I've read the book, and The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and Beck Weather's book. This is too one sided and just doesn't do justice to Boukreev, possibly the bravest person ever to set foot on Everest (and one of the greatest mountaineers ever).
No problem having a copy, I've got a couple to make anyway.
Went home at lunchtime to set the TiVo to record it. And the later programme. And the "moon landing were a hoax" documentary (for a laugh...)
For all the criticism directed at Boukreev, no-one else (I'll repeat that, NO-ONE, even those who _had_ used oxygen) was in any state to stage a rescue that night. Boukreev was able to make two long searches, alone, in a raging storm, resulting in the rescue of (I think) three people. He was also fit enough the next day to go up in the continuing storm and try to help Fischer.
Not for nothing was Boukreev given an award for his efforts by the American Alpine Club:
It should be remembered that John Krakauer was a journalist on Rob Hall's team and not a mountaineer. He was effectively a client with a breif to describe the experience, and may have felt an obligation to portray his party in the best possible light and lay the blame on Scott Fischer's team.
He was certainly not party to the private conversations between Fischer and Boukreev regarding Boukreev's responsibilities as a guide. In "The Climb" Boukreev disclosed conversations, that were independantly witnessed, regarding his not using oxygen (which was Boukreev's normal method of climbing) and the reason why he descended ahead of the clients in case there was an emegency requiring his return up the mountain.
The film totally failed to portray Boukreev's repeated trips up above Camp 4 to find the missing climbers prior to the final trip in which he rescued 3 others who would undoubtedly have died. More importantly it failed to show the background of commercial competition that had two companys fighting each other to put the most people on the summitt in order to secure future custom in a cut-throat market that was just emerging.
Scott Fischer was shown throughout the film as an arrogant man who appeared to have no idea of the dangers involved and considered himself "invinsible". Yet this was a man with previous experience of Himalayan expeditions, unlike Krakauer. Of course Krakauer was amember of Rob Hall's team so would not have been present to hear the statements Fischer is portrayed as making in the film.
Boukreev put himself in danger numerous times to go to the assistance of members of his own and Hall's team despite being a Kazachstani amongst Americans, and when despite numerous requests no-one would go with him. Hall died high on the mountain trying to make sure all his clients were safely on the descent. What did Krakauer do to help anyone, and what makes him worthy of the central role in the film?
Sorry if this has gone on a bit but Anatoli Boukreev was a very very special man who deserves to live in mountaineering history as an example to us all, and this book and film are a travesty of his memory.
Dave, I agree totally, I've read both his books, and he was amazing. And after that news story last week, where they reckon during the events in 1996 he would of been climbing 500 metres higher due to the weather conditions. His feats on that day make him a god amongst climbers.
I just hope the remake of it underway at the moment is more objective, but I won't hold my breath. I suspect the emphasis is going to be more on the quality of the cinematography.
Completely support your rant. I flicked through the film last night when I got home, and wasn't impressed by the bits I saw. It wasn't even faithful to Krakauer's version of events; he describes the patch-through of Rob Hall to his wife, but certainly doesn't claim to have been involved in any way (I suspect he was dead to the world in his tent at the time). As usual, 'artistic licence' has been used, probably to limit the number of characters in the film, so as a) not to 'confuse the audience' and b) to save money on actors and sets.
Likewise, was also disappointed by the later 'Death on Everest' documentary, not to hear even a single mention of Boukreev's incredible heroism that night.
Leni Gammelgard suggests that Fischer may have pushed himself too hard to organise his party and reach the summit, and she was in his party.
As for Rob Hall, I cannot read the accounts of that story without tears.
What do you all reckon to Rob Hall? I find myself swaying one way then the other. It seems he failed to make the tough decision to stop his client- Doug Hansen- continuing with his summit push earlier in the day. Later, he insisted he remain with Hansen who was clearly in severe difficulty when someone of Hall's experience should have realised he wasn't going to make it down. And then finally he seems to have been gripped by a sense of responsibility for his client and remained with him till he died which in essence sealed his fate as he was too weak by then to make the descent himself. And whereas his actions have been widely praised by the climbing fraternity- particularly when compared to the actions of others that day- I can't help feeling he had just a great a responsibility to his wife and family to come back alive. His actions to try and rescue Hansen probably cost Andy Harris his life also, as he died making his way back to the summit to assist Hall and Hansen. Having thought about all this it seems to me that Rob Hall did have a real responsibility to his client, but the question to be answered is at what point does that responsibility end. Is it even unto to death, in a spirit of 'where there's life there's hope' or should a guide be able to make a cold, even callous, decision about the chances of survival of his client and himself and abondon them to their fate in order to save themselves. Personally I am amazed that this has not been taken up in law in America. Several wealthy American clients were involved in the events that day. Cynically if Sandy Pitman had failed to come back or if Rob Hall had not perished himself this might not be the case.
I think that Rob Hall faced the ultimate dilemma...responsibility to himself, against that to his family.
If he had turned Hanson round, the effect on his business as a guide would have been seriously damaged, which meant potential trouble for his family (remember his wife was pregnant). If he had left Hansen there and gone down, then similarly the potential for damage to his business and for legal action was great.
Would Hall have had a business if he had come down? Would he have been able to provide for his family in this case? Of course this is all a matter of speculation, and discussion. But imagine sitting at 8,000m and thinking about that! It must have been like entering hell...
I for one think that he was acting for the good of his family and that events overtook him. In my limited knowledge and view on this, I think that he was "painting himself into a corner", all for the right reasons, but ultimately making the wrong choices...
It is a dilemma that I would not like to be in...my life or the security of the family - for I honestly think that is what this case boils down too. If he made the "right" decisions and turned Hansen round this would have been the "wrong" thing for his business and thus his family. Similarly if he had left Hansen, then this would have been the "right" decision, but again this could have been the "wrong" decision.
Let us finally not forget that (I believe) Hall was a man of integrity and honour and thus he took his role and responsibility of guide very seriously. He had taken on the responsibility of Hansen (and the others, but mostly Hansen on the day) and I think that his moral code meant that he couldn't just relinquish that responsibility and walk away.
Alex says pretty much what I was going to say, but much more eloquently.
The Andy Harris factor is somewhat different. Harris personally decided to go back up to try and rescue Rob Hall and Doug Hansen, after being told to go down by Hall. I think Hall fulfilled his responsibility to the best of his ability to Harris by getting him to go down to Camp 4. I don't think you should go down the road of putting blame on casualties for any injury or death that happens to a volunteer rescuer. Where would the rescue teams of Britain be with such a policy?
Harris is an odd case, yes he was told to go down, and yes he dcised to go back up.
Pure conjecture here at the moment, but I wonder what Hansen would have actually done if Hall had told him to go down? Would he have continued up regardless? Could Hall have MADE him go down?
Who are we to challenge someone's judgement when faced with knife edge decisions about life and death? Everyone has to act according to what they judge to be best at the time in the context of their experiences and personality. Of course we should discuss these issues; that is how we learn, but personally I admire anyone who risks their life for someone else. It's all so easy to be critical in hindsight.
At the very least, Rob Hall provided comfort to a dying man and if you think that sounds like I've just been reading Joe Simpson's "Dark Shadows Falling" you'd be right. This book is a poignant reflection on life, death, selfishness and selflessness in the mountains and deserves to be read by all. It has particular significance for me, because one of the people Joe mentions is his climbing partner Tom Richardson. Joe obviously has a high regard for Tom, and so do I. Because once, long ago, Tom Richardson risked his own life to save mine. It wasn't anywhere as dramatic as the Himalayas, just the Carnedds, in winter. I won't go into the details of what I was doing trying to back-climb an icy gully in poor visibility in bendy boots and with only one ice tool. Maybe I will tell the story properly in an article one day. But the point is I slipped, and before I knew it I was sliding down the slope towards the swirling mist below, uncertain what lay beyond, trying deperately but vainly to arrest my fall and gathering speed all the time. Then, unexpectedly, I became wrapped in a warm, all-embracing, comforting, life-saving heavy-softness, which drew my fall to a gentle halt. I have never felt such overwhelming relief. Tom had witnessed my fall from below and run headlong across the slope to fling himself bodily on top of me, driving his two axes into the slope above and the the hard-toe ends of his plastic boots into the ice below. And so he saved me, and by getting it right first time, himself also, as we could easily have both ended up plummetting into the abyss below. Of course, it's possible that I might not have died. Maybe we weren't above the Black Ladders as we both believed, maybe I would have hit softer snow and got a brake in. Who knows? But that's usually the case with life-saving isn't it? As far as I am concerned, I am so grateful that Tom wasn't thinking about himself, or his wife and family at the time. Sometimes people do their best and it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't. I for one am not going to blame anyone for trying.
What a marvelous tool hindsight is. In the light of the events we can all see what Rob Hall should have done. For me, I agree with most of what has been said. Rob Hall was indeed a man of integrity and honour and it was this that in part cost him his life, as was Andy Harris. I would pick either of them as a climbing partner over many other high altitude professionals. As for what can be learned from this, I think that the crucial decision was made by Rob Hall in letting sentiment overide his better judgement at 2:00pm in letting Doug Hansen continue with his summit bid. We all I hope have the basic knowledge that the mountains will be there tomorrow and we have all probably turned around when conditions were poor and saved it for another day. Once Rob Hall made that decision the die was cast and all the other decisions he made could not undo that crucial first mistake. If personally doubt if financial concern for the business was uppermost in his mind and led Hall to make that decision. He had a very strong bond with Doug Hansen and had led him to a failed summit bid the previous year. He had also been instrumental in persuading him to make the second bid at all. Hence he felt that he could not abandon him as it was mainly at his insistence that he was there at all. The effect on his business and his pregnant wife could hardly have been more catastrophic as things turned out. Which leads me to think about his wife and now child (and the family of Andy Harris) and whether they feel that they would rather of had him back alive but less honourable, or dead with his honour and integrity intact. (Alex may have more to add on the thoughts and feelings of relatives in this situation ... as a member of the forces..I have no experience of this whatsoever.) Several things occur to me as I write this, one of which is should some form of voulntary code be agreed in that all guided summit bids must be abandoned at 2:00pm. Further, was Rob Hall just unlucky, he had the experience to get his man up and down safely but freak weather conditions overtook him and if it were not for bad luck we wouldn't be having this discussion. And finally is the greatest tragedy that the two guides with the greatest qualities of honour and integrity perished trying to save their clients and those that did not are still guiding today.
