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EXTRACTSFROMINTOTHINAIR–JONKRAKAUER(1997)
Backgroundtothe1996EverestExpedition
Intheearly1990’sRobHallmadeaconsiderablenameforhimselfinthemountaineeringfraternitybysummittingthehighestmountainsoneachofthesevencontinentsinonlysevenmonths.
Inanattempttocapitaliseonthisandgeneratelongtermprospectsinprofessionalclimbing,heandapartnerestablishedacompanycalledAdventureConsultants.Thiscompanywouldspecialiseinhighaltitudeguiding–takingpayingclientsupandbackdownthe‘seven-summits’.Convincedthattherewouldbeenoughpotentialclientswith‘amplecash,’butinsufficientexperience,AdventureConsultantswasborn.
Aboutthesametime,anu`mberofotherclimbershadsimilarideas.Severalcompaniesspecialisinginhighaltitudeguidingwerelaunched.AmongstthesewasMountainMadness,headedbyScottFischer.In1994FischerascendedEverestwithoutsupplementaloxygen,andacoupleofyearslaterheledahighprofileascentofKilimanjarothatnettedhalfamilliondollarsforthecharityCARE.
Mostofthecompaniesinthehigh-altitudeguidingmarketwereonlybarelymakingaprofit.In1995Fischertookhomeonlyabout$12,000.Futureprofitabilitydependedontheabilitytoattracthighprofileclients,whowouldspendlargeamountstojoinanexpedition,andthentogetthemsafelyupanddownthemountain.
WithbothHallandFischermountingexpeditionstoEverestinthespringof1996,thescenewassetforsomefriendlycompetitionbetweenthetwo.JonKrakauer,ajournalistandexperiencedmountainclimberapproachedbothorganisationstodiscussjoiningtheirteamsasaclient.Inreturnforadiscount,hewouldwriteanumberofhighprofilearticlesin‘OutsideMagazine’–apublicationwidelyreadbyclimbingenthusiastsinNorthAmerica.HeeventuallydecidedtoclimbwithRobHallandAdventureConsultants.
OnMay9th1996,fiveexpeditionslaunchedanassaultonthesummitofMountEverest.Theconditionsseemedperfect.Twenty-fourhourslateroneclimberhaddiedand23othermenandwomenwerecaughtinadesperatestrugglefortheirlivesastheybattledagainstaferociousstormthatthreatenedtotearthemfromthemountain.InalleightclimbersdiedthatdayintheworsttragedyEveresthaseverseen.
JonKrakauer,anaccomplishedclimber,joinedacommercialexpenditurerunbyguidesforpayingclients,manyofwhomhadlittleornoclimbingexperience.InIntoThinAirhegivesathoroughandchillingaccountoftheill-fatedclimbandrevealsthecomplexwebofdecisionsandcircumstancesthatleftagroupofamateursfightingfortheirlivesinthethinairandsub-zerocoldabove26,000feet–aplaceclimberscall‘TheDeathZone’.IntoThinAirrevealsthehardrealitiesofmountaineeringandechoeswiththefranticcallsofclimberslosthighonthemountainandwaybeyondhelp.
ThefollowingextractsaretakenfromthebookKrakauereventuallywroteabouttheexpedition,entitledIntothinAir.
Team
OnthemorningofMarch31,twodaysafterarrivinginKathmandutheassembledmembersofthe1996AdventureConsultantsEverestExpeditioncrossedthetarmacofTribhuvanInternationalAirportandclimbedaboardaRussian-builtMi-17helicopteroperatedbyAsianAirlines.AdentedrelicoftheAfghanwar,itwasasbigasaschoolbus,seatedtwenty-sixpassengers,andlookedlikeithadbeenrivetedtogetherinsomebody’sbackyard.Theflightengineerlatchedthedoorandhandedoutwadsofcottontostuffinourears,andthebehemothchopperlumberedintotheairwithahead-splittingroar.Thefloorwaspiledhighwithduffels,backpacks,andcardboardboxes.Jammedintojumpseatsaroundtheperimeteroftheaircraftwasthehumancargo,facinginward,kneeswedgedagainstchests.Thedeafeningwhineoftheturbinesmadeconversationoutofthequestion.Itwasn’tacomfortableride,butnobodycomplained.
Glancingaroundthehelicopter’scapaciousinterior,Itriedtofixthenamesofmyteam-matesinmymemory.InadditiontoguidesRobHallandAndyHarristherewasHelenWilton,athirty-nine-year-oldmotheroffour,whowasreturningforherthirdseasonasBaseCampManager.CarolineMackenzie–anaccomplishedclimberandphysicianinherlatetwenties–wastheexpeditiondoctorand,likeHelen,wouldbegoingnohigherthanBaseCamp.LouKasischke,agentlemanlylawyerI’dmetattheairport,hadclimbedsixoftheSevenSummits–ashadYasukoNamba,forty-seven,ataciturnpersonneldirectorwhoworkedattheTokyobranchofFederalExpress.BeckWeathers,forty-nine,wasagarrulouspathologistfromDallas.StuartHutchinson,thirty-four,attiredinaRenandStimpyT-shirt,wasacerebral,somewhatwonkishCanadiancardiologistonleavefromaresearchfellowship.JohnTaske,atfifty-sixtheoldestmemberofourgroup,wasananaesthesiologistfromBrisbanewho’dtakenupclimbingafterretiringfromtheAustralianarmy.FrankFischbeck,fifty-three,adappergenteelpublisherfromHongKong,hadattemptedEverestthreetimeswithoneofHall’scompetitors;
in1994he’dgottenallthewaytotheSouthSummit,just300verticalfeetbelowthetop.DougHansen,forty-six,wasanAmericanpostalworkerwho’dgonetoEverestwithHallin1995and,likeFischbeck,hadreachedtheSouthSummitbeforeturningback.
Iwasn’tsurewhattomakeofmyfellowclients.Inoutlookandexperiencetheywerenothinglikethehard-coreclimberswithwhomIusuallywentintothemountains.Buttheyseemedlikenice,decentfolks,andtherewasn’tacertifiableassholeintheentiregroup–atleastnotonewhowasshowinghistruecolorsatthisearlystageoftheproceedings.
ForthemostpartIattributedmygrowinguneasetothefactthatI’dneverclimbedasamemberofsuchalargegroup–agroupofcompletestrangers,noless.AsidefromoneAlaskatripI’ddonetwenty-oneyearsearlier,allmypreviousexpeditionshadbeenundertakenwithoneortwotrustedfriends,oralone.
Inclimbing,havingconfidenceinyourpartnersisnosmallconcern.Oneclimber’sactionscanaffectthewelfareoftheentireteam.
Theconsequencesofapoorlytiedknot,astumble,adislodgedrock,orsomeothercarelessdeedareaslikelytobefeltbytheperpetrator’scolleaguesastheperpetrator.Henceit’snotsurprisingthatclimbersaretypicallywaryofjoiningforceswiththosewhobonafidesareunknowntothem.
Buttrustinone’spartnersisaluxurydeniedthosewhosignonasclientsonaguidedascent;
onemustputone’sfaithintheguideinstead.AsthehelicopterdronedtowardLukla,IsuspectedthateachofmyteammateshopedasferventlyasIthatHallhadbeencarefultoweedoutclientsofdubiousability,andwouldhavethemeanstoprotecteachofusfromoneanother’sshortcomings.
OncetheteamlandedattheNepalesevillagewherethehiketoBaseCampwouldbegin,theymettheirteamofSherpas.Sherpasremainanenigmatomostforeigners,whotendtoregardthemthrougharomanticscreen.PeopleunfamiliarwiththedemographyoftheHimalayaoftenassumethatallNepaleseareSherpas,wheninfacttherearenomorethan20,000SherpasinallofNepal,anationthesizeofNorthCarolinathathassome20millionresidentsandmorethanfiftydistinctethnicgroups.Sherpasareamountainpeople,devoutlyBuddhist,whoseforebearsmigratedsouthfromTibetfourorfivecenturiesago.ThereareSherpavillagesscatteredthroughouttheHimalayaofeasternNepal,andsizeableSherpacommunitiescanbefoundinSikkimandDarjeeling,India,buttheheartofSherpacountryistheKumbu,ahandfulofvalleysdrainingthesouthernslopesofMountEverest–asmall,astonishinglyruggedregioncompletelydevoidofroads,cars,orwheeledvehiclesofanykind.
Forbetterandworse,overthepasttwodecadestheeconomyandcultureoftheKhumbuhasbecomeincreasinglyandirrevocablytiedtotheseasonalinfluxoftrekkersandclimbers,some15,000ofwhomvisittheregionannually.Sherpaswholearntechnicalclimbingskillsandworkhighonthepeaks–especiallythosewhohavesummittedEverest–enjoygreatesteemintheircommunities.Thosewhobecomeclimbingstars,alas,alsostandafairchanceoflosingtheirlives:
eversince1922,whensevenSherpaswerekilledinanavalancheduringthesecondBritishexpedition,adisproportionatenumberofSherpashavediedonEverest–fifty-threealltold.Indeed,theyaccountformorethanathirdofallEverestfatalities.
Despitethehazards,thereisstiffcompetitionamongSherpasforthetwelvetoeighteenstaffpositionsonthetypicalEverestexpedition.Themostsought-afterjobsarethehalfdozenopeningsforskilledclimbingSherpas,whocanexpecttoearn$1,400to$2,500fortwomonthsofhazardouswork–attractivepayinanationmiredingrindingpovertyandwithanannualpercapitaincomeofaround$160.
RobwasalwaysespeciallyconcernedaboutthewelfareoftheSherpaswhoworkedforhim.BeforeourgroupdepartedKathmandu,hehadsatallofusdownandgivenusanuncommonlysternlectureabouttheneedtoshowourSherpastaffgratitudeandproperrespect.“TheSherpaswe’vehiredarethebestinthebusiness,”hetoldus.“TheyworkincrediblyhardfornotverymuchmoneybyWesternstandards.IwantyoualltorememberwewouldhaveabsolutelynochanceofgettingtothesummitofEverestwithoutthesupportofourSherpas.”
Inasubsequentconversation,Robconfessedthatinpastyearshe’dbeencriticalofsomeexpeditionleadersforbeingcarelesswiththeirSherpastaff.In1995ayoungSherpahaddiedonEverest;
HallspeculatedthattheaccidentmighthaveoccurredbecausetheSherpahadbeen“allowedtoclimbhighonthemountainwithoutpropertraining.