WOMEN of K2: DEATH on the Mountain
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- čas přidán 18. 08. 2021
- First Five Women who Summited K2, All of whom are Dead. Examining who they were, why they climbed, and how they died and what it means for all who attempt the Savage Mountain.
K2 is called the “Savage Summit” and it’s earned the name. Though not quite as tall as Everest, it is far more dangerous. Located at the border of China and Pakistan in the remote Karakoram Range, K2 has some of the harshest climbing conditions and weather of any place in the world. At the beginning of the 2004 climbing season, 90 women had successfully summitted Everest, but only five female climbers had reached the peak of K2. Today, each of those brave pioneers is dead.
In 1986 Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz became the first women ever to reach the top of K2 and was followed to the summit that same year by French climber Liliane Barrard and British climber Julie Tullis, both of whom died on their descent. Then in 1992, the summer that Rutkiewicz perished on Kangchenjunga, French alpinist Chantal Mauduit summitted K2, and survived, only to die six years later on another 8000 meter peak. Finally in 1995 British climber and mother Alison Hargreaves reached the top but was killed shortly after starting her descent.
These courageous, remarkable women can no longer tell their stories of defeating the ferocious mountain.
Mothers and daughters, wives and lovers, poets and engineers, the female pioneers of K2 were complex personalities in the controversial world of high altitude mountaineering, and their lives and deaths are a reminder of the high price climbers often pay to follow their dreams.
cir. 2004
🎥Jeff Rhoads -- Director, DP
Jennifer Jordan -- Producer, Writer
Read Jennifers book: www.amazon.com/Savage-Summit-...
Start your high-altitude adventures by climbing Kilimanjaro with us! www.ClimbKili.com
#K2 #WomenofK2
i find it 'interesting that those who climb to the top despite it being hideously dangerous weather, and perish on the way down are somehow seen as 'better' mountaineers, than those who make the wise, calculated decision to turn back and summit another day. The 'best' mountaineers are the ones who know when to keep going and when to turn back
yes, when someone doesn't make it down the mountain safely after summitting, that isn't normally counted as a summit at all. Getting to the top is only half the job. Like a good pilot, having the wisdom and strength of character to say "I'm not running that risk" even when people call you a coward is a quality of the best climbers
Yes. Fun when you're single, but when you have a partner, have children,,,,time to pack it in. Your children demand and have the right to see you every single day of their young lives. From newborn to toddler, to teenager.
Those porters, Sherpas? Guaranteed, if they could find a better job to support their family they wouldn't be on any mountain.😶🤔🤔
They’re not seen as better at all. The best mountaineers are always the ones who know when to turn around
I’ve climbed Aconcagua and Denali. The reason most die on the way down, is summit fever. At high altitudes, some of the smartest climbers, become slightly impaired due to the altitude and this will cause them to make poor decisions. Summit fever is one of those. They’ll use their last bit of energy getting to the top and they’ll think they’re fine, because walking downhill is easier than going uphill, right? True, but that concept doesn’t apply with mountaineering.
🙌
I climbed out of bed this morning. The sheer exhilaration of summitting the toilet is, well, beyond words.
Hilarious!
Hahaha
Best comment ever
You just MADE my day... and I've made the toilet summit.. and now am in Base Camp at the recliner with coffee!!!!
Nice summit
You don't triumph over a mountain. You might survive it. Mountains are indifferent to ambition.
Excellent point!
Oh so you're telling me that a mountain is just an inanimate lump of rock? Gee...who would have thunk it.
@@morkusmorkus6040 You need to make sure that you use the rocks proper pronouns🤣
yeah well, survival in the face of insurmountable adversity is the ultimate triumph and always the primary goal for every reproducing organism. you're still right tho, the mountain is unimpressed either way and untroubled by the comings and goings of our small human perspective.
Thats what the mountain wants you to think!
/s
The Sherpas deserve far more glory than any climber.
Reinhold Messner's epic solo climbs of Mt. Everest were made without the assistance of Sherpa. Your point is a good one, thogh.
@@nicolosito Who set up, supplied and supported the base camp he started from?
@@tankmaker9807 I'm not sure how material that is. No one should deny the importance of sherpas. The point I am making is that there has been an evolution in the use of Sherpas over the years as professional climbers have on the whole become less reliant on sherpas, in terms of the climbing phase of the expeditions, compared to the past. Compare, if you will, Messner's solo climb of Everest in 1980 (I think) with the 1924 British attempt to climb Everest (during which Mallory and Irvine were lost) or the 1953 expedition led by Sir John Hunt in which Tenzing obviously played a key role but in addition there were numerous other sherpas needed to set up the upper camps.
@@nicolosito I can agree, however, no Sherpa's, no climbing on Everest. It's that simple. Their efforts make it possible.
Not forgetting the porters. The weight they carry is commendable.
can you imagine getting physically blown off the side of a mountain from miles up? that sounds truly and utterly terrifying to me.
@@lisafoos8976 well actually humans have an innate evolutionary fear of heights...
They can use a wing suit and fly
At least it's quick. Being buried alive by an avalanche is a lot worse. Or like the dude on the North Face in the 30s who died dangling from the end of a rope in about 48 hours. Give me quick and horrifying over slow and horrifying any day.
Well, I mean. It's probably over fairly quick.
@@politicallycorrectredskin796poor Toni Kurz had a horrible death on the north face of the Eiger
"I come here for enjoy.. but I don't want to take the risk. I have people who love me in my house"
The words of a selfless climber. Respect to Armando.
A decent man.
I actually clapped out loud for him when he said that..
When did he say that? I missed it
Not selfless, *just not THAT self centered* which is normal for our species.
(pardon semantics 'lesson' but there's an important point)
Just climb and never descend and y'all be fine and dandy.
The reason I liken climbers to addicts of other behaviors is summed up by Chantal's friend, the French climber/filmmaker who says
"...was i expecting for Chantal die ?...yes..she was looking for something more and did not know where to stop.".
i do not judge women who are mothers for climbing BUT i do question the parents who climb together on the same mountain at the same time, as some have, and risking leaving children as orphans. At the very least, one climbs one day the other, another time, that way one least ne parent will make it back
Hi 👋🏾 beloved Queen B, yes you are so very right! Maybe you understand better, when you see it us a Drug! When high waves 🌊 of Adrenaline, is rushing trough their Body ❗️🙀🤷🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️🃏That’s the kick ❗️🤦🏽♀️
@@mahatchiko602 Very true, i agree. The adrenaline rush must be so great that make their kids's future immaterial to such parents, whether mummy or daddy, coz kids need both parents, not just only mummy, but also daddy. Its hell life for any single parent to raise their kids alone without their other half. Or do these parents know or bother, i wonder. M not against mountain climbers, secure your lives and your kids before your perilous climb. Is it really worth it? Heck, climbing mountains might be tough, but try succeeding to scale the mountainous effort of realising the Self, and fighting the evils from within. I assure you, you will get all that adrenaline rush without the peril. Wanna try take the challenge? Sages have climbed these mountains without nary any sophisticated equipment, and in the barest of clothing. All lie in the Mental Power, that comes with control of thoughts, words and deeds, for the good of all Mankind, not for mere gratification of base desires and mere desire for adrenaline rush and push for peril.
I am equally critical of men or women who unnecessarily endanger their lives and risk abandoning their children. It suggests they love climbing more than their children. The epitome of selfishness. When we become parents, we must be willing to sacrifice our own interests for the good of our family, who need us and deserve to have the love, support of parents … IMO.
@@drew7099 What about people who are in the military or police and firemen or women? This is how many climbers earn a living.
A mountaineer is a mountaineer. I'm the "Armchair Mountaineer" and prefer to watch all this easily; rather than do it myself. Such hardship they endure, and sad moments along the way. Don't think this is so easy to do.
Cecilie (Bae) Skog summited in 2008. She is alive and well. Lost her husband Rolf during descent. RIP. Give credit to those who earned it. That was a tragic day where 11 climbers lost their lives
I thought the same thing at first, but this doco was made in 2003, and Cecilie summited in 2008
Thanks for the additional information. I see a posting date Aug 2021, and dates of 2004 in the write up. Could not make out when this was produced. Probably my oversight
2 parents with kids climbing at the same time
@@semoneg2826 splendid idea!
Oh yeah that's right, I forgot about her. Thanks.
Not to diminish their accomplishments, but to say you conquered a mountain means you climbed to the top and made it back alive. They made it to the summit and that alone is amazing, not making it down means the mountain conquered you in the end.
💯
I'm near there and I saw malka perbet and nanga perbet and I was really intimidated by their height oh my god the glaciers looked terrifying there was evidence of flooding and avalanches
If you gave birth but the died in the process does that mean you never had children?
@@NamesIWantAreInvalid if you don't know then you should just stfu.
The mountain conquered them and totally kicked their as-es is what it did.
Wow....those porters fighting for the opportunity to carry heavy loads up mountains. I am again reminded to be extremely grateful for what I have.
I chose to be a dad... thats the only reason I haven't submitted the 8000s...
and as my last child graduates highschool next year... it occures to me that I've climb nearly every peak in Montana/Alberta... and that has satisfied this mountaineer.
I didn't die in the Himalayas... and I taught my children to climb.
Great choice.
Good for you. I try not to judge ppl either way for choices like that, but it's very commendable to sacrifice what you want for loved ones who truly need you to be around.
See..... Your a good father I have a lot of respect for Mother's and Father's who don't put themselves in high risk situations and their kids come first.
I’m curious as to effort required for the peaks you’ve done on a scale from 1-10
My grandfather was a great moutaineer who stood on top of almost every mountain in the swiss alps but when his kids were born he scaled way back on the risks and difficulty of the tours he was taking. Only reasonable thing to do. I hope to follow in his footsteps but right now im recuperating from screwing up my back working as a chef.
"If you don't come back to base camp alive it didn't count..." says most professional climbers and ALL sherpas
So this debate about Mallory and his friend summiting everest first is no debate at all..they didn't make it down so end of story
They never focus on how male mountaineers "combine fatherhood with climbing", but when it's female athletes, oh yes, this is the most important part, surely >__>
Well, yeah cause for the most part it’s women who do most of the work when it comes to raising children
@@maghrath1 Because most men won;t pitch in and help
@@lucydupertuis5166 Nah only the men you hang with. Keep climbing, you'll get there.
@@lucydupertuis5166 It's not the help, but small children are really attached to their mothers more. Father can't replace their mother.
Right! I know that they aren’t asking these men about their wives and children.
They act like women can’t have a life outside of motherhood. It pisses me off!
It's unbelievable that Alison Hargreaves's son Tom Ballard also died in 2019 while climbing Nanga Parbhat.
Bad gene pool!
Searching up high for his mother's spirit.
@@houseofsolomon2440 im sure he found it...
Wow ... lesson in passion .. are you willing to die for something ? .. if the answer is ... yes .. you have real passion .. or stupidity ..
@@Infamous159 Agreed and R.I.P.
There is no shame in turning back; deciding against the climb. I've done so thousands of times.
One of the things strange these wonderful doccos can bring about is seeing someone summit or be interviewed and you think, “oh - I like that person’s vibe” only to learn they got avalanched on nanga parbat in ‘88 or whatever. What a curious record these are.
I'm there now nanga perbet and malka and they're so fkn intimidating the height.
Yeah, I just did that with Christine Boskoff. No more googling for me.
Mountain climbing is a passion but at Homefront you have other responsibilities as well. You can't leave your kids to be in orphanage or stay guideless for rest of their lives. Parenting kids is also more challenging than submitting a peak.
So far it is proving to be more difficult than anything I survived in the Army. I'm only three years in. What they are doing is attempting to escape the reality that your life is metaphysically over the second you create a life. A parent exists to protect their child. Yes, risk your life in the pursuit of that but, anything else is hubris and selfishness.
Not that most of us fully grasp such a summit TBH.
Would it be better for the kids to not be born at all? What makes you think orphanage? Highly doubt that was ever in the cards.
@@Mrbfgray I think what he was trying to communicate was something along the lines of, if your passion in life involves something as incredibly high risk as summiting these types of peaks maybe... don't bring children into the world who will place second to your own dangerous hobbies?
Maybe I'm reading into something that isn't there.
@@paxluporum4447 agree
@@paxluporum4447 exactly
damn...9:55 it always gets me when a grown man starts crying about a lost son/daughter...Like he just couldn't hold it in. You know the pain is still strong.
Her son Tom died on Nanga Parbat recently too.
@@jamisbillson4872 rest in peace
This sentiment, while well intentioned, perpetuates the sexist gender roles that for example Thor Kieser, the guy in the video @32:00, was pushing. Men are not more or less emotional than women, women crying isn't the standard and and it is not more significant when men cry. These behaviours should be normalised and accepted as human.
@@gracie1312 Amen!
@Grace Nakimura women say that in one breath and deny it in another
Alison Hargreaves' son Tom Ballard also became a mountaineer like his mum. He climbed many mountains but sadly he died in 2019 after going missing on one of the mountains of Pakistan. They did eventually find Tom and his climbing buddy and took their remains home back to their families
Can you imagine the grief of the family? Devastating...
@@carmenl163 yes his mum was very sad
🥺
Thanks for that info!!!
Awesome legacy. Darwin would approve.
Alison Hargreaves was a legend ....but as a climber u have to respect the conditions of the mountain ....the second u ignore the weather ...or other conditions of the mountain ...u die .... there is a fine line between bravery and foolishness
Absolutely. It’s their hubris that leads to their own demise.
The Sherpas know what’s up. They proper know those mountains.
The minute certain climbers choose to ignore their Sherpas warnings is the minute they choose a horrible outcome.
Exactly. Peter Hillary turned back and he is still alive.
Her son also gave his life following in her footsteps tragic.
Summit fever is real; it's what ends up killing most who die up there. People should speak of Allison with the respect. She was an incredible climber who made an unwise decision on an unforgiving mountain.
She also left her kids orphans...
I saw this documentary once, years ago. Unlocking my fascination for books on high altitude climbing and I've been looking for years for this documentary. Thank you for uploading!
Wanda Rutkiewicz was a legend in my native Poland, she was very competitive and tough just like other the other well known polish climbers .I always admired anybody who would venture to climb the Himalayas.
Strange, I always thought they were mentally ill.
Poles are built differently when it comes to mountaineering.
@@Ehsan870 The Germans taught them very well.
Poles , have no problem climbing in the worst conditions, much respect to Poland and the tough mentality that they have in thier heads and hearts
And now they're very dead. We will all be very soon thanks to climate change and our short lifespans. Still, go up a mountain to try and speed things up. And tell yourself it's a glorious thing to do. Whatever keeps you from getting bored. 🤣
Poignant seeing footage of Tom Ballard as a kid; like his mother he also died on a mountain, in 2019 at the age of 30.
So messed up
Sherpas are the real climbers here, don't let these sociopaths decieve you.
Well. The Sherpas have not climbed any 8-thousander before ....................... [I can't finish this sentence for the obvious reason :) :) :)]
Sherpas are genetically predisposed to climb
When someone says they have conquered other 8000ers and came to summit k2, hope they realize those mountains were not k2. This is entirely something else. Even the sight of the bottleneck gives me chills.
Mountains cannot be conquered; just summited.
What do you mean? It’s pretty well accepted that the worst climb of the 8,000ers is Annapurna.
Weird that a guy who thinks women shouldn't climb fell in love with a female climber. Definitely not bitter.
Bitter? The fact he fell in love with her doesn’t change the fact that an elite athlete woman is still a bottom performing athlete man. Stats prove this throughout the majority of sports.
Furthermore, others accounts of her climb and photo evidence prove that she would’ve died on her descent if he didn’t put himself at risk to save her. Also look at the success rate of men versus women. Us women need to stop being such prideful victims and accept facts for what they are.
@@shesoverit2302 bottom-performing? Dumb statement born of ignorance.
@@Peace-tk3gr prove him wrong don’t be ignorant
@@shesoverit2302 WELL SAID - I mean, I have nothing against women doing sports - And I well know that men and women are equally important, we need each other to operate properly, its how we were built. And obviously men and women were built differently, for what they were designed and built/ created to do.
but women trying to be as strong as men, is impossible.. Women forgot how to be women, in the process of being turned into - hu-mans/ who? mans.. Random specs of dust with no purpose and no creator, and no devil/rebellion led by lucifer (who obviously stole and destroyed the whole earth, as foretold) - men too, men have been turned into who?mans . They don'tknow what real marriage as defined by god is either. Nor what their purpose is, nor the purpose of this short life.. Its very sad.
I wish they wouldn't turn folks into zombified hu-mans, whereby the women are always competing with and working against men 😒 I wish folks would learn to think for themselves, and learn to accept themselves for who and what they are (very special creations . Everything that was created, was created for mankind. So our creators can live through us inside of the earth) , and just appreciate the free gift of life, and the amazing way god (our father YHVH and Yahshua the christ) us men and women, different, but equally important.
I can't help feeling that climbers who do this and other deadly mountains should do so without risk to others such as rescuers who also risk their lives and die. Its not a need to climb its a want. Its pretty selfish, especially when you leave family behind when you didn't have to do it 😔
Poor sherpas too.
I'm not a real climber but I've read more books than I'd care to admit. I've never heard the slightest insinuation of ANY climber expecting to get rescued. They know the risks.
@@electvolt67 No, they don`t want to get rescued - until they need to be rescued lol
@@biggstavros5876 truth.
I dont think anyone who goes to the mountains sees anyone as a "woman mountaineer, male mountaineer" the love of the mountains and the quest for person achievement unites. Scott Fisher is just as bad as Alison as far as I'm concerned, Scott left young children behind too.
Look at Rob Hall. He left a pregnant wife !
Whoa! Really? I’m shocked because I didn’t know that Scott Fisher had children. From my perspective, Scott having young children is rarely mentioned.
That is really stretching it, It's important to see people for who they are, not as a default "mountaineer".. It is possible to take the whole equality thing too far, people aren't equal, and life isn't fair.
that one guy really got friendzoned in the deathzone and is being really bitter about it
Yeah, people look really ugly when they're bitter and twisted.
My thoughts exactly. Not a good look.
Yeah not a good place to meet women...😂
It doesn’t matter how good a shape you’re in…8m mountains have taken most of the world’s best Western climbers
Wtf are you talking about? Your fitness is the most important thing in climbing!
Physical fitness does matter quite a lot actually.
No amount of fitness saves you in an avalanche buried beneath the snow
Think about that
@@deadastronaut2440you missed my point. Edema and altitude sickness has taken the fittest of the fit. Not to mention avalanches.
Men are not capable of climbing to 8000m without the help of 40 other men (sherpas)
Men are the Sherpas !
Are Sherpas not Men?? Wtf is your problem?
Sexist comment, just for the sake of being sexist…grow up!
@@GIBBO4182 Dont like facts? Stay off the damn internet
I snuck up the mountain and didn't pay any fees for permits nor did I get any Sherpas to help me. I did it on my own. It did it naked without gear or anything. I used my bare hands, feet, and Johnny Johnson as my pick axe.
As a mother, I would rather take care of my children knowing the risks of climbing that mountain. They are worth my time and my life. But again every person is different. RIP to those who perish doing what they love the most.
When you grow up wealthy with zero challenges in your path, you end up climbing mountains to feel alive...
You’re exactly right I have friends that are wealthy and have wealthy children and they do things like you said just to stay alive or feel alive. There is a virtue of growing up hand to mouth it makes you appreciate life and small accomplishments.
Maybe you're right here. I commute on bicycle every day on London's busy streets. To me it's like a jungle, literally everything that's moving can kill you. Every bloody trip is like a survival. And every time an accident occurs to me and I end up not being hit by a car, I appreciate to be alive so much. After you've combatted the intrusive thoughts of "what would've happened if...", you feel so happy just to be alive. Who would've thought that, huh?
I mean this is what happens when you come from a developed country...
It put men into space, with methods that eventually gave you the internet to post this very comment.
People with a sense of adventure need to do it somewhere. You just sit here and benefit from their bravery while doing nothing with yourself.
@@kasskath3578 I hope you don't have children and never do as long as you take part in such risky behavior.
@@katherineg9396 it's none of your businesses. Also what is this risky behaviour you're talking about? I assume you never leave home?
So sad watching the porters BEG for work :( and by “compete” they mean who will take the job the cheapest :(
Nothing wrong with Chantelle having mens help down the mountain to live and doesn’t taint her legacy because Many MEN couldn’t make it down the mountain without another man’s help… we are all a team..
The sheer raging sexism in mountaineering was a whole separate mountain that women had to climb, and never mind that many Sherpas are women, too!
Love the first comment. “I think they have a need to compete with men.”
Or maybe they’re women who enjoy climbing
I know right?? I was eating and had to double take on that one!
Great video! I enjoyed every minute except for every time Thor Kieser appeared on screen and then proceeded to open his mouth. 🙃
Wanda Rutkiewicz and Jerzy Kukuczka were two legendary Polish climbers. They both were extremly tough. They two were friends too and respected each other.
Wanda was famous, among others with the fact that she was able to defeat some men in arm wrestling. She did it with great reflex, speed, by surprise. Primarily she was going to be a professional volleyball player, but due to an injury she left it and became a climber. She loved also car racing.
Jerzy - Jurek Kukuczka was so tough that he could survive even 3 days during climbing 8000m peaks without food, with a very small amount of water, which he could get only by melting snow on a gas stove, and sometimes without it, by extremly low temperatures, bad weather and without a tent. He climbed 4 eight tousand peaks in winter, 3 of them as first climber, 2 of them within 1 winter. I will remember Jurek as one of the greatest climbers and greatest Poles in history till end of my life. I hope Wanda and Jurek rest in peace.
She ded
@@teddyjackson1902They're both dead. But does that mean they didn't do cool stuff. We all die.
@@annnee6818 some of us raise our children and have long and satisfying lives surrounded by love and family and not lost on a frozen rock pre middle-age.
They got really cool yes, many degrees below zero I'm sure.
@@teddyjackson1902 How do you know they didn't have satysfying lives? I wish you and your whole family could see at least 10% what they saw and lived through in the mountains.
At some point in perhaps the early 1980’s, this idea crept in that parents “have a responsibility to their children” as opposed to “a parent’s responsibility IS their children” Once kids are grown & out it’s a different story altogether but when those little ones depend on you entirely things need to be kept in perspective. Young minor children are not “an element in one’s life” They are one’s life. Daredevil parents are acting on misplaced priorities as are parents who cheat and risk the destruction of their homes & families. I’ve no doubt that my remark will trigger half of those who read it but the other half are saying “amen.” And a blind man could see that in 2022 our society is in deep, deep trouble.
Our society being in trouble is a fact as old as dirt. We've always been in trouble and sorta survived. But parents care and invest way more into their children than they ever have before, so that's not a good measure for "trouble"
Amen.
Tom Ballard, son of Allison Hargreaves was lost on Nanga Parbat, 2019. May they both rest in peace.
I'm there now its so fkn hught n glacier. Why they climb this mountain? I was intimidating
@@Animal-Reaction-Clips has the altitude got to your redaction?
@@LathropLdST it got to my contraction
@@Animal-Reaction-Clipsdid you climb ??
@@stephen_crumley there was a flood that happened and many rocks were loose and dangerous. I climbed 4,500 before we came back down
Having small children and attempting something like this is pure stupidity.
That’s racist
@@theyracemesohardchair Don’t be silly.
Lots of people sell their motorcycle when they have children.
Yes I do agree with you!
The irony is you can only achieve such a feat at the same age you are likely to have children; when you are physically and mentally most fit.
That's pretty hilarious having Thor Kieser saying women can't climb 8k mountains without the power of men.
He can't climb an 8k mountain without the power of men! Unless he climbed 8k mountains without Sherpas or porters, he has no place to talk. Sherpas and porters are the only reason most of these climbers succeed, they are the true mountaineering champs.
Some outrageously sexist comments by that guy
@@artvandelay7251 but he's right
@@victoriapendleton4099 BS
@@victoriapendleton4099 But he's a hypocrite
Right? You have locals carrying every ounce of the gear you use to survive, so you can climb freely and claim to "summit". Pfffft ok buddy.
Edit: and here we find the reason for his bitterness- he says he was in love with Chantal.....of course while managing to insult her too. I'd bet a lot she didn't feel the same way.
04:50 The mountain has been unfriendly?!? Pretty sure the mountain does not care, at all. It has been just sitting there, peacefully, for centuries. Millennia even. Why blame the mountain for all the little specs that decide to go die there each year?!? Weird.
I dunno, you'd be surprised how quickly the weather can switch from calm to outright storm levels of intensity within the matter of minutes~
@@Timmothy_plays Still not the mountain's fault.
So true the same go for the goats that live on mountains they don’t even show no fear. Sometimes accidentally knock one off by just playing with each other with their horns.
The crazy death I saw near a mountain is when a eagle mistake man bold head for a rock and drop a turtle on him killing the man instantly.
@@Pulapaws You didn't see that. That was the Greek playwright Aeschylus. What a weird thing to lie about.
Another incredible video David, thank you!
Can someone explain why climbing without supplementary oxygen is something to aspire to? Climbing with all the other things is enough of a challenge isn’t it? I respect people who do what they love regardless of the risks but a pity they die as a result.
oxygen is seen as a crutch by some. Others see the apparatus as extra weight and would rather travel light.
I wish some of them would just carry a spare bottle with them. I'm sure that simple action would have saved so many. But I'm sure it is heavier and bulkier. I've also never climbed anything like what they climb so idk what I'm talking about either.
@@shoshonesasquatch1642 a small bottle would not sustain the climber on the descent
In climbing and mountaineering style matters a lot, and the more stripped down the purer it is. Reaching a summit using bottled oxygen, fixed ropes, and high altitude porters is no where near as impressive as doing it in alpine style (climbing fully self supported) and without bottled oxygen
@@jarnold1789impressive to who? Risk limb and life to impress who? What mighty stupidity.
These are daredevils who really love this as a rather obsessive hobby. I don’t think of them as heroic or anything. I admire the skill and physical stamina! What an achievement really to actually get to the summit and get back safely!! They are all so very brave! I am scared of heights!!!!
So much focus on those two climbers at the end and their struggles on the mountain. I'm thinking...."what about the person or persons who are up their with them filming it?
I'm not a hypocrite. I'm equally critical of men who leave small children behind to pursue their glory. Alison Hargreaves could have turned back. She chose not to. Francys Arsentiev's 11 year old son had a nightmare and begged his parents not to climb...and when his wife died the husband left safety to find Francys leaving their son orphaned at 11. He chose to do that. I resent the superior way some of the mountaineers talk about how us ordinary people who don't understand. Yes, they are amazing people- but when there are small children involved, I don't admire them.
I love doing a great many things, some dangerous too....but I have found nothing that I love more than being alive!!!
YES.
It should be called mountain fever , or summit fever , it’s like a fever sets in and when that happens no one can change these mountaineers mind !
Yes, they become addicted, to this Thrilling Moments❗️🤦🏽♀️🦸♂️Very sad, because they bring danger to the Group and to themselves ❗️🙏🏾🙀🏥
are you not aware that it IS already called summit fever?
Climbing is like taking magic mushrooms. It's scary, unpleasant, but you still want to experience it again. The difference is that taking shrooms is safe.
Nice look from an alternative angle at climbing, but I didn‘t feel the need to contrast women climbing with men climbing? Wouldn‘t a history of women climbing be interesting in its own right?
Eh, especially up through the 80’s, mountaineering and climbing was such a “macho” kind of thing. I think the rise of the supremely competent women rock climbers through the 90’s did a great deal to normalize women’s place in that climbing world: I mean, you can think guys are “better” at mountains, but if you rock-climb 5.11 and there’s some gal smoking you climbing 5.12, well, she’s objectively a better climber.
But I agree that a look at women’s mountaineering, especially given the style of Soviet mountaineering like you pointed out below, would be really interesting and maybe leaving out the guys half-shitting on the accomplishments of these gals who summited multiple 8000m peaks because “they always knew they were unsafe.” I mean jeez, successes and failures loom large when there are tens of these women among hundreds of guys that ate it on mountains as well.
i plan on going to mount everest next year. several mountaineer consultant based in asia and usa and i done research and find that i will be the first deaf person in the world that will reach to top summit and back to ground
Don't Die. How can you hear an avalanche.?? Buy Sherpa's.
They could feel it before you hear it Gary.
@@rchristy4540 Excatly!!!! plus i can see it. also i went to 5 different summits in this world. i am at professional level…
@@stephenspiker498 best of luck to you Stephen. Make a video for us when you get back.👍
Godspeed Stephen!!
I think that its like other extreme sport where odds play a big factor.The more someone does anything that has imposes some risk, the greater chance they have of facing those risks..But thats part of what drives someone.
Alison Hargreaves was in a league of her own. The year she died on K2 was when a hurricane force wind killed several people on K2.
Yeah, a league of dead people.
A legacy passed on to her son who also died on a mountain in 2019
the smart mountaineers are the ones with grey hair
@@standupstraight9691 she might be dead, but you and I will never achieve what she had. It's even sadder were on youtube and alive while most professional mountaineers are working out for their next adventure. Is being physically alive a better achievement than those who lived their lives, even if it means death. (This applies to soldiers too)
@@giyavictoria3747 . These people fight gravity for thrills. Their business to be sure.
Seems like a futile exercise to some.
Was just thinking that I've watched all of David Snow's uploads... Then this. THANK YOU!
Climbers are fathers too. What's the difference?
RIP 🙏 TO ALL THE 5 WOMEN THAT DIED DOING SOMETHING THEY LOVED DOING,,,
I'm sure that's a great comfort to their children. Not.
@@lisafoos8976 agree.
@@garytolodziecki5326 *they’re*… 😂😂😂😂😂wow. The irony of that error is hilarious
@@rchristy4540 I agree. What about the children ?
@@lisafoos8976 I so agree
But some people must feel partly dead normally, and so to be on the edge, close to death, helps them to regain a feeling of being alive. Most of us feel alive, “being present, “ normally; no need to challenge death.
Interesting comment.
@Shirley Mason - yeah, interesting comment!
As expected, there are a lot of negative comments regarding parents risking their lives - no one has mentioned the undying NEED to accomplish their goals.
There must be A HUGE driving force behind eg. a mother to attempt something as risky as this.
@Shirley Mason
Additional :
Lots of folk are happy enough doing what they do - honestly, that's great!
Slightly different (but relevant!) - my ex said to me, whilst coming to the end of her PhD (very hard times!), that if only she could be happy without striving for her chosen career - she wished she didn't have this ambition!
@@kenvoegele2033 You don't think who gets what?!
Just do drugs and stay at home,their is your rush.
Love these videos. What a double standard regarding mothers who want to climb. They don't say the same about fathers!
They should. If a thrill matters more to you than your children, you probably shouldn't have produced them in the first place.
I say the same about them . Have children , or have a spouse? Don’t needlessly risk your life . But that’s just me .
Why don't you join her and have fun.???
Women and Men are NOT the same! Thats nature and no political "correct" movement will ever change that in eternity. And YES there is a difference between a mother and a father deciding to climb on a mountain like that.
I say it about the fathers. When you grow up without one, it's pretty Fkn important.
Getting to the summit is optional
Getting down is not
Well, it is optional how you get down. Frankly, I think mountain climbers are bit nuts but it may be because I am not very comfortable about heights. Or blizzards. Or freezing. Or falling. I think I will watch the videos and stay on flat ground.
I never gone to no super high mountains, but I had a fair share of climbing; and the going down is worse than going up, the knees tremble and you fight gravity while avoiding to step on the wrong spot, theres no other option, unless you wanna be a Tarzan 😆
@@giyavictoria3747
I was a tree climber for 30yrs.
Going down we just loosen the knot
The Julie lady dying when her partner didn’t could be due to many things. It is mentioned that they had both had fallen and struggled on for the descent. They got stuck in their tents 5 days in a storm and she died. Who knows whether or not she had internal injuries from her fall? I suggest she very well might have. Some sort of slight internal bleeding that she might have survived were she not on the mountain. Has anyone suggested that and explored the possibility?
One of the best Ive watched from your channel.
Cecilie Skog did it in 2008, but lost her husband in the same day in the K2, so it is sad to read that some men say that woman can not do it. And she is still very much alive.
That’s only 1 woman out of thousand men not good example listen to the video 🫣🫢😳😮😀🧐👍⬆️
I heared an interview with a Sherpa and totally felt what he shared. The Sherpas who know the mountains best since it's their native environment, are paid 4000 to 5000, by foreigners who profit from what is not theirs, by organising expeditions for 10 thousands of dollars! The Sherpas should take control of their heritage. I can now understand why they sometimes get overheated when doing business with foreigners. Since it's the Sherpas who carry everything and search for safe routes.
The amazing Sherpas should be also be making *and keeping* 90% of any profit made, for themselves and their families.
“The Sherpas SHOULD take control of their heritage”. All that needs to be written as to where the responsibility lies.
@@TC-dw6wg It seems they already have control. They could simply refuse to perform the functions for which they are hired. I doubt that many, if any, groups could even begin without the presence and assistance of the Sherpas, but that income is needed by them, so they must choose where to make a stand. But they do have choices; for instance they could agree among themselves limits on how much they’ll carry and how high they’ll go. Wow, I’m advocating union and collective bargaining for Sherpas, but why not?
They are not profiting from what isnt theirs. The Sherpas are paid well and its by their choice to be guides. Noone made them go on the mountain 🏔️
@@bridgetrodriguez4643 Yeah, like there’s so many options for other employment in Nepal and Tibet; although since China controls the Tibet ascent side that option is not viable, I guess.
The problem with K2 is ego. Everest used to be the goal until they turned it into Disney world. Now people think K2 is where the respect is so folks are going there before they are ready. I'm no mountain climber nor would I claim to be. But you don't have to be a climber or an astronaut to look at at pictures of Everest and K2 an know immediately that the task of climbing them is no where near the same. For enough money you can hire folks to carry you up and down Everest. There isn't the money or an army big enough to carry you up and down K2.
I've seen it and seen malka perbet and nanga too and ill tell you I'm never climbing those mountains no way. I was so intimidated when I saw them and thought why in the fkn hell would people want to climb this like literally its a death trap
Wanda Rutkiewicz, your spirit and magnificence lives forever
She's DEAD. Why don't you join her.
Wow what a incredible story. I could watch that over and over. Some day I hope she makes it to the top.
She never did
3:11 “She’s not what you’d expect.”
*is exactly what I’d expect lol
Thor Kieser seems like a right weirdo
He seems like a quality person who's definitely not nursing a grudge against the climber who dumped him.
Lel
Just from an ethical standpoint there's a problem when you're a parent and you choose to put yourself in deadly peril just to climb a mountain. Just watched an entire panel discussion on ethics in mountain climbing, and although this wasn't mentioned, this is a definite ethical issue.
Agreed it’s absolutely insane and gross
Does that apply equally to men???
@@samichgrrl of course
lol. "Should a mother risk their life for the summit?"
Should a FATHER risk THEIR life for the summit?
Sorry but you didn’t get the memo….
@The Most Illusive Man Nobody should be drafted and put in combat roles for war, we shouldn't even have war to begin with, but seeing as war exists yes, women should also be drafted.
Personal choice.
It‘s hard for me to understand how/ why any parent puts themselves at this kind of risk, and being away from their children for such a long time for each of these expeditions… I‘m not here to judge so I just hope all these parents feel their choices were worth it, as they sadly, but rather inevitably, plummet one day to their deaths. For me it wouldn‘t be (and I don‘t even have children).
@@lornarettig3215 Yeah I can't quite understand it either. Even if the parent feels "this was worth it", what about how the kid feels? How does it affect them to think that mommy or daddy preferred to risk their life climbing a mountain instead of taking a normal family vacation?
Intelligent and well-made. A fascinating look at women who climb, and the choices they must make.
hello David
Thank you for the excellent documentation. The passion for the mountain cannot be put into words.
I wish you good tours.
With alpine greetings
Raphael Wellig
I have a more of a blunt question as a woman. Having period out in the mountains with pain can I guess be mitigated. But. I am a heavy lifter, a bodybuilder and we ALL know that there is a Lutheal phase when you feel weak af, when your body mass increases due to liquid retention and you are very prone to injuries. All of that combined, at a 8 000 meter peak. Just wondering.
I would imagine you taking a break during this time. If you are already severely weakened by lack of oxygen and food, I would imagine being ill from menstration would be a good time to lay low in a tent ⛺️
Not all women suffer to your extent. My wife walks through hers with very little discomfort.
Just take the pill continuously, you can do it for 2-3 months without even spotting. Women with period pain do it all the time, perfectly safe. Or get the Mirena IUD, can stop bleeding altogether (not necessarily pain though).
Better living through chemistry means you can actually not have periods if you don’t want to these days.
Spoiler: She didn't make the summit and is still alive today.
that thor guy needs a slap... what a creep
Can you blame him for wanting to slap skins with the opposite sex?
Wonderful video, thanks for sharing!
That beautiful and tremendous expression.. she could not distinguish life from something more.. very fine line. RIP
Hi David I'm from Australia so most of us are surfers or something but your vids are firing up something inside me if I had my time again I might have actually given climbing a go anyway I understand the not turning around when you should but it's so sad to see all these deaths it just seems like a waisted and there bodies just lying in the open god I wish I had the strength to get them down anyway mate thank you for the great footage and heart wrenching stories 👍
Surfing is different from freezing to Death and getting blown of a mountain.
Wallarbrawanga
@@garytolodziecki5326 Uh huh oh I thought it was pretty much the same??????
@@andrewbyfield5040 clarify, Both are athletic, sorry,
@@garytolodziecki5326 Surfing IS riding mountains.... in the freezing cold.... with sharks ! Check out Mavericks on YT and educate yourself !
Tragically, Hargreaves son Tom Ballard 10:11 died on an adjacent mountain in 2019.
So I guess you Hammer out your own tin plaque before you start climbing? It would be the charitable thing to do...
We all might as well. It's inevitable, right?
lol that guy saying women can't climb 8k peaks without men supporting them... well let's see these men climb without all the sherpas and porters supporting them!
edit: the point is EVERYONE needs help from men to climb these 8k peaks, are we gonna say only people who can do it without any male help are allowed to be up there? then there'd be like 1 person on the mountain every 10 years lmao
Or even other team members. In most of these docs, men end up saving other men. Why is it so horrendous when it’s a man supporting a woman down the mountain. That’s just being a good person, not the one needing help being a hinderance
Buhl and Messner climbed alone
@@fernandogomes2472 okay? How does that disprove my point?
@Objectivity yaks are Male too lmao
Andrew legit doesnt know what a male is. Lmfao.
I don't know about all the summit fever, I'm not even a hiker at all but common sense would tell you the hardest aspect is on the climb down having expended so much energy going up. I'm not sure if that's accurate but, common sense would simply lead me to understand that. I'd wager to bet there's much more death on descent VS ascent.
was like wow musta missed this one but nah just uploaded 4 hours ago!
doing gods work David
You just made my day... thank you
I get scared climbing my 8’ ladder.My hat’s off to anyone who has taken one step towards the top and especially these women with the hearts of a lioness.
You've got an 8 inch (") ladder?
@@mrdarren1045 Lol he ment 8 ft am sure
Sadly tom Ballard also died not far from his mother's resting place he was a fantastic climber as well
Hard to watch knowing that Tom Ballard, Alison's son was to eventually succumb himself years later on the ascent of Nanga Parbat. All of them brave and driven
Indeed
Is dying on a mountain due to poor choices now something of a badge of honour? Why do they suddenly become heroes?
@@MrE1981 I don't know that people exactly view them as Heroes, but it is good form to honor the Fallen. In this case, the only allegedly bad choice was climbing the mountain in the first place, and obviously opinions vary greatly on whether that can be deemed a bad choice.
@@stevegeorge6880 well said and totally agree
@SouthWest - Obviously it's a hugely dangerous pursuit and all you can do is make decisions to minimise the risks.
For me, the most tragic deaths in the mountains are those caused by avalanches - a lot of the time it's down to luck and, as such, the only reasonable decision to make to avoid avalanches is to not climb these mountains!
Something that was mentioned in the vid - mountaineering is hard and you can't Summit these peaks without really REALLY pushing yourself. How can you know, with any certainty, how much more your body can take? If you've got a good sense of this, does it take on to account weather changes, unforseen difficulties etc.
My point is - it's a risky business and all you can realistically do to be successful is manage the situations you're faced with. This in itself is a huge part of why folk enjoy mountaineering!
Hector is a hell of a guy! He was in another documentary i watced, and he was so selfless on Everest! Great guy!
What's the name of the doc?
I can appreciate all the challenges and desires to do it...I can speak from experience but nearly lost my life on a mountain.I was very lucky to survive.
I hope you found new and interesting ways to try and needlessly reduce your lifespan out of boredom afterwards. Have you tried alligator wrestling?
Zero interest in climbing mountains myself but I love these mountainering documentaries, I admire people who are brave and strong enough to do things like this. Imo this seems like a pretty good way to die actually, doing something you love, I mean if you're single and have no children or if your partner climbs too but not if you have children, as I'm alone and see no meaning maybe I should actually try. Perhaps that's the reason for some, to find a meaning.
Hi Louise how is this feeling better now
Male or female - they're all insane to risk their lives just to be on a mountain peak - but they are amazing and I am in awe.
I am humbly reminded that there are those, strong, brave and courageous Sherpa's that risk their lives to make a living for their families, let them not be forgotten. 😢
I'm proud to be a woman in today's society and cheer for those that take on these monumental adventures of climbing these spectacular mountains.... may the force be with you all. Go safe. x
Yeah, old post. Didn’t realize the timeline when I posted. More importantly, I wanted to recognize her accomplishment at such a great loss. Peace and blessings to you. Posting with respect and love.❤
Great story! For all the men and women!
If you dont make it back down. Then it doesnt count. Getting up is the easy part. Making it back is where most die.
Now why is that? I agree… most deaths occur on the decent… is it because something is let go of, like caution or does the euphoric adrenaline wear off and the body collapses?
@@simonrowe3124 I think most deaths happen on the way down. They use all their energy getting to the summit. But they forget they need as much energy to get down
My huge respect to those brave women who try, god i pray to keep them safe and well. Just getting to concordia is a big challenge even in climbing season and the local pahari people are amazing how they cope and endure life there.