The Climb

by Anatoli Boukreev

  Q: With no help, what do you do?

  A: I come back again to Pemba. “Pemba, do you have hot drink?” “I have hot drink.” “Where is oxygen?” He says, “I didn’t find oxygen.” “How you didn’t? I need oxygen, some bottles; clients need oxygen.” He said, “All bottles empty.” I tried to find oxygen also at this time. I hurry. I know somebody can die, and I hurry, hurry, hurry—check for bottle of oxygen—no I find—no. I go again inside of tents of our Sherpas. And I saw quiet. People just understood—maybe Anatoli wants us go out, but is dangerous—like quiet, stillness. And I say, “Lopsang, somebody need …”

  Q: Are you raising your voice with him?

  A: Yes, big strong wind outside, very cold, lots of problem come, and I upset with him in this situation.

  Q: What do you say to him?

  A: Nobody answer. Very quiet, like all people get collapse after hard work. I understand this very difficult.

  Boukreev, when he discovered that Pemba could not supply him with any oxygen, was incredulous, angry, impatient, and desperate to get to the lost clients. Fifteen canisters of Poisk had been left at Camp IV before the assault bid. He’d gotten three canisters earlier. Somewhere, he reasoned, there were more, but Pemba was saying, “No oxygen.”

  Q: So, you had no oxygen to take with you?

  A: Lene told me, maybe very bad situation with Sandy—you need hurry. Now I lose lots of time to try to find support of somebody who can help me. And now I didn’t have oxygen, I have just my mask and reductor. And inside of [Mountain Madness Sherpa] tent, nobody speak with me. And I saw Lopsang, and I saw he used oxygen. And for me this is little upset and I saw he used oxygen and he said many time, “I don’t need oxygen,” and just I take off his mask and get his bottle of oxygen. And I say, “I need this oxygen,” and take this oxygen.

  Q: You took his oxygen?

  A: Yes, everything, and put in my pack.

  Q: Did he try to get it back?

  A: No, not answer. He just was very quiet. He don’t like. I say, “Somebody need help and we need carry somebody.” I was very hurried, just very fast. I get oxygen, I know I have some oxygen, I have some tea, and I have this oxygen together with mask, reductor, I didn’t—I know, just off, and I think maybe I need hurry very soon—fifteen minutes, I try to find Sandy—what is happening with Sandy. And just I take this and I understand if I will try again to find support. And I run out. I get strong wind, no visibility, I begin keep my direction and go out.

  Q: So, you get the oxygen off Lopsang, you have the tea from Pemba, and you head out. So how do you decide which way?

  A: People say, not go to up. And I understand this. Actually, I remember what is—how it is South Col, plan of South Col. And I didn’t get crampon, because I was very hurried and people said you don’t need go up. I leave camp, just little walk, and just go direction from wind, I keep this direction and I cross the South Col, and I didn’t see—I cannot see nothing, just my headlamp little bit just through white. And this is—I don’t know, maybe fifteen minutes already. I was fifteen minutes, I saw watch, it is like began like fifteen minutes past one or twenty minutes past one. Now I began just saw this watch because I began work, I began hurry. And I get fifteen minutes, just begin recognize just this big rock. And then after this rock began small part from right side and go down to Kangshung Face. And maybe thirty meters before, from this big rock, small rocks, and I didn’t see nothing. And I didn’t see nobody. I try go up, but without crampon, impossible. I think maybe I need little go up. And I think maybe these people get mistake. And I came back to camp.

  Boukreev, walking with the wind to his back, had headed in the direction he thought Gammelgaard and Schoening had directed him, but in the elapsed time they said the trip would require, he had found no one. Thinking that Gammelgaard and Schoening had been mistaken in the description of where he could find the dogpile, he had headed in a direction that led him up the mountain. The route was too steep to be negotiated without crampons, and Boukreev returned to Camp IV, steering directly into the wind and blowing snow.

  Q: Did you go to Lene and Klev again?

  A: Yes, I look in the tent, I spoke with Lene and Klev. I said, “I didn’t find nobody. Where is? I need maybe go up.” People said, no. But I said I cross already—nobody, just rock finish—and people say probably you need to go down little bit. I said, “Okay, maybe it is small mistake, maybe I need go down little bit.” I said, “Okay, I will try.”

  Q: Did you go back to the Sherpas’ tent at that point?

  A: It is probably all together like before two o’clock, the time now—before two o’clock. And I go out from my tent and I go inside of Neal’s tent and spoke with Neal. Neal began just little speak. And he also talk me about Kangshung Face and how he go down. But when I saw Neal, I didn’t ask about can you help me. For me, it is exactly—it is look like—like, I didn’t ask Klev because Klev come and Klev cannot able, but I saw Neal and I saw his face. He just get terrible time and just frozen and shaking and just inside of tent he was very poor.

  Q: Did he ask you about Scott, or did you ask him about Scott?

  A: He didn’t talk. He didn’t talk nothing about Scott. I understand situation. I already understand. I try to find about various people—where is Sandy, her situation. And again then I go to tent of Sherpas. It is there quiet. Sherpas like clients get collapse. All Sherpas inside. And I go outside again for another tent, for Rob Hall expedition.

  Q: So you looked in the Sherpas’ tent, and everybody’s out of it?

  A: Out. And no possible. I saw the situation. I go again inside of Sherpas’ tent from Rob Hall expedition and I ask somebody can help me. I said, “You need to go out together with me.” This Sherpa try he say maybe to go out, and saw weather, and he said, “Okay.” I saw he get out his pack. I said, “Okay, I go in my tent and I waited you.” Maybe five minutes he will be ready. And then I go inside of my tent with Lene and Klev tent and little keep myself from wind and waited five minutes—nobody came. And then I just open my tent and try to go out—I saw the Sherpa come. And he said, “Actually, I don’t like go out together with you because this situation, no other Sherpa go together with me, and also I don’t like situation.” I say, “Why you don’t like?” He say, “No one other Sherpa come. Why I need go to risk? Just me and no one ready go together with me.” I cannot say who is this Rob Hall Sherpa, but some Sherpa. And when I heard this, I understand. Again I run out, take my oxygen, and try to go out to find these people.

  Q: Did you try to find more oxygen or did you still have just the one canister you got from Lopsang?

  A: No. This is situation. Was very hurry. When next time I get close to same place, think, I saw some lamp, maybe Tim make this lamp. And I saw somebody make this light from headlamp. This is maybe after two o’clock. And I found the people. Very close together. I come and I say, “How are you?” and people was very slow, not able, just frozen voice, just very slow, somebody like Tim, very slow. Charlotte, she didn’t able talk.

  Returning to the same area that he had searched before, but staying on “the flat” and scanning the landscape, Boukreev spotted Tim Madsen’s headlamp approximately thirty yards from where, on his previous trip, he’d diverted up the mountain.

  Boukreev found Madsen, Pittman, and Fox huddled in a close circle; Yasuko Namba lying on the ground, appearing unconscious; Beck Weathers nowhere in sight. Tim Madsen has said that at some point Weathers had wandered away from the dogpile.

  Q: They’re on their feet or …?

  A: No, like sit down. Nobody, just like …

  Q: On their butts?

  A: The butts. But people have some packs and people sit down on them. And this situation—when I saw this situation, I take oxygen, I first time I open my tea …

  Q: You have one canister?

  A: I have one bottle of oxygen. I have one thermal bottle tea. And I give for tea, some cup. Charlotte, Sandy, and Tim. And then people drink tea. Just I saw the situation. I am one person
and this is three people, and I saw Yasuko very close, maybe two meters from people. And I put mask for face of Sandy.

  Q: Was Sandy talking at all?

  A: No, nothing.

  Q: How was she behaving?

  A: Just little bit, just she is frozen. Just Tim can little talk.

  Q: Making any noises, Sandy?

  A: She can little talk. Sandy—for me, it was very difficult talk. Strong wind, I am tired. I cannot remember exactly about—but people, just Tim say, “Where is another people?” I said, “Just I am alone. Nobody can able to help.” And just I have just one bottle of oxygen. And somebody can’t come together with me. Sandy couldn’t tell nothing. Charlotte, nothing, just frozen people. Very frozen, very small power. And Tim, very slow; he can little talk. I understand. And I understand these people not able without helping. I said, “Maybe somebody ready to go together with me.” And Charlotte said, “Yes, maybe I like go.” I said for Tim and Sandy, “Okay. This is one bottle of oxygen. You can share this oxygen. And, Charlotte, I take you.” After one minute I take my pack again and I take Charlotte and we begin walk. I have some crampons now, and very strong wind just directly on our face. Impossible to see—nothing, just—I tried to help for Charlotte to stay on her feet.

  Q: Was it hard for her to stand?

  A: Yes. Just she can able little walk, but without me, no way. Just for me, very hard. Every time I tried to make this—equilibrium.

  Q: Her balance?

  A: Her balance—keep this balance. But very strong wind. And I understand, without my hands she will fall exactly.

  Q: Your right arm around her?

  A: Yes. She get her other [left] hand above my shoulder.

  Q: She’s on your right side?

  A: Yes, and I hold to the left hand and we walk. And very strong wind for me. Actually I am frozen, she is frozen, she wasn’t able talk very much, but very slow, step by step we go. But it is four hundred meters and step by step. Sometimes we stand, if I understand this is good place for make some rest, because another place, if I saw some stone little bit, I put Charlotte—little sit down. Because from ground it is very difficult to help her stand up, but from stones it is possible. And little, maybe three, four times, we made this stopping. Then I began recognize this place, some garbage …

  Q: Some empty oxygen canisters?

  A: Yes, very old bottles. My crampon is hitting metal, I can feel, and I understand is very short distance for camp, probably two hundred meters.

  Q: Is Charlotte trying to talk at all during this time?

  A: No, no. She just talk little—just she say “too hard” or something. Very hard for her. It take long time, more than for me when I go, maybe forty-five minutes. She just robot, walk like robot, I think. Me, too. We cross the South Col and I saw some lamps inside of tents, Pemba probably …

  Q: No blinking lights?

  A: No. This is around three o’clock probably already. And when I get to camp, maybe it is around three o’clock. And I get her [Charlotte Fox] out of her crampon, harness, everything, and she crawl inside of Neal’s tent. And I ask Neal—he is much better; I saw the situation. He used oxygen, he just began grow up. And Neal, I said, “You need help for her.” And I take mask from his face, put for her face because just like robot I work. And now again for this situation, I go for Sherpas’ tent. This time I ask again every tents to help me. I tell I saw this Yasuko Namba …

  Q: You went again to Rob Hall’s and the Taiwanese tents?

  A: Yes, and I ask again. I go, just I need relax, I work very hard, and I use my time for little relax, for rest, go just one tent, another tent, and tried again to help. Because first time I was hurry. And then I ask some Sherpas of Rob Hall, I talk about Yasuko Namba, and I come back, I tried again talk with our Sherpas, with Pemba, with our Sherpas, very quiet, like collapse people, didn’t say nothing. And I go inside of tent, also opposite of my tent is Taiwan tent. I open some and ask—no, quiet. And then I go inside of tent. I was very tired. It is three o’clock. And also I ask Pemba, give some tea for Charlotte, and I waited some tea and Pemba bring more tea for Charlotte and Neal, and then he bring some tea for me.

  Q: Are Lene and Klev asleep now?

  A: Lene also drink little tea and I tell her about Charlotte and say, “Now, here’s Sandy used oxygen and I have now big problem with Yasuko Namba.” Somebody, like nobody help me. And it is very difficult for everybody. Also I have not oxygen. And now people have one bottle oxygen. Pemba couldn’t find, didn’t find, and I didn’t find oxygen.

  Q: Did you speak again with Pemba about oxygen?

  A: This is situation, just I waited little time—maybe somebody can be helping me—I checked all tent from Rob Hall’s and I waited. I was very tired and also I understand nobody can be responsible to help me. I go out again and I go inside of tents of our Sherpas; I took again just mask and some oxygen from another Sherpa, put in my pack, and run out for my clients. And when I get, it was around four o’clock probably. Maybe four-fifteen, four-ten. Just begin light. Because in five o’clock it started to get light. Five o’clock, possible to see, little bit.

  And I went out and I found these people, Tim and Sandy, and they used oxygen maybe one hour already, maybe one hour. And people spoke with me. Sandy began spoke with me. And I ask, “How are you?” And people said, “Okay.” And Sandy began talk with me and I understand. Now, it is much better for her.

  Q: What was she saying?

  A: I said, “How are you?” She said, “I am okay.” I said, “What is happening with Yasuko?” because it is two meters. And I didn’t ask people gave for her tea or people didn’t. It is for me what I had, what I carried, I gave for tea. I didn’t ask people gave her oxygen or tea because just one bottle, three people was together. And for me, this is very close situation. I will be very empty, without power. And for me, just I work like robot also. I take Sandy Pittman and same situation like Charlotte Fox.

  Q: You had another canister of O’s?

  A: I give this for Tim.

  Q: What did Tim say?

  A: He just took mask and nothing. Also this situation, also I have carried some second bottle of tea, I think. I have very little drink; I gave some drink and we begin start walk. And probably around five o’clock it is begin light. Just no impossible to say sun come, but it is begin light and around probably I think like four-forty, four-forty-five we come. I was very tired, empty, and had just help for Tim, for Sandy, go inside of tent, ask again tea. And then I need rest already. And I say, “Pemba, I wait tea for me,” and I go inside of my tent. Just I put Tim Madsen and Sandy inside of tent, help for people get out of crampons, like harness, everything, packs, help for people put inside of tent, closed, talked with Pemba, go inside of my tent, keep warm. Lene was near and she little talk about it. “Anatoli, you need rest. You need oxygen. Look for your face, you are very terrible.” I say to her, “Okay, don’t worry about me—what is happening now with Scott?” I think he get very difficult situation. Now all our clients in the tent, just without Scott. I think he have difficult situation. Now just problem with Scott. But I believe Scott is guide and maybe he can survive much better than these clients. And when Pemba come, we drink tea and I told Pemba now what is situation. Now I saw storm lose power and begin light. And we need send two Sherpas with oxygen to go up for Scott. And do you understand. And he say, “Yes, I understand.” I say, “Try to talk with Lopsang and two Sherpas—we need to send for help, for Scott with oxygen.” Try to find oxygen. I go inside of sleeping bag and drink little tea and just what I think about Scott—I understand this is problem, and I don’t remember much from there, like two hours I slept.

  Lene Gammelgaard, recalling Boukreev’s return to their tent after shepherding Pittman and guiding Madsen, who was able to move under his own power, said, “I think about five o’clock in the morning I wake up, and he’s back in, and it’s light, and again no words. He’s just sitting there and he’s absolutely empty. There’s nothing left in him. And I sort
of think, perceive, whatever, understand that he’s got Charlotte, Tim, and Sandy in, but I also have the feeling that he’s been out there and not been able to do anything for Yasuko and the other one [Weathers] who was sitting out there. At this point I didn’t know.”

  Mountain Madness Everest Expedition members and Sherpas, 1996. Expedition members, bottom row (left to right), Scott Fischer, Charlotte Fox, Lene Gammelgaard (directly behind Fox); top row (left to right), Neal Beidleman, Dale Kruse, Klev Schoening, Sandy Hill Pittman, Martin Adams, Anatoli Boukreev, Tim Madsen (farther right wearing Mt. Everest knit cap), and then Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa (wearing black baseball cap).

  (Photo courtesy Anatoli Boukreev)

  Mountain Madness Camp, Everest Base Camp.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Anatoli Boukreev, Everest, 1996.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Mountain Madness Expedition members in the Khumbu Icefall.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Mountain Madness Camp I.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Looking down the Western Cwm, Mountain Madness Camps I, II, and III as shown.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Camp II: Lene Gammelgaard (left) and Sandy Hill Pittman.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Camp II: Neal Beidleman (left) and Martin Adams.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Above Camp II, Neal Beidleman and Sandy Hill Pittman (trailing) encounter torso discovered by Boukreev.

  (Photo © Anatoli Boukreev)

  Camp III (left to right): Klev Schoening, Neal Beidleman, Scott Fischer.