The film Everest is the story of the tragic ascent 1996. Open graves in thin air. Everest Open Graves

Scott Fisher is a climber who, at the age of 20, showed himself to be a true professional in conquering mountain peaks. But most people know him from the tragedy on Everest in 1996, when 8 people from three expeditions died within 24 hours, including Fischer himself.

The beginning of a passion for mountaineering

As children, we dream of the most heroic professions. An astronaut, a fireman, a rescuer, a pilot, a ship captain - they are associated with a certain risk and therefore look so romantic in the eyes of a child. Scott Fischer knew at age 14 that he would be a mountain climber. He took rock climbing courses for two years. Then he graduated from the school of guides and became one of the best professional mountaineering trainers. During these years, he was actively involved in conquering high mountain peaks.

In 1982, he and his wife Jean moved to Seattle. Fisher's children, Andy and Katie Rose, were born here.

Conquest of Lhotse

Scott Fisher, a top-level mountaineer, became the first American high-altitude climber to conquer Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest peak.

The “Southern Peak” (this is how the name of the eight-thousander is translated) is located in the Himalayas, on the border of China and Nepal. It is divided into three peaks. Today, several routes have been laid to them, but the conquest of Lhotse remains incredibly difficult. Walking along the South Wall is considered almost impossible. Only a team of Soviet climbers was able to do this in 1990. Seventeen people worked harmoniously so that only two of them could climb to the top.

"Mountain Madness"

Energetic and enterprising, Scott Fisher opened his own high-mountain tour company in 1984. At first, this work was of little interest to the climber - the main thing in his life was climbing. The company helped him do what he loved. For a long time, Mountain Madness remained a virtually unknown travel company. Everything changed in the 90s, when conquering Everest became the cherished dream of ordinary tourists. Experienced high-altitude climbers became guides, accompanying those who wanted to climb to the top for money. The process of commercialization of Everest begins. Companies appear that promise to organize a rise to the top for a tidy sum. They took upon themselves the delivery of expedition members to the base camp, preparation of participants for the ascent and accompaniment along the route. For the opportunity to become one of the conquerors of Everest, those wishing to shell out huge sums - from 50 to 65 thousand dollars. At the same time, the organizers of the expeditions did not guarantee success - the mountain might not be conquered.

Scott Fisher's Everest Expedition. Reasons for its organization

The success of commercial expeditions by other climbers, including Rob Hall, led Fischer to consider a route to the Himalayas. As company manager Karen Dickinson later said, this decision was dictated by time. Many clients wanted to go to the highest point in the world. Scott Fisher, for whom Everest was not the most difficult route, by that time was seriously thinking that it was time to change his life. An expedition to the Himalayas would allow him to make a name for himself and show what his company is capable of. If successful, he could count on new clients who would allow themselves to pay large sums for the opportunity to climb to the top of Everest.

Compared to other climbers whose names never left the pages of magazines, he was not so famous. Few people knew who Scott Fisher was. Everest gave him a chance to become famous if the Mountain Madness expedition was successful. Another reason that forced the climber to go on this tour was an attempt to improve his image. He had a reputation as a brave and reckless high-altitude climber. Most wealthy clients wouldn't like his risqué style. The expedition included Sandy Hill Pittman, a newspaper reporter. Her report on the ascent would be excellent advertising for Scott Fischer and his company.

Events of 1996 on Everest

Much has been said about the tragedy that occurred in the Himalayas. The chronology of events was compiled from the words of the surviving members of the three expeditions and witnesses. 1996 was one of the most tragic years for the conquerors of Everest - 15 of them never returned home. Eight people died in one day: Rob Hall and Scott Fisher, the expedition leaders, three members of their teams and three climbers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Patrol.

Problems began at the beginning of the ascent. Sherpas (local guides) did not have time to adjust all the railings, which greatly slowed down the ascent. Numerous tourists also interfered, who that day also decided to storm the summit. As a result, the strict ascent schedule was disrupted. Those who knew how important it was to turn back in time returned to the camp and remained alive. The rest continued to climb.

Rob Hall and Scott Fisher were far behind the rest of the field. The latter was in poor physical condition even before the expedition began, but hid this fact from others. His tired appearance was noticed during the ascent, which was completely uncharacteristic for an energetic and active climber.

By four o'clock in the afternoon they reached the top, although according to the schedule they were supposed to begin their descent at two o'clock. By this time, the light veil that covered the mountains had turned into a snowstorm. Scott Fisher descended with Lopsang Sherpa. Apparently, at this time his condition deteriorated sharply. It is assumed that the climber began to suffer from swelling of the brain and lungs, and a severe stage of exhaustion began. He persuaded the Sherpa to go down to the camp and bring help.

Anatoly Boukreev, the Mountain Madness guide, saved three tourists that day, delivering them to the camp alone. He twice tried to climb to Fischer, having learned from the returning Sherpa about the climber’s condition, but zero visibility and strong winds prevented him from reaching the group leader.

In the morning, the Sherpas reached Fischer, but his condition was already so bad that they made the difficult decision to leave him where he was, making him more comfortable. They lowered Makalu Go into the camp, whose condition made it possible to do this. A little later, Bukreev also reached Fischer, but the 40-year-old climber had by that time died of hyperemia.

The reasons for the tragedy that occurred with Fischer and other participants in the ascent

Mountains are one of the treacherous places on the planet. Eight thousand meters is a height at which the human body can no longer recover. Any, even the most insignificant reason can lead to a terrible tragedy. That day on Everest, the climbers were catastrophically unlucky. They were far behind the strict schedule due to the large number of tourists on the route at the same time. The time when it was necessary to turn back was lost. Those who reached the summit later than everyone else were caught in a severe snow storm on the way back and did not find the strength to go down to the camp.

Everest Open Graves

Scott Fisher, whose body was found frozen on May 11, 1996, was left at the scene of his death. It is almost impossible to bring down the dead from such a height. A year later, having returned to Nepal again, Anatoly Boukreev paid his last respects to his friend, whom he considered the best high-altitude climber in America. He covered Fischer's body with stones and stuck an ice ax over his makeshift grave.

Scott Fisher, whose body, along with the bodies of several dead Everest conquerors, was buried right at the site of his death, could have been lowered to the foot in 2010. Then it was decided, as far as possible, to clear the slopes of the mountain from the debris that had accumulated over many years and try to lower the bodies of the dead. Rob Hall's widow rejected this idea, and Fisher's wife Ginny hoped that her husband's body could be cremated at the foot of the mountain that killed him. But the Sherpas were able to find and lower the remains of two other climbers. Scott Fisher and Rob Hall still remain on Everest.

Reflection of the tragedy on Everest in literature and cinema

Participants in the incident, journalist Jon Krakauer, climber Anatoly Boukreev, Beck Withers and Lin Gammelgaard, wrote books in which they expressed their point of view.

Cinema could not stay away from such a promising topic as the 1996 tragedy on Everest. In 1997, John Krakaur's novel was filmed. It formed the basis of the film Death on Everest.

In 2015, the film “Everest” was released. The leader of the Mountain Madness expedition was played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Scott Fisher looked a little different in appearance (he was blond), but the actor fully managed to convey the energy and charm that the climber radiated. Rob Hall played. Keira Knightley, Robin Wright and Sam Worthington can also be seen in the film.

(Scott Fisher in the film "Everest") belongs to that category of actors whose skills grow before the eyes of the audience. Over the past two years, he has managed to please his fans with excellent performances in the films “Stringer” and “Lefty.” The Everest tragedy was no exception. The film received high marks from viewers and critics. Climbers also spoke positively about it, noting only a few minor errors in showing the behavior of people in conditions of oxygen starvation.

Is a dream worth a human life?

The desire to be at the highest point in the world is quite understandable. But Scott Fisher and Rob Hall, professionals of the highest level, showed weakness and went along with the ambitions of their clients. And the mountains do not forgive mistakes.

The tragedy, taken as the basis for the plot of the Hollywood film “Everest,” unfolded before the eyes of Krasnoyarsk residents. The famous climber, head coach of the Krasnoyarsk Territory mountaineering team Nikolai Zakharov was climbing to the top at the time when Scott Fischer, Rob Hall and members of their teams died there. He and his wife told Prospekt Mira about the irresponsibility of extreme tourism, the fallen noses of those rescued, and why climbers around the world learn Russian.

“This was the year when commercial mountaineering began to develop on the highest peak in the world,” says Nikolai Zakharov.— I won’t say that this is bad: if you have money, why not relax in the mountains? But not on an eight-thousander like Everest. I myself have climbed twice and I know how difficult it is: at the very top a person receives three times less oxygen than needed, there is an icy wind, the temperature drops to minus 60 degrees. You hesitated a little, didn’t get your bearings in time - and that’s it, you either froze, or the valves in the cylinders froze, and you’re without air. In principle, all this became the cause of the tragedy that took place on the slope in May 1996.

Still from the film

Two groups with paying tourists got into bad weather right at the very top. Some people had already reached the peak and were descending when they were covered by an avalanche. Rob Hall, the leader of one of the teams, gave in and agreed to drag one of the tourists (he had very little time left, but he could hardly walk himself), although it was clear that there was practically no time left for the descent. Both died.

“I had a case that practically repeated the story with Rob’s client,” recalls Zakharov. “During the first ascent, some of my comrades had already reached the top and turned back, and I only had about 200 meters left. Imagine: 200 meters - and for the first time in my life I’m on Everest! But if I went, they would have to wait for me, and the weather was changing. And I decided to turn back.

1996, photo from Zakharov’s personal archive

There are two routes to Everest: from Nepal, through the south col (the classic one, about which the film was made) and through the northern ridge, from Tibet. When Scott, Rob and their people died, Zakharov and a group of Krasnoyarsk tourists were climbing the northeastern wall for the first time: no one had climbed there before them.

— We missed each other in just a few days: on May 10 we went down to the camp to rest, so that we could then climb to the top. And on the 15th we moved up and found ourselves in exactly the same bad weather. We had a very bad time. The oxygen ran out, we spent three nights at an altitude of 8300 meters - this is a lot, the energy literally left us. Last night we didn’t sleep at all: everything was freezing even in our sleeping bag. But we were prepared; for us it was not an extreme situation, but a working moment. It was necessary to correctly assess everything, react and simply survive. We learned about what happened to the American teams after their return.

Still from the film

At this time, friends of Krasnoyarsk climbers were trekking under Everest. Among them was Nikolai’s wife - Lyubov Zakharova. They stopped for the night in the village of Felice (4200 meters above sea level), when wounded climbers began to be lowered from above.

“By this time we had already heard what happened; on the eve of the tragedy we saw a huge black cloud hanging over Everest,” says Lyubov Zakharova.— N But then we saw this horror with our own eyes: sad, lost people with bandaged hands, black, someone with a fallen nose - were sitting in a cafe. There was a feeling that they did not know what to do next. Someone mindlessly goes through things, takes something out and puts it back in the backpack. The strangest thing is that they don't talk to each other. Not at all, they just sit on their own. There is no euphoria that they survived, that they were going home (a plane was about to fly for them), that it was all over.

Photo from personal archive

“Now there are no such big tragedies on Everest,” continues Nikolai Nikolaevich. — the recovery industry has been worked out. But people still die every year. Because even 40 days of preparation for climbing to such a height is not enough. Personally, I would undertake to prepare a person for Everest at least three years in advance. Even a physically strong person in an extreme situation can become confused and not know what to do. The only thing the climbers had to do in 1996 was to go down as quickly as possible. But they hesitated and could no longer control the situation.

Still from the film

In the film, the only one who goes to the aid of those in trouble is Russian climber Anatoly Boukreev. This man is a legend in mountaineering. He worked as a guide for Scott Fisher.

“I knew Tolya well,” recalls Zakharov. — He is from Chelyabinsk, but lived in Alma-Ata. A very strong high altitude climber. He and I climbed two eight-thousanders in the Himalayas. He walked without an oxygen apparatus. Then it was he who pulled out three (otherwise there could have been more victims) due to bad weather. I climbed to the top and came down three times. Afterwards he told me in great detail how everything happened. Tolya himself died in 1997 in an avalanche.

Photo from personal archive

By the way, the film does not at all focus on the fact that the climbers were saved by a Russian. It sounds: “Tolya, you can go out.” And at the end, in the credits: “Anatoly Boukreev pulled out...”.

“It is well known in the world that only Russian climbers are ready to go to the rescue no matter what,” Nikolai Zakharov is sure. “That’s just how we were taught.” Foreigners may well pass by if someone is freezing nearby. Therefore, many experienced and knowledgeable climbers from abroad learn our language and go on difficult routes only with Russians.

Still from the film

According to Zakharov, the film was shot in the Alps, but there was also a lot of natural filming. On Everest itself, the south col and tents were removed. Of course, all this adds to its realism.

“Young guys often come to me and ask me to sign them up as climbers,” finishes Nikolai Nikolaevich. “Now I started telling them: watch the film, and then come back.” Almost half do not come later. There are many eight-thousanders in the Himalayas, but for some reason it is on Everest that people die very often. Everyone strives to climb to the highest peak in the world. And I personally don’t like Everest on classic routes. I saw enough of the dead there - This is a natural cemetery.

Photo from personal archive

In this article, the author examines the genre of adventure cinema, uncharacteristic for the Teach Good project, based on real events, using the example of two films “Death in the Mountains: Death on Everest” (“Into Thin Air”, 1997) and “Everest” ", 2015).

Tragedy on Chomolungma in May 1996

The films describe the story of one of the most dramatic ascents of Everest in May 1996, which ended in the mass death of climbers on the slopes of Qomolungma; Over the entire season, 15 people died while climbing the mountain, which will forever inscribe this year as one of the most tragic in the history of the conquest of Chomolungma.

The heads of the two expeditions, experienced climbers and guides Rob Hall (“Adventure Consultants”) and Scott Fisher (“Mountain Madness”) decided to team up to climb Everest, but made many mistakes. The clients reached the summit of Everest very late, and during the descent the climbers ran out of oxygen, and then they were caught in a severe storm. The storm lasted two days and killed expedition leaders Rob Hall, Scott Fisher and guide Andy Harris, as well as two Adventure Consultants clients. One of Adventure Consultants' clients, Beck Withers, was left on the mountain twice because his companions thought he was frozen, but he miraculously escaped and went on to endure numerous amputations.

The tragedy occurred as a result of unsatisfactory preparation of the expeditions, the inexperience of some members of the expeditions, a number of tactical errors made by their leaders, the queue that formed during the ascent, and bad weather conditions. Not everyone carefully followed the “acclimatization schedule.” As it turned out later, Scott Fisher (head of the Mountain Madness company, presumably died as a result of cerebral edema) took 125 mg of Diamox (acetazolamide) daily to speed up acclimatization. On May 9, a member of the Taiwanese expedition, Chen Yunan, died when he fell into a cliff because he did not put crampons on his shoes. In preparation for the expedition, Mountain Madness purchased little oxygen equipment. Another shortcoming can be considered the outdated, ten-channel radios that Scott Fisher purchased for the expedition. Moreover, during the final assault on the summit, the guides did not have walkie-talkies, as a result of which they could not contact either of the camps or the straggler Fischer.

The May tragedy received wide publicity in the press and the mountaineering community, calling into question the feasibility of commercializing Chomolungma.

Commercialization of Everest

The first commercial expeditions to Everest began to be organized in the early 1990s. Guides appeared. The package of their services included: delivery of participants to Base Camp (South Camp is located at an altitude of 5364 meters), organization of the route and intermediate camps, accompanying the client and his insurance all the way up and down. At the same time, conquering the peak (8848 m above sea level) was not guaranteed. In pursuit of profit, some guides took on clients who were unable to reach the summit at all. In particular, Henry Todd from the Himalayan Guides company argued that “... without blinking an eye, these leaders pocket a lot of money, knowing full well that their charges have no chance.” Neil Biddleman, a guide for the Mountain Madness group, admitted to the Russian guide Anatoly Boukreev even before the ascent began that “... half of the clients have no chance of reaching the top; for most of them, the ascent will end at the South Col (7900 m).”

The famous New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, who became one of the two first climbers to Everest (May 29, 1953), had an extremely negative attitude towards commercial expeditions. In his opinion, the commercialization of Everest "offended the dignity of the mountains."

Documentary films dedicated to the 1996 tragedy:

Everest is a 1998 American documentary film. Narrated by Liam Neeson.

“In the Dead Zone” (Seconds From Disaster: Into the Death Zone) is an American documentary film from 2012 from the documentary series “Seconds to Disaster” (season 6, episode 5).

Feature films dedicated to the 1996 tragedy:

"Death on the Mountain: Death on Everest", 1997 (Into Thin Air: Death on Everest) is a 1997 American feature film. Director: Robert Markowitz.

"Everest", 2015 - film directed by Baltasar Kormakur. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke, Robin Wright and Josh Brolin. The film premiered at the opening of the 72nd Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2015.

The films are based on real events that occurred in the Himalayas in May 1996. Then two commercial expeditions, which included both experienced climbers and tourists who had no experience in conquering eight-thousanders, climbed the highest mountain in the world. However, during the descent, several clients were caught in a severe snowstorm, in which five people died.

Thus, having analyzed these two films, based on real events, while radically different from each other in matters of objectivity and propaganda, the author gives preference to the 2015 film “Everest”. Most people tend to consider old films to be of higher quality (and this is usually true in view of the increasing bias of modern cinema towards a purely entertainment level), however, in relation to the two films discussed above, we see an exception to this rule. The author calls for analyzing such, let’s say, near-documentary films and not falling for the tricks of propagandists, or watching documentaries, which are often closer to the truth.

Some facts and statistics about climbing Everest

Everest, being the highest peak on Earth, attracts a lot of attention from climbers; climbing attempts are regular. The climb to the top takes about 2 months - with acclimatization and setting up camps. Countries on whose territory the approaches to the peak are located (Nepal, China) charge a lot of money for climbing to the top. Also, money is charged for the possibility of lifting. The order of ascent of the expeditions is established.

A significant part of ascents are organized by specialized companies and performed as part of commercial groups. Clients of these companies pay for the services of guides who provide the necessary training, provide equipment and, as far as possible, ensure safety along the entire route. The cost of climbing is up to 85 thousand US dollars, and the climbing permit alone, issued by the Nepalese government, costs 10 thousand dollars.

Climbing Everest to reach the highest point of the mountain is characterized by exceptional difficulty and sometimes ends in the death of both the climbers and the Sherpa porters accompanying them. This difficulty is due to the particularly unfavorable climatic conditions of the apical zone of the mountain due to its significant altitude. Among the climatic factors unfavorable for the human body are: high rarefaction of the atmosphere and, as a consequence, extremely low oxygen content in it, bordering on a fatally low value; low temperatures down to minus 50-60 degrees, which, in combination with periodic hurricane winds, is subjectively felt by the human body as a temperature down to minus 100-120 degrees and can lead to extremely quickly occurring thermal injury; Intense solar radiation at such altitudes is of considerable importance. These features are complemented by the “standard” dangers of mountaineering, which are also inherent in much lower peaks: avalanches, cliffs from steep slopes, falling into relief crevices.

From the first ascent to the peak (1953) until 2015, more than 260 people died on its slopes. Even the most expensive and modern equipment does not guarantee a successful ascent to Chomolungma. However, every year about 500 people try to conquer Everest. As of December 2016, 7,646 climbers managed to reach the summit, 3,177 of them climbed Everest more than once.

The author considers it necessary to mention the high degree of participation of the local people - the Sherpas - in the organization of absolutely all expeditions. They are the ones who organize the base camp, supply everything necessary (water, oxygen, supplies, equipment), stretch ropes and ladders. In fact, without the support of the Sherpas, climbers would never have been able to reach the highest peak of Chomolungma. They are the nameless heroes of expeditions, doing work for pennies compared to the profits of the organizing companies. It is no secret that the Sherpas are the ones who die the most in the Himalayan mountains. TV presenter Dmitry Komarov talks about this beautifully in his series of programs “The World Inside Out” (Expedition to Everest, starting with episode 5 of season 8).

The ascent to the highest point on the planet in the spring of 1996 for eight people was the last in their lives. Tragedies on Everest have happened before. However, the story of 1996 set a record at that time for the number of one-time victims.

Popular Everest

A lot has changed since the heroic rise of Norgay and Hillary in 1953, when these brave guys stood on top of the world together. By the end of the twentieth century. Those who want to climb Everest line up. Due to meteorological conditions, the climb is only possible in May or September. But even during these months, days periodically occur that make movement difficult or impossible. This leads to denser traffic of climbers and the presence of several groups on the climb (and summit). This is exactly what happened in May 1996: more than 400 people were at one stage or another of the conquest of Chomolungma.

Among them in the final phase:

• South African group (21 people);
• European climbers (9 people);
• American expedition (6 people);
• Taiwanese expedition (13 people);
• Mountain Madness group (16 people);
• Adventure Consultants group (15 people);
• Indo-Tibetan expedition (6 people).

The last three groups were at the center of events in the spring of 1996.

1. Mountain Madness was led by Scott Fisher.
2. Adventure Consultants was run by Rob Hall.
3. The Indo-Tibetan group was led by Mohinder Singh.

Fischer and Hall are mountaineering professionals who have climbed many eight-thousanders and Everest several times. Both climbers knew each other and decided to climb the peak on the same day – the 10th. The Taiwanese group was walking closely: in total, more than 50 people were on the ascent path at the same time. And this is despite the existing rule not to create a crowd, which was deliberately violated by the leaders of all the teams that were at that moment in Camp III at an altitude of 7315 m.

The decision to join forces had its own logic: to get through, you need to lay a road of cables, and it’s faster to do it together. In addition, this made it possible to remove the question of which team would do this. After all, it turned out that the rest would follow the beaten path, spend less effort and expose themselves to less danger.

Mountain Madness and Adventure Consultants

Both groups carried out commercial ascents. By such an ascent we mean a tourist expedition, the participants of which pay for the services of instructors, assistants, and bear organizational expenses.

Each team consisted of:

• three professional climbers, one of whom led the group;
• eight “clients” - those people at whose request the lifting is carried out;
• four to six Sherpa assistants - professional climbers - who were responsible for laying the path and carrying some of the things.

Among the clients were the most ordinary people: doctors, journalists, photographers, athletes, office workers. One of the participants, Dale Cruz, was a beginner and had no climbing experience. His case is atypical: Everest is the last frontier, the peak for those who have already visited five-, six-, seven-, and eight-thousanders. Most had mountaineering experience, some were engaged in conquering peaks professionally.

Mountain Madness was more significant in terms of the professionalism of the participants. One of the guides was the famous Soviet mountaineer Anatoly Boukreev, a master of his craft who devoted a significant part of his life to the mountains. The entire “client” composition, in addition to the already mentioned Dale Cruz, was represented by experienced climbers. But by a strange coincidence, it was the Mountain Madness group that faced problems from the very beginning, as if fully justifying its name (translated from English as “Go Crazy in the Mountains”).

Acclimatization climb

Before climbing Everest, climbers spend several days at the base camp at an altitude of 5364 m (from the Nepal side). This is required for gradual acclimatization to high mountain conditions. In addition to the fact that at an altitude of 5-8 km it is very cold (below -15°C), there is also low pressure and thin air. The last two factors cause various deviations in physiological processes, which are united under the common name “mountain sickness”.

While still at base camp in early April, the third guide, Neil Bidleman, began to cough due to increased sputum production due to decreased atmospheric pressure. Team leader Scott Fischer also felt unwell. It was suggested that this could be a consequence of some kind of fever that he had suffered in Nepal. According to Boukreev, Fischer showed signs of altitude sickness, despite the fact that he was a very trained climber. One way or another, the head of Mountain Madness was not in good health, periodically experiencing chills and taking some kind of medication.

Until the end of April, i.e. within three weeks, both groups undergo the so-called acclimatization ascent from base camp to camp III (7315 m). During it, the participants came across the remains of the lower part of the climber’s body. The consequences of tragic attempts to conquer Everest sometimes manifest themselves and always have a depressing effect. According to evidence, the group did not attach much importance to what they saw.

Then one of the Sherpas from the Mountain Madness team suffered from pulmonary edema: he was hastily evacuated in a comatose state. Soon, pioneer Dale Cruz's health deteriorated. For a beginner, a 7-kilometer altitude is a huge achievement, but without proper training, even with gradual acclimatization, you cannot escape from altitude sickness. Its symptoms are dizziness, vestibular disorders, nausea, “wobbly legs”, breathing problems, surges in blood pressure, arrhythmia, etc. Fischer decides to lower Cruise down several hundred meters. However, Cruz is not getting better, and he leaves the race.

Experienced mountaineer A. Boukreev, who for 38 years saw the earth from many peaks of the world, admitted in his book that he had never encountered worse conditions, and characterized the South Col that day as “a truly hellish place.”

All these troubles occurred even before the ascent, which starts from Camp IV, located in the South Col at an altitude of 7925 m. On May 9, more than 50 people gathered at this place. According to the recollections of the participants, the weather conditions were terrible: severe frost combined with hurricane winds, which made it impossible to breathe or speak normally.

By evening the wind calmed down. Team leaders Fischer and Hall considered this a good sign to begin their “assault” on the summit at night. Meanwhile, the client core of both expeditions (which also included experienced climbers) expressed doubts about the advisability of climbing under such unstable meteorological conditions. However, an altitude of almost 8 km is not a place where the principles of democracy apply. The leaders insisted on their decision.

Climbing

Between 23.30 and 0.00 the teams started from Camp IV - first Adventure Consultants, followed by Mountain Madness. Climbers must reach the summit by noon and begin their descent no later than 2 p.m. By evening, the weather usually deteriorates greatly: in order not only to climb Everest, but also to safely descend back, it is necessary to meet this time frame. In general, the 12+2 hours that the expeditions had was quite enough to meet the deadline.

More than 30 people started the climb at the same time. It soon turned out that the work of stringing the cables, which should have been completed by the expedition assistants the day before, was not fully completed. Without installed railings, a safe climb is impossible. In total, about 2 hours were lost on the construction of the route. This means that the groups were motionless and at the same time losing precious strength. The condition of some participants worsened. Many of them were already middle-aged people who had crossed the 40-year mark:

• A 49-year-old doctor from the Adventure Consultants team began to experience vision problems and practically stopped seeing (due to previous eye surgery).

• The 41-year-old Mountain Madness reporter became so weak that she had to be literally carried by one of her assistants.

• The Sherpa leader of the Mountain Madness group was physically exhausted (he was the one carrying the reporter) and, in addition, was experiencing symptoms of mountain sickness. The senior Sherpa, as well as the group leader, is a person on whom the coherence of the work of the other assistants and the success of the ascent largely depend.

• Instructor-leader Fischer is so exhausted that he not only does not lead the process, but is one of the last to go.

Slowly but surely, by 10.00 the participants gradually climb to the southern peak (8748 m), from which it is still about 100 m to the main peak. Some clients decide to turn back without reaching the peak.

At 13.07 Anatoly Boukreev is the first to reach the top of Everest. The rest of the instructors and clients are gradually joining in - no more than 10 people in total. The rest at 14.00 are still in the ascent stage, including both leaders. Although this is the time when it is time to begin the descent.

The top of Everest is far from a resort place. For safety reasons and to save energy, the descent begins from there as quickly as possible. But some participants in this expedition stayed at the top for 2 hours and began their journey back only closer to 16.00. Part of the expedition continued to climb even at 16.00-17.30, including Fisher. Due to delays on the route, some participants ran out of oxygen: there were spare cylinders, but replacing them required time, which was no longer available. A snowstorm began, visibility deteriorated, and the markers indicating the direction to the nearest camp were covered with snow.

Those who lingered at the summit had a hard time. Mountain Madness, led by one of the instructors (8 people), join forces with the remnants of Adventure Consultants (3 people, including one instructor). This group of 11 lost people makes their way catastrophically slowly in the darkness, ice shards whipping into their faces, visibility is almost zero. It is impossible to navigate, and it is unknown in which direction to move. By 19.00 they are already in the South Col, but cannot find the camp, which is 300 m away. Frost -45°C, squally wind. Tired and hopeless climbers hide from the wind behind a small ledge and, apparently, are preparing to die.

Closer to midnight, the hurricane wind subsides a little, and the instructor decides to continue the journey with those who can still move. 6 people come out of hiding and after 20 minutes find themselves in camp IV. Bukreev, who had been in the camp since 17.00 and made unsuccessful rescue attempts, with the arrival of the group, makes several exits and rescues 3 people from the survivors in the shelter.

In total, out of 31 participants in two expeditions in 1996, 5 people died: three instructors (including two leaders) and two clients.

Indo-Tibetan group

Mohinder Singh, a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Border Security Force, led his team of fellow border guards from the North Slope. Unlike expeditions climbing from the south side, this group carried out a non-commercial ascent and walked without Sherpa assistants. In addition, they were the first in 1996 on the northern route. They had to carry equipment, secure cables and pave the way without additional help.

The final phase of the ascent was performed by 3 out of 6 participants. They never reached the top of Everest, although they radioed to the contrary. One way or another, the Indian expedition did not meet with the groups ascending from the South Col. All three climbers were unable to descend and died.

Reasons for failure

Thus, the total number of deaths on this spring day in 1996 on Everest was 8 people.

After the tragic ascent, the surviving participants spoke about the events and even wrote stories in which they analyzed the reasons for the failure. They can be summarized as follows:

1. Unsatisfactory organization of the process:

• managers did not control the rise in the way they should have;
• the final climb route was not properly prepared;
• the leaders were required to set a deadline, after which, regardless of location on the slope, all participants had to begin the descent.

1. The commercial component of the ascent prevailed over the qualitative one:

• a large number of people on the rise at the same time;
• poor preparation and advanced age of clients slowed down and further complicated the movement of groups;
• the poor health of one of the instructor leaders and the senior Sherpa, who should not have climbed at all.
• Weather conditions.

A snowstorm with hellish wind and frost played their role, but it was far from the main one. For example, Anatoly Bukreev, having started his descent, as expected, at 14.00, found himself in camp by 17.00 without any problems. Another participant - Jon Krakauer, a journalist who also published his story - went down around 14.30, was caught in a storm, but survived and was able to reach Camp IV by 19.30. And only those who began the descent after 15.00 were unable to return on their own.

The incident of that year became a revealing and instructive example of the fact that discipline in a group and proper organization are the key to a successful and safe mountaineering climb.

On September 24, the long-awaited premiere of the film by Baltasar Kormakur, which opened the 72nd Venice Film Festival, will be released in Ukrainian cinemas.

The film “Everest” is based on real events, a tragedy that occurred in the spring of 1996, when three expeditions climbing the highest peak in the world were caught in a severe snowstorm. As a result, eight people died. Among those who were unable to return home was Rob Hall.

From the Editor:

The opposite point of view was expressed by a Kazakh climber of Russian origin

The famous climber was accompanied on the fatal expedition by his wife, who was seven months pregnant. Today, Jen Hall and 19-year-old Sarah remember the long-standing tragedy and share their impressions of the new film, in which Hollywood actors told the story of their family.

Jen, many books and articles have been written about your story with Rob. The first proposal for its film adaptation came when not even a year had passed since the tragedy. How did you feel when you were approached this time, and why only now did you agree to take part in the film?

Jen Hall: I was first approached when Sarah was about 5 or 6 months old, and I couldn't think about it at all. Then every few years, this idea came up again and again. I was not familiar with the film industry, I did not know what it meant to participate in the filming process, and I felt a huge responsibility, because this story is important not only for me, but also for many people who were affected by the tragedy on Everest.

A couple of years ago, Everest producer Tim Bevan came to me with a new proposal. I felt it was time to look into it because Sarah was now an adult. What interested me was that the project did not involve Hollywood-style action with chases and explosions, it was more aimed at revealing the truth to people.

- What is the most important thing in this film for you?

- “Everest” tells the story of what happened to a small group of climbers who found themselves at the summit on a fateful day. Many then showed heroism, but, unfortunately, it is impossible to fit all this into a two-hour film. For me, the story of the Sherpas (the people of Nepal who help climbers - Ed.), who did everything possible to climb and save my husband the day after the storm, is especially important. The entire expedition rested on their shoulders; they had to serve it every day during the ascent, and I would like to pay tribute to these wonderful people.

Sarah, I think Everest is a particularly exciting project for you. You always knew how your father died, and now you see him on the big screen in a Hollywood movie. What do you think about it?

Sarah-Arnold Hall: I loved the idea from the start. People might have heard about this story before, but now thanks to the film they will see it. Of course, it’s strange to see actors playing your family. I'm still nervous, but this is a serious, worthy film, so it was worth the risk.

- Jen, in the film “Everest” you were played by the famous actress Keira Knightley. Do you think she managed to cope with the role?

- During filming, I met with Keira Knightley and watched how she worked on the role. I can say that it is very strange to see yourself from the outside together with your husband, to watch how you say goodbye at the airport. At first I was surprised by Knightley’s performance, but they told me: “An actor doesn’t have to be exactly like you. Only you can be yourself." And I agree with this.

- They say about Keira Knightley that she loves her profession and does everything she undertakes well. Do you agree with this?

When I watched some episodes of Everest, I thought that a lot of things looked different from what actually happened. But then I learned to trust the creators of the film and became convinced that Keira Knightley did everything really well.

Did your last conversation with Rob, which viewers will see in the film, really happen? Did Rob manage to say goodbye to you via satellite phone before remaining forever in the snows of Everest?

Yes it is. He called three times.

- How did you feel then?

I consider it a great success that my husband and I managed to talk. From the very first call, I understood how little chance he had to escape. It wasn't easy to hang up and let him go forever.

- The film “Everest” is a tribute to the traditions of mountaineering. Sarah, have you thought about following in your father's footsteps?

I had some climbing experience when I was 15 years old. I climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa and also visited Mount Everest Base Camp. But this is, first of all, a tribute to family traditions, and not my calling.