considering he harps on about the equipment she brought. He went on a smear campaign to make sure nobody would listen to her and turn to his recountings instead and it worked for many years ...
Oooh that's a good point
I think he had contempt for her background, and the fact she was an apparent tourist. The impression I got from Sandy was that she used her money to buy whatever support she needed to get up those hills...rich people have a way of getting what they want, because they can buy it and overpay for it. Hill was also deeply ensconced in the tabloid press and scene of New York City - another thing a kid from Oregon was likely to find contemptible.
@@MarkCampanella-k9g I mean that's literally every single person who goes to Everest. You need 20-50k just to get there, and you pay for sherpas and guides and everything else. The vast majority of people on that mountain, even the most experienced still pay for the support of sherpas. And heaven forbid she 'overpay' those poor sods.
I'm not defending rich folk, I think they're morally devoid in their own right, but it's comical how one set of priviledged folk (aka the others on that mountain), can point fingers at someone else.
I've been binge watching your videos recently. You're a great storyteller.
Thanks so much!
She really is!
Yes, totally agree. My only gripe is that she doesn’t put out enough videos, 😂 but then, it makes me look forward to them even more 😂👏👏👏
This is a no frills, no nonsense, well narrated channel. That’s exactly what I like. Keep ‘m coming.
Yes, last week I was "complaining" about the bingeability of these videos as well. One rainy weekend and I was through. Now I have to WAIT for each one.:(
Obviously I wasn't there.
I've read extensively about this tragedy. How SP was singled out is beyond me.
That Everest climb, was a disaster with lots of personalities and lots of decisions... some good and some not so good.
Laying the blame on one person is total BS.
I used to be a grad student in oceanography. That coffee story reminds me of something I did on a research boat. I pre-ground some specialty coffee beans and brought an aeropress to make my own little "espresso" style coffee out on the Gulf of Mexico. One other woman on the trip said it was the best coffee ever'd ever tasted - not because it actually was, but because after a long day of working, simple pleasures are elevated to the extraordinary. Coffee is one of those simple pleasures for me that I wouldn't give up
Brilliant!! This is now my favorite UA-cam video of all time. I’ve been waiting for someone brave enough, if that’s the right word, to tell this truth in story form. I hope Sandy Hill sees this!! My little Internet crush on you/your content has intensified tenfold!
I am so here for this!!!! Thank you for explicitly talking about misogyny.
Misandry exists as well.
You really have a knack for this! You made excellent points about Krakauer. He seems to be very envious of Sandy, a woman, having her connections, direct contact to give live updates by phone or computer. She was way ahead of him and by the time he could get his story out it was old news. I also got riled up over the so called espresso machine! Watch all your video’s several times.
Happy to see a new video!
You were right! I really liked this video! As you have experienced it yourself: We live in the 21st century and women are still treated contemptuously, underestimated and discriminated. When I was a kid, I loved playing soccer and I played in a boy's team. I was good but when I played better than the boys, the focus was usually placed on the boys having a bad day rather than on a girl's good performance. I grew up in a rural area and it was very unusual for a girl playing soccer at that time. My parents supported me but my mum told me many years later that they had received a lot of bad feedback and criticsm from friends and relatives because they had let me play soccer with boys. That's not appropriate for a girl! This was in the late 80s. Since then, many things have changed, but it's still there, sexism in sport, in society, in business.
How difficult and painful it must have been for Sandy to hear and read these untruths and accusations over and over again over these years.
I can relate to that! As a kid, I played hockey in an all boys team. How many of us were totally turned off of sports because of this. Its sad.
@@adventuresgonewrong haha...I played hockey as well. However, not in an official team, just with the boys on the pond outside the village. Some years ago the company I work for organized a tournament and I played for my department. Only 3 women in total took part in the tournament and actually we were the most experienced ones in terms of playing. Most of the guys couldn't even stand on the ice, let alone play. It was fun to see that I haven't forgotten how to play yet 😁
To be honest, I don't know how more women aren't just terribly resentful and radically feminist. If I was treated like women are for the whole of human history, I would be so fucking livid and hateful. Lol. Kind of a credit to women everywhere that most aren't like that at all.
@@adventuresgonewrong sports, engineering, science, computers, business - I could go on. My own extended family told me point blank that they would not help learn about computers (this was the '90s) and I should go elsewhere if I wanted to know more (which I did).
@@ursuladirnberger❤👍
It's nice to see some clap back against his narrative. The biggest giveaway is how many unnecessary details he included about her personal life, relationships, etc. in his book. It's giving hater vibes for sure.
It kinda sounds like he hit on her and she rejected him and his male ego didn't get over it. Why else would you be this resentful towards one specific person.
Could be spot on there.
I never thought of that, but you could be right. Certainly a possibility!
Envy and money
I wondered this too- or even was just attracted to her, or she was better prepared and more experienced. There was something he just couldn’t handle.
I highly doubt it. Krakauer was/is happily married, and if you read between the lines, he kinda held Sandy largely in contempt. He viewed her a tourist who didn't belong there. I'll leave that to others to decide, but I believe thinking that she rejected an advance from him is absurd.
This was awesome! Don't get me started on misogyny-I'll never stop. Thanks for shouting out Michael Tracy's channel. His video analyzing Fischer's South Summit photo is an excellent companion piece to this one. But yours is one of the best channels on UA-cam.✌🏼
Jon Krakauer didn't even pay for his place on the expedition!
I loved Into the Wild, but I can't bring myself to read Into Thin Air. Sometimes I wonder if it's extreme survivors guilt but it seems like a combination of trauma, misogyny and also US prejudice against former USSR / Russians. Krakauer's attitude towards Anatoli is disgusting.
You're not missing out on anything, since a lot of Into Thin Air is straight-up fanfiction, with Krakauer himself as the Mary Sue protagonist. So much of that book is full-on lies and slander of other climbers, just to make himself look better. So much for journalistic integrity...
Maybe you should read it and make your own decision. He was a semi experienced climber and he just described what he saw. Nobody has seriously disagreed with any of what he said.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt "Nobody has seriously disagreed..." lol.
@@JohnSmith-ux3tt That's not true. A lot of his accounts are easily disproven, too - in fact, the photos he includes in his own illustrated edition directly contradict a lot of his stories. Not that he acknowledges that, of course.
I really enjoy Jon's outdoor writing and I think Into the Wild is great, so it sucks so much that his personal account of Into Thin Air is so biased.
That chainsaw story! yup. A few years ago, my lawn mower broke so I sat on the front porch and took it apart to fix it. Every man in my cul-de-sac came over to offer to let me use his lawn mower and told me that I would not be able to fix mine (and not to take that personally, because they didn't know how to fix a lawn mower; it was just a hard thing and I needed to call a professional). I did, in fact, fix the lawnmower (I then blasted "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child, danced in the front yard, and when the song was over I mowed my lawn). I've also had a man try to tell me how to rebuild a toilet by inserting himself in a conversation he was not part of just to mansplain (he actually said "don't forget to turn off the water") and I finally snapped and pointed out that I've rebuilt at least three of them and I think I know to turn the water off thanks. Another time a neighbor thought I "got myself a man" after I bought a truck and became confused when no man ever appeared to drive the truck - instead, I drove the truck. Finally asked me about it and I replied "I got myself a horse. They're less work than a man." And OMFG, if one more man asks if he can talk to my husband ... I am not married and I bought and paid for my house and land by working my ass off. I am sure there are men who tell stories where I am the villain.
Ugh! We all have so many of these stories! I built my place too and experience sexism with everything from plumbing to carpentry to you name it. 😡
@@adventuresgonewrongAnother lady offgrid here. when i bought my chainsaw the sales guy told me to "be careful because this can cut you, you know??"🤦🏽♀️ i get comments like that regularly, thanks for sharing this, it does get a bit much sometimes.
This happens to me all the time too, especially when I'm upgrading my power tools. The fact is that when you live alone, you need to know how to fix things, and I happen to enjoy both fixing and building stuff. I worked my way through school in a steel foundry, as the only woman on the midnight maintenance crew back in the 90's, so you can imagine what that experience was like before I did a small display of basic self defense on a guy from a different crew who got too handsy. (I didn't get in trouble because he didn't want to admit that he'd had his nose broken by a 5', 100lb girl.) Got a bit more meat on me now, but the guys *still* haven't figured out that yes, I know exactly what blades I need for what saw, I know my fasteners inside out and backward, and I probably know the paints and adhesives far better than they ever will. Not to mention that I more or less rebuilt my girlfriend's toilet for her last week, because the maintenance guy in her building is useless! She says that a woman who will rebuild your toilet is a keeper, so wish me luck!
I hear you!
@@TonyNichols-uk7do You’ve completely missed the point. Women sharing their personal stories of sexism isn’t the same as saying all men are like that-it’s highlighting real experiences that happen to them. Denying these stories or brushing them off by calling them "sexist" is a lazy way to dismiss the fact that sexism exists. If you’re feeling defensive, maybe ask yourself why these stories hit a nerve, instead of assuming every woman is attacking all men. It’s about accountability, not blaming an entire gender.
And don't come on here calling women liars. Your other comment has been removed.
Thank you so much for doing this! I'm so glad to have found your channel! :)
Have to tell you how amazing I think you are. You are an inspiration to so many.
The deep dive you take for the circumstances that have unfolded can be eye opening and I appreciate the care you take when you share.
Honesty and Integrity is what you show and I am here for it!
Keep it up, keep being amazing and educating those who try to turn that blind eye. Congrats to you!!!!
To Sandy, I hope you know that not everyone will follow the masses and you have support!
I make my coffee the same way Sandy did. No big espresso machine here.
Another great video. Its great to see Sandy getting her side told.
Respect to Sandy , Krakauer really needs some self reflection.
Some self reflection? Given the evidence that he fabricated a bunch of lies to cover up his culpability in regard to Yasuko Namba's death, I think he needs something much harsher than that.
@@jrregan technicaly being responsible for somebody death - time has nothing to do, he still did it. He left her for death and just act like it's nothing.
Love how the dogs are trying their best to stay awake throughout your narration.
They’re so bored of my stories 😂
Hey, thanks for reminding me I need to go cut firewood.
haha me too! That's my big job this weekend. Or I'll freeze this winter.😂
@@adventuresgonewrong same. My wood burning stove is my only source of heat.
Honestly based on the series that you did on this disaster my interpretation was that most of the blame lies in the expedition leaders who made seemingly numerous mistakes and decisions of very poor judgment for the sake of business success. But even then I feel like ultimately the risks were known by the climbers and ultimately they made their own decisions to go up there and to not call it quits when they should have
Thanks for telling her story truthfully and respectfully. And with that touch of occasional snark aimed at Krakauer. Perfect.
Thank you for another great video! Into Thin Air treated Sandy and Anatoli unfairly...always wondered what the basis was? I'm glad to see people speaking up for the two of them, even all these years later.
How did it treat either of them unfairly? He described what he saw, as a good journalist should. I haven't read the book for a long time but I don't remember him blaming Pittman. She did a few things that apparently upset some people, and he conveyed that information. As far as I remember, she was the most accomplished female climber across those two teams, but the altitude did get to her, as it can anyone. I don't think she was blamed for that.
@@JohnSmith-ux3ttHe literally said she angered the mountain goddess but no blame...😂
I have a feeling the treatment of Boukreev had to do with the cold war hatred between the US and USSR.
I am genuinely so happy to hear this put right in a video, with a wealth of research and in your typical calm demeanor.
Thank you.
Great video. Found your channel through Michael Tracy, y’all are making amazing videos about the 1996 disaster.
The situation was tragic enough, did this man really need to invent a villain for this story? He lays it out like something out of a Dickens novel-the duplicitous rich woman terrorizing the plebes of Everest with her demands to carry an espresso machine everywhere so that she can drink cappuccino at the summit. I’m surprised he didn’t accuse her of needing oxygen tanks covered in gold leaf.
I read Into Thin Air some time ago. I wasn't that far into the book before I switched from treating the author as a journalist to a biased participant
5 star story telling here. Maybe a book of compiled stories is next? Thank you on this one - this story needed you.
That's an interesting topic and you seem to find really rare interviews and accounts of what happened. A part 3 would be cool.
I have listened to your Everest 1996 so many times and will continue to because even though the subject matter is sad, I find your voice and story telling sooooo relaxing!! So annoying that Sandy had to go through this bulls**t after barely surviving something so horrific, but alas she is not the first and will certainly not be the last to have her story twisted into something lacking connection to reality. A good reminder to take everything you read and hear with a grain of salt, remain skeptical and understand that all humans have plenty of biases making it hard to see objective reality.
Thank you for returning to this story again. I have been watching Michael Tracey and I’m glad you’re also debunking all those false stories about Sandy. JK is the hero of his story and Sandy the convenient villain. He certainly made big bucks out of it but I’m glad people are finally exposing his lies.
I looked and I can't find the 'Outhouses of the Yukon Tour' anywhere. 😅
Great job on this series by the way.
Cappuccino Machine? That would be nothing these days - The last doc. I saw on Everest ~ l was blown away at all the unnecessary “crap” wz at camp ~ even a full size thick billiard table - not a little fold up kind ~ a massive 😅 pool table … at Everest … it’ll be interesting how Everest tourism will play out in the future
SO much unnecessary stuff, I don't think people even realize what ridiculous stuff gets hauled up there.
Soon, you can go glamping for triple the money.
All that junk seems to be direct opposition to why most people climb mountains in the first. Isn't the point to get away and experience the solitude of nature? I've never climbed mountains, but I have backpacked and hiked. I'm sure hanging out at base camp for months gets boring, but maybe don't climb Everest if you can't live without a pool table for a month🤷🏼♀️
@@gigibythesea1133 my thoughts, too. Where I come from, you go hiking/climbing to get away from things, and that _definitely_ includes luxuries. I'm still baffled by people who run in the park with headphones on. Aren't you there to hear nature? I think these days too many people go out in nature to tick a bucket list item rather than to enjoy nature for its own sake.
@@adventuresgonewrong I don't want to impose, but I wonder if it would be interesting to do an episode on the junk up there? I first heard about it ages ago and it immediately gave me food for thought. Like, I wish someone organized a cleaning operation up there (and not just there, there's a lot of junk these days everywhere you go in nature).
Sandy was one of the early Influencer Citizen Journalist. Just imagine if this incident happened in the age of UA-cam and instant reporting.
Excellent job. Thanks for setting the record straight on Sandy. You are my favorite chainsaw wielding storyteller.
That’s the best compliment ever on this channel 🤣
Thank You! Your good research, commentary, and emphatic analysis were necessary and IMPORTANT for many of us.
I want to thank you for posting this too. I learned the truth - that Sandy HP was not responsible for the tragedy on Everest that day as Jon K and some others would like you to believe. For that very reason I would never buy JK's book. Sandy was climbing Everest as the seventh summit to reach her goal to climb the 7 summits. She had to be an awesome climber to reach this goal, in my opinion. Thank goodness the " coffee machine" rumor has been laid to rest too. Everything I saw or read mentioned that coffee machine. My thoughts were "so what". She paid someone to carry it so that is none of their business. Turns out that was not true either. There was no coffee machine.
Way to go Sandy Hill Pittman! You survived a nightmare that is impossible to imagine. Hats off to those who are giving you credit for that! ❤ You earned it!
Didn’t the people who paid full price subsidize the people on that trip who didn’t?
great point. There wouldn't have been an expedition in the first place without the people who could afford to pay or got enough sponsorship. JK himself only got part of his expenses paid and not by himself. I dislike the fact that this sport is so expensive but facts are facts.
@phoebehill953 people like to pretend this isn't the case but it is. Just like how all of our government assistance programs work. They can't handle the guilt.
The villain?? Definitely Krakauer. He tried to do the same thing to Anatoli - and he had NO room to talk! I never thought Sandy was a villain and I even learned some new info here that supports that. Thank-you for this great follow-up, it sets the record straight. So glad to see you're back.
Side note: I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where there are plenty of very old abandoned hunting camps with awesome old outhouses. I spent years going all over the U.P. taking pictures of them. Some are no longer there. I love outhouses - they are a forgotten icon of the past that at one time everyone had to have - rich and poor! Many here who live off the grid still do. Cheers!
Thank you very much for your always great content presented in a captivating narration! You are always a delight to listen to!
Also thank you very much for speaking up against the sexism and misogyny of this story and what women worldwide still have to deal with.
I could tell quite a lot stories of my own.
Regarding Sandy Pittman: her story has been repeated so often by men without any critical research. The last video painting her as an entitled and narcissistic socialite who was to be blamed for this tragedy came from Dr. Tod Grande here on YT. It made me so mad that he didn’t make any effort to check the facts or dig deeper. Unfortunately sexism and misogyny is everywhere on YT anyhow.
I wish you the very best and hope your channel will continue to grow. You deserve it!
Everest Mystery did her dirty too.
One question: about Sandy's satellite phone. Rob Hall also had a satellite phone, right? Why did his phone work but Sandy's didn't?
My experience with sat phones is they can work and then 5 mins later drop... then wait 5 mins and get signal again. Not sure if it's location of satellites in orbit or what 🤷♀️.
Always enjoy your stories. Misogyny is sport and adventure is so real as I know to my cost. Thanks for highlighting it.
I always rush to watch your uploads, you’re the best! Thank you for talking about sexism in male-dominated spaces. I did my undergrad degree in a 90% male subject and the other girls and I often talked about how we had to be practically flawless to get the same respect that the guys got just for showing up.
I love that you all feel comfortable enough to share your stories too. It’s so important for others to see it.
I’d like a part 3!! Thank you for this video.
Thank you for this. I’ve long admired Sandy and I’m glad the record is finally being corrected.
I can't help it, I know we're supposed to be nice but to me, Krakauer is exactly the (German) sausage whose name he shares - the Wurst.
Thank you for doing this and setting the record straight. And although I'm not the outdoorsy type I really love to listen to you, your storytelling is fantastic!
Sandy represented the opposite lifestyle that Krakauer had. His background informs his opinion of a rich lady. He was a poor guy who got lucky in his career path. She could buy into whatever she wanted....that said history has not been kind to his narrative. But it sold alot.
Krakauer was never a poor guy though. He’s originally from Brookline, MA and his jfamily were fairly well off. He is just one of those types who downplays this. The fact that he had a different style of wealth than Sandy gave him a cocky superiority complex. He’s unduly biased and was unfair in his sexist perspective, throwing Sandy under the bus, but he was never remotely at a disadvantage , which makes him even more of a hypocrite.
I’m so glad you set the record straight with this video - thanks! 🎉
Thank goodness for you and Michael Tracy for highlighting this story behind the story of 96.
Another excellent video! Mad respect to Ms. Pittman. 💪🏻
Love your channel, and thank you for pointing out the inconsistencies in Krakauer’s narrative.
As a woman, thank you. ❤️
Ever since Adam pointed the finger at Eve, the woman has been the scapegoat for male failure.
@@toscadonna Well said!
@@toscadonna
Dam Snakes
Love your channel so much! You can never do too much on the 1996 disaster and I enjoy your debunking of it! I’d truly love it if you could do a comparison of the movie “Everest” vs the reality of what happened. I’m sure that would involve a lot of work on your end but I am so curious to see what the movie got right and what it got wrong!
Anyway thank you for all that you do and your fun commentary that makes me laugh along with in-depth analysis that I find so interesting 🤍
i’m glad i listened to this, thank you for every video even though i do fall asleep sometimes:-)
I had a high regard for Jon after into the wild became popular. Til I heard Chris's sisters story, really soured my opinion of Jon.
Her book is on my list! Haven't read it yet but have heard her speak about the real story behind their family.
I love your style of story telling! ❤ I was just telling my husband a summary of a number of your videos! Keep up the excellent work. 😊
More than half of the people on the mountain that day had no business being there.
I would watch a video of you cooking hotdogs 😅. I truly enjoy your videos 😁. Looking forward to the next one!
I absolutely love your videos. This is another powerful one! Krakauer is a sad self important little man. I thought he was obnoxious and self congratulatory by just reading Into the Wild, even before having heard any of this. Everything had to be about him. I agree with some of the other comments. He probably hit on Sandy, and her rejection made him act out like a child.
Here for John Krakauer critique! I’ve been angry at him for decades!
Thank you for this! ❤
Finally the TRUTH! I am here for it!
Great job!
The way she said "would you like a cappuccino" is absolutely adorable. Like who could get mad at that! She was bringing good vibes and good coffee and I respect it lol
I don't think that's the issue here...
Excellent work! Fisher was sick and exhausted that day and there was an issue with ropes. There was a lot more going on. Krakauer wrote an excellent book about our local university's Long time ignoring of sexual crimes on campus. I appreciate these other perspectives on him.
Fantastic as usual. This chainsaw-wielding female really appreciates you setting the record straight! Sandy has been s gracious throughout all of this. Pure class.
Chainsaw-wielding women unite!
It could be that Krakauer lied about Pittman in his book to “get back” at Pittman for rejecting his romantic advances.
I'm so glad you covered this. Great video!
Michael Tracy on yt has a lot to say about Krakauer
He sure does!
@@adventuresgonewrong I wrote this comment before I got to the part where you mention his channel. Great! That must mean you are researching Mallory and Irvine expedition as well. Looking forward to that ;)
Absolutely, I watched it too. On point. With proof, logic snd pics to prove every point.
@@flip3198 No I'm not researching that at all, I'll leave it to the experts!
Yup 😂😂 and rightfully so! I love when he provides the facts 👏🏾
THANK YOU for directing people to Michael Tracy's channel! Ive been trying to send people that way for a while. Hes got a very good series on Mallory and Irvin too.
You and Everest Mysteries have done a great job getting to the truth and spreading it. Im currently studying Into thin Air, The Climb, and Left for Dead and it’s tragic and interesting. Beck Weathers is my favorite.
Everest Mysteries still perpetuated some of the rumors about SP like the not thanking anyone until years later.
One word misogyny! There is people to blame 2 men who ran the expeditions poorly and were more concerned with marketing then the safety of their clients.
There’s so many angles here that are misogynistic or sexist. Those who don’t see it simply have no clue, refuse to see it and/or definitely have never experienced it.
@@adventuresgonewrong It was a dick measuring contest where lives were at stake, and both the dicks responsible died. (Will YT erase this comment?)
I think Luke Kosciusko book had some great information and was told in a dispassionate way which made it a little more believable
Great video! Thank you for making it! Because truth matters, now more than ever.
Makes me wonder why Krakauer had such a grudge against her.
Thanks for this stacie! Would you ever discuss the Meru film? I was a big Jimmy Chin / Jon Krakauer fan prior to seeing it and how they treated Renan and spoke about enabling Conrad (who always happens to be at the scene of some heinous crime, whether it be the death of his old climbing partner and marrying his wife or coercing renan in a vegetative state that he needed to climb again with a 100% guarantee of stroke on the summit journey) was super jarring to me. That plus the truth about Sandy has really changed my perspective on some of these people I used to really admire and it’s so helpful to hear another woman calling it out.
Part 3! Part 3! Part3!!!!!
Seriously though, I really enjoy your videos and will watch whatever you post :)
I read both Into Thin Air and the Boukreev book not terribly long after they each came out. I honestly do not remember Sandy Pittman even being a prominent character in either of them. These books did instill in me a fascination about why people even want to put their bodies through a climb like this! It is not a question of whether you will suffer from HAPE or HASE but whether it will kill you. I have not watched your video yet, but I wanted to put this here before my feelings are changed by your video!