The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest

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Scott Fischer, Sandy Hill Pitman, Anatoli Boukreev and other climbers on Everest trek. Göran Kropp documentary "I made it!"/Blomqvist Produktion AB The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest season on Mount Everest at the time and the third deadliest after the 22 fatalities resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake [1] and the 16 fatalities of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche. The 1996 disaster received widespread publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest. [2] Jon Krakauer’s book, “Into Thin Air,” presented a critical view of Boukreev’s actions during the Everest expedition. In response, Boukreev was approached by various media outlets seeking his perspective on the events. He also collaborated with Gary Weston DeWalt to publish his own account of the Everest tragedy in the book “The Climb.” In 1997, Boukreev was killed in an avalanche during a winter ascent of Annapurna in Nepal. [1] Boukreev's companion, Linda Wylie, edited his memoirs and published them in 2002 under the title, Above the Clouds: The Diaries of a High-Altitude Mountaineer.

However, author Jon Krakauer was far more critical in his book, Into Thin Air, and argued that Boukreev’s decision to attempt the summit without supplementary oxygen was foolish and potentially hazardous for his clients. The award honoured him as someone that has “distinguished themselves, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperilled in the mountains”. Furthermore, on January 18, 2023, a sculpture portraying Boukreev, created by Nurlan Dalbai, was unveiled at the Medeu ice sports rink. The sculpture depicts the mountaineer in a state of repose, with his hand resting on an ice axe. Anatoli Boukreev: The legacy of the Kazakhstani mountaineer Just below the summit Boukreev saw Rob Hall, head of an expedition from New Zealand, and then passed four of his ascending clients, as well as Scott Fischer who appeared to be fine.a b c d e Bouchard, Jay (12 June 2017). "American Climbers Confirm the Hillary Step Is Gone". Outside Online . Retrieved 14 June 2017. Known as one of the most lethal years in Everest’s history, 1996 saw the deaths of 15 climbers, eight of whom died on 10 May. On this day 33 climbers from three groups (Mountain Madness, a government-funded Taiwanese group and Adventure Consultants) were attempting to reach the summit. Boukreev, a Russian from Kazakstan, had most recently been living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was among the most active high-altitude climbers of recent times, with Expending too much energy placing fixed lines along a narrow, steep portion earlier that day, but faced with a team that wanted to push to the summit on the same afternoon rather than returning to their tents to sleep, he agreed to continue on. During my years of training as a ski racer, and then as a mountaineer, I had learned how to wring out the last of my energy for a finish. But this is dangerous in mountaineering, because the summit is not the finish of your competition with a great mountain. To survive you must be able to get down from the forbidden zone. [9]

But even her friends agree that Sandy Pittman’s single-minded dedication to her avocation complicated her relationship with her husband. “A lot of people look at mountain climbing as discretionary, but Sandy looks at this as her job,” says Nina Griscom, adding, “But in a marriage, it’s hard when someone finds out who they are in the middle.” The following is a list of climbers en route to the summit on 10 May 1996 via the South Col and Southeast Ridge, organized by expedition and role. All ages are as of 1996.Boukreev, Anatoli; DeWalt, G. Weston (22 September 2015). The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781250099822. Boukreev reached Camp IV at 5pm, but even then there were still climbers trying to get to the top. By 5:30pm a blizzard had blown in, burying the fixed ropes that had been placed and any trail that the groups had blazed on their ascent. Jerome Taylor (2008-08-05). "The Big Question: What makes K2 the most perilous challenge a mountaineer can face?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008 . Retrieved 2008-08-07. Boukreev hailed from Korkino, situated in the Soviet Union. Coming from humble beginnings, he belonged to the Narod, the working class. While he was young, his parents faced significant financial challenges. It is widely hailed as one of the most amazing rescues in mountaineering history, having been performed single-handedly and without oxygen, by someone who has only recently returned from Everest’s summit.