1996 vs 2024: Climbing the South-East Ridge Route of Mount Everest 

Mitchell's video was the first for me to see that there's an actual rock wall at the South Summit; after 10 years of Everest interest.

This is why I'm glad I found your channel. I know nothing first hand of mountaineering - I live at sea level & have only climbed coastal mountain trails with boy scouts. That said I was super into the stories of Everest as a teen & to have an expert publish no-frills, no BS videos that are technical yet accessible to a layman is fantastic. You're one of the few youtubers who isn't just here to make money - it's clear you've got a story to share (or maybe set straight) Thank you! :)

Awesome video. Thank you for providing such educational and accurate info on your videos. Its very common for some channels to botch everything about Everest to bring in attention, but i heavily respect and enjoy your real, thoughtful approach. Keep it up!

This is a brilliant series. Thank you.

Micheal Ryan's summit video I've watched this three times now and it's certainly answered a lot. For one, looking at the sequence of transferring both a simple carabiner and a jamming carabiner around each anchor point does explain Rob Hall's statement that he didn't think his frozen hands could handle the fixed ropes. (It might also explain why Bruce Herrod died apparently tangled in the fixed ropes). Second, Michael mentions on the descent that his personal sherpa is hurrying him along, and even doing all the unclipping and clipping for him - there's a man who knows where things go wrong. Looking at the few seconds of them descending in that slippery slope that Neil wanted to avoid, I now agree that even with two incapacitated clients, Neil and Mike Groom should have been able to manage them (provided they had enough ropes, possible only Mike Groom had a rope?) As an aside here, Neil's choice was (obviously) correction - possibly- made with the agreement of Mike Groom and the two Sherpa who joined them, so was it more of a consensus decision? The final thing I agree with you on is the absurdity of Lobsang actually pulling Sandy up those steep parts. I have an alternative explanation, based on two things from Lene's book. I think he was simply keeping her with him so that he (and Scott) knew she would have the best chance of getting up to the summit, because, of all Scott's clients, Sandy would be the jewel in the crown because of her publicity connections. My basis for this conclusion comes from Lene's book . P123, on the climb to camp 3 Sandy feels ill and Lene slows to climb with her, subsequently P132 Scott uses her slow climb rate to say he no longer backs her plan to climb without O2. She is not pleased. Then, P144 Lene notices Scott and Neal are timing her and the others. So Scott is obviously working out who is in what sort of shape. Lobsang's apparent exhaustion at the balcony is therefore not due to his hauling somebody up the slope, it's because he has the extra gear for the "stunt", and as Lene has mentioned several times, he was already coughing and vomiting before even reaching camp 4.

Thank you, Michael

I just finished reading Into Thin Air and came across your videos. I'm loving each one, thanks for the great analysis. The book was indeed confusing to follow in terms of timeline, and I agree that JK wanted to come across as more experienced than he was and blamed others. Your videos show his true colors. I find he was jealous, especially of Boukreev and Pittman. In regards to the black square on the video, I noticed in other Everest videos this technique is used to hide dead bodies.

Great analysis. As always. It is important to note that no one could have foreseen in 1996 that this level of analysis and access to materials (pictures, video, data about the mountain) would be possible within 20~30 years. I am guessing there was less pressure to be "accurate" about telling a story.

I followed Ryan’s journey on Everest. I really enjoyed his journey and I loved how he shared it with us. 🇨🇦

Your videos are incredible thank you for another banger

If you watch Ryan's video he explains the black square is a dead climber on the fixed rope.

Sigh of relief knowing that you're back with another video. Was getting worried.

Thank you for the thorough comparisons! it is neat to learn how much more difficult it was not that long ago.

Thank you for continuing to bring truth to these peaks clouded with lies

TY Michael, another enjoyable & informative video!🙏🙏

Thank you, Michael. Another really interesting video.

Worth a re-watch! Great work.

Another great and interesting video. Thanks!

Another fascinating video. Thank you very much.

I wear my badge of honour knowing I’ve not contributed to the madness on that hill 👍, good video as always 🙏

continuing forensic destruction of Krak's narrative, has to be admired. Excellent as ever , MT . Had already watched the fab young Ryan's (and his super fit/fast sherpa) video. His descent video is even better than his ascent.👌👋

When I hear "upcoming video" it makes me happy as Larry

I cannot wrap my head around the idea of being on a snow covered mountain without an ice axe. Are there fixed ropes for the entire route now? One thing is for sure, there is no substitute for youth.

Mr. Tracy, I always appreciate your input on the '96 disaster that I lost my boss/brother from another mother Scott Fischer. The truth about Krakauer and Outside Magazine is that it was Scott who got Outside Magazine involved, I remember it was a rough day at the office of MM when Outside Mag. decided to go with AC instead of us. Further I'd enjoy if you take the time to point out how another putz (who spells his name funny, Thom) seems to be consistent pointing out that AC allocated 4 bottles per climber compared to MM allocating 3 bottles per climber which is backwards. The only reason I can come up with as to why people like Thom & Krakauer seemly like to beat down Scott and MM team is jealousy knowing they could never be half the man Scott was.

From what I remember from the video, the black square was covering a body Ryan passed.

The area in the video that is blacked out is to cover a dead body that is behind the person pictured.

In Ryan’s videos when there was a black square like that, there was a dead body, and he was very respectful and did not want to show it

The consequences of a weather forecasting failure will be devastating on these lines of unskilled climbers that are being guided into the death zone.

tracey is up like 20-0 against krakour...

Love your channel! You keep it real and tell the truth instead of glorifying krakkauer

Ok, it sometimes takes me several readings before I start to see something. I've been looking at the part where you point out on Ryan's shots the steep ice slope and above it the gentler detour that was "The Choice". In going through the sequence leading up to that I've come up against what to me is a major discrepancy. Lene and Klev are descending, reach Yasuko, and pass her. Behind them is Mike Groom who will arrive at the Balcony "With Yasuko" according to Beck Weathers (Left For Dead speech on the David Snow channel).Mike, Yasuko and Beck then start to descend, caught up with by Neil and his group. Klev and Lene are in front of Yasuko until they have descended the slippery slope, see lights to the left, and go across to find most of the rest of their team plus Yasuko, Beck and Mike. How did the others get ahead of them? Is "The Choice" a significantly faster route than the slope? It doesn't look so on the shots you pointed out because it's two sides of a triangle with the slippery slope being the hypoteneuse. Lene and Klev were sharing oxygen but if that slowed them that much, how come the others with partial incapacity still got down to the edge of the South Col ahead of them? How come neither Lene nor Klev saw Beck when they passed the Balcony? If they passed Yasuko than they must have passed Beck when they came to the balcony, unless they too go off-route?

Now I really curiou about why that climber was blacked out in the original video : )

Was the comment about Krakauer not liking that Sandy Pittman was taller just a crack about Krakauer's height? If there is not a clear basis for this claim, it comes off as petty, and thus undermines Tracy's credibility as an unbiased commentator. If there is a real basis for the comment that would somehow make the comment about height relevant, that's different story.

Did krakur tell the truth about anything?