THE FROZEN BODIES OF MOUNT EVEREST
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- More than 300 people have died on Mount Everest, and many of their bodies remain on the mountain.
Death Salon tickets for Seattle are still available: www.deathsalon.org
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**CREDITS**
Mortician: Caitlin Doughty
Writing & Research: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1)
Editor & Graphics: Landis Blair (@landisblair)
**READ MORE**
“Death in the Clouds: the Problem with Everest’s 200+ Bodies” www.bbc.com/future/story/20151...
“Mount Everest Rescue Team Attempts to Retrieve Body of Climber” www.theguardian.com/world/201...
“The Accidental Graveyard in the ‘Death Zone’ of Mt. Everest” strangeremains.com/2014/03/02...
“Atop Everest: Frozen bodies keeping an eternal post at the roof of the world” www.theage.com.au/victoria/ato...
Questions and Responses from NOVA
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest...
“The Day Mallory was Found”
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest...
The saddest thing about Everest ((in my opinion) is the fallen workers from Nepal that risked their lives finding tour routes to support their families financially.
At least they get paid well
mr10tomidnight they're paid the bare minimum and below for work that's excruciating and traumatizing. it's not something to be praised.
@R. Ive Said by a person who can't manage to keep politics out of non-political video comments.
NotMykl
Thank you
They like the climbers have are blessed with free will
and i bet every one of those people sat there as they were dying like “shoulda stayed home” so in respect to their wishes, i will be staying at home
You predicted Quarantine. Nice.
You win !
This aged well
So, you created this quarantine right?
Knew thered be quarantine comments on here lol
Directions to summit:
Keep going up until you see the corpse rainbow.
Then make a u-turn and rethink your life choices.
Shortcut: Rethink your life choices BEFORE buying a ticket to Nepal.
You'll save a lot of money this way.
I would like to see the mountain. I just have never felt it necessary to ever climb it. And it is possible at least 300k other people share my viewpoint.
Everest is going to give archeologists a crazy time in a few centuries.
It could be seen as some bizarre ritual sacrifice or trip to 'Mecca'.
@@clairepettie ha
If we have archaeologists in a few centuries...
“Primrose, I found the colorful bodies we made it to where we were looking.”
longgroove oh shit ur right
Yeah everytime I find myself on a path that is littered with corpses, I turn around.
The path known to be deadly but *not* littered with corpses might mean that something ate them.
@@goodun2974 that's somehow worse
Ikr 🤔
LIFE is littered with corpses. You still turning around? SMFH
Woo, thank Goodness we weren’t relying on you to make it onto the Normandy Beaches. 😥
Personally, it’s on my bucket list to not ever have to go anywhere that would require me to step over a frozen corpse… but that’s just me
That's me too.
I would agree with that. Freezing to death seems like it would be one of the worst ways to die. I put it up there with starving to death, being burnt alive, being eaten alive by an animal and dying from a terminal illness, being beheaded, being blown up by an IED( improvised explosive device), being stoned to death and drowning as one of the worst possible ways to die. I have a drive, urge and desire to make something out of my life but the kind of urge, drive and desire that pushes people to want to do something like climb Mount Everest, I don't have it and I'm more than happy to never have it.
I have made a lifestyle of not cave-diving and not mountain-climbing, and it's more satisfying and fulfilling than most people realize. Every day is devoted to being not on a mountain dying of pulmonary edema or drowning in a cave. I love it.
@@JR-ju3kjdon’t forget 🎉drowning🎉
@@braydentoth8442 Yeah, good point. Thanks for mentioning that! I forgot drowning! I realized that I'd forgotten it not too long after posting this. But I never went back to edit it, so I'll edit the comment now and add in drowning.
Imagine climbing Everest, seeing a dead body casually laying on your path and you just...keep walking? I would probably turn around after seeing that.
I mean once you’re there you may as well become a landmark. Green boots cave was a literal trail marker for other climbers.
@@lalayastill610 it’s the tallest point on the planet! I mean it’s still a tough ask to complete. It’s not nearly as difficult as it used to be but the chance of a normal Joe making it to the summit is still very slim.
I'll never understand the desire considering there's a spot called the "Death Zone" and Everest has a 300+ body count.
Humans have a poor record when it comes to heeding warnings.
The death zone is anything over 8000 meters because the air is too oxygen poor to sustain life for very long. There is actually almost 50 folks who have climbed all 14 8k peaks which is insane to think about. Reinhold Messner was the first and did it without supplemental oxygen! Mountains like K2 and Annapurna have a higher death to successful summit rate than Everest by a big margin.
WHY do people keep trying to climb the mountain? The first body I see, I'd be like "nope, I've gone high enough" and turn right back around.
It's fun
😀
Someone asked George Mallory that and he responded "Because it's there."
The base camp is a hard climb on its own. People like challenges and risks. Climbing to the summit is not a risk I’d take but my former premier climbed to the summit with his wife
sunk cost, by they time you're seeing the bodies they've already spent tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to get there
Ever rest... An appropriate name, at least.
Mari H interesting observation!
Whoaaa never saw it like that! 😱
Good catch...never thought of that!
Apposite, certainly :)
Mind blown....
I never had the slightest desire to climb Everest (or any comparable mountain), but if I had ever entertained such a silly notion, reading the book "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer would have cured me of it. There are some places that human beings simply are not meant to go, and the top of Everest is one of them.
I would leave Everest be. It’s beitufiul from a distance, from its sacredness and its scientific importance. What many climbers now a days to do it, is disgraceful.
Personally I would just leave Everest be.
Reminds me of a 'Friends' episode where Joey and Chandler wanted to climb Everest. Phoebe tells them, "Well, it's gonna cost $60,000 and you will die." Lol. Probably cost double that now.
I agree with you 100%. Into Thin Air is a fabulous book. I get cold just reading it.
@@olgakim4848 it costs around 100 000 dollars now
Many have dropped their rates to approx. $25,000. Still more than I would pay, but I have no desire or the ability to climb a mountain.
"The lives the mountain has claimed." It wasn't asking for no lives, they all gave it to her. This isn't people just wandering off the path and getting lost.
My godfather is a serious climber and climbed Everest without oxygen in 89 (unintentionally running out of O2 due to drawing a short straw). On his way down he was abandoned by his group as a lost cause since his lungs were rapidly filling with fluid. He sat down by a rock, waiting to die, only to realize the rock was a corpse. That corpse existentially terrified him so much he was able to struggle down to safety. Pretty sure he told me this story for the first time at age four. I wonder if that’s where my morbid fascination began.
Edit: there are quite a few repeat questions coming in lately. While I like that everyone is still enjoying this, I’d ask that you skim through the thread to make sure I haven’t answered already. If it’s a unique question and I know the answer, I will do my best to reply!
Omg this is so morbid but I can't help but imagine him turning up alive at his group's camps like "i lived bitch"
@@ichor2127 that is basically exactly what happened. The dude is a badass. He has climbed the highest peak on all seven continents including Antarctica, and was on his way to getting the highest point in every state before covid hit. The best thing is he is a significantly overweight, mid sixties dude with a beard. He looks like he should be drinking a beer and watching football, not ice climbing and heliskiing. He is amazing.
super cool story, thanks for sharing with us!☺️
holy fuck that's amazing (?? idk if that's the right word tho). whenever you hear stories like this it feels weird because it makes you question what 'the limit' is in people. if he hadn't been so scared, he would've died even though he had the strength in him not to.
I wish i had a cool godfather like you , 😭😭.
Unfortunately i don't even have a godfather.
the fact that they leave their trash all over the mountain made me loose all respect for the people doing this for their personal sense of achievement. If you carried it this far, but with food in it, why not carry it back
The fact that you see an entire line of people like ants made me lose respect for them too. Where’s the joy in following the heels of hundreds of other people, no doubt listening to them yap constantly (at least until the air gets really thin)?
They now make you pay a large deposit that you only get back if you return from your climb with 8kg of garbage. Also, while the mountain was closed during COVID a bunch of native climbers were able to remove 2.2 TONS of garbage off the mountain. I'm sure that's just a drop in the bucket, but it's better than nothing I guess.
4000 people have already summited the thing, some twice. Idk why you would line up to do these days.
Because it’s just a diversion for wasteful, awful rich people.
Google how they treat the guides who are locals
That photo at 3:33 is not of Hannelore Schmatz, but of Wanda Rutkiewicz. She met a similar fate to Hannelore, on a different mountain. She was the third woman to climb Everest. Hannelore was the first. Brave women, RIP. Love you Caitlin!
Moral of the story - leave the damn mountain alone, and the damn mountain will leave you alone.
petition to start referring to Everest as the damn mountain and only the damn mountain
Sounds like a sweet deal if u ask me
And. That's. That
Sounds good to me.
Nuff said 🤷🏾♀️
It's so sad to see them so well preserved. Even Mallory's remains were still so preserved it looked like he had only been dead a few weeks, despite being almost 80 years old.
I feel bad for the native climbers, they risk their lives everyday for tourists, but it's the best way to make a living there.
Oh.. Didn't think of that
@@burntrice4418 There is some good vids out there showing them and some of the crazy stuff they do. They do the hard work of "outlining" the hike. They are the ones that test those wooden ladder bridges across giant chasms of ice, one of the more dangerous parts of the job. Its been years since I have seen that video though.
Ivy Marryl There’s a John Oliver episode about Mount Everest where they talk about the sherpas as well (not exactly a documentary but interesting nonetheless)
Here's the dark side to that. Money has created infighting among the sherpas. Everything from who sets the lines to places on the mountain.
Hey, thanks to them, even a guy on a wheelchair was recently able to climb the mountain
Every one of those corpses was once a highly motivated individual.
Marlo Shedlock
Or both 🤔
That's called dumb motivation
Is that before or after they did CRACK
That's why having no motivation is good?
Stay home and do nothing kids
Climbing Mt. Everest was never and will never be part of my bucket list. Besides not having the stamina, the idea of trail of dead bodies and having to step over them to continue your ascent is chilling. That being said, I have a ton of respect for those who go to remove garbage from the mountain.
An interesting side to the Mallory' story was that Mallory's wife always considered Everest to be "the other woman" so on his last climb he told her that when he reached the summit, he would leave her photo on the peak. when his body was found years latter his pockets were searched, and no photo was found on him, so this raised the question, did he make it to the top and he did what he promised - Or?
If I died on Everest I would want to be sat up with a sign that says "I climbed Everest am I *cool* yet"
shit I spilled my coffee lmao
Same
Marie Moonpie youre frozen
Marie Moonpie "Died on Everest how many likes can I get? #deathzone #yolo"
Marie Moonpie "I died on Mount Everest 1 like = 1 prayer "
"Nor do I judge what you choose to Google..."
*promptly opens up google*
Jessie Jameson not all heroes wear capes.. salute
lol thanks!
Thanks.
hmm it's been four months tho, did you make it? or is it not that bad?
@@worstusernameintheworld9871 Its not that bad, you cant really see much
The body of Tsewang Palijor (commonly known as green boots) is actually still there. In 2017 (after the video was published) he became visible again in the same cave, surrounded by more rocks.
I met Edmund Hillary AND Norgay Tenzing. (1971, probably). At my high school in NZ.
Def my top mountaineering experience.
Was heart-broken when my old hero died (At sea-level, in a hospital, surrounded by family. Awww...)
I get winded climbing my stairs... :)
Samme
it was worse for me when I was pregnant, I counted every fucking step😂 when before I run up just fine
Ouch. I'm glad you didn't try climbing Everest while pregnant... :)
A few. Like Everest, I use them as markers. I should probably get rid of them, now that I think about it...
😂😂😂same
If you die on Everest, you stay on Everest - is that why it's Ever Rest?
I realise this is a joke, but Sir George Everest, after whom the mountain is named, actually pronounced it Eve-rist, we're all pronouncing it incorrectly.
Sira Mea you must be fun at parties
But on the plus side, people always want me on their team for quiz night.
Ooh that gave me chills
curiouscatalyst I like that one. Pretty good kudos.
I never understood that obsession. The money it takes could build a children's hospital in that region. But no, some rich dude/sse gets to climb / be dragged uphill by a local sherpa to a bunch of ice and rocks and gets a stamp. Now he/she's the boss. Yay.
I’m not in the death industry
Why do I keep watching these?
She makes everything interesting!
After seeing people dying in human traffic jams on the top of Everest, you realize what a joke this adventure tourism can get.
"Hey, Ed! We're climbing Mount Everest in July! Wanna come with us?"
"No, thanks. I'm off to the Serengeti to take selfies of myself posing with lions. It's safer!"
"I absolutely loathe adventurers, and I particularly hate this old pseudo-adventurism where the mountain climb becomes about confronting the extremes of humanity."
-Werner Herzog
Tom McDonald A fool and his money is soon parted....
And the fact that it’s come to “something to do”🤷♀️.
Green Boots didn’t die in an avalanche. He crawled in that cave to get out of a storm that killed 7 other people and never crawled out. And He’s still there, he was just covered in snow.
I think he was moved out.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 Definitely moved out as Caitlin said.
His body has been found again apparently
Can you tell me from which country green boot belong ?
@@Farhanshah434 he is Tsewang Paljor- from India and part of the Indo-Tibetan border police.
Mt Everest climbers spend most of the climb (2 months) stopping in 4 camps , each higher up the mountain, in order to acclimate to the thinning oxygen levels. The final climb - up to the peak & back to the base camp - takes place in a one 8 -10 hour day.
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer is the story of the 1997 Mt. Everest climb that he was on, in which 8 climbers died in a sudden storm. An informative book, but a sad & horrific story. If you want to know why bodies are abandoned & people left to die (because it shocked me when I first heard about it), this book will give you some insight.
My mom and I are huuuge Everest history buffs. We both did projects about it in grade school, have read most, if not all notable books on the subject, and she even got to meet Rob Hall before his tragic, tragic death in 96. Our ultimate bucket list item isn’t to summit, but we would both very much like to visit base camp.
Maybe I'm weird, but I think being a visible corpse trail marker on Everest would be a cool legacy. I mean... you won't be forgotten... In fact you'll be actively searched for and people will be glad to see you. For how may corpses is that true? Not many.
P
Me too. I would even go as far as wearing a red jacket and demand that if I die I would be called red shirt.
wait, was that a Star Trek reference?
BlueskiN1980 If not a Star Trek reference, it should be.....the guys in the red shirts always died.
EmileeArsenic not weird, an excellent point! Those who climb Everest are well aware of The inherent risks, and the fact that so many bodies came to rest there. I'm betting youre right--- maybe not for every single climber, but many of those who decide to climb Everest go knowing full well that they may become the next body there. It may be a point of pride- they may not have made it, but perhaps in some small way, by being a landmark of sorts, they can help others make the ascension.
I been to Rainbow Valley, and it is a sight that will shock even seasoned combat medics like myself. And when I started struggling for oxygen my mainframe went to "I am not about to be the new color on this rainbow" it really sets a morbid internal death sentence like mentality. Some have been removed on the trail as they were markers and some posts have been erected to use as guides.
What's the shocking part?
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 I mean it's kind of obvious. The literal reason it's called rainbow valley is because of the enormous myriad of corpses wearing brightly coloured gear strewn everywhere.
You were wise not to pursue the summit when you were feeling like that.👍 Thank you for your service and welcome home.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
poor people, let them stay in the mountain they loved so much, they can become landmarks for the ones visitting the place, birds will also welcome the company
If you go up you have to accept that if you die up there no one should be expected to risk their own lives to retrieve your carcass. Also the trash situation is disgusting……these people need to have some respect for a sacred site, if not for the Nepalese people then for the dead of your own ethnicity. Mt Everest is a tomb and should be treated with the same respect you’d use in an cemetary.
I always loved mountainclimbing stories purely vicariously however
And I was fascinated by the search for Mallory, I watched that movie eventually. Little did I know, that Mallory's daughter, who was in her 80's around the time he was found, was an old friend of my family. For some reason she never divulged this information and I only found out when news media from around the world converged on her house here in Santa Rosa. She had also climbed mountains when she was young, and her husband died in a climbing accident. Both of her sons were mountain climbers. She
Told me that she missed him being alive and a father to her, she could have cared less about his fame. I think she was only 3 years old when he disappeared into the mists of Everest.
Mt. Everest is beautifully breathtaking but to me it's one of those sites best seen and appreciated from afar!!
Let the dead be, many people already died tying to move or bury them. It's gonna sound crude, but those relatives who insist on getting the bodies of their loved ones back, and don't mind risking the lives of others to do so not to mention the cost, ...can do it them-selves.
A motto among Search and Rescue in my area is “Never trade a live one for a dead one,” and that feels particularly apt here.
So true, was thinking that when she mentioned the mother of the green boots guy. Wasn't clear if the mother just wanted him to stop being used as a land mark, though. Asking to cover the dead wouldn't be too unreasonable, provided it didn't take long and it was understood that the mountain might uncover it
Im not a climber....or anything near this level of physical activity, but I honestly think that people who practice this wouldn't mind (and would probably like) the ideia of having their bodies in a very important place for them, like the warriors who wanted to die fighting
@@fevley agreed
5:18 "Some of the dead are even thought of as trail markers."
just...wow. it takes a special kind of person to want to do this.
I never thought I could laugh so hard at a video about dead people on Everest. What kind of person am I anyhow?
They are though of as trail markers because they died and stayed on the trails, and they are obviously more distinctive from the environment than rocks.
It's not like they completely disrespected them and went out of their way to make the paths go from one corpse to the next purposely
its very easy to get lost in a place that is mostly white on black. the place with the most of the bodies has been nicknamed Rainbow Valley from the colorful ski parka's the dead are wearing, I guess when hikers get to the place were all the brightly colored, noticeable corpses are they know they're going in the right direction.
Green boots was the most famous one. RIP
@@pattiespetitetanks6181 I could have sworn it was Mallory, tho...something about all the clothing going to waste when people could use it (if it wasn't frozen solid of course...) bothers me. And the wasted lives, but that was a choice. In that you know that's a fairly good possibility when you sign up for it.
The expedition that preceded the book "Into Thin Air" was a death-filled year. Many survivors wrote their versions of trial and survival. After this title is "Left For Dead", Beck Weathers, who wills his frostbitten body back down the mountain, with some assistance, after having been thought dead already. One more thing. At the time that I had found 'Into Thin Air, I had also found a CD of the author reading the book. Listening to the author and following along in the book, word for word, was one of my most grand experiences.
What I find oddly interesting is that in conditions like these your body doesn't deteriorate like it would on normal temperatures and humidity levels, it just turns into a giant raisin. You "dry out" and that's it, your clothes remain conserved for a long time, you probably don't smell awful like regular corpses... like the case of Green Boots, Paljor just looks like he's taking a nap, it doesn't look like he's dead. That's why it makes me shiver a little the fact that these people just got mummified and stayed there looking almost the same as the moment they lost their lives even decades later. Hope most deaths in the Death Zone were calm (they just shut down and passed away), probably the worst type of death there would be the people who got into accidents by breaking a limb or stumbling and falling.
A little late, but my mother and I actively hike this one mountain in our area. The view from the top is incredible and its not like it's too big of a mountain, actually on the edge of the blue ridge and one of few on the border or near our state. However, one trip up, we got an unexpected surprise when we managed to get down and went home. A lady, very nice who was hiking with her husky, stopped by to talk for a little bit when we were resting before climbing the rest of the way up. When we got to the top, we didn't see her or her dog and assumed that she somehow went past us or was in a different trail or viewing spot now. Apparently, her dog slipped off the top of the rocks at the summit. The leash was wrapped around her arm and when her dog fell, the husky pulled her with her, and they fell to their deaths. It was breaking news when we got home, and it was a very real moment of the danger we actually could put ourselves in if we ever were truly hiking alone. It broke our hearts even if we didn't truly know her, but we had such a pleasant experience with her that we couldn't help but feel sad for the loss. The top of this mountain can be dangerous, especially with all the rocks at the top that you have to climb on despite the leisurely hike up to it. I can't imagine how many of those families who lost their loved ones on Everest feel or could feel.
Oh that’s awful, I’m so sorry. I also have a quick question. Do you happen to live in Virginia? I live there and me an my family go to mountains sometimes because it’s only about 3 hours away
@@persom7824 I do not, I live in South Carolina close to North Carolina. The Mountains we hike are on the border of North Carolina, I think they're right on the border too since in certain spots, you're in SC while in others youre in NC. Only takes about half an hour for us to get there. There's all kinds of trails for it and is most of the time relatively safe, so safe that I remember going on field trips with my school to go hike this mountain several times. I believe theres a memorial there now.
@@KatTheKiller666 ah thank you
What a sad and heartbreaking story.
We’re there witnesses? Maybe she pulled the dog over the rock.
Dont mean to be disrespectful but if i died on Mt Everest, I would prefer to stay in place as a landmark so that future climbers could find their way and maybe even change their mind lol
That's just plain silly. Clearly, the rainbow valley hasn't deterred anyone
Frankly, if the sheer death toll and the fact that Everest rarely gives up its dead wasn't a deterrent, one more body isn't going to make a difference. It's like with most things dangerous/ill-advised that ppl do - they always think they're going to be the one that survives/succeeds. BTW, this is also why harsh criminal sentences and the death penalty don't deter crime. Everyone that commits the crimes always assume they've figured out a way to not get caught. It's a large part of how ppl with risky behavior patterns think.
@@SadisticSenpai61 true, but i wonder if encountering a body would have a different impact on someone
die in an average spot: buried in the ground in a yard where people will seldom go because its creepy.
die on mt. Everest: Tens of Thousands of people will literally see you in whatever you died in. Maybe you'll even get a little spot of the mountin named after yourself or at least the color of your clothes.
seems like dying on everest is superior tbh lol.
More trash.
Great.
The folklore surrounding death in the Himalayas is also super interesting. Ro-langs (Tibetan zombies), entrances to the underworld, and such are well worth researching :)))
Cool! Thanks.
As it’s been said before “just remember, every body on Everest was once a highly motivated person”.
Please talk about the deaths at Yellowstone National Park. People are warned not to venture far from the path, swim in marked hot springs, or bother the wild animals, but still ....
Yes, please. That would be interesting.
akira081971 yes
Stupid is as stupid does, really. Ignoring blatant warnings that the animals in the park are wild and that the hot springs are not the good kind is really just what stupid people do. If you get gored by a buffalo or burned alive in a hot spring despite warnings, that's on you.
YAAAASSSS PLS
I call it "thinning the herd."
I deeply regret finding you.....why? I'LL NEVER GET MY HOMEWORK DONE IM OBSESSED WITH THESE VIDEOS
Arianna Paletta I know right lol
these days when i want to go to sleep but I'm not quite sleepy yet i always come watch your videos! not because they're boring (they're anything but), but because it feels soothing and 'safe' to watch/listen to them. though when i saw the recommendation for this and said to myself in my head 'yes Caitlin put me to sleep' only then did i realise what else it could mean lol
I love your videos and your incredible sense of humor in situations that are humorless.
Kudos.
It might sound morbid and I'm not trying to be disrespectful to those who died but If I felt like I was slowly dying I would do some goofy pose and I'd die happy knowing I'd stay that way forever
Just Chilin I would have my hand in the ring game position so people would see it and could never get me back.
yah
Stay in the high five pose, so that everyone who climbs celebrates with you forever (or until your body is blown away).
They did that on Family Guy.
You'd be unconscious for some time before you died on Everest and even before that, you'd be delirious for some time before losing consciousness. Besides, the bodies don't instantly freeze the second they're dead.
I can assure you The thought of freezing to death on some stupid mountain won't be on my bucket list, :)
Yeah.... I have hobbies and interests for which I am very passionate. I certainly don't begrudge anyone their passions or what makes them happy, but that's as long as it's (at least reasonably) safe. I know there are thousands and thousands of people who are expert mountain climbers and know a thing or two about dealing with brutally harsh climates..... but nah. This just isn't for me. I admire their courage and tenacity, however.
LMAO 😂😂😂😂 thanks
...was in need of a good laugh!! Blessings & Peace
More money than good sense.
I dunno, I kinda wanna do a bunch of crazy shit and the more I hear about this mountain the more I wanna climb it :T
It is so hard to do I would die at about 3000 feet.
Climbing Mt. Everest isn't for everyone, even though many try (and fail, usually on the way down).
My friend Ian Toothil (a Sheffield UK boy) went up in summer 2017, just to prove a point:
He was the very first terminal cancer patient to reach the summit, to raise money for charity as well as showing insurance companies that you're definitely *NOT* done with life once you're diagnosed (none wanted to insure him)... He died half a year later, but accomplished something amazing - to himself personally, and as an inspiration to others.
His body isn't on Everest, but his ashes are on Ben Nevis instead 🙏🇬🇧
I'm often drawn to extreme adventure stories also. I can list many a book, but immediately felt you must read, if you haven't already, 'Touching the Void" Joe Simpson. By far the most heart-wrenching, 'what would I do if that were me' story. I began my interest in Everest after the Book, "Into Thin Air, and the movie, the 1st Movie, not the recent one. The writer of Into Thin Air also wrote 'Into the Wild", another fav of mine.
Hey Caitlin, I know there's no bodies in space because the only deaths were on re-entry, but maybe a hypothetical? Like, what if all the Apollo 11 guys died on the moon? Or if an astronaut floated away on an EVA/spacewalk? Like, NASA protocols, what would happen to a body in open space, or a spacesuit on the moon, etc.
I'd LOVE an episode on dying in space. We might not have any human deaths to draw upon, but there are definitely animals who have died up there (intentionally or otherwise) so there might be some information out there about what happens to a body in zero gravity. I have a feeling that astronauts would not be mummified in their spacesuits like movies show...
futurism.com/death-decomposition-in-space/
Somali Pirate who pirated your username yes this would be so good !!
Somali Pirate who pirated your username i think that due to the lack of oxygen when each tank runs out, your body would be basically preserved after death the same way it looked only a few hours after
I heard of a case where two astronauts whose cords or whatever it is called (the cords they use to keep them attach to the ship) or whatever got loose, the cords got detached somehow from the ship and they just floated away into space never to be seen again. Not to mention that NASA sent animals to space without planning to return them back, the dog that they sent to space in 1957 died in the atmosphere, so yeah there's actually a lot of corpses floating in space.
The story of the corpse of Francys Arsentiev, aka Sleeping Beauty, really broke my heart. Apparently she and her husband Sergei tried to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen, which she did manage to do, except she never made it back down. It was late by the time they made it to the summit, which forced her and her husband to spent another night in the Death Zone. The two got separated on the way down to camp 4, while Sergei managed to reach the camp, Francys did not. Sergei raced back up to the top with oxygen to save her but was never seen alive again.
The worst part is that when Francys was found by some climbers the next day still attached to her climbing line, albeit frost-bitten, shaking and oxygen-deprived, she kept saying over and over "Don't leave me here to die." The climbers tried to save her for over an hour but had to leave her and return to camp due to their depleting oxygen. She died by the First Step, one of three prominent rocky steps on the northeast ridge of Mount Everest.
Sometime later her body was moved further off the path and draped in an American flag by the same people who tried to rescue her. Their last effort to afford her some dignity of burial and to not be a spectacle.
Autistic Screeching, ". . . tried to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen," These people keep pushing the boundaries of what is humanly possible. Eventually, they are going to fail. And when they do fail of their own free will and accord, are we supposed to feel sorry for them?
"Don't leave me here to die." The truth comes out. Sorry lady, nobody left you there to die. You climbed up to that place while pushing the limits of what the human body can take.
In the end, they were just looking for fodder to share at the next cocktail party back home. No tears.
I think Sergei was found on a ledge just below where her body was, and it was South African Ian Woodall and his wife that sat with her in her dying moments, then Ian went back some years later to get her off the trail (or bury her) I don’t think he had much luck so covered her in an American flag and left a teddy bear her son had given him to mark her grave
@@TheCanalZone I have to agree, completely. THEY decide to take a chance and have bragging rights to be one of the few that purposely hike the Death Zone (named that for a reason) without oxygen. When it doesn't work out for them and they don't make it, then it's panic and everybody risk your lives to help me (which many people tried but couldn't). I'm sorry but that she would take that huge a risk when she had a small child at home too that needed her...well, I guess I wouldn't have made that voluntary choice that she made.
That is terribly sad.
My grandfather attempted to climb Everest twice. He went too fast both times and got the spins and had to go back down. I’m just glad he’s not still up there.
Once again, this is the information I never knew I needed. I just love your channel.
When my husband was getting major surgery (he was getting his large intestines and colon removed) my sister and law and I spent the whole 8 hours of his surgery researching Everest bodies in the family waiting room. That was an interesting day.
Hold up, he got his large intestines removed??? As in like the whole large intestine or just part of it?
I hope he is doing well
@@sophiatalksmusic3588 Yep, his whole large intestines and colon.
@@wendigo3140 He is doing really well. This surgery was about 5 years ago.
I thought the large intestines was called the Colon?
Between all of the bodies and the tons of trash people are leaving up there, I'd think it would eventually stop being such a desired place to go.
CrankyPants
There have been many expeditions to remove junk and bodies in the last ten years.
CrankyPants, unfortunately, it is seen as a "sport" by some wealthy people who are bored and sitting around on oodles of money and don't know what to do with it. I used to think people like Bill Paxton's character in the crappy movie "Vertical limit" were just made up but yes there are a few who will hire a hundred sherpas and bring everything with them just to snap a selfie on the summit!
largol33t1
Reminds me of politics, see FDR and JFK.
Not as long as it is the highest mountain. People will always want to say they did the most extreme thing. FYI: Everest is the highest mountain, but not the tallest. That honor goes to Mauna Kea
I'm all for sending rich assholes to the 'Death Zone'...this video didn't mention that the mountain is also covered in frozen sewage.
There is a book called Off The We Wall, Death In Yosemite by Michael Ghiglieri. It tells you about every death in the park from the mid 1800's. Everything from murder, mountain climbing accidents, falling off waterfalls, to animal attacks. The first edition went all the way to 2007, but I believe there might be a second edition that covered all fatalities up to 2017. Which would include some famous base jumpers and climbers that passed away.
Good info! I love how clear you talk and the information is always very understandable!! Keep making videos !!🤘🏻
Who is binge watching her videos??🤓
Nicole Joe
I came
I fucking came my pants
Yup.
Not me....
@@usednapkin245 What are you, about age 14? LOL! You'll grow up in time.
M.J. Leger
Ok boomer
I shouldn't have Google it, I shouldn't have Google it...
its midnight and I'm scared easily, send help please
Lmao I'm going to wait till daybreak to google
how’d you spell the name
terminated angel don’t search it up dude it’s gruesome
Ricardo Milos i work at the death museum 😔
lmao i was tempted to google but now im just gonna...not
I absolutely love everything you produce. Thank you for all your interesting videos and the lighthardeness way of doing them. It makes an otherwise morbid subject fun to watch.
I just happened across your videos. Thanks for all the awesome DEATH info. and your incredible sense of humor.
Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory. - Ed Viesturs.
Especially since many who climb don’t make it to the summit. Not because they died, but because they had to abandon their climb due to poor weather or altitude sickness
And so is taking your rubbish with you! Mandatory that is
Knowing my luck I would get to the top and then back down like 20 feet from camp 4 before dying 😟
@@missyrose2154 Thats usually how the climbers die. From exhaustion and hallucination. They want to stop and rest but can't because if they do they die.
Quick note: The Mallory and Irvine team went back up recently in the last few years as it turns out a Chinese climber had spotted a body wearing clothes resembling Irvine in 1960, and was confirmed by a Sherpa who had seen it in 1995. They got to the point, and one guy had to go off rope to get to the spot, but unfortunately it looks like an avalanche moved it over the abyss of the North face. If it was Irvine, his camera is gone forever now too.
Thats sad
The guy that went off rope barely went anywhere.
It is sad. I am curious what may have been on his film. The pictures would show maybe what was the last thing they saw. 😪🙏🙌🙏
@@kathrynmauro8673 The camera could prove if they made it to the summit or not, That's why people want it found.
@@kathrynmauro8673 I think Mallory got there ... I know someone who does expeditions where everything you take is checked & checked & checked ... when they found Mallory he had everything on him / with him except for one thing ... the photo of his wife ... he told her he would leave it at the top ... I think he did & the tragic fall occurred on their descent ...
You are doing a awesome job love your podcast I learning so much!! Keep up the good work!!
Good video as always, Miss Caitlin. Here's a modest story for you: I new an adventurous man, used to be Airborne, whose recreational activities included drugs as well as physical activities. Now many years ago--I don't know if it's still used for this--there was a major hang gliding spot up in a big turnout on the road down to Lake Elsinore near San Diego. There is soaring (sport gliding) and ultralight sport there too. The turnout gave hang gliders the advantages of a steep mountainside to jump off of; hundreds of feet of altitude to play around in, and a whole lot of open space where they could safely land. I visited it once. There was only one spot where they could take off, and there was this tree stump so high that every single hang glider had to pull their legs up to keep from hitting it. They were clearing it by less than three feet. Not something I would want to try.
My acquaintance told me that he learned hang gliding there and liked it. One pilot offered to sell him a used hang glider for $100--that would be around $400 in today's dollars. He was considering it, until the following events: The President of the local Hang Glider association tried a fancy aerobatic maneuver, spun down out of control, and broke his neck. The very next day, the Vice President and close friend of the deceased President, in order to prove that it was a fluke and hang gliding was really safe, tried the same maneuver, and broke his neck.
My acquaintance quit hang gliding, spending the money for the used hang glider on drugs instead.
Jay Maupin
Something that people never mention when they talk about HOW AMAZING Everest climbers are is that the Sherpas, who's families have succumbed to the economic dependency of climbing tourists, have been up and down that mountain dozens of times. And also a lot of them hate it.
I read somewhere that Sherpas think climbing Mount Everest is a meaningless and selfish action that actually creates bad karma (especially if it is done only to brag about it or to nurture the Ego). However they need to support their families, so that's why they do it anyway.
"I hate my job" - how you know you have a job.
simpleminded1uk ....you can't compare being exploited by rich tourists and risking your life dozens of times for something most people can't even accomplish once without dying to having a shit job with shit coworkers or a shit boss. Cmon now, don't be an ass.
doombuggy123 anyone who has been down a mine, broken a ship, worked offshore, crawled through the pipework of power stations or refineries or factories in parts of the world where safety is an afterthought (This is not an exhaustive list) has risked his or her life to feed the machine. Lots of people do it. I've done it. perhaps you've done it. the Sherpas do a particularly visible version of it, as the output is pure vanity, but it's the same death that comes for us all, whether we freeze to death on a mountain, drown over the side of a service vessel, suffocate from carbon monoxide poisoning in a tank, fall through a hole in a scaffolding platform, or get crushed under an eight ton chunk of scrap steel, or falling rock. These are perfectly reasonable comparisons.
I like to think that when humans finally go extinct, and aliens discover our remains of our civilization, they will think we climb that mountain as a form a sacrificial sport.
In where is now Perú the natives used to climb with people (usually dope childs) and put their corpses as a sacrifice to their sun's god, i saw this on a documentary of a mummy of a little girl and makes me so sad.
Aliens already know we're here and what human's are. That's why they do not try amd contact us. They're called intelligent life for a reason. Humans are sub-intelligent destroyers. Period.
@@waynemerryman3897 Our civilization is just extremely young, that's the problem.
what's 20k years? Nothing
@@matejjjjjjjjjjjjjjj And yet even this young how many times did we almost destroy ourselves?
@@GoldieMethrans That's the point, like ourr adolescents we are sometimes doing stupid, dangerous actions.
I had to read a book called Death On The Ice by Cassie Brown for a grade 8 book report (many, many years ago) - it’s about a disastrous 1914 Newfoundland sealing expedition. It was a sad story but very well done (at least to my then 14 yr old perspective).
Randomly, I met Dr. Beck Weathers in front of an elevator while rotating at a hospital in Dallas. It must be eerie for him when everyone he meets knows his story and the outcome is there for everyone to see. Anyhow, you asked about ideas for future videos and I think following missing US hikers is fascinating. Recently the story of Johnathan Garrish and family in Cali. There have been several on the PCT. Geraldine Largay on the AT is a particularly poignant story. More recently Kelly Musgrove, a CT surgery resident died hiking in WI. It wasn’t stated but I suspect she was buried in debris when the river bank she was walking on collapsed. She had gone beyond the marked area for hikers.
I'm sure many deathlings are familiar with it, but maybe you can do a video on the suicide forest in Japan.
BestMeganEver 33 Yes! In a respectful way of course.
BestMeganEver 33 aokigahara forest has always fascinated me.
I feel like she already did that. Could be wrong though.
It's so sad, because aside from the social issues it's associated with, it's actually a very pretty forest.
yes! I wonder if she's seen the documentary on it "A different kind of death"
Now its melting and bodies are being found decomposing everywhere :/
Sometimes not even far from the camp :(
I'm just picturing corpses floating down mountain streams
And you have first hand confirmation ?
Been there have you?
@@DonB.-Mulefivefive have you?
@@saragm4893 Piss off. You're not the one I directed the question to.
If he's been there then let him respond, which, I highly doubt he's been out of the country, let alone his back yard.
@@saragm4893 Do your self a favor Sara and try reading your own discussion comments in your own page. You were left a direct message. The likelihood of you or him, ever getting off your ass and doing any climbing at all is slim and none.
Better find a new hobby little missy, this one failed you.
One of my favorite books is Kathy Reichs' BONES ON ICE. So I recognized a lot of the people you mentioned.
Caitlin, I just recently found your hugely interesting channel! Two of the best books I have read are Deaths in Yellowstone and Deaths in The Grand Canyon, maybe you have already explored these area.
Aside from the fact that I'm terrified of heights, I have never understood the desire to conquer Everest. Why? Why? Why?
I'm not big on freezing my ass off, either. I'm.from a snow state.
Last show I saw was 14F outside. I needed both gas and air in a tire (it changes in the cold).
I honestly don't remember ever being so damn COLD. Took a long time to fill it, too.
Because you are never more alive than when youre dancin with the devil on the edge of death
In the words of a quite famous mountaineer, “because it’s there”
Because people like to join queues of other tourists to walk (literally) in someone else’s footsteps to get to the same resting points, to take the same photos, just so they can say “I did it! I climbed Everest” 🤷♀️ Makes no sense to me
I couldn't deal with the cold, no way.
The last thought dying on Everest --- "I've made a huge mistake."
A short amazing life or a boring-as-fuck long life? --- "I wish I'd died young."
Neil Lynch
What’s amazing to one person isn’t always the same for another person.
Some people might think that doing things to help humanity is amazing also. Things that you would think are boring as phuck.
Always reminds me of the Darwin awards.
Did i leave the kitchen window open?
Frozen on Everest is very exciting indeed
I love what you're doing don't ever stop it's helping so much people
Everest death zone is pretty crazy. Not just green boots, there is another body that is sitting down in cave and you walk right by them. When the person died they just sat down and because of the freezing temps and lack of oxygen , people couldn’t help the person because if the stopped to help they would most likely die as well from exhaustion trying to get them up. It’s very chilling and sad experience. The amount of trash on mt. Everest is disgusting and trips to the summit should probably be stopped. They won’t because of the crazy amounts of money the climbers bring into the area, however the mt. Brung covers in trash is so sad to see
@@goober479 That’s nice the Australian government closed off that sacred site for the indigenous people. Hopefully a sustainable solution can be found for Mount Everest
Who else paused and googled?
I certainly did not
I did!
Bodies left on Everest imgur.com/gallery/4UJj0
@@arieldanielle23 I'm so scared to click!
Don’t worry guys. Nothing to be scared about. I clicked!
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer really takes you there, covering the 1996 expedition disaster which killed Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, among others. Also, Caitlin could have mentioned the intense class issue with Everest mountaineering, in that the poor Nepalese sherpas are relied upon heavily to do the heavy lifting and service support, and they frequently lose their life for the privilege of serving wealthy western climbers.
Bill Scurry Yeah that's really sad about Sherpas. I loved the movie Everest. The ending was heartbreaking, but at the same time these people knew the risk.
Ed Viesturs said it best, "Sherpas are a culture and a people, not a job description."
Those fools surely knew the risk! They paid exorbitant sums for the pleasure of being ice mummies!
Bill Scurry to
Krakauer is a bit of a self-aggrandizing asshole, to be honest. I'd recommend "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWalt as an alternative version of the story. Unlike Krakauer, Boukreev was a *real* mountaineer, nd his actions on that expedition saved lives, moreso than anyone else. Krakauer was completely unfair to him, and his heroism during that deadly storm.
You are so fantastic! I truly enjoy watching you!!
The woman in the photo is not Hannelore Schmatz, but a Polish mountaineer - Wanda Rutkiewicz, who died on May 13, 1992 on Kanczendzonga Mountain.
....By the way, when the Poles - Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy, who were the first to climb Mount Everest in winter in 1980, were descending the summit, they passed the frozen body of "sitting" Hannellore Schmatz.
Goddammit this channel is fascinating.
@TheOutLaw Carpenter Me too, I have never even considered watching a channel's entire video catalog, but this one I am, I'm nearly half way through all of them, I cannot stop watching them. Entertaining and educational.
I find her this week 😀 ironically a friend of mine is a mortician. We always joke saying at least she doesn't have to hear peoples shit 😂
Right!
Shes beautiful as well. Very unique beauty
Yup!! I just googled Hannelore Shmatz.. that is a rabbit hole
You happened to pop up in my feed and now I'm obsessed with your channel.
Me too!
Me three!
Same
Great stuff. You’re quite funny and good. First time viewer delighted to have found your channel. I have subscribed so I look forward to viewing your past stuff and new videos as well. Love it
Let's not forget that a big part of the dead people are the locals tasked with making the trail safe for tourists and tasked with guiding them because that's the only job that pays "decently" in the area..
It costs at least $60.000 to climb Everest-and that doesn’t include the cost of all the gear you’ll need.
so $60.000 PLUS gear for a nearly certain death?? yeah.. not worth it
That much & you still have to worry if there is enough oxygen, are the tanks filled, using them right, & even if I summit, willI make it down alright. The lines are insane these days.
@@samanthab1923 if I wanted to wait for hours in line, freezing and surrounded by litter... I'd just go to a open air concert. No need for others to die if I end up being too drunk to make it back to "base camp" on my own.
You can do it for less than 15k if you dont hire sherpa to take you all the way up. Thats permits and porters to base camp, tho. No help, no safety structure, and no oxy bottles, but that's a real accomplishment for you if you can make it like that tho.
Ewelina Right? Insanity
The only Everest I’m climbing is Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Disney World.
You don't even climb it though the train takes you to the top automatically and back down again rofl.
Only a real mortician can give his topic the credibility and gravitas it deserves! Thank you. Fascinating.
Girl you are an extraordinarily funny lady! You have excellent timing & macabre humor is only wonderful when delivered properly.
I just bought your book this afternoon and turned the last page tonight. I know you probably won't see this comment but I wanted to share that you have helped me, personally, immensely. I lost my sister (non biological but by raising) in March to a brain tumor. Well, it was actually due to the surgeons hitting an artery so it was expected but unexpected if that makes sense. Afterwords I experienced many, many, many anxiety attacks surrounding the idea of death. It almost got to the point where I was afraid to leave my apartment for nearly a month. Of course I left, but couldn't stop thinking about mortality, not only my own but of complete strangers-almost non-stop. Oddly I have been extremely suicidal but at the same time extremely fearful of death, but also oddly captured by its mystery, almost obsessed with trying to understand it after her passing. I found your TED talk and it soothed a lot of my anxiety. I also listened to your podcast with Adam ruins everything and suddenly my fear turned more into curiosity. Especially as someone with more atheistic viewpoints. I am trying my hardest not to let this anxiety ruin me, rather, help me explore the depths of what scares me the most in order to move forward and maybe even find a new passion. Thank you for being you and sharing these stories and insights, it helps those like me cope with these things. Your work means so much.
KyAngela I felt the same after my dad died 15 years ago. I was so afraid of dying until I discovered Victorian post mortem photography, as well as looking death in the face with crime scene photos. I learned about the process of embalming so it wasn't scary (I was terrified at my dads funeral that he would be buried alive. Poor 13 year old me. I nearly fainted when my aunt told me that he wouldn't, because they had already drained his blood. My other aunt died this year, from brain cancer. She was sedated and she still struggled. I watched, I held her hand, we all sang to her. I mentally prepared myself for it, and afterwards I felt peace.)
It’s a real shame she never replied... it upsets me that she didn’t. I’m so sorry 🙁
I'm sorry she never replied. I just wanted to tell you that I understand the anxiety and anguish you feel but death is nothing to fear. The human body is just a shell that holds our soul. Our soul is electronic,intelligent energy that moves on to another existence. Technically we never die. The animated meat that we call the human body only contains this energy while in this particular existence for it's the only way your inner being can exist here. Once your biological body dies,your being moves on to the next existence. Whether it is in another animated biological body or in another existence where you can live in your true,electrical intelligence form will be decided at your biological death. You see,death is absolutely nothing to fear. It should be a happy time, for your true being is freed of its earthly bondage. I hope you rise above your fear and accept our fates. In a way it's beautiful and all a part of a true nature that we can't understand.😊
What is the book called?
I kind of can't believe people are still allowed to climb everest. It's bad for people, it's bad for the mountain.
I can honestly say that's not something I've ever thought about, but you're right. Thanks for that perspective check. (and I'm being sincere.)
If grown people want to risk their lives like that, I don't see the point in stopping them. And it's not really "bad" for the mountain. Yeah, a lot of debris winds up there, but it's not like there's wildlife that far up that could be harmed by the trash, and I don't think the rocks and ice particularly care.
Romantic Outlaw it makes a lot of money for the local community. It costs a lot of money (in fees) to climb.
Everest tourism is a major money source for the people in the area. It costs a lot in fees to climb and it's how they support the community. It's not like there is wildlife being disturbed by the dead people and trash.
If they didnt allowed it, people would still do it in secret and risk their life even more. Now people are more awared of the environmental issues and the majority of them bring back their debris. They even make trips just to clean the montain.
Love this one in particular. & your channel!
Author David Grann has written a number of books about adventures, stranding, deprivation, hardship and survival. I highly recommend "The Wager", about a crew of British corsairs, stranded on an island near the southern tip of South America. I'm currently reading "The White Darkness". Next will be "The Lost City of Z". Grann also wrote "Killers of the Flower Moon", and others
.
"Green Boots" didn't die in an avalanche. He just laid down and died in what is called "Green Boot's Cave", which is right below the "First Step" on the NE approach to the summit. Just clearing that up.
Rule 1 about extreme cold.
NEVER quit moving. Never EVER.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 While nowhere near as extreme as the conditions that are experienced by those who attempt to climb Mount Everest, I recall a situation - many years ago - which could, I feel sure, have resulted in my demise!
It was the eve of a good friend's wedding and I had made my way to another good friend's home to borrow his car (automobile). The vehicle wouldn't start and I decided to walk back home (around 4-5 miles). There was heavy snow and I recall once thinking to myself "I feel so tired - maybe I could just sit down for a few minutes - in the snow - and take a short rest" I am convinced that - had I done so - I would not be here today!
I feel that you are right - to stop moving is to give up and resign yourself to death!...
I would imagine that these devoted mountaineers would take some form of solace in the fact that their bodies rest calmly and rather peacefully, isolated and accessible only to others who share their love of climbing and who are brave enough to challenge the beast that is Everest. I'm not saying they wouldn't rather be returned to their families, but they are resting quite serenely in a place they enjoyed spending time, and they died doing what they loved.
Well I think they didn’t enjoy it
Fair enough. I wasn't saying death is pleasant, just trying an optimistic outlook.
Yeah, hell no. That's EXACTLY what is called romanticizing things that should never be romanticized.
For the people that don't get it - I'm saying that hypothetically, were these people able to reflect on their lives and deaths from a spiritual standpoint, they'd see the joy in where they ended up rather than, say, shot, or hit by a car.
@@tediumlacie He isn't romanticising it as such, it's more that everyone since the very first explorers are fully aware of the risk they are taking when they climb Everest. No one goes to Everest thinking it's an easy, safe Sunday stroll, and the high risk of death is incredibly well known. Anyone climbing it should accept the fact that if they die on the mountain, their body will likely never be recovered. People shouldn't push for them to be recovered either, since it puts the living in such danger even to attempt it. And is it the worst fate for their remains? He's just saying that they knew the risks, they clearly loved climbing and wanted to scale Everest, so it being their final resting place doesn't have to be some horrible injustice that we must risk lives to recover them. Let them be.
I went on a mt Everest research spiral a few weeks ago. It’s a devastating place.
My wilderness backpacking, Outdoor leadership, and wilderness survival professor in college also taught rock and mountain climbing. Every year she would get people starting to talk about attempting the 15 peaks and Everest one day.
So she made a report on the 1996 disaster and the film Into Thin Air a requirement for passing the class.