1
00:00:55,588 --> 00:00:58,531
I think people are
interested in trying to know
2
00:00:58,532 --> 00:01:01,699
what actually happened
to our minds.
3
00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:04,112
8,000 meter,
you're in the death zone.
4
00:01:07,044 --> 00:01:08,834
There is a struggle.
5
00:01:08,835 --> 00:01:12,099
There is a fight
in every breath,
6
00:01:12,100 --> 00:01:14,740
in every thought.
7
00:01:18,371 --> 00:01:19,650
Everything hurts.
8
00:01:19,651 --> 00:01:23,106
Every limb,
every cell is screaming,
9
00:01:23,107 --> 00:01:26,179
"Oxygen, oxygen, oxygen."
10
00:01:28,034 --> 00:01:30,977
You don't feel the cold anymore.
11
00:01:30,978 --> 00:01:34,050
Time seems to stand still.
12
00:01:46,017 --> 00:01:47,713
There's so many reasons
to turn around
13
00:01:47,714 --> 00:01:51,662
and only a couple of reasons
to continue.
14
00:01:59,617 --> 00:02:00,992
In one hand,
15
00:02:00,993 --> 00:02:06,534
people question us
climbing a mountain like K2.
16
00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,015
In the other hand,
17
00:02:10,016 --> 00:02:13,727
they're upset
why people don't go up
18
00:02:13,728 --> 00:02:15,903
and rescue people
19
00:02:15,904 --> 00:02:20,863
in this dreadful environment.
20
00:02:20,864 --> 00:02:23,774
Where you likely will be killed
21
00:02:23,775 --> 00:02:25,948
by doing so.
22
00:02:27,743 --> 00:02:30,750
There will be things
we never will know,
23
00:02:30,751 --> 00:02:33,405
but the question
you should ask yourself.
24
00:02:33,406 --> 00:02:35,852
"What would you do?"
25
00:02:47,070 --> 00:02:49,405
Mind you, K2 climbers, huh?
26
00:02:49,406 --> 00:02:50,717
This is unbelievable.
27
00:02:50,718 --> 00:02:52,477
There's Nanga.
28
00:02:52,478 --> 00:02:53,437
K2?
29
00:02:53,438 --> 00:02:54,397
Nanga. Nanga.
30
00:02:54,398 --> 00:02:55,357
Nanga Parbat.
31
00:02:55,358 --> 00:02:57,212
- Yeah.
- Oh, my God.
32
00:02:57,213 --> 00:03:00,060
And then we'll show you K2,
your destination, okay?
33
00:03:00,061 --> 00:03:01,938
We're on our way in.
34
00:03:14,044 --> 00:03:16,123
- Up there.
- Yeah?
35
00:03:16,124 --> 00:03:17,159
Whoop!
36
00:03:41,201 --> 00:03:42,490
You're gonna have to run this bit
37
00:03:42,491 --> 00:03:43,450
'cause there's rockfall.
38
00:03:43,451 --> 00:03:44,410
Really?
39
00:03:44,411 --> 00:03:45,685
Yeah, they've been running it.
40
00:03:46,939 --> 00:03:48,025
Go. Go. Go.
41
00:03:48,026 --> 00:03:51,166
Shit.
42
00:04:26,936 --> 00:04:28,279
It's good to be back here,
43
00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:32,092
and it's nice to wake up
to this sight this morning.
44
00:04:48,183 --> 00:04:51,702
It's my belief that everybody
has the love of climbing.
45
00:04:51,703 --> 00:04:53,334
You know, the first thing
a child Wants to do
46
00:04:53,335 --> 00:04:54,838
is climb something.
47
00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:56,822
The art of rock climbing
is relearning
48
00:04:56,823 --> 00:05:00,100
what you knew intuitively
as a child.
49
00:05:01,334 --> 00:05:03,253
You get such a big respect
for this mountain
50
00:05:03,254 --> 00:05:05,301
and all the climbers
who did it before you.
51
00:05:05,302 --> 00:05:09,333
If you want to have a nice story
on the birthday parties,
52
00:05:09,334 --> 00:05:10,836
you know, you climb Everest,
53
00:05:10,837 --> 00:05:14,036
but K2 is really, I think,
for the real mountaineers.
54
00:05:14,037 --> 00:05:15,796
- Hello!
- Hello.
55
00:05:15,797 --> 00:05:16,756
How are you?
56
00:05:16,757 --> 00:05:17,861
Good.
57
00:05:25,109 --> 00:05:26,612
Pretty good view, I reckon.
58
00:05:26,613 --> 00:05:29,396
I think it's pretty hard
to beat, actually.
59
00:05:29,397 --> 00:05:33,011
There is quite different
between people from Himalaya
60
00:05:33,012 --> 00:05:35,251
and from Western world.
61
00:05:35,252 --> 00:05:37,779
It's quite different,
because the Western people,
62
00:05:37,780 --> 00:05:40,147
they are more adventurer.
63
00:05:40,148 --> 00:05:42,771
They love more adventure.
64
00:05:42,772 --> 00:05:45,683
Our people also like adventure,
65
00:05:45,684 --> 00:05:48,211
but they love climbing.
66
00:05:48,212 --> 00:05:49,715
Where are we?
67
00:05:49,716 --> 00:05:52,018
Oh, we are now climbing K2.
68
00:05:52,019 --> 00:05:52,978
All right.
69
00:05:52,979 --> 00:05:54,770
Yes.
70
00:05:54,771 --> 00:05:56,370
The first man to climb K2
71
00:05:56,371 --> 00:06:00,401
was from my valley,
Achille Compagnoni.
72
00:06:00,402 --> 00:06:05,408
So K2 is our mountain.
73
00:06:08,658 --> 00:06:10,417
Everything is raw.
74
00:06:10,418 --> 00:06:11,761
It's glaciers.
75
00:06:11,762 --> 00:06:14,353
It's black mountains.
76
00:06:14,354 --> 00:06:16,881
It fills you with respect.
77
00:06:16,882 --> 00:06:20,989
K2 is absolutely the king.
78
00:06:24,274 --> 00:06:28,816
The higher it gets,
the more interesting it gets.
79
00:06:28,817 --> 00:06:33,616
So when it comes to climbing
8,000-meter peaks,
80
00:06:33,617 --> 00:06:34,959
you want to do it,
81
00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,287
but at the same time,
you have this fear.
82
00:06:38,288 --> 00:06:39,728
This is serious.
83
00:06:39,729 --> 00:06:41,208
This is for real.
84
00:06:42,288 --> 00:06:45,997
If you make one step wrong,
you're history.
85
00:06:53,264 --> 00:06:55,566
Finally here.
Such a relief.
86
00:06:55,567 --> 00:06:57,519
Fantastic job.
87
00:06:57,520 --> 00:06:59,150
Good job.
88
00:06:59,151 --> 00:07:01,230
Let's get the tents up,
the stoves going,
89
00:07:01,231 --> 00:07:02,990
and prepare for tonight.
90
00:07:02,991 --> 00:07:04,206
Good?
91
00:07:04,207 --> 00:07:05,447
Yes.
92
00:07:06,703 --> 00:07:08,942
For three months,
we were on this expedition,
93
00:07:08,943 --> 00:07:12,941
so when we reached Camp Four,
it was already a magic moment.
94
00:07:12,942 --> 00:07:16,082
The whole Earth is beside you.
95
00:07:17,294 --> 00:07:18,925
And then you look behind you.
96
00:07:18,926 --> 00:07:20,735
You see another mountain.
97
00:07:22,318 --> 00:07:24,457
And that's K2.
It's a mountain on a mountain.
98
00:07:25,325 --> 00:07:27,085
Ger was coming.
I was filming.
99
00:07:27,086 --> 00:07:29,772
I was asking Ger,
"How are you feeling?"
100
00:07:29,773 --> 00:07:31,650
And, you know,
he was almost crying.
101
00:07:32,557 --> 00:07:35,788
Ah, so happy to be here,
102
00:07:35,789 --> 00:07:38,412
I could almost cry.
103
00:07:38,413 --> 00:07:42,124
'06, we failed to get here.
104
00:07:42,125 --> 00:07:43,628
Here we are now,
105
00:07:43,629 --> 00:07:46,187
and it's wonderful.
106
00:07:46,188 --> 00:07:48,267
You could hear his voice, you know.
107
00:07:48,268 --> 00:07:50,379
"It's something what we
already achieved," you know?
108
00:07:50,380 --> 00:07:51,692
"It's already something."
109
00:07:51,693 --> 00:07:53,195
That's what he said.
110
00:08:04,843 --> 00:08:06,443
We had a brilliant night.
111
00:08:06,444 --> 00:08:07,530
There were no clouds.
112
00:08:07,531 --> 00:08:09,067
There was nothing.
113
00:08:12,235 --> 00:08:13,942
And then we went to the summit.
114
00:08:30,442 --> 00:08:31,721
- Are you afraid?
- No.
115
00:08:31,722 --> 00:08:32,681
- No?
- I am.
116
00:08:32,682 --> 00:08:34,559
- No.
- I'm scared to death.
117
00:08:38,762 --> 00:08:42,952
It felt, overall, like...
like this was our day.
118
00:08:42,953 --> 00:08:47,080
So we moved up
along the slopes above Four.
119
00:08:47,081 --> 00:08:49,160
Fred and I started out
a little more slowly.
120
00:08:49,161 --> 00:08:53,439
Both of us felt really strong,
very positive.
121
00:08:54,408 --> 00:08:55,688
There were perfect conditions.
122
00:08:55,689 --> 00:08:59,623
I mean, we're talking about
a day in a million.
123
00:08:59,624 --> 00:09:03,559
There wasn't a day like this
that I can remember,
124
00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,097
because it was warm.
125
00:09:08,264 --> 00:09:12,679
Starting to get light enough
to see the route up ahead.
126
00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:14,023
And I'm looking up,
127
00:09:14,024 --> 00:09:16,455
seeing a tightly spaced group
of climbers
128
00:09:16,456 --> 00:09:19,062
moving extremely slowly.
129
00:09:20,968 --> 00:09:22,208
They're not moving.
130
00:09:23,111 --> 00:09:24,920
What are they doing?
131
00:09:25,895 --> 00:09:30,401
We are way back in time.
132
00:09:32,775 --> 00:09:34,917
We are really late.
133
00:09:34,918 --> 00:09:37,509
I don't know what the fuck
we're gonna do.
134
00:09:37,510 --> 00:09:39,333
Very disappointing.
135
00:09:39,334 --> 00:09:42,629
I was so devastated.
136
00:09:42,630 --> 00:09:45,797
You put in so much effort
for months,
137
00:09:45,798 --> 00:09:49,797
and then you just realize
that there is no way
138
00:09:49,798 --> 00:09:51,940
that we're gonna be able
to summit
139
00:09:51,941 --> 00:09:54,888
and come back down in daylight.
140
00:09:56,517 --> 00:09:57,604
We just went down.
141
00:09:57,605 --> 00:09:59,380
It was simple as that.
142
00:10:05,157 --> 00:10:08,483
Everybody thinks that
coming down is the easy bit.
143
00:10:08,484 --> 00:10:10,276
It makes sense,
144
00:10:10,277 --> 00:10:13,315
but don't believe it
for one minute.
145
00:10:18,884 --> 00:10:22,147
I went up in '54 for my country,
146
00:10:22,148 --> 00:10:23,354
for Italy.
147
00:10:24,451 --> 00:10:27,618
At the time,
it seems like suicide.
148
00:10:27,619 --> 00:10:31,650
No one knew what would happen
to a human body or mind
149
00:10:31,651 --> 00:10:33,858
at that altitude.
150
00:10:35,619 --> 00:10:38,529
They tested us
in a ridiculous manner
151
00:10:38,530 --> 00:10:40,289
for months.
152
00:10:40,290 --> 00:10:41,291
I didn't care.
153
00:10:43,042 --> 00:10:46,625
Of the 11 climbers
chosen for the K2 expedition,
154
00:10:46,626 --> 00:10:50,631
I, Walter Bonatti,
was the youngest.
155
00:10:53,218 --> 00:10:55,789
I should have died on K2.
156
00:10:57,314 --> 00:11:00,193
But the thing that was
to affect me most profoundly
157
00:11:00,194 --> 00:11:02,140
was after the climb.
158
00:11:04,130 --> 00:11:06,269
It was the story.
159
00:11:20,224 --> 00:11:22,207
Many of the other climbers
there had been on Everest
160
00:11:22,208 --> 00:11:25,631
or other...
other 8,000-ers before K2.
161
00:11:25,632 --> 00:11:29,599
I hadn't been higher than 6,200.
162
00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,810
I just wanted to come along
to see how high I could get.
163
00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,214
When we finally got
to the bottleneck,
164
00:11:37,215 --> 00:11:40,059
there's actually a-
a traffic jam.
165
00:11:57,726 --> 00:12:00,509
The serac was the main danger.
166
00:12:00,510 --> 00:12:03,901
It's probably
almost 100 meters high,
167
00:12:03,902 --> 00:12:06,396
slightly overhanging.
168
00:12:06,397 --> 00:12:08,070
And it could crack any time.
169
00:12:12,253 --> 00:12:16,988
This very, very delicate place
170
00:12:16,989 --> 00:12:18,492
is notorious.
171
00:12:18,493 --> 00:12:20,635
Ice can drop at any time.
172
00:12:20,636 --> 00:12:21,947
It's a Russian roulette.
173
00:12:21,948 --> 00:12:23,723
That's what it is.
174
00:12:25,084 --> 00:12:27,900
The main tactic to avoid
the dangers of the serac
175
00:12:27,901 --> 00:12:29,468
is to be fast,
176
00:12:29,469 --> 00:12:32,667
to minimize the time
when you're exposed to it.
177
00:12:32,668 --> 00:12:35,740
It was not with a good feeling,
waiting there.
178
00:12:37,276 --> 00:12:41,050
We had a lot of respect
for the serac, yeah.
179
00:12:41,051 --> 00:12:44,026
We knew that that was a...
180
00:12:44,027 --> 00:12:47,065
A little monster up there.
181
00:12:54,619 --> 00:12:59,129
I put the ice screws in...
182
00:12:59,130 --> 00:13:01,017
You've got a lot of people
coming behind
183
00:13:01,018 --> 00:13:04,857
with all the weight
that's on the rope,
184
00:13:04,858 --> 00:13:07,705
that's pulling on the screws.
185
00:13:07,706 --> 00:13:09,879
Well, that was a worry.
186
00:13:11,482 --> 00:13:16,505
Above 8,000,
you can only trust yourself.
187
00:13:16,506 --> 00:13:17,913
We wanted to traverse
out to the right
188
00:13:17,914 --> 00:13:21,528
to have a rest
outside of the fixed ropes.
189
00:13:21,529 --> 00:13:24,536
It's exhausting
to be in a queue to wait.
190
00:13:24,537 --> 00:13:26,448
You can't climb
in your own pace.
191
00:13:27,545 --> 00:13:29,751
Several others
also wanted to wait there
192
00:13:29,752 --> 00:13:31,959
until people had passed.
193
00:13:35,608 --> 00:13:37,239
The bigger the chain,
194
00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,095
the bigger the chance
195
00:13:39,096 --> 00:13:41,431
that there is somebody
in this chain
196
00:13:41,432 --> 00:13:44,345
who is, you know,
making a mistake.
197
00:13:46,616 --> 00:13:50,359
Dren, he unclipped his rope
and tried to pass me.
198
00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:52,995
Aah!
199
00:14:12,342 --> 00:14:14,037
We were all shocked
when he fell,
200
00:14:14,038 --> 00:14:16,757
but when he stopped,
he stood up and waved.
201
00:14:16,758 --> 00:14:18,389
So we thought he was fine.
202
00:14:18,390 --> 00:14:19,861
He's standing up.
203
00:14:19,862 --> 00:14:20,885
He's okay.
204
00:14:20,886 --> 00:14:23,189
But then we saw him
falling again
205
00:14:23,190 --> 00:14:27,366
and sliding further down.
206
00:14:28,277 --> 00:14:29,972
Yeah, right there at the edge.
207
00:14:29,973 --> 00:14:30,973
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
208
00:14:32,053 --> 00:14:35,092
- What's happening?
- What do you see?
209
00:14:35,093 --> 00:14:37,812
Yeah, Chhiring,
this is Eric, Camp Four, over.
210
00:14:37,813 --> 00:14:40,468
I picked up my camera,
and I zoomed in,
211
00:14:40,469 --> 00:14:42,710
trying to find him, locate him.
212
00:14:44,565 --> 00:14:47,923
How can someone fall
at this perfect day?
213
00:14:47,924 --> 00:14:49,459
No wind. It's bright.
214
00:14:49,460 --> 00:14:51,123
It's great.
215
00:14:51,124 --> 00:14:53,171
How is it possible?
216
00:14:53,172 --> 00:14:55,315
Chhiring, I understood
217
00:14:55,316 --> 00:14:57,939
that you and Pemba are climbing.
218
00:14:57,940 --> 00:15:00,850
Are you in the lead,
and has there been an accident?
219
00:15:00,851 --> 00:15:01,970
Over.
220
00:15:01,971 --> 00:15:04,274
Is he in the rock?
221
00:15:04,275 --> 00:15:06,706
He's here.
222
00:15:06,707 --> 00:15:07,986
There is the rock.
223
00:15:07,987 --> 00:15:08,946
- Yeah.
- Down.
224
00:15:08,947 --> 00:15:10,002
- Yeah.
- Down this.
225
00:15:10,003 --> 00:15:12,402
- Yeah.
- Chhiring says he's moving.
226
00:15:12,403 --> 00:15:13,714
Wow.
227
00:15:13,715 --> 00:15:16,146
He's still alive.
228
00:15:16,147 --> 00:15:17,617
We have to do something.
229
00:15:17,618 --> 00:15:19,153
Is everybody coming down?
230
00:15:19,154 --> 00:15:21,681
Ask the question.
231
00:15:21,682 --> 00:15:23,345
Chhiring, do you know if...
if everyone
232
00:15:23,346 --> 00:15:24,881
is coming down at this point?
233
00:15:24,882 --> 00:15:26,327
Over.
234
00:15:31,794 --> 00:15:34,288
Of course, we had a discussion.
235
00:15:34,289 --> 00:15:38,096
Should we turn around,
you know, to try to help?
236
00:15:38,097 --> 00:15:39,952
We talked about it,
and then we said,
237
00:15:39,953 --> 00:15:42,256
"Listen. The Serbian guys are going down."
238
00:15:42,257 --> 00:15:44,048
"We know the Americans
are there, you know."
239
00:15:44,049 --> 00:15:46,757
"I think it doesn't make sense,
you know, to go down."
240
00:15:50,033 --> 00:15:53,520
There is a not big conversation
241
00:15:53,521 --> 00:15:56,832
each other about the accident.
242
00:16:02,416 --> 00:16:04,239
After three, four minutes,
243
00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,242
they start climbing again.
244
00:16:14,254 --> 00:16:15,694
I was like,
"I'm gonna save this guy."
245
00:16:15,695 --> 00:16:16,782
"I'm gonna save him."
246
00:16:16,783 --> 00:16:18,254
"There's no way he's gonna die,"
247
00:16:18,255 --> 00:16:20,942
"not this day, no way."
248
00:16:20,943 --> 00:16:22,702
"It's not gonna happen."
249
00:16:22,703 --> 00:16:25,149
I just shoot up.
250
00:16:30,894 --> 00:16:33,902
He hit on the rock,
lose control,
251
00:16:33,903 --> 00:16:36,205
keep falling
for 200 more meters,
252
00:16:36,206 --> 00:16:37,197
and stopped.
253
00:16:37,198 --> 00:16:39,693
And then I started coming down.
254
00:16:39,694 --> 00:16:41,197
There were maybe two guys
below me,
255
00:16:41,198 --> 00:16:45,869
so I came down pretty fast,
maybe 'IO minutes.
256
00:16:45,870 --> 00:16:48,364
He was wrapped in rope
257
00:16:48,365 --> 00:16:51,372
and just giving no signs
of life.
258
00:16:51,373 --> 00:16:56,716
Already very pale and gray,
259
00:16:56,717 --> 00:17:01,068
cuts on the head,
black nose, broken,
260
00:17:01,069 --> 00:17:02,188
blood from mouth.
261
00:17:02,189 --> 00:17:03,725
- Finish.
- Totally finished, almost.
262
00:17:16,043 --> 00:17:17,739
If I knew that Dren was dead,
263
00:17:17,740 --> 00:17:19,151
I would not have gone up.
264
00:17:24,268 --> 00:17:25,802
The Serbians,
they want to take him
265
00:17:25,803 --> 00:17:27,242
down to base camp.
266
00:17:27,243 --> 00:17:29,450
I said that that's impossible.
267
00:17:29,451 --> 00:17:31,178
"What we can do is that we can"
268
00:17:31,179 --> 00:17:33,354
"at least bring him
down to Camp Four"
269
00:17:33,355 --> 00:17:35,767
"and give him
a proper burial there."
270
00:17:36,906 --> 00:17:39,305
Honestly, what's the point
of lowering a body
271
00:17:39,306 --> 00:17:42,753
from 8,150 meters to 7,800?
272
00:17:46,153 --> 00:17:49,449
8,000 meter,
you're in the death zone.
273
00:17:49,450 --> 00:17:51,657
Every step is a burden.
274
00:17:51,658 --> 00:17:55,464
But when you have a dead body,
it's a hell of a load.
275
00:17:55,465 --> 00:17:57,865
Okay, we have to go down
like this, guys.
276
00:17:57,866 --> 00:17:59,272
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Whoop.
277
00:17:59,273 --> 00:18:01,257
You have to stay not so close.
278
00:18:01,258 --> 00:18:02,280
Yes.
279
00:18:02,281 --> 00:18:04,680
If you do fall,
you release, okay?
280
00:18:04,681 --> 00:18:07,879
It's-it's-it's-
it's our lives too, okay?
281
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:09,288
- Yeah, yeah.
- Remember.
282
00:18:09,289 --> 00:18:11,623
Jehan Baig, from Pakistan,
283
00:18:11,624 --> 00:18:14,537
suddenly started acting
really weird.
284
00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:19,207
He's coming down
on my right side,
285
00:18:19,208 --> 00:18:20,551
holding onto the rope,
286
00:18:20,552 --> 00:18:23,111
which goes around my lower legs,
287
00:18:23,112 --> 00:18:24,198
and we are crying out...
288
00:18:24,199 --> 00:18:25,831
Release the rope!
289
00:18:25,832 --> 00:18:27,243
Release the rope!
290
00:18:33,095 --> 00:18:36,838
He did not make one single move
to stop his fall.
291
00:18:36,839 --> 00:18:38,566
Jesus Christ.
292
00:18:38,567 --> 00:18:40,486
Instead, he just let go,
293
00:18:40,487 --> 00:18:42,502
and he shoots off like a rocket
294
00:18:42,503 --> 00:18:44,230
straight out to the open air
295
00:18:44,231 --> 00:18:46,802
and just disappears.
296
00:18:54,982 --> 00:18:56,965
Oh, K2,
297
00:18:56,966 --> 00:18:59,972
it was full of surprises.
298
00:18:59,973 --> 00:19:03,716
The conquest in '54
was much more complicated
299
00:19:03,717 --> 00:19:06,852
than we
could ever have imagined.
300
00:19:06,853 --> 00:19:09,956
But believe me,
we came prepared.
301
00:19:09,957 --> 00:19:12,484
We were 11 climbers.
302
00:19:12,485 --> 00:19:17,251
With us, 13 Hunzas
and a battalion of Balti,
303
00:19:17,252 --> 00:19:20,516
the humble,
extraordinary local porters.
304
00:19:20,517 --> 00:19:22,819
After endless months
of preparation,
305
00:19:22,820 --> 00:19:26,947
it began with a fantastic march
to the foot of the peak
306
00:19:26,948 --> 00:19:29,622
through an exotic,
timeless landscape.
307
00:19:39,683 --> 00:19:44,450
We laid siege to the mountain
for two grueling months.
308
00:19:44,451 --> 00:19:46,082
We established base camp
309
00:19:46,083 --> 00:19:48,290
and then started building camps
310
00:19:48,291 --> 00:19:50,434
all the way up the mountain,
311
00:19:50,435 --> 00:19:54,241
acclimatizing our bodies
to the altitude,
312
00:19:54,242 --> 00:19:56,450
the unknown,
313
00:19:56,451 --> 00:19:59,074
preparing ourselves
for the summit attempt-
314
00:19:59,075 --> 00:20:01,783
anything to help us survive.
315
00:20:13,345 --> 00:20:17,152
In memory of Art Gilkey,
Dudley Wolfe, Pasang Kitar.
316
00:20:17,153 --> 00:20:20,384
1954. Unbelievable.
317
00:20:20,385 --> 00:20:22,400
'94.
318
00:20:22,401 --> 00:20:23,552
There are many people
319
00:20:23,553 --> 00:20:25,344
who just died on their way down
from the summit.
320
00:20:25,345 --> 00:20:26,304
Yeah.
321
00:20:26,305 --> 00:20:28,928
Dying on... died on descent.
322
00:20:28,929 --> 00:20:31,679
Almost on everyone
you can read it,
323
00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:32,639
"Died on descent."
324
00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,079
Yeah.
325
00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:35,821
Here's the original cross.
326
00:20:55,711 --> 00:20:57,950
Everybody saying,
all Western people,
327
00:20:57,951 --> 00:21:00,669
even our Sherpa community,
328
00:21:00,670 --> 00:21:03,293
they say to me,
"Why are you going on K2?"
329
00:21:03,294 --> 00:21:06,301
"Because it is too dangerous"
330
00:21:06,302 --> 00:21:10,653
"and the accident rate
is too high."
331
00:21:10,654 --> 00:21:12,361
"Why you are going there?"
332
00:21:25,629 --> 00:21:27,612
If you climb on K2,
you have to trust each other.
333
00:21:27,613 --> 00:21:29,244
Fully for 200%.
334
00:21:29,245 --> 00:21:30,492
Gerard said, "Hey, listen."
335
00:21:30,493 --> 00:21:33,692
"It would be lovely
if I can bring Pemba."
336
00:21:33,693 --> 00:21:35,708
And Pemba is a Sherpa,
337
00:21:35,709 --> 00:21:37,819
but a lot of people
are thinking about a Sherpa
338
00:21:37,820 --> 00:21:40,187
that he's just an ordinary guy
339
00:21:40,188 --> 00:21:42,715
who is bringing up stuff
up the mountain.
340
00:21:42,716 --> 00:21:46,139
But Pemba was a really...
341
00:21:46,140 --> 00:21:47,675
a different guy, you know?
342
00:21:47,676 --> 00:21:49,915
He was a professional climber
like we were.
343
00:21:49,916 --> 00:21:51,546
You had a good trip, Pemba?
344
00:21:51,547 --> 00:21:53,051
Yeah, yeah.
345
00:21:53,052 --> 00:21:54,426
- Fantastic.
- What's your question?
346
00:21:54,427 --> 00:21:56,346
Do we have
boil-in-the-bag rice?
347
00:21:56,347 --> 00:21:57,818
Take care of it.
348
00:21:57,819 --> 00:21:59,226
You know, yeah,
it's the one thing
349
00:21:59,227 --> 00:22:00,954
that I'm concerned about
is that Pemba
350
00:22:00,955 --> 00:22:02,992
mightn't be too used
to freeze-dried food.
351
00:22:04,219 --> 00:22:06,266
Oh, no, but we have
the original rice too.
352
00:22:06,267 --> 00:22:07,513
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
353
00:22:07,514 --> 00:22:08,890
Action.
354
00:22:08,891 --> 00:22:09,914
Hey.
355
00:22:09,915 --> 00:22:12,313
I found a good companion
in Gerard.
356
00:22:12,314 --> 00:22:15,865
He was a climber who had
the same ambitions as me.
357
00:22:15,866 --> 00:22:17,433
Then you are pushing the limits,
358
00:22:17,434 --> 00:22:19,385
you know, higher and, yeah,
359
00:22:19,386 --> 00:22:22,553
and then it ends up
in the Himalaya.
360
00:22:22,554 --> 00:22:23,576
Whoa!
361
00:22:23,577 --> 00:22:24,921
- Hey.
- Whoo!
362
00:22:24,922 --> 00:22:26,595
Hey!
363
00:22:29,082 --> 00:22:31,033
Ger was a very qualified climber,
364
00:22:31,034 --> 00:22:32,505
and next to that,
365
00:22:32,506 --> 00:22:34,296
he is a very social boy,
366
00:22:34,297 --> 00:22:38,336
more-more social
then the average climber.
367
00:22:45,368 --> 00:22:48,120
The most important thing
for all of these expeditions
368
00:22:48,121 --> 00:22:49,944
is to have a good time
369
00:22:49,945 --> 00:22:51,925
and have a good laugh
with your friends.
370
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:55,840
Thank you.
371
00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,119
There's two people
I've met in my life
372
00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:01,495
who could walk in a room
373
00:23:01,496 --> 00:23:04,662
and fundamentally change
the energy in a room,
374
00:23:04,663 --> 00:23:06,643
and Ger McDonnell
was one of them.
375
00:23:09,303 --> 00:23:13,142
He did lots of things,
and he did it 150%,
376
00:23:13,143 --> 00:23:14,884
anything he chose to do.
377
00:23:21,334 --> 00:23:24,277
I had my sights set
on climbing Denali,
378
00:23:24,278 --> 00:23:26,485
and Denali
is the tallest mountain
379
00:23:26,486 --> 00:23:28,021
in North America.
380
00:23:28,022 --> 00:23:32,971
I was curious how I would react
to the altitude.
381
00:23:37,590 --> 00:23:39,934
Me and Mike up at top.
382
00:23:44,533 --> 00:23:45,978
Minus 20.
383
00:23:47,061 --> 00:23:48,276
Denali had
384
00:23:48,277 --> 00:23:53,351
that kind of certain mystic,
magical power over Ger.
385
00:23:56,148 --> 00:23:58,675
That was the start of the-
the big boys,
386
00:23:58,676 --> 00:23:59,711
the big climbs.
387
00:24:03,124 --> 00:24:06,419
2003, I was the expedition leader
388
00:24:06,420 --> 00:24:08,275
on Mount Everest.
389
00:24:08,276 --> 00:24:09,311
We had a small team.
390
00:24:10,291 --> 00:24:11,506
Ger, he had a huge passion,
391
00:24:11,507 --> 00:24:12,787
and he burst full of energy.
392
00:24:12,788 --> 00:24:14,003
Ireland!
393
00:24:14,004 --> 00:24:15,475
My Ireland.
394
00:24:15,476 --> 00:24:18,898
He knew how dangerous,
actually, mountaineering was.
395
00:24:18,899 --> 00:24:20,722
He knew over 8,000 meters,
396
00:24:20,723 --> 00:24:22,738
it's not called "death zone"
for nothing.
397
00:24:22,739 --> 00:24:25,554
Every blood cell in your body
is being deprived of oxygen,
398
00:24:25,555 --> 00:24:27,730
which numbs your brain cells.
399
00:24:27,731 --> 00:24:30,578
Making logical decisions
become harder.
400
00:24:30,579 --> 00:24:33,393
The longer that you're
up at high altitude,
401
00:24:33,394 --> 00:24:35,697
the more prone you are
to your whole body
402
00:24:35,698 --> 00:24:37,458
disintegrating from inside.
403
00:24:37,459 --> 00:24:38,577
It creates mucus.
404
00:24:38,578 --> 00:24:39,953
It creates fluids.
405
00:24:39,954 --> 00:24:43,024
It actually starts to swell
the brain, the lungs,
406
00:24:43,025 --> 00:24:45,198
till, eventually,
you won't survive.
407
00:24:47,346 --> 00:24:49,744
Within high-altitude
mountaineering,
408
00:24:49,745 --> 00:24:51,760
there is an unwritten code.
409
00:24:51,761 --> 00:24:54,160
If it's a case
that someone is dying,
410
00:24:54,161 --> 00:24:56,944
and you know you're gonna put
your own life at risk,
411
00:24:56,945 --> 00:24:57,980
you should leave them.
412
00:25:00,048 --> 00:25:02,735
This 8,000-meter stuff
was alien to me at this point,
413
00:25:02,736 --> 00:25:05,114
so I was just following
direction, you know.
414
00:25:07,376 --> 00:25:09,584
Descending, Pat was in a bad way
415
00:25:09,585 --> 00:25:12,624
and seemed to be moving
exceptionally slowly
416
00:25:12,625 --> 00:25:14,351
and stopping to rest.
417
00:25:14,352 --> 00:25:18,095
And when I saw the look
on Pat's face...
418
00:25:21,775 --> 00:25:24,483
ah, shit.
419
00:25:25,679 --> 00:25:27,246
I was getting pulmonary edema,
420
00:25:27,247 --> 00:25:29,774
cerebral edema, thrombosis.
421
00:25:29,775 --> 00:25:33,018
I was being deprived of oxygen,
and I started to die.
422
00:25:34,127 --> 00:25:37,006
There was... there was no energy there.
423
00:25:37,007 --> 00:25:41,581
And more than a lack of energy,
there's...
424
00:25:41,582 --> 00:25:43,405
actually, I think
there was an awareness
425
00:25:43,406 --> 00:25:44,910
of a lack of energy,
426
00:25:44,911 --> 00:25:47,117
and I think there was
also a knowledge
427
00:25:47,118 --> 00:25:49,805
that he knew that himself
that he was in trouble.
428
00:25:49,806 --> 00:25:53,037
Pemba Gyalje
and, in particular, Ger
429
00:25:53,038 --> 00:25:56,076
were the people
that were encouraging me down.
430
00:25:56,077 --> 00:25:58,189
Yay!
431
00:25:58,190 --> 00:26:01,132
If my team members
hadn't helped on that day,
432
00:26:01,133 --> 00:26:03,501
I may very well myself
433
00:26:03,502 --> 00:26:07,500
be encrusted onto the rocks
of Mount Everest for eternity,
434
00:26:07,501 --> 00:26:10,345
never to come back home
to see my family.
435
00:26:14,861 --> 00:26:16,651
They say
that the most important thing
436
00:26:16,652 --> 00:26:17,740
when you go climbing
437
00:26:17,741 --> 00:26:20,619
will be to select
a good climbing partner
438
00:26:20,620 --> 00:26:22,699
or somebody
that you're compatible with.
439
00:26:22,700 --> 00:26:26,170
I've been... I've been lucky,
you know, really.
440
00:26:29,323 --> 00:26:31,627
There's Speedy Gonzales,
441
00:26:31,628 --> 00:26:34,302
Mr. Pemba Gyalje.
442
00:26:36,107 --> 00:26:40,714
Pemba was the one person
Ger wanted to climb K2 with,
443
00:26:40,715 --> 00:26:43,850
and they talked about it
for years and years.
444
00:26:43,851 --> 00:26:46,314
He loved mountaineering.
He knew he could do it.
445
00:26:46,315 --> 00:26:48,425
He loved that mountain.
446
00:26:48,426 --> 00:26:50,770
Ger wanted to climb K2.
447
00:26:54,794 --> 00:26:55,794
Is he in the rock?
448
00:26:56,938 --> 00:26:58,569
Chhiring,
do you know if everyone
449
00:26:58,570 --> 00:27:00,137
is coming down at this point?
450
00:27:00,138 --> 00:27:01,705
Over.
451
00:27:01,706 --> 00:27:04,617
When the accident happened,
Gerard was also asking,
452
00:27:04,618 --> 00:27:07,497
"Do we have time enough
to reach the summit, huh?"
453
00:27:07,498 --> 00:27:08,904
"Aren't we too late?"
454
00:27:08,905 --> 00:27:10,152
And Pemba said, "No, no."
455
00:27:10,153 --> 00:27:11,912
"We can just reach the summit."
456
00:27:11,913 --> 00:27:13,384
"There is time enough."
457
00:27:13,385 --> 00:27:14,472
And then we said, "Okay."
458
00:27:14,473 --> 00:27:17,000
"Then this is the decision,
to move on."
459
00:27:17,001 --> 00:27:19,572
So we just moved on.
460
00:27:34,824 --> 00:27:37,382
We had a big Korean team ahead.
461
00:27:37,383 --> 00:27:39,079
Then you have
your Norwegian guys,
462
00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:40,039
then us in the middle,
463
00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,567
with the Spanish guy in front.
464
00:27:42,568 --> 00:27:44,614
I carried on climbing.
465
00:27:44,615 --> 00:27:47,686
I didn't wait.
466
00:27:47,687 --> 00:27:52,102
I didn't see anyone else
until I was going down.
467
00:27:58,279 --> 00:28:00,198
We were climbing,
climbing, climbing,
468
00:28:00,199 --> 00:28:02,405
and then you see the first guys
reaching the summit,
469
00:28:02,406 --> 00:28:03,365
and then you think,
470
00:28:03,366 --> 00:28:04,645
"Please let it be the end,"
471
00:28:04,646 --> 00:28:07,461
you know, because you
are really, completely,
472
00:28:07,462 --> 00:28:08,805
you know, exhausted.
473
00:28:12,966 --> 00:28:14,757
At the last moments,
474
00:28:14,758 --> 00:28:19,012
you really live it fully.
475
00:28:19,013 --> 00:28:21,092
I knew the summit
was waiting for me.
476
00:28:21,093 --> 00:28:22,128
I had won it.
477
00:28:27,141 --> 00:28:29,553
Alberto
was kind of a mythic figure.
478
00:28:30,501 --> 00:28:33,252
So I didn't see Alberto
close up at all
479
00:28:33,253 --> 00:28:36,995
until I met him
when he was on his way down.
480
00:28:36,996 --> 00:28:39,811
And then I asked him
how far it was.
481
00:28:39,812 --> 00:28:43,316
And he said, "Yeah,
a little less than an hour."
482
00:29:04,290 --> 00:29:06,690
One moment, you realize
that it is in your reach.
483
00:29:06,691 --> 00:29:08,706
You're going to feel
that you're going to make it.
484
00:29:08,707 --> 00:29:10,434
It's only a matter of time
485
00:29:10,435 --> 00:29:12,745
to keep on going
to reach the summit.
486
00:29:35,489 --> 00:29:37,332
Yeah!
487
00:29:40,929 --> 00:29:44,536
Gerard, Gus, Pemba...
488
00:29:45,472 --> 00:29:46,943
Over.
489
00:29:46,944 --> 00:29:48,223
We're on the summit of K2!
490
00:29:48,224 --> 00:29:49,279
Whoo-hoo!
491
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,935
Yo, yo, yo.
492
00:29:51,936 --> 00:29:57,119
The light was exceptional,
brilliant, you know.
493
00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,095
We're at the end of the Earth,
494
00:30:00,096 --> 00:30:02,042
Heaven almost.
495
00:30:05,855 --> 00:30:07,774
You're thinking, you know,
"This is it," you know?
496
00:30:07,775 --> 00:30:10,255
"It's over. We've done it."
497
00:30:21,406 --> 00:30:23,869
It is definitely a place
of extremes,
498
00:30:23,870 --> 00:30:28,319
but with those extremes
comes extreme beauty.
499
00:30:30,814 --> 00:30:33,181
In many ways,
those very extremes,
500
00:30:33,182 --> 00:30:34,855
they're addictive.
501
00:30:42,493 --> 00:30:43,740
We were all very strong.
502
00:30:43,741 --> 00:30:45,852
We were normal talking.
503
00:30:45,853 --> 00:30:47,996
We didn't have problems
with the altitude.
504
00:30:47,997 --> 00:30:49,787
We were feeling very good.
505
00:30:49,788 --> 00:30:52,155
We were having good moment
on the summit,
506
00:30:52,156 --> 00:30:54,171
and now we are going down.
507
00:30:54,172 --> 00:30:55,355
Marco was coming up.
508
00:30:55,356 --> 00:30:57,019
He said, "Somebody
has to take pictures of me."
509
00:30:57,020 --> 00:30:58,555
So I said, "Yeah, yeah,
go up, up."
510
00:30:58,556 --> 00:31:00,092
"Quickly. Quickly."
511
00:31:04,156 --> 00:31:05,467
It was still clear.
512
00:31:05,468 --> 00:31:06,779
It wasn't dark yet.
513
00:31:06,780 --> 00:31:10,887
But the sun was going down.
514
00:31:14,203 --> 00:31:15,258
Then you realize,
515
00:31:15,259 --> 00:31:18,074
"Fuck, we have to go down,"
you know?"
516
00:31:18,075 --> 00:31:20,749
Now the surviving starts.
517
00:31:38,138 --> 00:31:40,025
President McAleese
has said her thoughts
518
00:31:40,026 --> 00:31:42,457
are with the family
of a County Limerick man
519
00:31:42,458 --> 00:31:43,736
who is among nine climbers
520
00:31:43,737 --> 00:31:45,337
missing and feared dead
in the Himalayas.
521
00:31:45,338 --> 00:31:47,992
Icefall on the world's
second highest peak
522
00:31:47,993 --> 00:31:51,160
that may have killed
as many as a dozen climbers.
523
00:31:51,161 --> 00:31:52,600
With as many as a dozen
of them were caught out
524
00:31:52,601 --> 00:31:54,135
in a collapse of an foe ledge
525
00:31:54,136 --> 00:31:55,351
just beneath the summit...
526
00:31:55,352 --> 00:31:57,623
Straddling the border
of Pakistan and China,
527
00:31:57,624 --> 00:32:00,567
K2 is slightly smaller
than Mount Everest,
528
00:32:00,568 --> 00:32:04,215
but its reputation
has always been much larger.
529
00:32:04,216 --> 00:32:06,327
And another Pakistani,
a French national,
530
00:32:06,328 --> 00:32:08,638
and an Austrian are missing.
531
00:32:10,232 --> 00:32:12,535
They summited on the Friday,
Friday the 1st of August.
532
00:32:12,536 --> 00:32:15,191
I mean, come Saturday,
533
00:32:15,192 --> 00:32:17,263
just-the internet
was rife with stories.
534
00:32:20,471 --> 00:32:21,815
You had the Fredrik Strang story
535
00:32:21,816 --> 00:32:23,991
about 'em pulling bodies
off the mountain.
536
00:32:23,992 --> 00:32:27,414
One of the climbers,
an American guy, Nick Rice,
537
00:32:27,415 --> 00:32:29,622
had his blog up on the Sunday,
538
00:32:29,623 --> 00:32:31,221
and he said that Ger
539
00:32:31,222 --> 00:32:33,397
refused to come down
the mountain.
540
00:32:33,398 --> 00:32:36,085
I mean, he said, "Refused
to come down the mountain."
541
00:32:36,086 --> 00:32:38,965
Anyone that knows Ger
knew what Ger was about.
542
00:32:38,966 --> 00:32:42,357
Something wasn't right.
543
00:32:42,358 --> 00:32:45,620
Someone might throw
some comment out on their blog
544
00:32:45,621 --> 00:32:47,477
about what they think
might be happening
545
00:32:47,478 --> 00:32:50,101
or, you know,
some rumor they heard
546
00:32:50,102 --> 00:32:51,765
and not realizing, like,
547
00:32:51,766 --> 00:32:56,820
"Hey, we are waiting
for our loved ones."
548
00:32:56,821 --> 00:32:59,092
We're hanging
on every single word
549
00:32:59,093 --> 00:33:01,204
and even how it's written
550
00:33:01,205 --> 00:33:05,119
to get some kind of clue
of what was going on.
551
00:33:10,548 --> 00:33:13,267
Those guys
are making big stories,
552
00:33:13,268 --> 00:33:15,443
even when the tragedy
is still going on,
553
00:33:15,444 --> 00:33:16,723
actually, on the mountain.
554
00:33:16,724 --> 00:33:19,379
So coming down,
you're a bit clumsy.
555
00:33:19,380 --> 00:33:21,203
It's... it's not a matter of...
556
00:33:21,204 --> 00:33:22,867
It's always the same.
557
00:33:22,868 --> 00:33:24,905
The real heroes, you don't hear.
558
00:33:28,244 --> 00:33:29,938
The stupid thing is,
559
00:33:29,939 --> 00:33:32,306
if we would have been
successful, which we were,
560
00:33:32,307 --> 00:33:34,386
because we reached the summit,
561
00:33:34,387 --> 00:33:36,562
there was only
such a small piece
562
00:33:36,563 --> 00:33:38,930
in the newspaper, you know?
563
00:33:38,931 --> 00:33:41,905
And now,
because 11 climbers died,
564
00:33:41,906 --> 00:33:43,943
it went all over the world.
565
00:33:45,554 --> 00:33:50,003
Everybody wants to know
how it was possible.
566
00:33:52,114 --> 00:33:53,841
What happened to us
567
00:33:53,842 --> 00:33:58,518
was just a matter of misfortune,
you know?
568
00:34:00,497 --> 00:34:05,606
It was such a successful story
till we went to the summit.
569
00:34:24,784 --> 00:34:27,471
We were the first expedition
on the mountain.
570
00:34:27,472 --> 00:34:28,719
We had a beautiful time,
571
00:34:28,720 --> 00:34:31,151
because everything
was really organized.
572
00:34:31,152 --> 00:34:32,111
We had good food.
573
00:34:32,112 --> 00:34:33,199
We had good cooks.
574
00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,113
Every detail
was planned and organized.
575
00:34:40,304 --> 00:34:44,718
We are a very strong team
compared to other expeditions.
576
00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,789
We were putting
all of our fixed rope-
577
00:34:47,790 --> 00:34:51,054
everything we were doing
by ourself.
578
00:34:51,055 --> 00:34:53,357
Bringing up those ropes
to 8,000 meter,
579
00:34:53,358 --> 00:34:54,829
it's a hell of a job.
580
00:34:54,830 --> 00:34:57,326
The first four till five weeks,
581
00:34:57,327 --> 00:34:59,085
every day fixing the ropes
582
00:34:59,086 --> 00:35:01,965
100 meter by 100 meter
by 100 meter,
583
00:35:01,966 --> 00:35:04,397
and then going back
just by the rope, you know,
584
00:35:04,398 --> 00:35:06,378
going down to the base camp.
585
00:35:08,461 --> 00:35:11,148
Camp Two, base camp. Over.
586
00:35:11,149 --> 00:35:13,420
The snow conditions
and the wind-
587
00:35:13,421 --> 00:35:16,748
Weather conditions-
are also really bad for you.
588
00:35:16,749 --> 00:35:20,108
And maybe ifs a good idea
589
00:35:20,109 --> 00:35:23,051
to postpone the project one day.
590
00:35:23,052 --> 00:35:24,044
Over.
591
00:35:24,045 --> 00:35:26,891
No. Not possible.
592
00:35:26,892 --> 00:35:29,131
We have to be ready in July.
593
00:35:29,132 --> 00:35:31,915
We want to quit this expedition
the end of July,
594
00:35:31,916 --> 00:35:35,295
because most of the accident
happened in August.
595
00:35:36,908 --> 00:35:38,987
The humidity
is getting bigger, you know?
596
00:35:38,988 --> 00:35:41,127
So more avalanche danger.
597
00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:49,482
But we said, "Okay."
598
00:35:49,483 --> 00:35:51,978
"We wants to go the end of July."
599
00:35:51,979 --> 00:35:54,653
That was the plan,
and we were ahead of schedule.
600
00:35:57,962 --> 00:35:59,433
And in that period,
601
00:35:59,434 --> 00:36:02,921
all the other teams
were arriving,
602
00:36:02,922 --> 00:36:04,266
the Koreans...
603
00:36:04,267 --> 00:36:05,769
- Good luck.
- Very, very cold.
604
00:36:06,922 --> 00:36:08,010
The Americans...
605
00:36:08,011 --> 00:36:09,854
- It's the end of a hard day.
- Yeah.
606
00:36:11,370 --> 00:36:13,417
The Serbian guys...
607
00:36:13,418 --> 00:36:15,465
- Peace.
- Resting in peace?
608
00:36:15,466 --> 00:36:16,466
French guys...
609
00:36:18,025 --> 00:36:19,273
Perfect.
610
00:36:19,274 --> 00:36:21,545
And the Norwegian team.
611
00:36:21,546 --> 00:36:23,688
No, unfortunately not.
612
00:36:23,689 --> 00:36:27,144
There's a lot
of different cultures up there,
613
00:36:27,145 --> 00:36:28,968
Sherpas from Nepal,
614
00:36:28,969 --> 00:36:31,944
high-altitude porters
from Pakistan.
615
00:36:31,945 --> 00:36:34,448
There were different approaches
to the climbing.
616
00:36:40,168 --> 00:36:41,543
The South Koreans
617
00:36:41,544 --> 00:36:46,391
are the main big, like,
old-style, big expedition.
618
00:36:47,816 --> 00:36:52,199
Sherpas, oxygen,
a lot of rope, and many camps.
619
00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:54,806
Yeah, beautiful day.
620
00:36:58,343 --> 00:36:59,430
The Norwegian expedition,
621
00:36:59,431 --> 00:37:03,590
we were only four friends
on the trip
622
00:37:03,591 --> 00:37:04,763
trying to climb K2.
623
00:37:07,303 --> 00:37:08,710
Time to break out
the whiskey, so...
624
00:37:08,711 --> 00:37:09,669
Yeah.
625
00:37:09,670 --> 00:37:12,934
Yeah, it's a good idea.
626
00:37:12,935 --> 00:37:13,936
I like whiskey.
627
00:37:14,886 --> 00:37:16,005
Gerard was visiting us a lot,
628
00:37:16,006 --> 00:37:18,565
and we visited them as well.
629
00:37:18,566 --> 00:37:22,053
And-and Ger and Rolf
were friends.
630
00:37:22,054 --> 00:37:25,661
Both were the same kind of guys.
631
00:37:27,141 --> 00:37:29,893
When I met Rolf in 2003,
632
00:37:29,894 --> 00:37:34,741
I felt that I met a soul mate.
633
00:37:36,709 --> 00:37:41,715
In 2005, we went to K2 to try
to get to know the mountain.
634
00:37:43,460 --> 00:37:46,243
We were there for 93 days.
635
00:37:46,244 --> 00:37:49,316
We only got to a little higher
than Camp Three.
636
00:37:50,404 --> 00:37:52,644
So this time,
I don't think we really thought
637
00:37:52,645 --> 00:37:55,091
that we were gonna get
to the summit.
638
00:37:56,388 --> 00:37:58,851
Of course,
you have to want that.
639
00:37:58,852 --> 00:38:01,458
Otherwise, you won't make it.
640
00:38:03,748 --> 00:38:09,096
But it's so much that has to be
right for it to happen.
641
00:38:17,570 --> 00:38:20,322
What went wrong was the weather.
642
00:38:20,323 --> 00:38:23,618
For three weeks, it was snowing,
snowing, snowing.
643
00:38:23,619 --> 00:38:25,345
It was unbelievable.
644
00:38:25,346 --> 00:38:29,026
80% chance of snow today.
645
00:38:29,027 --> 00:38:32,768
Wind 8 kilometers
at 8,000 meters.
646
00:38:32,769 --> 00:38:34,817
He was ready to come home.
647
00:38:34,818 --> 00:38:36,449
He said to me,
648
00:38:36,450 --> 00:38:38,369
"I can't wait
to have a good meal"
649
00:38:38,370 --> 00:38:39,617
"and a glass of red wine."
650
00:38:39,618 --> 00:38:41,312
You know, he just...
he was kind of ready.
651
00:38:41,313 --> 00:38:44,896
It was 60-something days
by that point.
652
00:38:44,897 --> 00:38:47,639
But if you get a weather window,
you take it.
653
00:38:57,856 --> 00:39:01,119
The end of July,
the good weather came in,
654
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:04,831
but then everybody
wants to use this window.
655
00:39:04,832 --> 00:39:06,623
So we says,
"Let's have a talk, you know,"
656
00:39:06,624 --> 00:39:08,863
"and let's try to work together."
657
00:39:08,864 --> 00:39:10,783
300 rope for it to make.
658
00:39:10,784 --> 00:39:12,990
If you want to, more 50.
659
00:39:12,991 --> 00:39:16,438
400 rope, we are fixing.
660
00:39:18,015 --> 00:39:19,774
We take 400 meters.
661
00:39:19,775 --> 00:39:22,398
Then the Italians got 200 meters
662
00:39:22,399 --> 00:39:23,934
for the traverse.
663
00:39:23,935 --> 00:39:26,718
So 600 meters is plenty enough.
664
00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:28,797
Maybe we need more.
665
00:39:28,798 --> 00:39:30,013
We don't need more.
666
00:39:30,014 --> 00:39:32,029
600 meters
is plenty enough, I think.
667
00:39:32,030 --> 00:39:33,565
No, 700 would be better.
668
00:39:33,566 --> 00:39:36,093
700? Okay, Kim says 700.
669
00:39:36,094 --> 00:39:37,789
We had a lot of meetings
670
00:39:37,790 --> 00:39:40,893
because if we are working
together, let's be clear.
671
00:39:40,894 --> 00:39:42,461
We are with a lot of people.
672
00:39:42,462 --> 00:39:44,253
We share all the workloads.
673
00:39:44,254 --> 00:39:46,525
And, you know, 80% chance
674
00:39:46,526 --> 00:39:49,724
that we will get to the summit
without any problem.
675
00:39:49,725 --> 00:39:52,508
First, leading,
second, help them,
676
00:39:52,509 --> 00:39:54,716
third, making the bamboos.
677
00:39:54,717 --> 00:39:55,996
The ice?
678
00:39:55,997 --> 00:39:57,788
- Ice screw.
- Ice crew?
679
00:39:57,789 --> 00:40:01,276
I always saw
the base camp meetings
680
00:40:01,277 --> 00:40:04,571
as a vital key to success.
681
00:40:04,572 --> 00:40:07,803
It was our chance
to get together
682
00:40:07,804 --> 00:40:09,979
and do this as one team.
683
00:40:09,980 --> 00:40:15,099
Not South Koreans, Americans,
Serbians, Dutch-
684
00:40:15,100 --> 00:40:17,243
as one team.
685
00:40:17,244 --> 00:40:19,035
There is only one summit team...
686
00:40:19,036 --> 00:40:19,995
Yeah.
687
00:40:19,996 --> 00:40:21,914
From every group.
688
00:40:21,915 --> 00:40:22,970
The question is also,
689
00:40:22,971 --> 00:40:25,562
who is climbing in front,
you know?
690
00:40:25,563 --> 00:40:26,650
We said, "Listen."
691
00:40:26,651 --> 00:40:30,042
"Every team gives
his strongest climber,"
692
00:40:30,043 --> 00:40:32,250
"and that's
the trail-breaking party."
693
00:40:32,251 --> 00:40:36,314
Two good climbers
and one, two porter...
694
00:40:36,315 --> 00:40:38,841
- Okay.
- Who carry this fixed rope.
695
00:40:38,842 --> 00:40:39,897
Fixed rope.
696
00:40:39,898 --> 00:40:42,361
These teams
start one or two hours
697
00:40:42,362 --> 00:40:45,690
before other member
from Camp Four.
698
00:40:45,691 --> 00:40:47,033
- Okay.
- Got it.
699
00:40:47,034 --> 00:40:48,857
We were thinking,
if the strongest team,
700
00:40:48,858 --> 00:40:50,392
you know, go into this part
701
00:40:50,393 --> 00:40:52,633
and fixing the ropes
through the bottleneck,
702
00:40:52,634 --> 00:40:55,161
we can just follow the ropes
and go to the summit.
703
00:40:55,162 --> 00:40:57,528
So it's very-
it's really safe plan.
704
00:40:57,529 --> 00:41:00,537
I don't know if you're going
with the summit party...
705
00:41:00,538 --> 00:41:02,264
It was obvious for me and Rolf
706
00:41:02,265 --> 00:41:07,319
that this was not gonna be
as smooth as it's planned.
707
00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:08,952
It seemed too easy for us.
708
00:41:08,953 --> 00:41:10,584
- There's nothing to do.
- Yeah, yeah, okay.
709
00:41:10,585 --> 00:41:12,440
600 meters at the peaks.
710
00:41:12,441 --> 00:41:13,591
Yes.
711
00:41:13,592 --> 00:41:15,868
Our team's thereto, uh, more...
712
00:41:17,912 --> 00:41:20,119
If you start
sharing responsibilities
713
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,327
with other people,
714
00:41:22,328 --> 00:41:26,391
I think that in the end,
as humans we relax.
715
00:41:26,392 --> 00:41:30,966
We don't really do
what we should be doing.
716
00:41:30,967 --> 00:41:36,726
And K2 really demands
knowing how to do things,
717
00:41:36,727 --> 00:41:40,698
giving the right answer,
having an answer for everything.
718
00:41:45,718 --> 00:41:46,870
In a perfect world,
719
00:41:46,871 --> 00:41:50,773
everyone is responsible
for everyone.
720
00:41:50,774 --> 00:41:54,005
Only the mountain
attains perfection.
721
00:41:54,006 --> 00:41:56,981
That's why you come to climb it.
722
00:41:56,982 --> 00:42:00,437
They would never have tried K2
723
00:42:00,438 --> 00:42:04,501
without the knowledge
and expertise of the locals.
724
00:42:04,502 --> 00:42:07,637
My unlikely partner
was named Mahdi.
725
00:42:07,638 --> 00:42:11,284
He was the very best
of the Hunzas.
726
00:42:11,285 --> 00:42:13,812
On the eve of the summit push,
727
00:42:13,813 --> 00:42:17,332
we were to take the last
of the oxygen to the final camp
728
00:42:17,333 --> 00:42:19,475
and meet with the lead climbers,
729
00:42:19,476 --> 00:42:21,684
Lacedelli and Compagnoni.
730
00:42:21,685 --> 00:42:23,731
The names are legendary now,
731
00:42:23,732 --> 00:42:26,676
the two men
who ultimately conquered K2
732
00:42:26,677 --> 00:42:29,157
for the first time in history.
733
00:42:31,700 --> 00:42:35,219
It could have been us with them,
Mahdi and myself.
734
00:42:35,220 --> 00:42:37,875
We had agreed,
if we were strong,
735
00:42:37,876 --> 00:42:39,986
we would go too,
736
00:42:39,987 --> 00:42:42,706
but we never found them.
737
00:42:42,707 --> 00:42:45,522
We climbed
to the point of exhaustion
738
00:42:45,523 --> 00:42:47,730
to where they
were supposed to be
739
00:42:47,731 --> 00:42:51,090
and began crying out for them.
740
00:42:51,091 --> 00:42:52,402
As the sun disappeared,
741
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,506
the thin air
began to eat away at us.
742
00:42:55,507 --> 00:42:57,713
As violent
as a slap in the face,
743
00:42:57,714 --> 00:43:01,491
the first gust of snow
hit us head-on.
744
00:43:12,169 --> 00:43:13,840
We were just thinking,
"it's just a matter"
745
00:43:13,841 --> 00:43:16,145
"of, you know, an hour,
and then the wind will drop."
746
00:43:16,146 --> 00:43:17,232
But it didn't drop.
747
00:43:17,233 --> 00:43:18,736
It actually... it went...
748
00:43:18,737 --> 00:43:20,478
it became stronger and stronger.
749
00:43:24,977 --> 00:43:26,581
That was like...
750
00:43:27,505 --> 00:43:29,264
Wind was go like that,
751
00:43:29,265 --> 00:43:31,440
and my tent in the moment
was go up
752
00:43:31,441 --> 00:43:33,512
and me with the tent.
753
00:43:51,439 --> 00:43:54,886
It's impossible to even look outside the tent.
754
00:43:55,919 --> 00:43:58,766
Quite critical situation.
755
00:43:58,767 --> 00:44:02,478
Oh, God. God. God.
756
00:44:02,479 --> 00:44:03,514
That's it. Come on.
757
00:44:04,814 --> 00:44:05,986
In you go.
758
00:44:09,710 --> 00:44:11,085
They put me
on the sleeping bag.
759
00:44:11,086 --> 00:44:12,589
I started shaking.
760
00:44:12,590 --> 00:44:14,606
I was in bad situation.
761
00:44:14,607 --> 00:44:15,949
You're okay.
762
00:44:15,950 --> 00:44:17,740
All right, Wilco!
763
00:44:17,741 --> 00:44:19,149
Wilco, this is Ger here!
764
00:44:19,150 --> 00:44:21,187
We got a situation here.
765
00:44:23,917 --> 00:44:26,188
I heard Gerard
talk with the Wilco
766
00:44:26,189 --> 00:44:27,980
by walkie-talkie.
767
00:44:27,981 --> 00:44:31,084
"Okay, Wilco, now we
are going to bring him"
768
00:44:31,085 --> 00:44:35,052
"inside your tent
because you have more space."
769
00:44:35,053 --> 00:44:36,623
This is no time
for bullshitting now.
770
00:44:37,965 --> 00:44:39,756
The Serbian guy...
I don't know...
771
00:44:39,757 --> 00:44:42,220
but if he would have knocked
on my tent,
772
00:44:42,221 --> 00:44:43,404
I would have say, "Listen."
773
00:44:43,405 --> 00:44:45,035
"Go down immediately,"
774
00:44:45,036 --> 00:44:47,211
"because I can't have you
in my tent now"
775
00:44:47,212 --> 00:44:48,299
"because I have to rest"
776
00:44:48,300 --> 00:44:50,041
"because I have to go
to the summit."
777
00:44:55,500 --> 00:44:58,071
We didn't sleep all night.
778
00:45:07,883 --> 00:45:11,082
Early in the morning,
Ger was a little angry.
779
00:45:11,083 --> 00:45:13,354
I was not sure
whether he was angry
780
00:45:13,355 --> 00:45:15,337
because of what happened with me
781
00:45:15,338 --> 00:45:20,649
or because of what happened
between two of them.
782
00:45:20,650 --> 00:45:21,961
I was really pissed,
783
00:45:21,962 --> 00:45:23,977
so I had to make clear
that this guy
784
00:45:23,978 --> 00:45:25,993
would not go with us.
785
00:45:25,994 --> 00:45:27,497
And I said, "Listen.
There is just one."
786
00:45:27,498 --> 00:45:28,776
"You have to go back,"
787
00:45:28,777 --> 00:45:30,760
"and I don't want to see you
in that camp," you know?
788
00:45:30,761 --> 00:45:32,457
For me, I don't know.
789
00:45:32,458 --> 00:45:35,400
I... myself, I feel...
I don't know
790
00:45:35,401 --> 00:45:37,832
how I will continue with my life
791
00:45:37,833 --> 00:45:42,120
till I know to-
somebody needed my help.
792
00:45:42,121 --> 00:45:46,331
Not too much-little help,
and I didn't want to give him.
793
00:45:54,633 --> 00:45:55,879
A lot of guys,
794
00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:57,543
they are thinking
they can climb K2
795
00:45:57,544 --> 00:45:59,399
without oxygen, without ropes,
796
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:00,935
without bringing
the right stuff,
797
00:46:00,936 --> 00:46:02,695
bringing the right team.
798
00:46:02,696 --> 00:46:04,423
You can't climb
an 8,000-meter peak alone.
799
00:46:04,424 --> 00:46:07,526
You-you didn't bring any rope.
800
00:46:07,527 --> 00:46:10,054
How do you want to climb
this fucking mountain?
801
00:46:10,055 --> 00:46:11,463
Mm-hmm.
802
00:46:11,464 --> 00:46:15,238
- It's really irresponsible.
- How did you do it 2006?
803
00:46:15,239 --> 00:46:18,502
Wilco is very direct and blunt.
804
00:46:18,503 --> 00:46:19,878
He'd lay his cards on the table.
805
00:46:19,879 --> 00:46:22,470
There's no doubt about what
he was thinking, you know?
806
00:46:22,471 --> 00:46:25,111
So I think, you know, Ger
kind of liked that about him.
807
00:46:28,806 --> 00:46:31,077
Both Ger and Wilco,
808
00:46:31,078 --> 00:46:33,558
they really had the summit
in their eyes.
809
00:46:34,918 --> 00:46:36,488
You could see it.
810
00:46:45,829 --> 00:46:49,828
The 29th of July 2006,
I got a phone call from Ger.
811
00:46:49,829 --> 00:46:51,556
I can still hear him
saying it to me.
812
00:46:51,557 --> 00:46:54,563
He says, "Jeez, JJ,
this is so doable."
813
00:46:54,564 --> 00:46:55,939
And he said,
"I can't believe it."
814
00:46:55,940 --> 00:46:57,783
He said, "It's so doable."
815
00:47:00,580 --> 00:47:03,140
They were hiking up from...
816
00:47:03,141 --> 00:47:04,451
I think
it was advanced base camp,
817
00:47:04,452 --> 00:47:07,811
and they were gonna go up
to Camp Two on the Abruzzi.
818
00:47:07,812 --> 00:47:10,786
Ger was going up,
and what people say is,
819
00:47:10,787 --> 00:47:13,700
it was actually
a rock avalanche.
820
00:47:14,756 --> 00:47:16,098
The phone rang.
821
00:47:16,099 --> 00:47:20,162
She said to me, "There's been
an accident on K2."
822
00:47:20,163 --> 00:47:23,406
And I said, "How bad?"
And she said, "Look..."
823
00:47:26,883 --> 00:47:30,330
"You'll probably bring-bringing
him home in a body bag."
824
00:47:40,482 --> 00:47:42,945
It was just an act of God
as such,
825
00:47:42,946 --> 00:47:44,801
like, I mean, a rockfall
that caught him.
826
00:47:44,802 --> 00:47:46,785
And, I mean, the helmet
he had on him at the time
827
00:47:46,786 --> 00:47:48,576
probably, possibly saved
his life.
828
00:47:48,577 --> 00:47:50,689
But I knew-l always knew
from that-from that night on,
829
00:47:50,690 --> 00:47:52,384
I knew that he was gonna try
and do this again,
830
00:47:52,385 --> 00:47:53,420
like, you know.
831
00:48:03,521 --> 00:48:05,984
The bigger the dream,
the bigger the risks,
832
00:48:05,985 --> 00:48:08,991
but, you know,
the dream was there.
833
00:48:08,992 --> 00:48:11,040
From that moment,
834
00:48:11,041 --> 00:48:12,191
I knew we are coming back,
you know,
835
00:48:12,192 --> 00:48:14,433
and Ger would go with me again.
836
00:48:17,472 --> 00:48:20,095
That's why,
when we reach Camp Four,
837
00:48:20,096 --> 00:48:21,973
it was already a magic moment.
838
00:48:25,311 --> 00:48:28,638
Ah, so happy to be here.
839
00:48:28,639 --> 00:48:31,230
I could almost cry.
840
00:48:31,231 --> 00:48:34,622
When you love someone
and they love doing something,
841
00:48:34,623 --> 00:48:36,254
you're happy for them.
842
00:48:36,255 --> 00:48:38,845
Of course,
it's a dangerous mountain.
843
00:48:38,846 --> 00:48:40,317
Any mountain's
a dangerous mountain.
844
00:48:40,318 --> 00:48:41,854
But he knew he could climb it,
845
00:48:41,855 --> 00:48:44,286
and he knew
he could climb it safely.
846
00:48:44,287 --> 00:48:49,032
And I think
he wanted to go back.
847
00:49:07,229 --> 00:49:09,980
There are always things
you don't talk about
848
00:49:09,981 --> 00:49:11,739
and which you don't expect,
849
00:49:11,740 --> 00:49:14,108
and one thing
was that in this meeting,
850
00:49:14,109 --> 00:49:16,539
the leader
of the high-altitude porters
851
00:49:16,540 --> 00:49:18,715
who are making,
breaking trail,
852
00:49:18,716 --> 00:49:21,083
I trust this guy completely.
853
00:49:21,084 --> 00:49:22,331
Doing this...
854
00:49:22,332 --> 00:49:23,804
But what happened...
855
00:49:23,805 --> 00:49:25,211
He went ill.
856
00:49:25,212 --> 00:49:26,619
So no leader anymore.
857
00:49:26,620 --> 00:49:29,563
High-altitude porters
of the Sherpas,
858
00:49:29,564 --> 00:49:31,163
they're going to fix the rope,
859
00:49:31,164 --> 00:49:32,602
and the members
from the Koreans,
860
00:49:32,603 --> 00:49:35,130
they're going to countercheck
the rope,
861
00:49:35,131 --> 00:49:37,210
that it is affixed properly
on the mountain.
862
00:49:37,211 --> 00:49:40,538
The new plan
was that a Korean leader,
863
00:49:40,539 --> 00:49:42,042
you know,
he was the climbing leader
864
00:49:42,043 --> 00:49:44,218
of the big Korean team-
865
00:49:44,219 --> 00:49:47,609
he would check everything
in Camp Four,
866
00:49:47,610 --> 00:49:48,918
but he didn't.
867
00:50:01,562 --> 00:50:02,649
We have a plan.
868
00:50:02,650 --> 00:50:06,393
12:00,
the first party should move.
869
00:50:06,394 --> 00:50:09,752
But 11:00,
Korean climbing leader
870
00:50:09,753 --> 00:50:11,064
is still inside the tents,
871
00:50:11,065 --> 00:50:13,817
keep smoking and smoking and...
872
00:50:13,818 --> 00:50:17,766
Then finally I said, "No,
now we have to do it ourself."
873
00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:23,512
So this Sherpa, Pemba,
874
00:50:23,513 --> 00:50:29,143
his face, I remember
very clearly that night.
875
00:50:29,144 --> 00:50:31,927
He was the kind of person
876
00:50:31,928 --> 00:50:37,655
that transmitted
safety, security,
877
00:50:37,656 --> 00:50:39,831
wanting to know who I was,
878
00:50:39,832 --> 00:50:42,167
how I got there
in the middle of the night.
879
00:50:42,168 --> 00:50:45,206
I told him, "I am climbing solo",
880
00:50:45,207 --> 00:50:49,519
"and I am hoping
to go up with you."
881
00:51:00,470 --> 00:51:01,910
The summit bid was delayed
882
00:51:01,911 --> 00:51:04,790
because people
were wandering around like,
883
00:51:04,791 --> 00:51:06,741
"Hey, where's the gear?"
884
00:51:06,742 --> 00:51:07,701
"Where's the equipment?"
885
00:51:07,702 --> 00:51:08,981
"Where's the rope?"
886
00:51:08,982 --> 00:51:13,461
We are way back in time.
887
00:51:13,462 --> 00:51:15,093
We are really late.
888
00:51:15,094 --> 00:51:16,917
Very disappointing.
889
00:51:16,918 --> 00:51:18,229
The high-altitude porters,
890
00:51:18,230 --> 00:51:20,692
they're just starting
to fixing the ropes,
891
00:51:20,693 --> 00:51:23,156
and Pemba was not
that kind of leader
892
00:51:23,157 --> 00:51:24,340
who said, "Listen."
893
00:51:24,341 --> 00:51:26,548
"We are going to do it
like this," you know?
894
00:51:26,549 --> 00:51:28,532
I was surprised
895
00:51:28,533 --> 00:51:30,452
that they were putting
fixed ropes
896
00:51:30,453 --> 00:51:34,132
at areas which didn't need it.
897
00:51:34,133 --> 00:51:37,459
Just, like, 10 meters
from the tents or something.
898
00:51:37,460 --> 00:51:40,202
There were ropes
very, very early on.
899
00:51:42,037 --> 00:51:44,371
Suddenly,
there's no more progression,
900
00:51:44,372 --> 00:51:47,731
and people
are just standing there waiting.
901
00:51:47,732 --> 00:51:50,906
And they yelled back
that they'd run out of rope.
902
00:51:55,124 --> 00:51:56,691
We were thinking,
903
00:51:56,692 --> 00:51:58,694
"In God's sake,
how is this possible?"
904
00:51:59,891 --> 00:52:00,946
The only thing you can do
905
00:52:00,947 --> 00:52:02,962
is going back, cut the ropes,
906
00:52:02,963 --> 00:52:05,500
and bring it up,
and that's what we did.
907
00:52:08,178 --> 00:52:10,834
We were delayed with two hours,
908
00:52:10,835 --> 00:52:12,754
and that's too long.
909
00:52:12,755 --> 00:52:16,561
You can't catch up two hours
on a summit bid.
910
00:52:16,562 --> 00:52:19,473
Even though
there were perfect conditions,
911
00:52:19,474 --> 00:52:23,012
in the death zone,
you're just losing more energy.
912
00:52:29,233 --> 00:52:31,504
Those people,
they are too optimistic
913
00:52:31,505 --> 00:52:32,880
for the summit,
914
00:52:32,881 --> 00:52:36,055
and that's why they keep climb.
915
00:52:42,001 --> 00:52:47,610
They forget so many things
about safety.
916
00:52:48,656 --> 00:52:49,794
Aah!
917
00:53:00,240 --> 00:53:02,830
People think that we're mad.
918
00:53:02,831 --> 00:53:06,677
How can you continue
if someone died?
919
00:53:07,728 --> 00:53:10,318
But if you drive a car,
you see people crash.
920
00:53:10,319 --> 00:53:13,198
You see people die in traffic.
921
00:53:13,199 --> 00:53:16,269
You keep on driving,
'cause you-
922
00:53:16,270 --> 00:53:17,997
you think
it's not gonna happen to you.
923
00:53:17,998 --> 00:53:19,661
I see.
924
00:53:19,662 --> 00:53:21,325
Is he in the rock?
925
00:53:21,326 --> 00:53:22,574
- He's here.
- Yeah.
926
00:53:22,575 --> 00:53:23,534
- Yeah.
- The rock.
927
00:53:23,535 --> 00:53:25,229
Yeah, right there at the edge.
928
00:53:25,230 --> 00:53:26,318
If everybody turned back
929
00:53:26,319 --> 00:53:29,549
after the Serbian people
fell down,
930
00:53:29,550 --> 00:53:33,933
then I think there was only 1
casualties on the mountain
931
00:53:33,934 --> 00:53:35,914
instead of 11.
932
00:53:50,925 --> 00:53:51,947
How are you?
933
00:53:51,948 --> 00:53:53,675
Good.
934
00:53:53,676 --> 00:53:55,531
But not a great day today.
935
00:53:55,532 --> 00:53:57,355
A hard day for me today.
936
00:53:57,356 --> 00:53:58,411
Yes.
937
00:53:58,412 --> 00:54:00,555
It was not a good day.
938
00:54:00,556 --> 00:54:03,403
He said, "You go."
939
00:54:03,404 --> 00:54:05,931
"You feel strong.
You are strong."
940
00:54:05,932 --> 00:54:10,251
"You go to there...
to the top with Lars."
941
00:54:10,252 --> 00:54:13,482
And I looked back many times,
942
00:54:13,483 --> 00:54:14,890
and every time I looked back
943
00:54:14,891 --> 00:54:18,155
and if he was looking at me
at the same time,
944
00:54:18,156 --> 00:54:20,394
he was, like, thumbs up
945
00:54:20,395 --> 00:54:23,342
and like, "Keep on going."
946
00:54:28,842 --> 00:54:32,489
Rolf and me,
we talk several times.
947
00:54:32,490 --> 00:54:35,049
Then Rolf say,
"Now, Pemba, I want to go back"
948
00:54:35,050 --> 00:54:39,497
"because these guys
are very stupid"
949
00:54:39,498 --> 00:54:41,641
"because nobody
talking each other"
950
00:54:41,642 --> 00:54:42,953
"about the timing."
951
00:54:42,954 --> 00:54:46,766
"Really, I don't understand
the people."
952
00:54:51,273 --> 00:54:52,680
- It's so hard to turn around,
953
00:54:52,681 --> 00:54:55,528
and it's so easy
to just continue a little bit,
954
00:54:55,529 --> 00:54:57,440
just a half an hour to see.
955
00:55:01,160 --> 00:55:03,333
I could see Lars
on the summit.
956
00:55:05,481 --> 00:55:09,987
He took Rolf's rabbit hat on
and danced on the summit.
957
00:55:13,096 --> 00:55:16,270
We had just a few minutes-
took pictures.
958
00:55:18,664 --> 00:55:21,574
Even in our most crazy dreams,
959
00:55:21,575 --> 00:55:24,454
we wouldn't have dreamt it
to be that beautiful.
960
00:55:25,352 --> 00:55:29,382
With that shadow of K2
into China-
961
00:55:29,383 --> 00:55:32,166
absolutely beautiful.
962
00:55:32,167 --> 00:55:34,246
I enjoyed the view,
963
00:55:34,247 --> 00:55:36,581
but the only thing
that was in our head
964
00:55:36,582 --> 00:55:39,461
was that we're not gonna stay
here for very long.
965
00:55:39,462 --> 00:55:40,677
We're going back.
966
00:55:40,678 --> 00:55:45,285
We have to get back to the ropes
before it gets dark.
967
00:55:45,286 --> 00:55:46,469
We're on the summit of K2!
968
00:55:46,470 --> 00:55:47,429
Whoo-hoo!
969
00:55:47,430 --> 00:55:48,431
Yo, yo, yo.
970
00:55:50,117 --> 00:55:52,229
Time passes by
in a very strange fashion
971
00:55:52,230 --> 00:55:53,252
up there.
972
00:55:53,253 --> 00:55:56,101
What may feel
like a couple of seconds
973
00:55:56,102 --> 00:55:58,724
could actually be a minute
or vice versa.
974
00:55:58,725 --> 00:56:02,263
You know,
it's very hard to tell.
975
00:56:09,285 --> 00:56:11,139
He phoned me,
and I was lucky enough
976
00:56:11,140 --> 00:56:13,586
that the connection was made.
977
00:56:15,973 --> 00:56:17,347
He was elated.
978
00:56:17,348 --> 00:56:19,459
He told me everybody
was feeling good,
979
00:56:19,460 --> 00:56:23,043
that there was no problem.
980
00:56:23,044 --> 00:56:25,219
And then...
981
00:56:25,220 --> 00:56:30,690
yeah, I was just hoping
to hear from him,
982
00:56:30,691 --> 00:56:33,797
you know,
five or six hours' time.
983
00:56:37,091 --> 00:56:40,546
When we ready to descend,
and he's saying,
984
00:56:40,547 --> 00:56:43,714
"Okay, now I don't want
to take the flags"
985
00:56:43,715 --> 00:56:47,202
"camera, sat phone,"
986
00:56:47,203 --> 00:56:49,666
"everything you have to carry."
987
00:56:49,667 --> 00:56:51,169
And I took everything.
988
00:57:10,082 --> 00:57:14,368
You know that almost all
the accidents in climbing
989
00:57:14,369 --> 00:57:16,832
happen on the way down,
on the descent.
990
00:57:16,833 --> 00:57:19,135
You get exhausted.
You relax.
991
00:57:19,136 --> 00:57:22,175
It gets dark.
992
00:57:22,176 --> 00:57:25,646
So that's a factor
that every climber know.
993
00:57:28,608 --> 00:57:30,383
We caught up with Rolf
further down.
994
00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:36,095
He was so happy
and congratulated us.
995
00:57:36,096 --> 00:57:39,231
And we decided to descend
together, of course,
996
00:57:39,232 --> 00:57:44,254
down to the fixed ropes,
slow, but efficient.
997
00:57:44,255 --> 00:57:50,366
It gets dark just 15 minutes
after we get to the fixed ropes,
998
00:57:50,367 --> 00:57:53,211
so we put on our head torches.
999
00:58:01,471 --> 00:58:04,317
When Rolf gets there, I ask him
if he wants to go first,
1000
00:58:04,318 --> 00:58:05,853
or if he wants me to go first.
1001
00:58:05,854 --> 00:58:07,549
Do you want me to go first?
1002
00:58:07,550 --> 00:58:09,916
- He said, "Lars, I go first."
- No, I go first.
1003
00:58:09,917 --> 00:58:12,659
- "You look after my wife."
- You look after my wife.
1004
00:58:17,438 --> 00:58:18,397
Yeah.
1005
00:58:18,398 --> 00:58:19,934
That's the...
1006
00:58:22,557 --> 00:58:25,060
It's the last thing he said.
1007
00:58:38,204 --> 00:58:39,739
I don't know
if I heard anything,
1008
00:58:39,740 --> 00:58:40,878
but I felt it.
1009
00:58:42,043 --> 00:58:43,647
The ground
was shaking underneath me.
1010
00:58:52,956 --> 00:58:57,166
The last thing I saw
was Rolf's head torch moving.
1011
00:59:00,282 --> 00:59:02,819
And then it was dark.
1012
00:59:21,977 --> 00:59:23,979
You must think I'm crazy
saying this, but...
1013
00:59:24,889 --> 00:59:27,448
Suddenly,
I could hear his voice.
1014
00:59:27,449 --> 00:59:30,424
And it was so strong.
1015
00:59:30,425 --> 00:59:34,648
It was, like, saying,
1016
00:59:34,649 --> 00:59:37,459
"You have to get down."
1017
00:59:57,751 --> 00:59:59,510
You're going down thinking,
1018
00:59:59,511 --> 01:00:02,102
"Follow the lines,
and there is Camp Four."
1019
01:00:02,103 --> 01:00:04,087
And in a few days,
we would have big party
1020
01:00:04,088 --> 01:00:06,500
with all the teams
in the base camp.
1021
01:00:09,015 --> 01:00:11,190
The problem is,
you are so exhausted,
1022
01:00:11,191 --> 01:00:13,526
and you are not
that concentrated.
1023
01:00:13,527 --> 01:00:17,441
And everybody is going down
in his own speed.
1024
01:00:20,759 --> 01:00:24,309
We reached the Korean Sherpas
and Korean team.
1025
01:00:24,310 --> 01:00:25,269
Everybody,
1026
01:00:25,270 --> 01:00:27,272
they come together, regroup.
1027
01:00:31,350 --> 01:00:33,268
We have only one option.
1028
01:00:33,269 --> 01:00:36,564
We put all people together
on one rope,
1029
01:00:36,565 --> 01:00:41,014
then try to bring down together.
1030
01:01:15,635 --> 01:01:17,906
We were looking
up the mountain every hour,
1031
01:01:17,907 --> 01:01:22,130
and we were monitoring
our radios all the time.
1032
01:01:22,131 --> 01:01:24,433
And we were getting
more and more anxious
1033
01:01:24,434 --> 01:01:26,673
about their safety.
1034
01:01:26,674 --> 01:01:28,689
We see these headlamps
and thinking,
1035
01:01:28,690 --> 01:01:30,353
"Oh, my God.
Oh, my God."
1036
01:01:30,354 --> 01:01:31,601
"They're not moving very fast."
1037
01:01:31,602 --> 01:01:33,206
"What's going on?"
1038
01:01:34,674 --> 01:01:37,120
We started feeling...
1039
01:01:38,802 --> 01:01:41,146
Hopeless.
1040
01:01:48,785 --> 01:01:51,504
The Korean completely stopped.
1041
01:01:51,505 --> 01:01:53,712
It was impossible
to bring them down
1042
01:01:53,713 --> 01:01:55,759
with the same rope
1043
01:01:55,760 --> 01:01:57,239
because they sit down.
1044
01:02:03,226 --> 01:02:04,783
The whole thing
was a little bit stuck,
1045
01:02:04,784 --> 01:02:08,559
so it was not totally clear.
1046
01:02:08,560 --> 01:02:10,895
One moment, you are not walking
all together anymore,
1047
01:02:10,896 --> 01:02:12,782
so you are
a little bit separated,
1048
01:02:12,783 --> 01:02:15,247
a few meters between you.
1049
01:02:15,248 --> 01:02:18,058
Everybody is just descending.
1050
01:02:23,663 --> 01:02:27,822
We came at the point
where the fixed rope should be,
1051
01:02:27,823 --> 01:02:28,893
but it wasn't there.
1052
01:02:31,951 --> 01:02:33,134
Marco was looking.
1053
01:02:33,135 --> 01:02:34,605
I was searching.
1054
01:02:34,606 --> 01:02:37,166
But we couldn't find it.
1055
01:02:37,167 --> 01:02:39,757
I was convinced
that this was the right way,
1056
01:02:39,758 --> 01:02:42,261
but why wasn't the rope there?
1057
01:02:43,726 --> 01:02:45,645
The only thing you think is,
1058
01:02:45,646 --> 01:02:47,981
"We must be on the wrong side
of the mountain,
1059
01:02:47,982 --> 01:02:50,826
or we must have lost the way."
1060
01:02:55,822 --> 01:03:01,196
My soul said,
"Marco, stop yourself."
1061
01:03:01,197 --> 01:03:03,564
"Stop. Stop. Stop."
1062
01:03:03,565 --> 01:03:05,164
I called Ger.
1063
01:03:05,165 --> 01:03:08,300
I said, "Ger,
let's stay here for the night."
1064
01:03:08,301 --> 01:03:09,771
We must stay still
1065
01:03:09,772 --> 01:03:13,549
because it would be easy
for an avalanche to get us.
1066
01:03:20,331 --> 01:03:24,938
I expected by noon
at the latest to hear from them.
1067
01:03:24,939 --> 01:03:26,346
And the phone rang
when I was at lunch,
1068
01:03:26,347 --> 01:03:29,194
and I thought it was him,
but it was another friend.
1069
01:03:29,195 --> 01:03:30,827
She was like,
"Have you heard from Ger yet?"
1070
01:03:30,828 --> 01:03:33,354
And I said, "No.
I'm really worried."
1071
01:03:33,355 --> 01:03:36,778
And then I went home from lunch,
1072
01:03:36,779 --> 01:03:38,794
got immediately on the internet,
1073
01:03:38,795 --> 01:03:42,743
and the first thing
was "Trouble on K2."
1074
01:03:46,091 --> 01:03:47,593
First thing I thought of was,
1075
01:03:47,594 --> 01:03:50,857
"Okay, when does the sun
rise on K2?"
1076
01:03:50,858 --> 01:03:53,129
"Because that's when
they'll start moving again."
1077
01:03:53,130 --> 01:03:56,304
And, you know, "How many more
hours do they have out there?"
1078
01:04:01,642 --> 01:04:04,616
We were stranded
above the death zone.
1079
01:04:04,617 --> 01:04:06,249
Mahdi was out of his head.
1080
01:04:06,250 --> 01:04:09,704
I thought he was
going to kill us both.
1081
01:04:09,705 --> 01:04:12,808
By instinct,
I digged a hole into the slope
1082
01:04:12,809 --> 01:04:14,504
to get out of the storm.
1083
01:04:14,505 --> 01:04:16,615
I remember screaming
at the top of my lungs,
1084
01:04:16,616 --> 01:04:19,688
"I don't want to die!"
1085
01:04:19,689 --> 01:04:23,943
And that's when I heard them
above the howl of the wind.
1086
01:04:23,944 --> 01:04:27,655
I don't know whether
it was Compagnoni or Lacedelli,
1087
01:04:27,656 --> 01:04:29,127
but I heard a voice.
1088
01:04:29,128 --> 01:04:31,878
"Do you want us
to freeze for you?"
1089
01:04:31,879 --> 01:04:35,588
"Leave the oxygen
and go straight down."
1090
01:04:39,815 --> 01:04:42,989
For me, the descent
is not a really big problem.
1091
01:04:46,343 --> 01:04:48,166
I'm so much fixed
in the descending
1092
01:04:48,167 --> 01:04:50,373
that I don't really know
who is in front of me
1093
01:04:50,374 --> 01:04:51,910
or back of me.
1094
01:04:51,911 --> 01:04:54,694
So only thing is,
I know that I see light
1095
01:04:54,695 --> 01:04:56,325
and I was coming
close to the light.
1096
01:04:56,326 --> 01:05:00,325
Then I saw it was Hugues,
the Frenchman.
1097
01:05:00,326 --> 01:05:02,405
Hey, Hugues.
1098
01:05:02,406 --> 01:05:04,249
Hey, Gas.
1099
01:05:05,990 --> 01:05:08,389
Y... you go past.
1100
01:05:08,390 --> 01:05:10,631
You're quicker than me.
1101
01:05:12,261 --> 01:05:15,396
I pass him,
and I go on descending.
1102
01:05:15,397 --> 01:05:16,964
Take your time.
1103
01:05:16,965 --> 01:05:19,206
Go. Go.
1104
01:05:21,477 --> 01:05:23,957
And then I noticed something
is not okay with the rope.
1105
01:06:13,026 --> 01:06:16,129
If you sleep, you die.
1106
01:06:16,130 --> 01:06:19,552
I think Wilco heard our voices,
1107
01:06:19,553 --> 01:06:24,627
so he came in our direction.
1108
01:06:41,120 --> 01:06:42,175
We were not in a panic.
1109
01:06:42,176 --> 01:06:44,095
We were-
we were just sitting.
1110
01:06:44,096 --> 01:06:46,110
We were just, you know, yeah,
1111
01:06:46,111 --> 01:06:48,191
wondering why
we couldn't find the rope.
1112
01:06:48,192 --> 01:06:50,718
But we were convinced
that next morning,
1113
01:06:50,719 --> 01:06:52,703
with the first light,
1114
01:06:52,704 --> 01:06:55,014
we would find the rope again.
1115
01:07:29,565 --> 01:07:32,444
The Korean, they sit down.
1116
01:07:32,445 --> 01:07:34,812
I feel, it's very, very sad,
1117
01:07:34,813 --> 01:07:37,500
because I understand
many people,
1118
01:07:37,501 --> 01:07:41,210
they cannot reach
a high camp tonight.
1119
01:08:02,523 --> 01:08:04,093
4:00.
1120
01:08:08,315 --> 01:08:09,274
There is nothing,
1121
01:08:09,275 --> 01:08:11,514
no ice anchor, no length,
1122
01:08:11,515 --> 01:08:15,226
no rock anchor,
no fixed line, nothing.
1123
01:08:15,227 --> 01:08:17,626
Then I try to contact
with the Korean Sherpa,
1124
01:08:17,627 --> 01:08:22,457
but I couldn't get them on radio
1125
01:08:22,458 --> 01:08:26,105
because nobody
switched on the radio.
1126
01:08:26,106 --> 01:08:28,473
It was a big problem.
1127
01:08:28,474 --> 01:08:29,817
Hmm.
1128
01:08:29,818 --> 01:08:31,352
We could go.
1129
01:08:31,353 --> 01:08:32,408
We could go up and...
1130
01:08:32,409 --> 01:08:34,169
If we had people,
we could do this.
1131
01:08:34,170 --> 01:08:37,464
It was still nice and clear.
1132
01:08:37,465 --> 01:08:40,793
We could see
some of the climbers
1133
01:08:40,794 --> 01:08:42,273
on the top of the serac.
1134
01:09:13,368 --> 01:09:16,598
We were convinced that,
with the first light,
1135
01:09:16,599 --> 01:09:18,670
we would find the rope again.
1136
01:09:39,542 --> 01:09:41,621
And Gerard was going
to the right, you know,
1137
01:09:41,622 --> 01:09:43,125
to have a look over there.
1138
01:09:43,126 --> 01:09:44,885
I was going to the left
to have a look over there.
1139
01:09:44,886 --> 01:09:47,093
Marco was looking somewhere.
1140
01:09:48,469 --> 01:09:50,484
We couldn't find it.
1141
01:09:50,485 --> 01:09:52,756
And then I start to realize
1142
01:09:52,757 --> 01:09:56,660
that I got problems
with my view.
1143
01:09:56,661 --> 01:10:00,468
I was getting more in panic,
you know, because I knew-
1144
01:10:00,469 --> 01:10:06,228
fuck, getting snow-blind
at this altitude is finished.
1145
01:10:06,229 --> 01:10:07,603
No helicopter are coming.
1146
01:10:07,604 --> 01:10:10,323
The guys can't do something
with a body of 80 kilos.
1147
01:10:10,324 --> 01:10:11,795
It's finished.
- Guys!
1148
01:10:11,796 --> 01:10:12,915
So, I said, "Listen, guys."
1149
01:10:12,916 --> 01:10:14,483
"I have to go down.
I have to go down."
1150
01:10:14,484 --> 01:10:15,667
I have to go down!
1151
01:10:15,668 --> 01:10:17,075
So I started just going down
1152
01:10:17,076 --> 01:10:19,920
without thinking anymore
and just going down.
1153
01:10:25,491 --> 01:10:26,450
Just one question.
1154
01:10:26,451 --> 01:10:28,466
Here is base camp
Serbian calling.
1155
01:10:28,467 --> 01:10:31,826
Do you know some information
about Gerard, the Irish guide,
1156
01:10:31,827 --> 01:10:34,770
from Norit expedition?
1157
01:10:34,771 --> 01:10:35,953
What I was hearing is "Jimmy,"
1158
01:10:35,954 --> 01:10:38,737
but "Jumik and Pasang
in trouble."
1159
01:10:38,738 --> 01:10:40,113
They were the Korean Sherpas.
1160
01:10:40,114 --> 01:10:41,777
Yes.
1161
01:10:41,778 --> 01:10:45,809
And then Rolf
and then "Prenmaldic"?
1162
01:10:45,810 --> 01:10:51,248
I didn't even understand that
other people had died, really.
1163
01:10:51,249 --> 01:10:54,096
I was in shock.
1164
01:10:54,097 --> 01:10:58,273
I remember a phone call
I had to my father-in-law.
1165
01:10:59,122 --> 01:11:01,456
I was so scared
to make that phone call.
1166
01:11:01,457 --> 01:11:05,667
He was gonna be mad at me
for not looking after his son.
1167
01:11:10,289 --> 01:11:14,499
But instead, he said...
1168
01:11:17,104 --> 01:11:18,511
"You have to get
off the mountain."
1169
01:11:18,512 --> 01:11:20,116
"You have to come home."
1170
01:11:25,648 --> 01:11:27,491
Yeah.
1171
01:11:29,295 --> 01:11:31,214
I didn't want to lose
my husband,
1172
01:11:31,215 --> 01:11:34,219
but I lost, uh...
1173
01:11:36,399 --> 01:11:38,003
Of course, my best friend...
1174
01:11:40,911 --> 01:11:44,846
And my future
1175
01:11:44,847 --> 01:11:48,989
like I was hoping it would be.
1176
01:12:11,277 --> 01:12:13,996
I was just climbing down,
and then, suddenly,
1177
01:12:13,997 --> 01:12:16,341
those Koreans
were hanging over there.
1178
01:12:17,741 --> 01:12:19,340
I was just thinking,
1179
01:12:19,341 --> 01:12:21,451
"What the hell
are they doing here?"
1180
01:12:21,452 --> 01:12:24,023
I didn't understand
anything about it.
1181
01:12:46,188 --> 01:12:48,042
Gloves.
1182
01:12:48,043 --> 01:12:50,474
I had some spare gloves,
so I gave the gloves.
1183
01:12:50,475 --> 01:12:52,457
I didn't ask what happened.
1184
01:12:52,458 --> 01:12:54,441
Maybe they
were hanging all night long,
1185
01:12:54,442 --> 01:12:56,361
but at that time, I was...
1186
01:12:56,362 --> 01:12:58,842
I was just, you know,
shocked about it.
1187
01:13:00,939 --> 01:13:02,313
I said, "Listen."
1188
01:13:02,314 --> 01:13:03,466
"I have to go down"
1189
01:13:03,467 --> 01:13:05,257
"because I'm starting
to get snow-blind."
1190
01:13:05,258 --> 01:13:06,377
And he said, "Yeah, yeah,"
1191
01:13:06,378 --> 01:13:10,217
"but help is also on the way,
so go ahead."
1192
01:13:10,218 --> 01:13:12,323
I'll send help.
1193
01:13:29,640 --> 01:13:32,296
They are all up there
by themselves.
1194
01:13:32,297 --> 01:13:34,151
They're not moving anywhere.
1195
01:13:34,152 --> 01:13:38,862
They're just sitting still,
just waiting to get help.
1196
01:13:41,576 --> 01:13:44,167
The South Korean
expedition leader, Kim,
1197
01:13:44,168 --> 01:13:47,526
was arranging a rescue mission.
1198
01:13:47,527 --> 01:13:49,766
But I just said, "Hey, guys",
1199
01:13:49,767 --> 01:13:53,926
"they're not standing up,
moving one meter,"
1200
01:13:53,927 --> 01:13:56,870
"and you're telling me
that I should go up there"
1201
01:13:56,871 --> 01:13:58,918
"when the ice
is still falling down?"
1202
01:13:58,919 --> 01:14:00,742
There's no fixed lines.
1203
01:14:00,743 --> 01:14:02,246
There's no ropes.
1204
01:14:02,247 --> 01:14:05,446
I mean, that is just insane.
1205
01:14:05,447 --> 01:14:07,782
This is not a guided tour.
1206
01:14:07,783 --> 01:14:10,855
We cannot physically pluck
people off this mountain.
1207
01:14:13,414 --> 01:14:14,981
Then American team, they said,
1208
01:14:14,982 --> 01:14:17,540
"Because we
don't have enough manpower,"
1209
01:14:17,541 --> 01:14:19,460
"we cannot go ourself,
a rescue,"
1210
01:14:19,461 --> 01:14:22,692
"because physically
we are all so weak."
1211
01:14:22,693 --> 01:14:25,700
"Is still bottleneck,
is very dangerous."
1212
01:14:25,701 --> 01:14:28,443
"Then, now we have to go down."
1213
01:14:34,533 --> 01:14:36,004
Copy that.
Copy that.
1214
01:14:36,005 --> 01:14:37,985
Most of the people,
they are moving from-
1215
01:14:38,885 --> 01:14:40,804
Down from Camp Four,
1216
01:14:40,805 --> 01:14:42,563
moving down.
1217
01:14:42,564 --> 01:14:44,227
Then, uh...
1218
01:14:44,228 --> 01:14:45,795
In our group,
1219
01:14:45,796 --> 01:14:50,108
Mr. Kim insisted that we
go for a rescue.
1220
01:14:55,812 --> 01:14:58,595
We had no choice.
1221
01:14:58,596 --> 01:15:02,146
We had to follow
their instructions.
1222
01:15:02,147 --> 01:15:07,106
They paid us,
1223
01:15:07,107 --> 01:15:13,683
and they acted
like they owned our lives.
1224
01:15:34,466 --> 01:15:36,193
I was so thirsty, you know,
1225
01:15:36,194 --> 01:15:39,712
and I knew I'm getting crazy
in a few hours,
1226
01:15:39,713 --> 01:15:42,016
because when you don't have
water at that altitude
1227
01:15:42,017 --> 01:15:44,930
for such a long time,
you won't survive it.
1228
01:16:13,183 --> 01:16:15,678
I looked up, and I saw
that Marco and Gerard
1229
01:16:15,679 --> 01:16:18,174
were with those Korean guys.
1230
01:16:18,175 --> 01:16:19,984
Which way?
1231
01:16:23,038 --> 01:16:24,286
That's it.
1232
01:16:24,287 --> 01:16:27,037
It was the Korean climbing leader.
1233
01:16:27,038 --> 01:16:30,333
But everything was smashed up
1234
01:16:30,334 --> 01:16:37,277
with lots of blood everywhere.
1235
01:16:37,278 --> 01:16:43,516
I have worked for 15 years
in mountain rescue,
1236
01:16:43,517 --> 01:16:48,057
and I have seen many things
and many people.
1237
01:16:49,469 --> 01:16:53,110
I knew this was a bad situation.
1238
01:16:55,037 --> 01:16:56,635
Okay. Okay.
1239
01:16:56,636 --> 01:16:57,637
You're all right.
1240
01:17:10,460 --> 01:17:13,595
You have to save yourself on K2.
1241
01:17:13,596 --> 01:17:16,236
It's the only way.
1242
01:17:20,251 --> 01:17:23,066
I've never attempted
to take the credit
1243
01:17:23,067 --> 01:17:28,313
from Lacedelli and Compagnoni
of conquering K2,
1244
01:17:28,314 --> 01:17:29,554
nor would I.
1245
01:17:31,131 --> 01:17:35,978
Yet Mahdi and I
were written out of the story.
1246
01:17:37,147 --> 01:17:39,673
Our sacrifice
was completely omitted
1247
01:17:39,674 --> 01:17:42,265
in the official records.
1248
01:17:42,266 --> 01:17:46,617
Then it was lied about
behind my back for decades.
1249
01:17:46,618 --> 01:17:50,296
They said we used the oxygen
to save ourselves.
1250
01:17:50,297 --> 01:17:52,345
This is the oxygen, mind you,
1251
01:17:52,346 --> 01:17:56,351
that Lino and Achille
used to reach the summit.
1252
01:17:57,529 --> 01:18:00,568
For 30 years,
I have been attacked,
1253
01:18:00,569 --> 01:18:03,768
accused, provoked, and slandered
1254
01:18:03,769 --> 01:18:06,615
all because I volunteered
my own life
1255
01:18:06,616 --> 01:18:09,995
in the service of my people
and my country.
1256
01:18:11,097 --> 01:18:16,012
Without Mahdi and I,
K2 would have remained a dream.
1257
01:18:20,663 --> 01:18:22,774
We worked together.
1258
01:18:22,775 --> 01:18:27,159
I found a walkie-talkie
under the Sherpa.
1259
01:18:27,160 --> 01:18:28,950
I spoke with someone.
1260
01:18:28,951 --> 01:18:30,678
I don't know who it was
who was listening.
1261
01:18:30,679 --> 01:18:31,702
I spoke.
1262
01:18:31,703 --> 01:18:35,414
I said,
"I don't speak English."
1263
01:18:35,415 --> 01:18:37,781
"I speak Tarzan English."
1264
01:18:37,782 --> 01:18:41,206
I said, "I am Marco.
I am at the serac."
1265
01:18:41,207 --> 01:18:42,262
"There is a problem."
1266
01:18:42,263 --> 01:18:46,485
"Somebody has to come up.
I am tired."
1267
01:18:46,486 --> 01:18:49,557
But then Ger,
he went back up a bit.
1268
01:18:49,558 --> 01:18:51,925
I didn't understand why.
1269
01:18:51,926 --> 01:18:55,412
I didn't know if he wanted
to pull down the Koreans still.
1270
01:18:55,413 --> 01:19:01,159
I spoke on the radio,
and then I started to descend.
1271
01:19:07,029 --> 01:19:12,069
All I could think about
was leaving, surviving.
1272
01:19:12,948 --> 01:19:14,586
I had to survive.
1273
01:19:24,916 --> 01:19:26,483
Called a friend.
1274
01:19:26,484 --> 01:19:28,306
Just asked her
if she'd come over
1275
01:19:28,307 --> 01:19:31,442
so I wouldn't have to be alone.
1276
01:19:31,443 --> 01:19:33,907
She came to the door,
1277
01:19:33,908 --> 01:19:35,794
and she grabbed me,
and she said,
1278
01:19:35,795 --> 01:19:39,208
"We are gonna will him
off that mountain."
1279
01:20:01,714 --> 01:20:03,953
Okay, you must bring him down.
1280
01:20:03,954 --> 01:20:06,065
Mr. Kim says
we must keep climbing higher
1281
01:20:06,066 --> 01:20:08,103
and find the Korean team.
1282
01:20:12,785 --> 01:20:15,088
He's alive,
1283
01:20:15,089 --> 01:20:17,840
but nobody's-
want to come with me.
1284
01:20:17,841 --> 01:20:20,847
But everybody say,
"No, it's still dangerous."
1285
01:20:20,848 --> 01:20:25,422
Then finally, I...
I start climb again.
1286
01:20:36,207 --> 01:20:38,863
He wearing a green down suit.
1287
01:20:38,864 --> 01:20:41,435
I knew that is Marco.
1288
01:20:48,207 --> 01:20:51,918
If I don't have oxygen,
I cannot bring him down
1289
01:20:51,919 --> 01:20:55,093
because I cannot carry him.
1290
01:21:03,342 --> 01:21:05,421
After ten minutes,
1291
01:21:05,422 --> 01:21:10,997
Marco is trying to move
and trying to talk with me.
1292
01:21:23,917 --> 01:21:26,348
Go ahead, Pasang.
1293
01:21:26,349 --> 01:21:31,404
I am here with the Korean team.
1294
01:21:31,405 --> 01:21:33,515
They said,
"We see Korean Sherpas"
1295
01:21:33,516 --> 01:21:34,604
"and Korean team."
1296
01:21:34,605 --> 01:21:38,092
"Now we are trying
to descend together."
1297
01:21:38,093 --> 01:21:41,131
Is there anyone else there?
1298
01:21:41,132 --> 01:21:43,755
There was one other climber,
1299
01:21:43,756 --> 01:21:47,627
but he was hit by ice and fell.
1300
01:21:47,628 --> 01:21:51,275
What was
the color of his down suit?
1301
01:21:51,276 --> 01:21:53,347
Red and black.
1302
01:21:56,267 --> 01:22:01,148
When they said,
then I think that could be Ger.
1303
01:22:29,193 --> 01:22:31,880
I don't know who is the person
rolling down.
1304
01:22:31,881 --> 01:22:36,744
Then I reach there,
and I saw two Korean body
1305
01:22:36,745 --> 01:22:42,600
is ten meters far
from two other Sherpas' body.
1306
01:22:42,601 --> 01:22:48,142
I know the rucksack
and boots and down suit.
1307
01:23:49,829 --> 01:23:51,364
Everybody wants to survive...
1308
01:23:51,365 --> 01:23:54,340
doesn't matter if you have
a child or... or a wife at home.
1309
01:23:54,341 --> 01:23:56,995
Yeah, there was
the last moment I saw Gerard
1310
01:23:56,996 --> 01:23:58,627
and these other Koreans,
1311
01:23:58,628 --> 01:24:00,733
but I don't know
what happened with them.
1312
01:24:02,052 --> 01:24:05,315
Why are... me surviving?
1313
01:24:05,316 --> 01:24:08,899
Yeah, it's... it's just a matter
of... of stupid...
1314
01:24:08,900 --> 01:24:11,042
yeah, be unlucky
on the wrong time
1315
01:24:11,043 --> 01:24:12,818
and the wrong place.
1316
01:24:16,835 --> 01:24:18,850
Wilco, our expedition leader,
1317
01:24:18,851 --> 01:24:22,178
is back up with the helicopter
because he's frozen his feet.
1318
01:24:22,179 --> 01:24:24,354
And there's a second helicopter
for Marco.
1319
01:24:24,355 --> 01:24:26,978
He froze his hands really badly,
1320
01:24:26,979 --> 01:24:29,687
so he can't use his hands
to get the ropes anymore.
1321
01:24:38,146 --> 01:24:39,841
Helicopter carries
the last survivor
1322
01:24:39,842 --> 01:24:41,185
of a doomed mission to climb
1323
01:24:41,186 --> 01:24:43,936
one of world's
most challenging mountains.
1324
01:24:43,937 --> 01:24:47,105
Italian Marco Confortola
was rescued from K2
1325
01:24:47,106 --> 01:24:48,865
nearly five days
after an avalanche
1326
01:24:48,866 --> 01:24:51,264
swept some climbers away
and stranded others.
1327
01:24:51,265 --> 01:24:53,152
And badly frostbitten
1328
01:24:53,153 --> 01:24:55,584
from trying to help
save others in the group.
1329
01:24:55,585 --> 01:24:58,368
Instinct, he says,
makes you want to do that.
1330
01:24:58,369 --> 01:24:59,808
Confortola says the expedition
1331
01:24:59,809 --> 01:25:02,943
was plagued by inexperience
and poor equipment.
1332
01:25:02,944 --> 01:25:05,951
He says some ropes and spikes
easily broke.
1333
01:25:05,952 --> 01:25:08,956
Different people
were saying different things.
1334
01:25:10,176 --> 01:25:12,063
There was a lot of confusion.
1335
01:25:12,064 --> 01:25:13,951
There was a lot of stories,
1336
01:25:13,952 --> 01:25:17,726
but the Marco story
became the story.
1337
01:25:17,727 --> 01:25:20,031
We were all prepared,
1338
01:25:20,032 --> 01:25:21,982
all alpine climbers.
1339
01:25:21,983 --> 01:25:26,782
We were people who knew
what we were doing,
1340
01:25:26,783 --> 01:25:29,662
but it was K2,
the most difficult of mountains.
1341
01:25:30,975 --> 01:25:34,889
This guy had had
a horrific experience up there.
1342
01:25:36,159 --> 01:25:39,800
He was in pretty bad shape,
both mentally and physically.
1343
01:25:41,406 --> 01:25:43,486
I said, "Look, I need to..."
1344
01:25:43,487 --> 01:25:45,341
"Find out for sure, you know,"
1345
01:25:45,342 --> 01:25:46,973
"what went down up here,
like, you know?"
1346
01:25:46,974 --> 01:25:48,976
"I have to go to Pakistan."
1347
01:25:57,430 --> 01:25:59,292
It was really frightening,
because we didn't know
1348
01:25:59,293 --> 01:26:00,252
what we were going in for.
1349
01:26:00,253 --> 01:26:03,772
And, I mean, I guess half of me
1350
01:26:03,773 --> 01:26:05,180
kind of still believed Ger
was alive,
1351
01:26:05,181 --> 01:26:07,612
and the other half
didn't believe it.
1352
01:26:07,613 --> 01:26:09,684
Following day,
we got to meet Wilco and Cas.
1353
01:26:13,532 --> 01:26:16,507
I'm sorry. I'm just hoping he's alive.
1354
01:26:16,508 --> 01:26:19,011
But he's saying he saw
Ger fall, and his story...
1355
01:26:20,444 --> 01:26:22,299
And in my heart, there's still hope.
1356
01:26:22,300 --> 01:26:24,507
- I know it's ridiculous.
- Yes, I understand.
1357
01:26:24,508 --> 01:26:27,098
- So he's-he is dead?
- Yes, for sure.
1358
01:26:27,099 --> 01:26:31,098
Absolutely, because that was
what Marco told us directly.
1359
01:26:31,099 --> 01:26:32,283
Wilco and Cas,
1360
01:26:32,284 --> 01:26:33,914
they were obviously nervous
1361
01:26:33,915 --> 01:26:38,105
because our brother
had died, you know,
1362
01:26:38,106 --> 01:26:39,546
and they were alive.
1363
01:26:39,547 --> 01:26:41,338
Why did we split up?
1364
01:26:41,339 --> 01:26:43,386
Why didn't we look
to each other?
1365
01:26:43,387 --> 01:26:45,945
The only explanation
is because we were too-
1366
01:26:45,946 --> 01:26:47,609
too long at high altitude.
1367
01:26:47,610 --> 01:26:50,265
Marco's account was,
he was sitting there with Ger,
1368
01:26:50,266 --> 01:26:52,313
and then there were three people
ahead of them.
1369
01:26:52,314 --> 01:26:54,585
And all of a sudden,
those people disappeared.
1370
01:26:54,586 --> 01:26:56,185
And so they took such a fright,
1371
01:26:56,186 --> 01:26:57,849
they decided,
"Let's just sit here
1372
01:26:57,850 --> 01:27:00,377
"and wait until daylight," right?
1373
01:27:00,378 --> 01:27:02,201
And then he says you came along,
1374
01:27:02,202 --> 01:27:03,449
but then... then...
1375
01:27:03,450 --> 01:27:05,048
No, no, no, that's not correct,
1376
01:27:05,049 --> 01:27:06,552
because we started together.
1377
01:27:06,553 --> 01:27:08,376
So you were all...
you bivouacked all together?
1378
01:27:08,377 --> 01:27:09,752
- Yeah.
- You never came along later?
1379
01:27:09,753 --> 01:27:10,840
No.
1380
01:27:10,841 --> 01:27:12,280
One thing that always took
hold in my head
1381
01:27:12,281 --> 01:27:14,744
and still does to this day
was...
1382
01:27:14,745 --> 01:27:16,024
how so many people
on the mountain
1383
01:27:16,025 --> 01:27:18,423
could have different stories
about the same event.
1384
01:27:18,424 --> 01:27:20,536
And then we come back
in the night,
1385
01:27:20,537 --> 01:27:22,904
and then after-
and then the next morning,
1386
01:27:22,905 --> 01:27:24,695
everything happens.
1387
01:27:24,696 --> 01:27:26,935
They had their information
1388
01:27:26,936 --> 01:27:30,007
about the little bit
Wilco could remember
1389
01:27:30,008 --> 01:27:32,855
and the little bit
Cas could remember
1390
01:27:32,856 --> 01:27:34,967
and what they heard
Marco could remember.
1391
01:27:34,968 --> 01:27:36,951
And they drew a map for us,
1392
01:27:36,952 --> 01:27:38,327
you know, the terrain
1393
01:27:38,328 --> 01:27:40,951
where they thought
things occurred.
1394
01:27:40,952 --> 01:27:43,479
Marco's a very emotional boy.
1395
01:27:43,480 --> 01:27:44,534
He's...
1396
01:27:44,535 --> 01:27:45,526
Yes, and he's totally...
1397
01:27:45,527 --> 01:27:49,304
He was... at the end of...
he was so tired.
1398
01:27:51,383 --> 01:27:53,718
They didn't know any more.
1399
01:27:53,719 --> 01:27:59,157
Cas and Wilco had been airlifted
off the mountain.
1400
01:27:59,158 --> 01:28:04,149
There was no debriefing
with the remainder of the team,
1401
01:28:04,150 --> 01:28:06,187
and they actually didn't know.
1402
01:28:08,118 --> 01:28:13,077
He was just getting
more and more confused.
1403
01:28:13,078 --> 01:28:14,133
We needed more.
1404
01:28:14,134 --> 01:28:15,253
You know what I mean?
1405
01:28:15,254 --> 01:28:17,556
It wasn't enough.
1406
01:28:17,557 --> 01:28:21,300
For some reason, we felt
we needed to talk to Pemba.
1407
01:28:24,212 --> 01:28:26,772
Marco had left
by the time we got there,
1408
01:28:26,773 --> 01:28:29,204
but Pemba
and the rest of the Norit team
1409
01:28:29,205 --> 01:28:32,311
were hiking out,
and that takes two days.
1410
01:28:33,268 --> 01:28:35,123
Also, mentally,
psychologically,
1411
01:28:35,124 --> 01:28:38,291
Marco was almost mad.
1412
01:28:38,292 --> 01:28:39,283
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
1413
01:28:39,284 --> 01:28:43,283
Because when I trying
to give oxygen,
1414
01:28:43,284 --> 01:28:46,002
he's angry with me.
1415
01:28:46,003 --> 01:28:48,210
"Why you came here
to pick up me?"
1416
01:28:48,211 --> 01:28:50,931
He is always talking
negative, negative,
1417
01:28:50,932 --> 01:28:52,339
always crying.
1418
01:28:52,340 --> 01:28:54,482
And he's saying,
1419
01:28:54,483 --> 01:28:55,506
"You fucking guys,"
1420
01:28:55,507 --> 01:28:58,354
"why you come here
to pick up me?"
1421
01:28:58,355 --> 01:28:59,473
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
1422
01:28:59,474 --> 01:29:00,689
- That is...
- Not very understanding.
1423
01:29:00,690 --> 01:29:02,465
- We say a head case.
- Yeah.
1424
01:29:04,274 --> 01:29:06,545
By the time Pemba
got to Islamabad,
1425
01:29:06,546 --> 01:29:07,665
Marco was gone,
1426
01:29:07,666 --> 01:29:10,801
and all the major news people
left too.
1427
01:29:10,802 --> 01:29:11,921
It never occurred to them
1428
01:29:11,922 --> 01:29:14,865
that maybe he'd have something
to say.
1429
01:29:14,866 --> 01:29:17,008
What happened on K2,
1430
01:29:17,009 --> 01:29:18,545
the story of the rescue,
1431
01:29:18,546 --> 01:29:24,369
is that I tried
for three or four hours
1432
01:29:24,370 --> 01:29:26,960
to give help to those boys.
1433
01:29:26,961 --> 01:29:30,992
It's something that just came
1434
01:29:30,993 --> 01:29:36,080
from my heart.
1435
01:29:36,081 --> 01:29:41,231
It was after that
that I paid the consequences.
1436
01:29:41,232 --> 01:29:42,927
What Marco did on the mountain...
1437
01:29:42,928 --> 01:29:44,143
nobody can take that
away from him.
1438
01:29:44,144 --> 01:29:45,455
He was a hero on the mountain.
1439
01:29:45,456 --> 01:29:46,703
I mean, the family always-
to this day,
1440
01:29:46,704 --> 01:29:48,239
the family have said,
"Marco did what he could do."
1441
01:29:48,240 --> 01:29:49,240
"He was a hero."
1442
01:29:51,952 --> 01:29:53,711
But the stories
were changing from Marco
1443
01:29:53,712 --> 01:29:56,270
from what he
originally came outwith.
1444
01:29:56,271 --> 01:29:57,967
He said
that Ger was always ahead,
1445
01:29:57,968 --> 01:30:00,270
that Ger abandoned him.
1446
01:30:00,271 --> 01:30:03,377
Within a day or two, the stories
were-were rife in the papers.
1447
01:30:09,327 --> 01:30:11,918
Marco was
the last living witness
1448
01:30:11,919 --> 01:30:13,486
to have seen Ger.
1449
01:30:13,487 --> 01:30:15,885
So for to hear these stories
that Ger was always ahead,
1450
01:30:15,886 --> 01:30:17,549
he was hallucinating,
1451
01:30:17,550 --> 01:30:20,301
his body was splattered
all over the mountain-
1452
01:30:20,302 --> 01:30:21,781
this was heartbreaking
for us, like.
1453
01:30:24,622 --> 01:30:26,285
He changed his story
several times,
1454
01:30:26,286 --> 01:30:32,100
which certainly didn't help
make things clear.
1455
01:30:33,869 --> 01:30:38,412
And... and, you know, his story
had a lot of clout
1456
01:30:38,413 --> 01:30:41,068
because everyone else was gone,
1457
01:30:41,069 --> 01:30:43,212
everyone else had perished.
1458
01:30:43,213 --> 01:30:46,316
So you can say
whatever you want.
1459
01:30:46,317 --> 01:30:51,851
There's no one there
to contradict what you say,
1460
01:30:51,852 --> 01:30:52,887
except for Pemba.
1461
01:30:54,828 --> 01:30:57,131
See, all we have is a story
to cling onto,
1462
01:30:57,132 --> 01:30:59,051
and-and now all the stories
are different.
1463
01:30:59,052 --> 01:31:01,515
And it's very hard, do you know?
1464
01:31:01,516 --> 01:31:03,050
Every story's different,
1465
01:31:03,051 --> 01:31:04,043
and that's all we have.
1466
01:31:04,044 --> 01:31:05,546
We've no body.
1467
01:31:05,547 --> 01:31:06,858
But why we are asking...
1468
01:31:06,859 --> 01:31:09,706
because now I,
what your story says
1469
01:31:09,707 --> 01:31:12,490
is that you were
a little bit lower
1470
01:31:12,491 --> 01:31:14,282
than the body of Gerard, so...
1471
01:31:14,283 --> 01:31:17,738
Two fresh Sherpas
forcing by Korean leader
1472
01:31:17,739 --> 01:31:19,785
reach Korean,
1473
01:31:19,786 --> 01:31:23,977
just top section of the couloir.
1474
01:31:23,978 --> 01:31:27,817
And then they
are descending together.
1475
01:31:27,818 --> 01:31:29,481
I thought
they were already dead,
1476
01:31:29,482 --> 01:31:30,569
the three who were hanging,
1477
01:31:30,570 --> 01:31:32,009
but probably
they had been moving then.
1478
01:31:32,010 --> 01:31:36,841
Yeah, then same time,
1479
01:31:36,842 --> 01:31:39,305
three, four times,
the serac fell down.
1480
01:31:39,306 --> 01:31:40,456
Multi times serac...
1481
01:31:40,457 --> 01:31:42,761
Pemba was the missing piece
of the jigsaw.
1482
01:31:42,762 --> 01:31:44,969
He held the key
to a lot of people's questions.
1483
01:31:46,697 --> 01:31:49,864
Ger had given his camera
to Pemba at the summit,
1484
01:31:49,865 --> 01:31:52,936
so Pemba had (Bar's camera
coming down and all.
1485
01:31:52,937 --> 01:31:55,611
And he continued to take
pictures of what was happening.
1486
01:32:00,008 --> 01:32:01,415
It was obvious, then,
why Ger refused
1487
01:32:01,416 --> 01:32:02,791
to come down the mountain.
1488
01:32:02,792 --> 01:32:03,964
There was people in trouble.
1489
01:32:05,736 --> 01:32:08,103
Ger was never going to,
1490
01:32:08,104 --> 01:32:09,384
never going to leave them after.
1491
01:32:12,136 --> 01:32:15,910
It would have destroyed him
to just leave the Koreans.
1492
01:32:15,911 --> 01:32:17,255
It would have ate away,
1493
01:32:17,256 --> 01:32:23,400
and it would've haunted him day
and night, I think.
1494
01:32:25,319 --> 01:32:28,006
At first, we weren't told
that Ger had gone back up.
1495
01:32:28,007 --> 01:32:30,009
That came out
a little bit later.
1496
01:32:35,366 --> 01:32:37,125
When we met,
Pemba knew something
1497
01:32:37,126 --> 01:32:40,069
that we didn't know
at that point-
1498
01:32:40,070 --> 01:32:42,629
that second radio call.
1499
01:32:42,630 --> 01:32:43,877
Go ahead, Pasang.
1500
01:32:43,878 --> 01:32:47,758
I am here with the Korean team.
1501
01:32:48,934 --> 01:32:51,813
They met the Koreans
at the top of the bottleneck.
1502
01:32:55,237 --> 01:32:58,851
That means they traveled
from where they were stuck,
1503
01:32:58,852 --> 01:33:01,162
all the way across the traverse.
1504
01:33:03,525 --> 01:33:04,836
Ger freed them.
1505
01:33:04,837 --> 01:33:06,976
There was no one else
there to do it.
1506
01:33:10,500 --> 01:33:11,715
In our own team,
1507
01:33:11,716 --> 01:33:13,987
we would have done everything
for each other.
1508
01:33:13,988 --> 01:33:15,299
But what did Gerard-
1509
01:33:15,300 --> 01:33:17,155
not only in his own team...
he... he...
1510
01:33:17,156 --> 01:33:18,914
he fight for his life
1511
01:33:18,915 --> 01:33:21,418
and even for the life
of the Koreans.
1512
01:33:25,187 --> 01:33:27,458
Had they made it down
to Camp Four safely,
1513
01:33:27,459 --> 01:33:30,498
it would be
one of the most amazing stories
1514
01:33:30,499 --> 01:33:33,826
in mountaineering history,
you know?
1515
01:33:33,827 --> 01:33:36,514
But instead,
because they got hit by ice,
1516
01:33:36,515 --> 01:33:37,505
it's a tragedy,
1517
01:33:37,506 --> 01:33:39,543
and then it
becomes a controversy.
1518
01:33:48,130 --> 01:33:51,600
Ger was true to his nature
to the very end.
1519
01:33:53,186 --> 01:33:54,790
That's who he-
that's who he was.
1520
01:34:15,360 --> 01:34:17,856
If it takes 100 years,
1521
01:34:17,857 --> 01:34:19,839
the truth
will have to be recognized
1522
01:34:19,840 --> 01:34:24,186
by those to Whom the verdict
of history belongs.
1523
01:34:26,016 --> 01:34:28,447
Oftentimes,
when somebody does lose a life,
1524
01:34:28,448 --> 01:34:32,286
what went down is held,
you know,
1525
01:34:32,287 --> 01:34:33,983
up under the microscope.
1526
01:34:33,984 --> 01:34:35,774
And some people might say,
"They should have done this,
1527
01:34:35,775 --> 01:34:38,366
and they
shouldn't have done that."
1528
01:34:38,367 --> 01:34:40,126
Just because you survive
the mountain
1529
01:34:40,127 --> 01:34:41,822
doesn't make you an expert,
and it doesn't-
1530
01:34:41,823 --> 01:34:44,286
I don't think that it
gives you any right to-
1531
01:34:44,287 --> 01:34:46,365
to say that somebody
made a mistake, you know,
1532
01:34:46,366 --> 01:34:47,646
because you just-
you know,
1533
01:34:47,647 --> 01:34:50,557
when you Weren't there,
you don't know.
1534
01:34:50,558 --> 01:34:53,903
Only the mountain knows.
1535
01:34:53,953 --> 01:34:58,503
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