Mount Everest Daily News

Transcription

1 Mount Everest Daily News by Emily Ginsberg Mount Everest Expedition of 1996 Mount Everest

2 2 My Newspaper Time for an Everest trip The call that started it all In March, 1995 Jon Krakaur had received a call from an editor from Outside Magazine proposing that John join a guided expedition of Mount Everest and write an article about the "...Mushrooming Commercialization of the Mountain and the attendant controversies." Jon says "Outside's intent was not that I climb the peak, they simply wanted me to remain at base camp and report the story from the East Rongbuk Glacier at the Tibetan side of the mountain." Jon considers this offer extremely. He went as fat as getting the required immunizations and booking a flight, but then backs out at the last minute. He apparently said no because it would be "unbearably frustrating" for him to spend two long months in the shadows of Everest other than ascending higher than base camp. To him, it wasn't worth it, he'd rather have a shot of climbing the mountain. Jon asked Mark Bryant, the editor of the Outside Magazine if he would consider giving him 12 months to train properly. Also, to book him with the more reputable guide services, and to pay the $65,000 fee, which meant actually giving him a shot to climb the mountain. A day later, Bryant called Jon back saying that if Jon was serious about climbing Everest, since it was an important story he would figure out how to make it happen, instead of making Outside who couldn't shell out the money. made it. "Those cold days were not easy" as Jon would say. With a few broken ribs and dealing with many freezing nights, it seems to have all been worth it. Standing on the summit proud, Jon had come to realization he had just completed a goal set since childhood. Nothing could stop him now. 29,028 feet with very little oxygen left was forgotten for just a little while as Jon was taking in the surroundings. Jon says "At after about 1:00 I was beginning to have serious doubts about reaching the summit, so at the top of the step I asked Beidleman if he minded I hurry ahead to the summit..." Beidleman had replied "go right ahead" and Jon started to ascend the last few steps to the summit. He says he had the sensation of being under water. But as he finished snapping a few pictures of the breath taking view he knew the summit was only the half way point. A dangerous descent lay ahead. Mount Everest storm Getting close to the summit It took Jon approximately 11 hours to ascend to the summit of Everest from camp four. Client of Rob Hall's 1996 Everest expedition team reaches summit Client Jon Krakauer of Rob Hall's 1996 Mount Everest Expedition team has just reached the summit of Everest. On May 10, 1996 at 1:12 pm Jon was on the roof of the world. After months of training and weeks of ascending and descending the harsh peak he had finally Rob Hall's 1996 Mount Everest team

3 My Newspaper 3 Mount. Everest

4 4 My Newspaper Disaster strikes worlds highest peak responsibility to stay with Beck. Jon had paid to be guided and helped on Everest not help/guide others. Jon's decision was not selfish nor irresponsible because it was not Jon's job and Jon made a smart life-saving move. made the decision to leave the two where they lay and let nature take it's course, considering they would probably die by the time they were dragged down to base camp. As for Fischer, he was believed to be dead or close to it. Doug Hansen's Everest experience This had been Doug Hansen's second attempt to climb Mount Everest. He was a client on Rob Hall's expedition team the first time he had tried to climb the mountain the previous year in That year Doug and three other clients were forced to turn around 330 feet below the summit by their guide Rob Hall. Rob recalls "the hour was late and the summit ridge was buried beneath a mantle of deep, unstable snow." Rob had then convinced Doug to try again the next year because he knew Doug was capable and so did Doug. Doug was now on Rob Hall's 1996 Everest expedition team and happened to share a tent with Jon Krakauer. This year Doug was determined to get to the top and he wasn't going to let Hall turn him around this time. I don't think Hall was even going to let him self get in the way of Doug. Jon says he was rooting for him and if anyone was going to reach the summit from their expedition he assumed it would be Doug. Doug's fifteen years of experience made him completely capable of looking after himself on heights. He was strong, driven, and he had already been high on Everest. The day of the ascent for Doug, was not kind to him. Doug had reached the summit at about 4:00 pm on May 10, 1996 meeting with Hall who had waited for him. Rob Hall's turn around time had been two hours past and the reason Hall had let it slide and let Doug reach the summit is unknown. Perhaps it was because of the previous year. After Hall and Doug spent a few minutes on top they started to descend with Lopsang. Lopsang figures they can move without him so he leaves them on the Hillary Step to catch up with Scott Fischer. Doug runs out of oxygen and because Andy Harris still believes there are no full canisters at the South Summit that is what he tells Hall. Hall somehow gets ahold of two oxygen canisters but the valves are frozen. Considering Hall didn't want to descend without Doug because Doug couldn't descent alone, Hall stayed with Doug on the Hillary Step. Awhile after 5:00 pm Hall radios to Base camp that Doug is gone. His body was never found. Doug Hansen 1996 on everest Beck left alone? There he was. Beck Weathers standing alone in the snow, shivering vigorously. For Jon to leave Beck where he was even though he said he would wait for Mike to short rope him was a very personal impulse. Although others would call it a selfish move because Jon could've saved Beck's life and waited with him I would disagree and say it was a smart life saving move. Jons's decision for leaving Beck alone was smart. This is because Jon was already so exhausted and cold from his ascent that helping another person out, would make it worse for both of them. It may have ended with Jon needing help as well. So in a situation like this you have to ask yourself, would you risk having yourself and the other persons' life be in danger just to attempt a rescue? Or would you save at least yourself? Adding the fact that Jon was a client not a guide therefore it was not his job to help Beck. Although it may have come off rude considering Beck was partially blind, it his own decision to keep ascending up the mountain. Also when Rob Hall offered earlier in the day to have a Sherpa escort Beck down, he refused. In addition, I do not think it was Jon's Beck Weathers "The Huddle" Descending from the summit of Everest Neal Beidleman, Klev Schoening, Tim Madsen, Charlotte Fox, Sandy Pittman, Lene Gammelgaard, Tashi Tshening, Nogawang Dorje, Mike Groom, Beck Weathers, and Yasuko Namba get caught up in the Night long storm on May 10, As they wonder around the mountain the group had somehow strayed to the Eastern edge of the col, which was the very edge of a 7,000 foot drop down the Kanshung Face. The group was approximately 1,000 horizontal feet from the safety of camp four. Beidleman and Schoening searched for a safe place to escape the wind. But given they were in the middle of nowhere that wasn't possible. No one in the group had oxygen it had long since run out making everyone more miserable to the wind chill which was more than a hundred below zero. Beidleman had then decided to scream at the group to huddle right where they were. Charlotte's eyes were frozen, Sandy was hysterically yelling about not wanting to die. "At that point, I hoped death would come quickly," says Charlotte. The next day May 11, 1996 everyone in the group had made it back to camp four except Weathers, Namba, and Fischer. Weathers and Namba had been found where they were left the night before. They were partially buried in snow with pretty much just their hands and feet sticking out. Surprisingly when Hutchison pulled a chunk of ice from Namba's face he found she was still breathing. Along with Beck who was mumbling some words. Hutchison The storm 1996 Mount Everest All of Fischers' sherpas can go to the summit? It was May 10, 1996, the day of the summit push. The mountain Madness team with guides Fischer, Beidleman, and Boukreev including their six clients and six sherpas were readying for the push. At the last minute Scott Fischer opens his hearts and says "All Sherpas can go to the summit." This is because a few were supposed to stay back incase of any emergency. I think it was not a great idea to say that all the Sherpa's were aloud to go even though they have worked hard to get to camp four, plus some sherpas have to fix ropes on the way up anyway. But besides that if one client got lost and made it down to camp four alone there should be at least one or two sherpas waiting to help the cold lost climber. First of all, the Sherpas have been hired to help paying clients incase they are injured or in need of support. Also they are supposed to be around to help and listen to the guides. Fischer was understanding and sympathetic to the sherpas want of ascending to the summit. But incase a client is hurt, there wouldn't be any sherpas back at camp ready to aid. Thanks to Lospang, who must be thinking my thoughts made his cousin "Big" Remba remain behind. Lospang tells his cousin behind Fischers' back "You must stay, or I will not give you job again." Of course Remba's angry, but what if a client was hurt? No Sherpa would be at camp ready to assist. I think at least two Sherpa's should have stayed so there would be double the help incase one out of two of the Sherpas got sick/injured. As long as a Sherpa was behind at camp, any

5 My Newspaper 5 sick or injured client/guide/sherpa would have a better chance of being cured. In conclusion, Fischers' decision was not smart. Although his decision may have not been well thought out at the time. Maybe Fischers' decision was because the high attitude was making him delusional to make any sense able thoughts. So, even it was a nice thought to have all sherpas go to the summit, it was a very inconvenient idea. The affects of the victim From Jon Krakauer's information in the spring of climbers died and 84 had reached the summit including himself. Which would calculate to a ratio of one climber out of seven would die on that ascent/descent from the summit of everest. Andy Harris was last seen at the South Summit. He had attempted to bring Rob Hall a canister of oxygen but never made it to him. Jon Krakauer had assumed that Harris had fallen 7,000 feet of an edge to his death, but was soon faced with the truth. Beck Weather's had made it off of Everest surprisingly alive. A little while after Hutchison had left him he had managed to descend by himself to camp. From there on he was aided by doctors. After being evacuated from the peak he was taken to Kathmandu hospital and immediately being cared for. Beck's right arm had been amputated halfway below the elbow, all four fingers and the thumb on his left hand were removed. Lastly, his nose was amputated and rebuilt and he is now disabled for life. Makalu Gau was found by three Sherpa's who had gone up to rescue Scott Fischer as well. They had decided to leave Fischer on a ledge at 27,200 feet. Given Fischer's condition the Sherpa's had concluded he was beyond saving. When they got Makalu down to camp he had been hustled into a tent and immediately doctors started treating him. He was later evacuated by a helicopter before Beck, and taken to Kathmandu hospital. Sandy Pittman had returned to her home in Manhatten. Sandy found that she had become "a lightning rod" for a great deal of public anger over what had happened on Everest. Sandy said that things had gotten so bad her son was being ridiculed and ostracized by classmates at his exclusive private school. All this wrath left Sandy reeling. Neal Beidleman had come off of Everest saving many people. He saved the lives of five clients by guiding them down the mountain. Yet, he is still haunted by a death he was unable to prevent, of a client who was not even on his team. A client he was not officially responsible for. He said he had dragged her a step or two before she let go. But he knew he couldn't help. Someone had to get to the tents to get help or everybody he was with was going to die. He says "I can still feel Yasukos' fingers sliding across my biceps, and letting go. I never even turned to look back." Sadly Yasuko Namba, Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, and Doug Hansen had not survived the disastrous storm. Many more had died. But none of them have been nearly forgotten. Taken by a survivor of the 1996 everest tragedy The Summary of Into Thin Air Into Thin Air is a personal account of the Mount Everest disaster written and experienced by Jon Krakauer. This book explains the events of the 1996 tragic Mount Everest storm. Ending with many terrible deaths and leaving the survivors scared. After reading this book some people may have an urge to climb the mountain because of it's beautiful scenery and the rush of an adventure. Others may find the book disturbing and may decide they never want to climb the peak. I would say overall that this book made me feel as if I were on the expedition myself. It was a very well put together novel. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about climbing Mount Everest or is interested in reading about a Mount Everest expedition gone wrong. For the people who are interested in climbing the peak, Into Thin Air gives you a look into the eyes of the climbers and what they had experienced. Be ware that there are many excruciating events taking place in the novel, so if you don't think you can handle reading beyond blood and vomit then this book is not for you. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 13. For this book is to mature and much too factual for children. The words are written at a very high level and children would not be able to comprehend most of the text. In my opinion Into Thin Air was a wonderful story about an expedition group climbing to the top of Mount Everest and happened to get caught up in a dangerous storm. Even for me there were lots of facts maybe even too many and they had made me lose my concentration. This novel is definitely at a very high level of thinking and reading. An older person would probably understand it better as apposed to a person around 13. Hopefully if you decide to read Into Thin Air you will get a taste of the adventure Jon had. I have never read anything like this before. I'm sure you'll be dumbfounded by what you read in Into Thin Air. But if you don't think so, read the book and find out yourself. Into Thin Air (The book) written by Jon Krakauer * All information from these articles were found in the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

6 6 My Newspaper

7 My Newspaper 7

8 8 My Newspaper

9 My Newspaper 9

10 10 My Newspaper

11 My Newspaper 11

12 12 My Newspaper