K2 The KILLER SUMMIT · BBC
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- The Deadliest Day in Mountaineering History, August 2008, 25 climbers from several international expeditions converged on high camp of K2, the final stop before the summit of the most dangerous mountain on earth. Just 48 hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished.
In a century of assaults on K2, only about 300 people have ever seen the view from the planet's second highest peak. More than a quarter of those who made it didn't live long enough to share the glory.
At the heart of this documentary lies a mystery about one extraordinary Irishman, Ger McDonnell. At the very limit of his physical resources, he faced a heartbreaking dilemma. Through recreations, archive and home movie footage, and interviews with survivors and families, the film creates a forensic, vivid version of events that is emotive, engrossing and, at times, deeply shocking.
🎥 BBC
#k2 #k2Tragedy
I risk to repeat myself: Pemba is a hero in every sense. What an incredible human being!
@berits.2346 you are spot on Pemba is the hero, you can see in his eyes he thought that the decision by the teams to keep climbing after the first fatal fall was not something that sat easy with his conscience. A truly remarkable human being.
Who?
@@Dezert_Fox so you didn't watch it I see
@@richardwait1206 So yea that raises the question why he DIDN'T make everyone stop climbing after the fall-- including himself. See my other comment. But maybe he was forced to go with them bc they were paying him?
Best mountain climber of all time
This documentary inspired me to never climb a mountain.
Someone stole my sweet roll
Yessss agreed! Xxx
😂😂😂😂 Very True
Great point 😁
You needed a documentary for that?
I’ve climbed with a Sherpa mountaineer (in Colorado), and he was the most professional, most intelligent guide I’ve ever met. It says a lot that the western media didn’t even bother to interview the most experienced Sherpa climber on that mountain. To so many people “Sherpa” means servant, but Sherpas are an ethnic group native to those mountains who know more about them than most foreigners will ever know. They tend to be quiet and seem passive, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for stupidity or timidity. They’re tough, smart people.
I agree! Even the best mountaineers couldn't do it without Sherpa! They organize food, tents, communications, trekkers, etc. They are brilliant men. Some Sherpa were never even able to get any schooling, but being self-taught to do what they do, they are brilliant!
And they are basically supermen by birth when it comes to mountaineering. They have a natural adaptation to altitude.. and of course the many years most have been a guide…
how much did you pay?
Excellent comment 👍
Yawn
Summiting at 6/7 pm is absolute insanity.
Yes that just seems completely summit fever to the max!
Exactly!! That’s just inviting disaster.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen
People do ridiculous things
Hmm... When do you usually summit?
For me, it depends on the mountain, the season, the conditions, one's goals, and the route. (Not that I have ever climbed anything anywhere near 8000 meters, but I suppose you know better.)
@@CSDonohue11
Yeah! When do YOU usually summit? (Not that I've ever done anything close to 8k, and thus have no idea what my plan would be according to the conditions, goals, season, etc... On lower climbs my plans are different depending on a lot of factors ..)
But, you've climbed some serious peaks, and know better, I suppose.
The words of Pemba gave me chills “If they would have decided to go look after the first victime there would have been only 1 victim in total“
The very definition of Karma.
If they all decided to stay home and watch tv there would have been 0 victims in total.
@@aliensoup2420doesn’t sound like the life they would enjoy.
Kematian mereka sesuai apa mereka minati, tiada salah akan mereka dan sesiapa pon tidak bersalah, mereka sendiri memilih jalan itu
It’s not that deep a statement you make it out to be.
In the words of a semi-famous tv personality: If my mother had wheels she would have been a bike.
Watching this makes me so grateful that I have zero desire to go mountaineering.
@@2dronetek2 Well, high altitude mountaineering in the 'death zone'... No thanks.
But, don't let that put you off of lower climbs/hikes. I've found them to be some of the most rewarding experiences that I've ever had... Good exercise, too.
(Especially when that skill set allows one to hike an hour or two away from a ski area and get to ride alone on perfectly untouched powder, or to get to a peak and see some nearly life-changing views. (But the 8000 meter peaks? I get it, but, nah, I'll take a pass on that. )
I am content to take on frigid mountains of ice cream.
@@Frazzled_Chameleon I agree!
It’s pathetic
Pemba Sherpa’s look about 12 mins in when he said “They decided to continue the climb” after the first death says it all.
the guy is a beast. Head and shoulders above in courage, determination, mountaineering skills and of course empathy.
of course I am comparing him with all the other interviewees in this video. Pemba just seems like in a different league
Wasn't he the one that said there was time to make it too D:
@@TheGoonsies yeah they asked him for his opinion. He gave his opinion
@@abhinav7sinha I doubt it has anything to do with the fact he's done it for a living half his life.
'They paid us, and they acted like they owned our llives'.
This quote says just about all, like the level of egotism.
Exactly
@@nenblomtheir arrogance oozes out of my phone, the only worse group of people IMHO are swimmers, I played a lot of sports and other stuff in my life, I also swam for a few years, I can remember or have friends from everything but I can't remember one person from my swim team.
To be honest you wouldn't find too many Westerners treating Sherpas badly. You've got to understand certain culture's attitudes are pretty basic.....
I agree, that it said it all!
It’s sickening.
“Summiting is optional, the descent is mandatory”
Not exactly. Lots of people still on the mountain.
Apparently not.
Nobody said it’s mandatory to descend all the way.
@@summeronio9751 it’s a quote by Ed Viestrus, it means that it’s better to turn around before the summit if you realize that you won’t have time , daylight and energy to descent safely otherwise. He once turned around 300 ft before the summit of Everest because he knew he wasn’t going to make it down if he kept going.
@@LolaOpheliac 300 ft is 600 ft (up / down) and that equates to an elapsed time.
"What happened to us was just a misfortune." That statement is why it'll happen again and again. Missing the summit time by many hours was a decision, not a misfortune. The answer "we can still make it' when Ger asked if it was getting too late set off this whole chain of events.
Why did they set off so late? I'm a casual day hiker but always get started by 8am.
During the daytime there is more chance for the serac to break. It is a misfortune that they have had 4 avalanches. They could have come down safely if it didn't happen. The time wasn't the major issue in this case.
@@Tenebarum There was massive confusion and incompetence by the people who were supposed to be fixing ropes.
@@nyali2 BS! The mistake was attempting to descend the mountain in the dark. Any climber that knows their stuff will tell you that. And Pemba most certainly knew what they were doing was not a good idea. I'll trust his take on what they were doing over yours 7 days a week clown. LOL
@@rcg9573 You don't know much about human biology do you buddy?
I find this documentary really interesting because it shows how people try to control the narrative of the disaster, and people hear what they want to hear and believe what they want to believe. No one wants to believe that they lost a loved one due to negligence, or their own idiocy, or a simple mistake. The dead all have to be heroes and people won't agree to an interview unless they can tell a sympathetic story that doesn't make them out to be the bad guy.
That’s exactly right. Very intuitive I must say.
It's true. And this documentary tries to set the media narrative straight. I like that.
Watching Ger's wife I kept thinking "Why are you so shocked?" It's the deadliest mountain on the planet, how can you not mentally prepare yourself that he (or any of the others) won't come back?
@@GrantParks they think they can't die or it won't happen to them. People don't take nature seriously or they are just dumb.
@@GrantParks I think it’s just human nature to think it won’t happen to you.
“They are too optimistic for the summit and that’s why they keep climbing.” Powerful words.
That guy Wilco is a genuine psychopath, like, clinically. The way he recounts the deaths of so many as “misfortune” overshadowing his “accomplishment”, absolutely psychotic behaviour
there are NO guarantees in life Thats the way it IS.
Exactly, “misfortune” because he can’t admit being wrong, arrogant, proud and inconsiderate for people losing their lives. And the curly hair girl is saying it’s like passing by a road accident. Something wrong with this indifference and cold hearts of these Norwegians.
@@laurageorgina589Wilco is very Dutch, going by that accent. Sincerely, a Dutch person.
I am Pakistani, i was once for6 hours stuck in a storm on Malam-jaba mountain when there was no hotels. My all family and dozens other people climb down in cold rain blizzard thunder i have fractured ankle climbing down were slippery my kids too again and again slipping 😭 we fight a war on that night we survived with plenty of injuries 😢
This was a tragedy that should have been avoided. Pemba said it best when he said if they would have just stopped when the first guy died, there would have been only 1 death, instead of 11. While I will never understand these people and their desire to risk their lives, their health, and their body parts for the "glory" of climbing in these places, I fully support their right to do so. Personally none of them are really impressive to me. The truth is that the Sherpas are the most impressive people out of any of them. Many of these people could never climb these mountains without them. One of the reasons I support the climbers in being able to do this is because I know this is how the Sherpas make their living. I just wish the Sherpas didn't have to risk their lives when one of these foreign climbers makes a mistake and needs rescued. What's clear to me from watching many documentaries on climbing is that there are people who claim to be "expert" climbers who have no business on these mountains. Anyone who does not have the discipline to know when it's time to stop or turn around really has no business on the mountain.
That still shot from the summit of K2's long shadow is terrifying, as are the rolling timestamps after that photo. Even a non-climber like me knows by that dark, dagger-like shadow that they were up on the summit far, far too late and that shadow was the foreshadow of the awful things to follow.
And that's what "summit fever" is all about, it deprived the rational decision-making capacity from the climbers
That is actually very poetic ...
Timestamp please
@@PinkyakaAyannaj 42:47 this one?
@@hko2006 Thank you
Sherpas should make it very clear that THEY are in charge on that mountain and they have the authority to tell climbers to turn back or follow any other instruction. If climbers refuse, they are on their own. To the climbers this is all a game for bragging rights (those like Ger are an exception) and some of them don't care who is put at risk. The Sherpas are just trying to support their families and they deserve respect.
What sherper's do people should listen...listen... Listen to the sherpers they know what they're doing... Sherper's are Shepherd's trying to help people!
The people who do not listen to the sherper's forfeit their salvation for survival
Amd Sherpas are essentially employees of these expedition companies, who will listen ?
How many mountains have you climbed? Its a far different experience than watching a documentary.
@@EvolveDj what u have u climbed ?
Regardless of being a employee of some expedition if they say it's too dangerous we need to turn back that's what they should do. Refuse to turn back and you're on your own. The Sherpas are essentially hiring themselves out to do a job but that doesn't mean they have to die unnecessarily
I don't really understand how he can honestly say "Everything was going great until we tried for the summit" after 2 people had already died.
Also he felt it was a success despite 11 people dying. 😒
@@oc2538"it was a success story until the summit" he said, are you deaf ?
@@longlifetometal1995 27:53 "If we would have been successful, which we were because we reached the summit..."
Because every mountain climber know from any start of any climb, at any time, anywhere in the world, you yourself are responsible for your own life and safety. You can not, give away that responsability to ANYONE. You, and you alone are the one. Its your life, your path to walk, your choice, even if you are religious or its your customs to do otherwise, it will fall back on you that you are the ONE. If you dont realize that, you will not climb the mountain i peace but in struggle.
People who climb those mountains are doing it for themselves. All about themselves. Nobody else. People are climbing Everest, pass dead bodies and keep going. Don't expect much from them.
What I think is a real shame is that there are so many people who judge without being properly informed. I was there that day and I decided to turn around at 8200 meters. Of course, I have never regretted that decision, but I find all those more blunt reactions difficult to read. Since I turned around it's just as easy for me to say; They should have done this and that better, but in retrospect it's easy to say. The weather was perfect, there was a lot of manpower and everything looked perfect but communication is extremely difficult at that altitude. Even though I was there and decided to turn around for good reasons, I would never judge. Even though I was there, I don't think I am well informed enough to judge. So many things have happened (simultaneously) that no one has noticed everything. It wasn't until 1.5 days later that I got back to base camp that I realized how badly things had gone wrong. The situation was so confusing. Even now, 15 years later, with all the images and recordings at its disposal, the BBC has not managed to bring out all the details properly. So think first before you judge. Because just think about what your (ill-informed) judgment does to the feelings and emotions of the victims' family members.
It's easy to judge other people when you're not in the death zone of one of the most dangerous mountains on earth. I'm glad you survived and I'm sorry if you lost any of your friends that day.
@@Bobario1This is the appropriate response.
Marco, take notes.
Victims of their own desires you mean
99% of posts on UA-cam are kids with emotional reactions and probably not much in the way of critical thinking skills or experience in most things. I wouldn't get too upset about what you read here. In regard to people running to hurry up and say something online or to the media immediately after, and even during, the event, makes you wonder what they get from that. The media runs with it, of course, but it's almost always wrong.
The families of the victims were victims to, but not of their own desire, right?@@Lexidezi225
This video really is one of those things that reminds you that history, or what happened, is left to the survivors.
It's so interesting how the media didn't even interview the sherpa who was there and didn't have to be carried off the mountain! Instead, they listened only to Marco, who may have been suffering the mental effects of being at altitude and had to be carried off the mountain! Also, it was good that the sherpa had pictures to prove what he was saying was true! And, finally, Ger's family was looking to hard. Ger wasn't the first to die on the mountain and he won't be the last. Sometimes people die while climbing and it is just that simple. They aren't heroes or villains in the deaths. There are just deaths. My heart goes out to the sherpas who were told to go back up the mountain. That was very sad. Their culture didn't allow them to feel comfortable saying no. I really felt it when the one sherpa said that the expeditions feel they control the sherpa's lives because they pay them.
Always gonna throw in the race angle,typical of the cattle herd
@@jerrymarshall2095what are you talking about?
@@OkeyBestie how the Sherpas were discounted
@@jerrymarshall2095 it is a class angle, a colonial attitude, not a race thing .one dimensional poster blabs something sily about a very complicated situation. Thanks for your thoughtful contribution. S/
@@RandallMoore-x4k which is perceived as racism by the racist left
My heart goes for the sherpas who did not get properly documented in this video. They might have family and loved ones too to take care of.
I agree. Sherpas are the real heroes, not the western climbers. And sherpas are usually the only ones with common sense...
They get paid to do what they do. I hate how people assume that these Sherpas are being mistreated or taken advantage of.
Who said they are not paid?
The problem is that climbers behave as if they own Sherpas. Do you know how much they're paid on the Everest? Less than 30 dollars a day
Do you know how much trek guides at Yosemite national park are paid? 600 dollars a day.
Standard of living in Nepal is low- but being paid absolute peanuts for some of the most dangerous work on earth, and then being treated as second class citizens on the mountain is disturbing to say the least
@@bobbuilder5902 they have no other choice but to do this dangerous job. stop assuming like they wouldnt choose to do something else if they could
And the people who maintain this website, who also did not get properly documented, same as the people who provide the electricity and maintain the cables.....
I wonder how this documentary would be if the sherpas spoke honestly. Let's be real, they were the strongest climbers, they took the highest risk and they did the most amount of work
Well yes, if none of those were true they wouldn't be needed.
They were pretty honest - they said the Korean team leader treated them like he owned them - that says it all really.
Exactly
yes- being an employee and being treated like your employer “owns” you are two different things
@@maryjanedodotrue
There is a great book titled “No Way Down” about this incident. It goes into much more detail than was possible in this documentary.
I tried to look for it on audible but no luck :(
It's on audible, I just bought it@@lozzerbenedictine4191
Thanks for the information!
Another great book about this incident is called “The Summit” written by Pat Falvey. The author knew many of the climbers on the mountain like Rolf and Gerald. Pemba also helped write this book by retelling his experience of the 2008 disaster.
@@OptimusPrime-fw3ks Thanks for the info. I’ll check it out.
"Just because eleven climbers died it went all over the world"
Smfh the sense of entitlement 🙄
I thought so too! He was complaining that his accomplishment of reaching the summit wasn't the "news" anymore "just because eleven climbers died." So now they were the "news" and this guy was miffed about that. The hubris and insensitivity of that remark made me think this man is not someone I'd want to know. How callous.
Grandiose narcisssism
And he was complaining about how everyone wanted to climb the mountain when the climate was better . Bro, u wanted to climb too like those ppl smfh what kind of nut job he is .
Not the most likeable person it seems.
it’s not entitlement, it’s just a very clear, direct and observant reaction.
There would not have been an article about these expeditions had there not been that tragedy. No one would have cared. However, with what happened, the media came up with stories of inexperienced climbers and so on which was not true. The guy is absolutely right in what he says. Truth hurts when it needs to.
Pemba is an incredible human being...
The death of Pasang and his cousin Jumik was tragic...
It was an admirable decision to bring the body of Dren down to camp four for a proper burial after realising that he was no longer alive...
...but the death of another was a high price to pay...
🇿🇦
I have so so much respect for Jehan Baig who let go of the rope. Rest in peace. Legend. Thankyou.
Really amazing unselfishness against his natural instinct to hold on in a split moment decision. And he was also doing this only because he had to as a job. This a sign of a big soul, and I hope he died in peace internally.
After a wee while
Let’s put it the other way around: He put the other bloke in mortal danger and in the last moment changed his mind and came to his senses.
@@ewigerschuler3982 In life/death situations you act instinctively in the first moment to save yourself, that is why he did it , its amazing that he managed in a split second to control that urge and let go for the sake of his fellow climbers. 99% of people would just cling on to save themselves automatically.
@@BuXnAMaN i'd hang on for dear life!
"Americans are very adventurous. We are adventurous too. But we also like living." Is what I think he wanted to say
Pemba carries his courage like a feather. What a human! Good speed Pemba "#1 Unit"
Korean team leader Mr Kim seems like a real piece of work forcing the sherpas to go back up while he remained behind, then blaming everything on other people...
i once climbed cradle mountain in Tasmania. 1545 m, great weather, nice big boulders, a clear path, no seracs, avalanches or stonefall..lots of oxygen in the air .and a six-pack VB on the summit. and that's mountaineering for me, enough is enough.
Same. I'll go most anywhere as long as it is 70º F and no snow. I've been to 14,500 ft. and that is high enough. Dayhikes only. I'll watch night settle on the mountain in the hotel jacuzzi with a hot meal in my stomach.
A six pack of VB? lol doesn’t get any more Aussie than that! 😂❤I live in Queensland and there are plenty of small mountains here but I have never climbed one. I don’t regret a thing. 😂
A six pack of VB? lol doesn’t get any more Aussie than that! 😂❤I live in Queensland and there are plenty of small mountains here but I have never climbed one. I don’t regret a thing. 😂
When that one climber says “We’re late, I don’t know wtf we’re gonna do” about sums it up I truly believe! 💀
Yeah that must have been a crushing sight after spending all that time and effort waiting to have a chance for the summit
I’m not a climber but have seen many documentaries about climbers and it’s fascinating how the need to reach the top for many often outweighs the need to survive or to help others. Some will do everything they can to help others even if it means dying. And others will do anything to reach the top even if it means putting theirs and others lives at risk. Is reaching the top worth it if another climber dies on that same ascent/descent? For me no but again I’m not a climber. Truely fascinating subject.
The more you learn about it, the more you realise in modern times, Everest is where you go to discard your humanity.
When I first learned of this occurring on Everest, I went down a months-long rabbit hole of discovering why people are left to die. Truly fascinating.
It's an unwritten rule that you mess up you're on your own, because people do not have the energy or resources to start rescuing people at that altitude. The let's stop the summit because one guy made a mistake and is now dead would not help him. It is tough titties I'm afraid.
If you train in wilderness (or any) medicine, the first thing you assess is scene safety. If it's not safe to save someone, you are not obligated to proceed. You may just create more bodies to be saved, which puts more people at risk. Altitude and cold are extreme hazards for humans. Brain function is extremely compromised. I would not shame anyone for leaving someone behind, but the ones who successfully save others are Gods amongst Men. 🙏🏾
It truly is an unwritten rule that all climbers agree to and are aware of that you’re on your own. It has to be that way, because it’s too risky and/or too physically taxing - often impossible - to try to save or bring someone down who isn’t fully ambulatory. Climbers don’t carry litters, extra air, etc, because they’re not rescuers. It isn’t like pulling someone from a burning car or jumping in water to save a drowning person. Due to the thin air, it’s more akin to trying to carry someone up the Empire State Building. That’s why the bodies on Everest.
I want to be like Pemba. Integrity, humanity, with an understanding of the whole picture , wise beyond his years.
Ad dirt poor.
@@LindaStoronsky-yk4dfthis is actually the reason why he is able to act decently and is a beast. He's not there for glory he's not an egomaniac. it's his job and his family depend on it in one of the poorest countries on earth.
The guy fell and they start climbing again. The look on Sherpa's face when he talked about it says a lot of what he thinks about those who continued up the mountain as if nothing happened.
I understand why. I probably would have done the same. And if I fell I would have not expected anyone to save me. Everyone who climbs these mountains accepts this fact. You are alone. It is incredibly dangerous to bring someone injured down from the mountain as well. And even more can die from it. It is raw, brutal and inhumane just like the environment they are in. It is the best and worst of humans at the same time.
Yeah right. I agree that a lot of climbers accept that but I also know plenty decide they don’t want to die or be left and express it loudly!!!
What are they supposed to do about it ?
this is because you already separated from your life when leaving the base camp. it is an excursion nt the underworld. The decision that you accept your likely death is made before. Insofar, moraliy and ethics of such climbing is very different from everyday of life.
Even geate respect thus for the Sherpas
The shadow of the mountain is beautiful
Pemba & Ger. Exceptional heros.
💯
Not like the other climbers with the attitude that climbers know the risk so you don't help them.
The documentary is almost as confusing as the actual event. They just randomly switch between people and events
I thought it was just me. I was trying to follow as best I could thinking, well I’m just tired.
I've just commented to the same effect...ie, how did they always have cameras in place to record these events? Well they didn't, it's just a video trying to get loads of views.
@@ajadrew It was 2008, many of the climbers were recording what was going on. In addition to that, the documentary had reenactments-- which are fairly common in documentary films.
@@LoveLifetotheLivest Thank you for that 👍
@@ajadrew it’s good practice to explicitly state that you’re including reenactments so it is fairly misleading not to, but I found that this is an episode that is part of a BBC series, so that might explain how sensationalist they are
The moment they all decided to climb as a team, I knew that it could only end up in tragedy. You are mixing people with different levels of skill, from different cultures, speaking different languages. Then you had to all of that the cold, the exhaustion, the lapses of judgment.
It's pure negligence on a massive, intolerable, depressing scale.
Good point. Alberto Zerain was a solo climber and he was the best on the mountain.
Good point
Well that happens when introverts finally try to get out and socialise lol
The proverbial tower of Babel
@@andy31793 not only, the italian guy was also good. The irish as well. Even the french guy had a lot of experience but was probabmy too omd for a such summit
No thanks, I'll stay by my fireplace sipping hot chocolate.
And I'll be there with you.
smart and alive
And Two years later Cescilie Skog Complied first ever female unassisted & unsupported crossing of Antarctica Wow !! My sure Rolf was there in spirit.
She is a very impressive human being indeed.
That’s impressive. In the category of the fellow who kayaked solo from Australia to New Zealand
I thought theres a massive ice wall and hollow earth Alien beings living in the south pole if you go to the center?
A most sobering and tragic account. The avalanche took the lines, the vital decisions needing to be made after that were confused, difficult and certainly not to be judged by us sitting comfortably at sealevel and not utterly exhausted. RIP these brave climbers, and the thousands more worldwide- it truly is a dangerous sport. Especially at such extreme altitudes. I have NO DESIRE to summit a mountain in the snow rock and ice with a load on my back and insufficient oxygen. To those who do, I reckon you're MAD but I salute your stamina courage and teamwork. Rest in Peace.
No but the decisions before that to continue when getting there so late. And the so called perfect day that was described as hot can only have increased the chances of the avalanches.
The leader of the Korean groups is a POS. Sent two Sherpas to their deaths. He should've gone himself or at least with them.
The Koreans still bring their sense of hirarchy to the mountain, which is a mistake. If I remember right, it was korean team also in 1996 that slowed everyone else down at the Hillary step on Mt. Everest on the way up so people got to the summit too late and perished on the way down. Maybe Koreans should stay behind stronger mountaineers.
@Bamboule05 the 1996 Asian group is Taiwanese
@@Midwestmama612 so I remembered wrong. my bad
The human condition to conquer absolutely anything and everything should at times be questioned and checked. There are things and places that command respect and should be left untouched.
Humans conquered it, there is nothing we cannot conquer on earth - even in in space
Have you met mother nature? I'll introduce you sometime.
@jdlk3345
Go listen to climbers about these sorts of expeditions. They're very much aware of the risks and their own human condition, probably more than you are, and that's precisely why they go for it. It's never been about domination.
agreed
I love how so many other cultures speak many languages. As an American, I speak Spanish and English. These guys speak 3-4 languages each! I love that!
I have a fear of being at height and I hate the cold and diarrhoea and I fear falling down a crevasse. So my escapism are these great folk who give me my adventure 🏔👠
Feel people are incredibly quick to dismiss, belittle and underestimate some of these climbers, just because they aren't Sherpas.
For example Cecilie Skog, both reached the summit and way more amazingly descended and reached Camp IX, despite climbing without lines in the dark, after her husband had just died infront of her. She wasn't some helpless daffodil or being carried or lifted in any way, just because she's very good looking. What she and Lars Nessa did was frankly extraordinary.
Well put
She also went solo across Antarctic a couple years later. I want to see a doc about her now.
I agree! Thanks for pointing this out.
@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426
incredible!
Yeah, it’s not hard to dismiss arrogant and entitled fools with egos the size of the moon and less common sense than the average 12 year old. That pretty much describes most in this group other than the sherpas. 😀
Those poor brave Sherpa's. " They paid us so they owned our lives" sickening
I know that's what I was thinking! It's completely heartbreaking! The selfishness of the climbers was shocking to watch! What even happened to the Koreans? That wasn't clear where they hit by the avalanche and knocked down or did they fall trying to climb down in the night? What happened that they ended up stuck there
From the wiki article it seems like they got stuck in the ropes, someone freed them and then they got caught by a serac fall
@@ajc94 ooo so they were stuck in the ropes BEFORE the serac fell? Thank you for explaining it was really unclear in the video ❤️
@@ajc94 got what they deserved
You don't undrrstand
No air, no food, freezing cold, extremely tired....hurt... No thanks
It occurs to me that a significant portion of this team had a deathwish. This is why it is so critical to contrast your motivation to that of your team. Each individual of your team must be dedicated to survival.
Yes a certain death drive indeed. Just like Mallory people think it's honorable to die on a mountain. Absolutely delusional.
That’s what I think too
The one word that basically sums up this entire fiasco is impatience. There were far too many people climbing to begin with and then too many trying to reach the sumit KNOWING they couldnt do it safely. Ive never climbed but even i know there are unwritten rules you MUST follow to do so as safely as is possible, and even then accidents can and will happen.
I am not a climber I don't like the snow; but I am fascinated watching your videos, they are not only interesting for me but personally I admire these climbers. To see Mountaineers from all parts of the world happy and dancing prior to ascending was a joy but then as it always is "TIME" is of the essence. They started to climb late and my heart sank. Most accidents are on the descend. I was scared to see night fall and then at 49.25 the "fix rope" was missing, Oh Lord!! RIP eleven brave climbers. Rest in Peace ✝
Something titillating about folks falling for miles. :D
Seriously--I've grown up around mountaineers and they are universally highly respectable, admirable ppl.
😢😊
@@Mrbfgray Universally? I think you went a little overboard with that. Universally? Like all of them?
@@Ghostshadows306 All that I've know yes but they aren't Everest posers, real mountaineers, there's no room for fakery or BS in that pursuit.
@@Mrbfgray Well I buy that. Thanks clarifying because many in this video alone give mountaineering a bad rap.
Like someone else said "people get so fixated in reaching the top, that they forget the summit is only halfway point".
In other words if you use up all your energy going up, how the hell are you going to get down?
And going down is significantly more dangerous.
@@nickreynolds8391 especially in the dark
@@rcg9573 Yep
If you can't get down on your own two feet, gravity is always happy to help 😅
Not only have I successfully scaled EVERY peak over 6,000 metres, I did it on ny couch wrapped up in just a blanket.
You're my hero! 😂
LOL!
I have done the same for 8K metres ...couch potato 😂
Rest peacefully to everyone who died and im glad Pemba got the recognition he deserved. Even tho he's the kind of humble person who probably doesnt care. Im thankful that i will never have to go through anything like this because i wouldn't be within 100 miles of a place like that.
Psychologically, the stress placed on an individual who survives this sort of thing must have trouble recalling every detail. Condolences to those who loved these brave souls!❤❤❤
18:44 It's not just in high mountaineering code rather it is pretty nearly universal. Even lifeguards and firefighters will tell you that while they are required to make every reasonable effort to save lives they are under no obligation to try if it puts their own lives at grave risk.
That is the first thing I learned when I started in Mountain rescue.
The only thing worse than one dead body is two dead bodies. In extreme activities like mountaineering everyone knows that you're on your own unless there's communication and/or conditions have changed enough to make the rescue operation something that likely isn't a suicide operation.
And yes, I'm a lifeguard and saving yourself is always the most important. You aren't helping anyone else by adding to the number of people who need to be rescued or number bodies in need of recovery.
@@SupernovaeTechthe thing is foreigners act as if they own the Nepali sherpas because they are paying 60k + for the climb even though the sherpas are only paid 3-6k. The sherpas feel obligated to put their lives at risk to save them because of this power dynamic.
Less than twenty minutes in and I'm convinced this doc would keep me up at night. I'm out with no apologies.
my heart sank as soon as I saw them taking pictures of K2's shadow. I'm totally confused, how can it not be the plan that you must turn around at noon no matter where you are, you've spent half the day getting that far and it will take just as much time getting back, which I presume you want to do in daylight.
Two words: "Summit fever"
That’s one of the reasons so many climbers died on Everest during that tragedy in 1996. Then that freak storm snuck up on them.
@@aussiechris5904 I definitely agree with you on this one and those two words sum it up better than any others do or could imo.
But then again I can descend a mountain way quicker than go up. Not sure that applies at altitude on treacherous ground though! As mentioned I think it’s summit fever we’re logical thought processes are put to one side.
When you're at 29k feet your brain isn't working correctly. They had been above 8k meters for a couple days. At that point you are slowly dying from a lack of oxygen.
Pemba, he's some man! RIP to the ones who never left the mountain.
Being in a small avalanche on a snowboard at 3000 metres in Switzerland was scary enough for me. These guys are crazy. Big respect to them.
Many Avalanche deaths are Skate Boarders , takes some nerve.
@@Marco90731 Skateboarders don't die in avalanches!
[jk]. I know you meant "ski". I'm just being silly after this harrowing documentary. Peace!
That Spanish bloke, the Basque geezer, was amazing. He was like " I'm climbing this on my own and I only have myself to look after ". Reading some of the stuff online, he's like a machine!! Unfortunately I discovered that he lost his life in 2017, climbing Nanga Parbat, a notoriously difficult mountain to climb in Pakistan. Although an avalanche on the mountain was what claimed the lives of his climbing partner and himself. RIP to him, and all the others who have perished over the years on different mountains, doing what they loved.
Was* :
@@Urporuhtinashas he passed away??
@@UrporuhtinasI just checked and you're right, he died on Nanga Parbat, one of the hardest mountains in the world to climb. He was killed, along with his climbing partner due to an avalanche on the mountain. This happened in 2017. Very sad. At least he died doing what he loved, I guess that's a small crumb of comfort for his family and friends.
Damn that's really sad. He was definitely a beast. Just shows up in the middle of the night and joins one of the crews lol. Glad he was doing what he clearly loved though when he passed.
@@amymbeauty8765I totally agree with you.
I have been a hiker all my adult life. Have done Mt Whitney, Grand Canyon and many other less famous. I loved every experience. However I would never do the truly dangerous mountains, like these. Hate cold and having been on Whitney I don't do well above 11k. But I have always been utterly fascinated by such adventures. Thank you for posting these.
11k sounds blech
Huge difference between a hiker and a mountaineer don't ever compare yourself!
Bro mountains you named are not even real mountains. I would considered them cute. 😂
@@jodatkhan7648 wow. Full of yourself much? (ps I am a female who didn't start climbing till in my 30s). Please go troll someone else.
Well the arrogance here is nothing I expected. P*ss off all y'all. Go troll someone else and congratulations for your massive egos
I have seen a few accounts of this disaster, but this beats them all. Well done.
I understand the family members of the deceased climbers want to know "why" their loved ones didn't make it off the mountain and are searching for something that makes sense. The fact is, no one is to blame. No matter how strong you are or how well prepared you are, at those altitudes even the smallest error in judgement or shift in the weather can kill you.
Well said and
agree !
@@dulcehajjar5826 its called the death zone for a reason, when you decide to climb these mountains you are accepting the risks that goes with it. Everest is so bad with bodies that now climbers are using t hem are reference points like green boots. but the drive for profits means the gov is allowing people access to these mountains who really should never be allowed near them.
Also the mere fact you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time when you find yourself in the path of an unpredictable avalanche or ice fall.
World class climbers being safe get killed in unexpected avalanches. It's the risks of the environment.
One of my best friends has climbed most every peak, until the day he had 1 man lost his footing and started sliding down the mountain. Another climber reached out to help him and was dragged to his his death with his friend.
The climbers Wives blamed my friend for not grabbing hold and sliding to his death with the other two and to this day hold him accountable for their husbands deaths and blame him for every day that he’s still alive.
He never climbed again.
Oh my gosh that’s horrible
Thank you, it really was/is terrible. My friend now lives in Israel, and on the rare occasion he comes home he avoids going out as he ran into the ladies (saw them in a grocery store) and they still hate him. This was 12 years AFTER the accident, but these poor ladies haven't let go of that hate. To me, that sounds like an extremely miserable life if you're not able to move on from bad events. We pray for them, hoping that someday they find peace.
Sorry to hear that. I hope your friend doesn't have a guilty conscience and that he knows it wasn't his fault. There was another guy on Everest that the Sherpas had to leave him at 8000 meters high on Everest, he survived but said that if someone else had died to save him it would be the worst, probably the people who died in your friend's case have thought the same, in a mountain where you paid to go and you know the risks you have to be aware of it
@@AndriaBieberDesigns PURE assholes they are. How DARE they judge not being there knowing their loved one WILLINGLY risked their lives - no one 'made' them do it.
@@albertpeugh9367i would honestly start a new life somewhere else. Its horrible having to face those wives over and over again.
Making it is not reaching the top… Making it is reaching the top and coming down you haven’t made it until you have arrived where you started!
Exactly otherwise who's to know you made it up there
except of course if your name was Mallory. The whole round trip or no summit credit logic apparently does not apply to the speculations as to whether he summited
This vidoe has inspired me to stay content on a nature woods hike
Pasang Bhote Sherpa. 1982-2008. ⛩️
Jumik Bhote Sherpa.
1978-2008.
⛩️
Never to be forgotten. One day your children and your cultures will be celebrated, respected and admired with all the greatness you have earned, anð for all that you have been for many hundreds of years.🏔🌍🕊☝🏽⚘️🙏🏼🌌🫕♨️⛩️
So, we're gonna act like we didn't hear Pemba say he had to descend with everything by himself?
Nope...totally caught that lol
By everything you mean a few phones.
He's clearly a very charismatic and impressive guy, but you're trying to portray it like he carried everyone's bags for them or something.
It was odd I thought
@@luckyspurs have you climbed the everest carrying nothing? Start there big guy
I don’t think Pemba was exaggerating, even few phones or bottle of water is a hella weight when you are climbing. Also no one would have asked another fellow climber to carry their stuff , just because he is a Sherpa he gets treated that way. Even when they are saying Pemba is a professional mountaineer like them, they treats him like he is only there to help them .
Everyone who climbs at this level knows the risks, and what it means to be in the death zone. To help or not to help is a decision they must live with if they make it down.
Absolutely…. and that’s why it is called the Death Zone
Brilliant film. I marvel at the strength and fortitude of those willing to seek a summit. Heartbreaking tragedy in the midst of such incredible beauty.
I have mad respect for people who survive near-death experiences, they get this humbleness about life and how easily life can go. They must have gotten some real respect for mother nature aswell. They have a completely new perspective on life and I really admire that. It’s like life shakes you to your core and tells you to not take anything for granted.
Hello
Yes….Or, they decide to ignore that new knowledge and have a go at the summit the next season!
Ger was a wonderful man! Never knew him, but I think of his courage, so thanks foe telling his part!❤
I've watched a lot of these mountaineering videos and this one has to be the most compelling one I've seen by far!
Pemba is one amazing person A gift from God!!
Yes, my god cover him from the recklessness of others.🙏🏽
Excellent documentary. Tragic how so many people lost their lives. Amazing views from the summit....must be part of the summit fever.
Thanks so much for reposting this documentary. I was looking everywhere for this one!
Some great work here, but people are right that the narrative gets a little confusing with the time skip backwards and then assuming we remember everything from previous
The family of Geri wants answers. He died doing a risky life experience. His family talking about other climbers lying. I don’t understand what answer they want. The women who lost her husband and she still climbing. Bizarre behavior
At that stage they just wanted the truth of what happened, for some kind of closure. That's all they had left.
I'm sure it was very frustrating to hear different accounts.
Why do people understand relatives of missing people needing closure. But not understand it when it's relatives of climbers.
It's the same need. Regardless whether the relative acted in a more dangerous or more safe way.
The woman who lost her husband, lost her husband AFTER summiting. She did not have choice, off course she had to descend from the death sone.
Such an amazing documentary featuring the most beautiful scenery on earth, but to see it in person comes with a steep price. While I would never try climb a mountain myself, I admire those who have the courage and stamina to do so. Thank you BBC and David Snow.
I'm much of the same opinion. I'm a musician and would never risk my fingers. Can I ask, would you consider a base camp trek? I've been contemplating.
@@samblack5313 Not me. I'm 61 and in horrible shape. I'll have to admire all this stuff from afar. I wish you luck if you decide to go for it.
"the most beautiful scenery on earth" yeah,that's a bit of a stretch
@@johnbravo7542 You do know I wasn't speaking for all 7.5 billion people on earth right? Would you feel better if I said, "In my opinion?"
@@johnbravo7542it is some of the most beautiful scenery on earth though
As they say, the ascent is optional, the descent is mandatory.
So Mr. Kim was smoking cigarettes instead of setting the fixed ropes as scheduled...and then sends two Sherpas to find his team members up the mountain...we're in agreement that this is all on him, right?
What’s he smoking up a mountain for anyways 🤣🤣
When ya gotta toke ya gotta toke!
South Koreans... Kim was probably listening to BTS.
This was in 2008 which was 5 years before BTS even formed lmao. The oldest member would have only been 17
He has to live with that plus their spiritualism forces him to answer for that
Det är vackert att se dessa berg men det är inte värt att riskera sitt liv för . Jag har absolut respekt för dom som tycker om att klättra upp för berg och jag dömer ingen. Men att riskera livet för det är inte värt det . Detta var tragiskt och mina tankar går till anhöriga ❤
To the family who wanted closure and confronted the survivors - 11 people died.
Agree. Very entitled. What about the other 10 families, did they demand the same?
Such an excellent documentry. Yet so sad for the loss of life up there.
Ger's widow is outraged that people form opinions based on what they read. It's obvious she believes we should only form opinions based on what she says - she who, by the way, wasn't there either.
Imagine enjoying a push to the summit after watching a fellow human being perish. Not judging.. just something I myself would consider wrong.
Yeah I have to agree I just would not feel right at all.
Yep, definitely wrong. I couldn't agree more
yes i would be wretching 🤮
Why? People die on this and other mountains everyday. 50 climbers should turn around when it is too late to do ANYTHING about this perdictable event.
Try to see it from another perspective: If a human always would stop from achieving his goals just because another person dies we would still live in caves…
Death happens so quick, but this holds true for many dangerous activities including various kinds of work that folks do every day. I've worked high steel 150-200 ft. from solid ground up 8 hrs a day for weeks on end. One slip loss of balance your likely dead. Back in the 1970 we were pretty lacks on safety harnesses, hard hats, etc. etc.
When you're in peak shape and can preform feats of strength it gives you a huge sense of confidence, but you always seem to forget just how quick accidents happen. You think you will be able to catch yourself and make right what just went wrong, but seldom is that true. Watching these mountineering videos brings back that sense of danger with every step. I played with danger for a pay check yet the sense of accomplishment looking back at a finished building was a part of it that kept you going back work. The day you realize you can't safely do it anylonger is difficult to come to terms with . I suppose it's the same way with these guys climbing dangerous mountains around the globe. Can't say I'd pay out large sums for this kind of danger , but when you are young and in phenominal condition you seldom think you are next on the list of those that didn't make it.
40:34 no... When you drive a car and 'see people crash' you are calling help and stop to help them yourself. Terrible argument
I live in Spain...it is against the law to pass by an accident and not stop and help.
Thank you very much for putting all of these great videos on UA-cam. Much appreciated.
Love Pemba! He is top notch!
This kind of documentary deserves a billion views beacuse it's not only it is costly to go to the summit but their lives is at stake.
Big respect for these climbers!! Your courage and physical strength are awesome to witness!❤❤
until it wasnt
You can see why people are reluctant to go up to rescue people at that altitude.
So often, the ones who go up to rescue also end up being killed.
I love watching these documentaries and videos, and I wish I was young enough to have done some things. But quite frankly, I am quite happy to sit on my couch and experience it through the eyes of others. And truth be told, I hate the cold.
Who is responisble for the death of those two sherpas who were cousins and What about Mr Kim strategy leading to death of those two sherpas
Fantastic doco, thanks for posting.
Breathtaking and incredibly sad in equal measure.
don't say doco mate
I’m not surprised Mr. Kim didn’t want to be interviewed, I feel he let them all down he was responsible for getting the ropes secured. That’s what they agreed in the meeting.
i think he didn't even felt any guilt and complains the others
He sat in the tent smoking like he didn't need to his lungs in good shape to enter the death zone. Just nonesense.
@@littletrebleclefthought that was odd too. Knowing I have to perfuse gases to the best of my ability, I need those lungs in tip top shape!
"They are *just* sherpas, but this guy is different, he is like us, professional climbers". 😂
Sherpas should stop risking their lives so much for these useless climbers
They meant he was experienced leading and setting rope from the front, rather than carrying bags at the back.
It's the same way the 1953 Everest team described Tenzing Norgay. As an out and out climber; not a baggage carrier, who had to have a route carved for them first.
Ah so happy these videos came back to my feed! Top notch quality