Dark Side Of Everest On The Telly

Time to set the video - The Dark Side of Everest is a documentary focussing on the death, on Everest in 1996, of the climber and photographer Bruce Herrod.

It's on at 9.00 pm tonight on Channel 5 and lasts an hour. The story of the tragic events of 1996, the one covered by Krakauer's 'Into Thin Air' seem to have been recounted a thousand times now, but amid all the hype and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first ascent, it's a timely reminder of the dangers of the mountain.

To quote the Channel 5 web site:

'Programme investigating the danger involved in scaling Mount Everest, a peak that has been conquered by over 1,000 climbers in the past 50 years - but cost 144 lives. Interviews and archive footage show how altitude sickness, obsession and selfishness can distort the decision-making process - sometimes with appalling consequences.'