The Climb

by Anatoli Boukreev

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Left to right: Tim Madsen, Scott Fischer, Anatoli Boukreev.

  (Photo courtesy Anatoli Boukreev)

  Camp III: Sandy Hill Pittman in front of tent; Rob Hall behind (far left) with unidentified climber.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Camp IV on the South Col.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Mount Everest as seen from Lhotse.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Anatoli Boukreev approaches the base of the Hillary Step to fix rope, May 10, 1996.

  (Photo © Neal Beidleman)

  Anatoli Boukreev (left) and Martin Adams, with the national flag of Kazakhstan between them, on the summit of Mount Everest, May 10, 1996.

  (Photo courtesy Anatoli Boukreev)

  Klev Schoening approaches the summit of Mount Everest, May 10, 1996.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Doug Hansen (in red) of Adventure Consultants is approaching the summit of Everest. (A) South Summit; (B) rock alcove below South Summit, site of Mountain Madness and Adventure Consultants oxygen cache; (C) top of Hillary Step; (D) Krakauer foundered here on his descent and was assisted by Mike Groom. (Photo © Neal Beidleman)

  Site of Camp IV at South Col, looking down from climbing route. (A) Tents, Camp IV; (B) site of Martin Adams/Jon Krakauer encounter; (C) Kangshung Face; (D) Pittman, Namba, Fox, and Madsen found here by Boukreev; (E) Beck Weathers collapsed here in the early morning hours of May 11, 1996.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  South Col, edge of Kangshung Face: Yasuko Namba in red climbing suit.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Anatoli Boukreev, USA visa photograph, taken shortly after his May 11, 1996, rescue efforts.

  (Photo courtesy Anatoli Boukreev)

  Scott Fischer’s memorial service. Front row (left to right), Klev Schoening, Dr. Ingrid Hunt, Neal Beidleman, Ngima Sherpa; back row (left to right), Anatoli Boukreev, Jeannie Fischer-Price (Scott Fischer’s wife), Dale Kruse, Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa, Shirley and Gene Fischer (Scott Fischer’s parents), Sandy Hill Pittman, Charlotte Fox, Tim Madsen. (Photo © Tony O’Brien/The Image Works)

  Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa at Scott Fischer’s memorial service.

  (Photo © Tony O’Brien/The Image Works)

  Memorial flag for Scott Fischer taken to the summit of Mount Everest by Anatoli Boukreev.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Successful members of the 1997 Indonesian National Everest Expedition with Russian advisers and consultants (left to right): Vladimir Bashkirov, Asmujiono Prajurit, Misirin Serjan, Evgeny Vinogradski, Anatoli Boukreev.

  (Photo courtesy Anatoli Boukreev)

  CHAPTER 20

  THE LAST ATTEMPT

  On the morning of May 11, the oxygen supply of Mountain Madness depleted, Neal Beidleman and the clients made the decision to retreat down the mountain. The few clients who needed oxygen on their descent were supplied by the IMAX/IWERKS expedition, which had generously come to their aid.

  As Beidleman and the clients readied to descend, two Sherpas from the Mountain Madness expedition and a Sherpa from the Taiwanese expedition, carrying oxygen and hot tea, began to climb to just below the Balcony where Scott Fischer had bivouacked overnight with the Taiwanese climber Makalu Gau. Boukreev, not wanting to descend until he knew the condition of Fischer, spoke with Beidleman and told him he wanted to stay behind.

  Rob Hall’s team was in shambles. Radio reports from Rob Hall had continued through the night. He was immobile at the South Summit, freezing to death. Doug Hansen, who had been with Hall on the evening of May 10, was no longer with him and was presumed to be dead. Andy Harris had never returned to his tent. Beck Weathers and Yasuko Namba had been located by some of Hall’s expedition members near the Kangshung Face, where Boukreev had discovered Madsen, Pittman, and Fox in the breaking hours of the day. Both of them, miraculously, had signs of life. John Taske, Jon Krakauer, Stuart Hutchison, and Mike Groom, according to Jon Krakauer, deliberated about what action to take and decided “to leave them where they lay,” believing nothing could be done for them.

  Just prior to the departure of the Mountain Madness Sherpas and the Taiwanese Sherpa who had gone up the mountain in search of Fischer and Gau, two Sherpas from Rob Hall’s expedition had gone up in an attempt to rescue Rob Hall and any of their other climbers who might be found alive. Threatened by the weather, they turned back, never having found any of their missing climbers. At 6:20 P.M., Rob Hall radioed his Base Camp and was patched through to his wife in New Zealand. After sending his love and asking her not to worry, he signed off. They were the last words that were ever heard from him.

  As Rob Hall spoke with his wife, Boukreev was again on the mountain, climbing to reach Scott Fischer. The Sherpas who had gone up in search of him had returned to Camp IV with Makalu Gau, whom they had been able to revive with hot tea and oxygen. Fischer they had discovered unconscious, but still breathing. At about 1:00 P.M. they had strapped an oxygen mask to his face and turned on a feed to a full bottle of oxygen.

  I slept like two hours and after seven-thirty that morning Pemba came with tea. And I heard some Sherpas pass by our tent, and I ask Pemba, “What is the situation now? Somebody go to Scott or no?” And he gave some tea and he was just quiet. No answer. I said, “Scott needs help. Please send some Sherpas up.” So, he went to the Sherpas’ tent and he began to talk. And now I have no power. It would be for me a stupid idea to go again. I needed some recovery time.

  At probably eight-thirty I took a look at our climbing route from yesterday, and I can see the storm has lost power. I see some Sherpas going up, and he says, “Okay, father of Lopsang started together with Tashi Sherpa,” and I ask, “They carry oxygen?” and he tells me, “Yes.”

  And then I speak with Neal. “Okay, this is my position. I would like to stay here,” and he says okay and he worked for the clients and took them down.

  A strong wind had come up, and I kept myself inside the tent, but around one or two I went out, and I spoke with Todd Burleson and Pete Athans with Alpine Ascents (guides for a commercial expedition), who had come to Camp IV to help with getting climbers down from the trouble we had had. I asked them, “Do you know what is happening?” and they said some Sherpas had returned with Makalu Gau, so I went to the Taiwanese tents.

  When I went into the tent, I saw this Makalu Gau, his face and hands all frostbitten, but he was talking a little bit, and I asked him, “Did you see Scott?” and he says, “Yes, we were together last night.” And I had hopes that Scott could survive, but with this news I thought, “Scott is finished, dead already,” and I got upset about this, but this news is only from the Taiwanese, so I want to talk with our Sherpas who went up.

  I go inside the Sherpas’ tent, and the father of Lopsang is crying with great sadness, and he says, “We cannot help.” And he speak very small, very little bit of English. I don’t understand. “What is happening?” And they said to me, “He died.” And then I said, “Was he still breathing?” and they told me, “Yes, he’s still breathing, but no more signs of life.”

  I asked, “Did you give him oxygen?” and they said, “Yes, we give oxygen,” and I asked, “Did you give him some medicine?” and they said, “No.” And now I understood, so I went outside the tent and talked with Todd Burleson and Pete Athans, and I asked, “Can you help me go up to help with Scott? People say he is still alive, like 8,350 meters.”

  Pete Athans, who spoke Nepali, understood the situation, and he said to me, “Actually I spoke with the Sherpas, and they said it’s impossible to help Scott.” And I said, “Why? Maybe we will try.” He says, “But it is bad weather coming. Storm didn’t finish. And people try to give him oxygen, but oxygen didn’t help him.” Todd Burleson was quiet, but Pete Athans talked with me. And he said, “Scott was, yes, able to breathe, but he wasn’t able to drink tea, just people put his tea inside of his mouth, but he couldn’t swallow.” And Pete Athans said, “Imposs
ible. For this situation, impossible for him.” I said, “But maybe, maybe some breathing, if he has some breathing, maybe oxygen will improve, and I go out again.”

  I went inside the tent again with Lopsang’s father and asked him, “Can you say little more information? Did you give him no medicine? When you gave him new oxygen?” He said, “Oh, we gave him one bottle oxygen, put mask, and open oxygen.”

  And I said okay and got a radio from the Sherpas and radioed to Base Camp, and I spoke with Ingrid and asked her, “This is the situation, what do you advise?” And she is upset also and says to me, “Anatoli, try to help everything that is possible for you; please try to find some possibility.” I said, “Okay, I will try everything that is possible, but what is your advice?” She said, “Okay, about medicine, do you have this small packet with the injections?” And I told her, “Yes, I have the injection.” And she said for me to try it with Scott, and I promised her I would try everything.*

  Then, I go to the Sherpas’ tent, and see that Lopsang is using oxygen and some other Sherpas are using oxygen. And I said, “Okay, I need some oxygen. I need three bottles of oxygen and a thermal bottle of tea. Can you make it for me?” And people said, “Why you need?” I said, “I will go up.” People say, “It is stupid idea.”

  So, I left the tent and then Lopsang’s father came and began to speak with Pete Athans in Nepali, and Pete Athans came and said, “Anatoli, what do you want to do?” I said, “I will go up; I need oxygen; I need thermal bottles of tea.” And Pete Athans tried to explain to me that it was a bad idea. He said, “Now the storm has gone down a little bit, and if you go now, you will get this storm again.” I said to him, “This is what I need to do.”

  I knew from my experience; I explained to him my position. This situation with Scott was a slow process; maybe Scott, if he had oxygen, would possibly revive. Scott is just before the Balcony, and he has enough oxygen maybe until seven o’clock. I need some oxygen.

  Pete is like the Sherpas, and I understand he thinks it is a stupid idea, but I get some oxygen. I ask for three, but get only two. I think maybe it came from David Breashear’s expedition, but I don’t know for sure. I began to hurry; I began to prepare myself, but as I prepared, the wind began to come higher. It is just around four o’clock, maybe four-fifteen.

  I took my pack and was leaving, and I saw Pete Athans outside of the tent, and I asked Pete Athans, “Maybe you will go up?” He said just, “No.” And I said, “How many will try to help?” And just—he got sad, he just cried a little bit. He thinks there is no chance.

  I just started from the tents and maybe 150 meters ahead, I saw a small moving point, somebody coming down to me, and I was very wondered. I thought it was like a phantom, a miracle, and I began to hurry. And in a short time I came up on this man, who was carrying his hands without gloves up in front of his body like a surrendering soldier. And I did not know then who this was, but now I understand it was Beck Weathers.*

  I said, “Who are you?” He didn’t speak or answer, and I asked him, “Did you see Scott?” And he said to me, “No one I saw. No one I saw. It is my last time in the mountains. I don’t want to come back to these mountains. Never, never …” It was like crazy talk.

  Just I think my head is broken, and I am thinking, “Anatoli, you need to be able to think if you go up again.” And I yell back, “Burleson! Pete! Please help me!” And I asked them, “Can you help with this man? I will go. I will keep my time.” And they tell me, “Don’t worry, we will take care of him.”

  Everyone said it was stupid to go for Scott, but I saw this man survived, and this was a push for me. And I took a mask, everything, and I began to move with oxygen, without resting, and I climbed steadily, but darkness started to come, nightfall just began. And also a strong wind began with a blizzard and a difficult time.

  And just around seven o’clock, five minutes past probably, I found Scott. Dark also, with a serious storm, and I saw him through the snow, again like a mirage. I saw the zipper of his down suit open, one hand without a mitten, frozen. I opened his face mask, and around the mask face it is frozen, but a different temperature, and under the mask it is like a blue color, like a big bruise. It is like not life in the face. I saw no breathing, just a clenched jaw.

  I lose my last hope. I can do nothing. I can do nothing. I cannot stay with him.

  It began to storm again, seven o’clock. Oxygen—I lose my last hope, because I thought when I started, “Oxygen will improve his life.” If by now oxygen does not improve, no signs of life, no pulse or breathing… .

  Very strong wind began, I am without power, without power. And for me, just what do I need to do? Actually, I understood this. If I found him like Beck Weathers, it would be possible to help him. He was revived. Like Beck Weathers revived, he would need help and possibly giving him this help, like oxygen, everything would be possible. It would be possible to help Scott. I understand there is no way for me. No way for him. What do I need to do?

  And I saw his pack and I roped it around his face to keep away the birds. And with maybe four of five empty oxygen bottles around, I put them on his body to help cover. And just maybe seven-fifteen I started to go down fast. And I understand I lose power, I lose emotion. I can’t say how it was. I was very sad.

  Storm began, very strong, new blow of fresh snow with strong wind. And I began to use the ropes, and when I finish at like 8,200 meters, visibility is gone. Began just darkness, probably seven-forty, impossible to see. I have my headlamp. I used oxygen a little bit. Then I stopped oxygen because it is not helping my visibility, like two meters, three meters probably, impossible to see. And I found again Kangshung Face, same place, I think, near Yasuko Namba probably. I can see just two meters, but I understood. And then I go some more in a changed direction, and the snow on the ground is finished and I began to see some oxygen bottles. I turn back a little and go up a little, and I saw some tents.

  I know these are not our tents, but next will be ours. When I found this place, I began to hear some voices. And I go without visibility, by the noise. And I come to the noise in a tent. I open. I see this man just alone by himself. I saw Beck Weathers, and I don’t understand why he is alone, but I lose power, go for my tent, because I cannot help. Some sleeping bag I have. Just I crawl inside of my tent and go to sleep.

  Returning to Camp IV, Boukreev descended in a storm just as severe as the one of the night before. Climbing alone, with no lights from Camp IV to guide him, he had used his intuition and his memory of the South Col to steer in what he thought was the correct direction. Coming across some discarded oxygen canisters enabled him to finally locate his camp.

  As Boukreev searched through the tents at Camp IV, he heard some screams from one of the tents. Peering inside he found Beck Weathers, unattended by any of his teammates, writhing in pain. Exhausted, having narrowly escaped being lost in the storm, Boukreev had to leave Weathers to find his own tent where he collapsed, exhausted.

  *Dr. Hunt has recalled that it was Rob Hall’s expedition doctor with whom Boukreev actually spoke.

  *Boukreev had not been told that Weathers earlier that day had been found alive, lying in the snow at the South Col.

  CHAPTER 21

  MOUNTAIN MEDIA MADNESS

  By the morning of May 12, hope for Rob Hall, Doug Hansen, and Andy Harris had been abandoned, and the remnants of the Adventure Consultants expedition began their descent to the safety of Base Camp. Beck Weathers and Makalu Gau, through the efforts of Todd Burleson, Pete Athans, Ed Viesturs, David Breashears, and members of other expeditions on the mountain, were evacuated to Camp I where a helicopter was able to land and fly them to Kathmandu.

  As the Hall team members were descending, Beidleman and the Mountain Madness clients arrived in Base Camp where their plan was to rest, restore, and prepare for a trek to Syangboche where they would catch a helicopter and fly to Kathmandu. Up the mountain, Boukreev had gathered what he could of the Mountain Madness expedition gear and had begun his own des
cent, finally arriving on the evening of May 13.

  Neal Beidleman, early in the morning of May 16, reported to Outside Online, “The team is going to be heading down to Pheriche very shortly, later this morning… . We’re all hurting and healing … so we need to move down the mountain.” Everest was over.

  In the late morning of May 16, Beidleman and the Mountain Madness clients began their trek; later that evening Boukreev began a solo ascent of Lhotse.

  As Fischer had promised Boukreev before Everest, he had packaged an expedition to Lhotse. He had signed on Fox, Madsen, and Pittman. Boukreev and Beidleman were to guide. Devastated by Fischer’s death and remorseful over the death of Yasuko Namba, whom he had not been able to rescue, Boukreev wanted to go back to the mountains. At 5:46 P.M. on the evening of May 17, Boukreev, alone, summited Lhotse. From the top of the peak he stood and looked over to the summit of Everest and traced the route he and the other climbers had taken down. At the elevation of 8,350 meters his eyes stopped for a moment. That was as far as Scott Fischer had gotten; Boukreev had been unable to bring him home.

  On May 22 the last of the Mountain Madness clients departed Kathmandu. Some had bandages covering their frostbite, but no one had suffered any damage that would result in amputations. Charlotte Fox was walking with a slight limp. Tim Madsen and Lene Gammelgaard had frostbitten fingers. These were our most “serious” cases. As for me, I was lucky. I had gotten away with slight frostbite on my hand, which in the upcoming days would cause me to lose the skin on my fingertips, and I also had some mild frostbite on my nose and lips. Truthfully, given what all of us had experienced, we got away lucky, with all of our fingers and toes—our lives.