K2's Dark Secret: You're on Your Own Up There! 

I agree, 100%. He should not have been allowed up K2 with his lack of experience. That said, I understand and respect Mr. Hassan’s drive to provide for his family in these very tough times. Rest in peace, Mr. Hassan.

Zero high altitude experience, on the most dangerous spot on any mountain anywhere in the world? What? Nobody can help him in that spot on the bottleneck, what a disaster, so sad.

No one without experience should be allowed up the mountain.

For me, nothing would be more important than helping another human being. My brain wouldn't allow me to just step over him, and continue on. I'm not judging others, that's my brain. I'm what people would call, a highly sensitive person but, there's way more to it than that. This story is just heartbreaking for many reasons. His family deserve all the love and support and I hope it continues. Hopefully, one day, no one will have to jeopardize their life to care for their family.

I don't know if I will ever get it in my brain that the Mt Everest model of commercialization has been put in practice for other 8K peaks. Especially the harder ones that were the domain of the very best of the best climbers in the world. Like K2.. ESPECIALLY K2!!

The 1st step has to be workers' safety. Companies must be responsible for training, proper equipment and meeting safety standards. This would require a trustworthy, fair, and active government regulatory body. The wealth disparity between the paying clients and workers will not be solved by climbers. Climbers can impact the companies by holding them to the highest standards and treating their support teams fairly.

I think many "bucket list" climbers have non or very little interest in/knowledge of how they affect the locals and their living situations/standards. Fast in and faster out... Some sort of regement for climbing business has to be put down in order to keep all risks at a level of acceptance for both locals and climbers. Accidents will still always happens but hopefully not due to pure stupidity or lack of respect for human lives.

And here's a point that I don't think has been made yet, but I'm sure it would have occurred to everyone eventually.. the high altitude Pakistani porter with actually zero high altitude experience.. somehow, someway, got himself damn near the top of freaking K2!! Where he collapsed is the traverse underneath the great serac!! Above the dang bottleneck and just before the final summit snow slope!! If it wasn't such a ugly incident because of everyone else in the vicinity basically not caring about anyone else but themselves.. that would be considered an incredible achievement even more than Dudley Wolfe!!

Thank you for bringing this to attention. Proper discussion on where mountaineering is going.

very well explained! Thank you! I also think that it's not that easy. It's just easy to judge from home on the sofa....

I feel your pain and your concern. As a self-made Monk I have see that the life that was lost was due to greed; a scenario where one would take a chance to gain something, like money. If this were a drug we would care little, but it was for making a one's life better. We all do it. The temptation is greater than one would expect. This man took his chance and cared only for monetary gain. He lost, BUT, people had to see it, and worse yet, had to step over him. How many bank robbers would simply step over the dead on the way out? How many people would step over their own dead to kill their enemies? What needs to be regulated here are the rich people's ability to TEMPT innocent people into risking their lives. Rich people could care less about whether you die or not. They just want their lunch on the moon and a picture on top of Everest. Why aren't people allowed to boycott or fine these selfish primate-minded scum?

Again...great video, thoughtful perspective as usual. It's sad that you have to deal with trolls while trying to educate. On a different level, we are seeing people in Nepal take Jeeps on treks as high as possible, "completing" a 3 week trek in 4 days. Sickening.

Im of the opinion if i went i there and got into trouble then its on me , i dont want anyone risking there life for me. I know what i was going into and its on me not on the people passing me by

Great video. It is for sure sad the amount the Sherpas get paid as they work so hard. We believe it’s the responsibility of the climber to know how far they can push their own bodies. Very interesting subject.

Thanks, Thom. This is a heartbreaker. Glad that Wilhelm is doing the best possible thing a man can do in such a situation.

She summed it up pretty well (to paraphrase): "Should the rope fixing team have turned around, told everyone the summit push is over, and instead help this guy in need. But a lot of people paid to get to the top..."

What a great man you are! Spread the kind words. There are pilots, that when faced with death, and against orders, they flew to White Is in search of survivors. The Island is an active volcano. The risks real and more obvious to an untrained eye. I doubt these pilots, men, call themselves heros and do believe, they would've found life more difficult if not for trying to save life given the opportunity. Would you choose to summit over the life of another, and would you tell that tale with pride for your remaining life? Train. The self sacrificing will of this man that perished could've trained and become well equipped through employment in removal of rubbish...perhaps...just a thought for those that wish to gain funds and experience. My thoughts, often unkind and out of perspective, knows to keep trying, is progress.

I always enjoy watching your posts so let me thank you for this one! You already know I love this journalist, and always enjoy and respect her point of view. I don't know what should've been done about Mr Hassan before he climbed the mountain - maybe outfit him with suitable down clothing and given him some sort of training to say the least. I realize there is mention of not allowing anyone high on the mountain without high altitude experience. How do you get experience if you are not allowed to climb beyond base camp? One more thing, I have such a mix of strange feelings when I see these extremely long lines of climbers on not only K2, but Everest, and I'm sure other peaks as well. I feel embarrassment and a bit of shame and don't know why. Maybe it's because lives have been lost, or maybe summiting seems to be losing its specialness.

After watching videos about this topic, I think the climbing ‘industry’ must add a fee to the paying customers that covers the cost of staffed rescue climbers with medical, oxygen and skills to assist those who may still be saved if helped down. On the big ones like Everest and K2 this insurance policy would save lives. It should simply be part of cost of a paid expedition.

❤ what a great channel!

We all make decisions throughout life, some have wonderful results, some, not so much.

20$ a day??? To porter up k2… jfc….

This story just speaks volumes about the type of person who would be interested in climbing k2 or everest

Here’s the thing. The first high mountain expeditions were by enthusiasts ( albeit amateur) who dedicated their lives to exploration. They were teams of like minded individuals venturing into the unknown, supporting each other and experiencing national pride ( as they were usually from the same nation) when one of their own succeeded- knowing that not all could. NOW we have individuals on an ego trip spending fortunes in the expectation of being hauled up a mountain. Their only goal is their own summit and stuff everyone else. And you wonder why there is a problem.

Hi I read somewhere that you need around 10 years experience to tackle k2 with expertise in rock and ice climbing, seems extraordinary he was able to get up there or have they bastardised the black pyramid with ladders etc so tourists can do it? It used to be the purists mountain, maybe someone can elaborate?

Did he say $20 a day?!? For the high altitude porters? That's unconscionable. Those people risk their lives every time they go up there.

$3/day and $20/day is ridiculous.

The real tragedy is that the workers putting their lives on the line get paid less than a McDonalds worker in USSA

Sorry I'm a little confused in the video: K2's Dark Truth: Have Mountaineers Lost Their Soul?, it seems like this story is presented in a way very differently then in this video and: in Her Own Words | Kristin Harila's CHILLING Encounter on K2. In the, K2's Dark Truth: Have Mountaineers Lost Their Soul, video Will Steindi says for example: "and you could see all those people stepping over him and heading to the summit and um actually actually in this situation you have to start a rescue mission at this point so you need to bring it down as fast as possible because otherwise there's no change just a chance to to save his life it's not possible you cannot think um I will give him oxygen I give him one water or something like that and I just leave him there no you just need to bring him down at this moment and he was still leaving so we were really shocked because of those pictures that nobody they started to to bring him down and it's easy that it's not easy but it's possible to bring him down his situation so actually that was the thing why we were so shocked in this moment". From the video it seemed like Will Steindi is an expert high altitude climber, so I guess I'm confused why he thought it was so clearly possible to bring Hassan down compared to the comments in the other videos? Will seemed to be very aware of the location of Hassan body, his lack of previous experience...but was resolute in condemning what happened and that a rescue mission should have happened. Would it be possible to have Will back on?

$3 a day? It’s actually awful that wealthy tourists are putting peoples lives at risk like this for such little pay. Literally less than a cup of coffee. Thats got to change!

Thanks

It’s really too bad that in a world with such a surplus of food, water, medicine, etc. that people still get paid pennies to legitimately risk their life. Yay humanity!

Its seems like mountaineers have lost the ethics they had and I would like a moratorium on climbing K2 and Everest to give the spirits of the mountains a rest and make summiting special again .. but limited numbers .. paying more to all the porters and sherpas that take their lives in their hands for their families

Have you any news on messner getting stripped of two climbs as they are now saying he didn't reach the true summit..very sad after all this time

I realize the locals depend on climbers for their living, but there should be stringent regulations and a moratorium of 4 years before ascending resumes.

100 people on K2? Isn't climbing it a much more difficult climb which requires a lot of experience? If so and its going to get crowded, better lay two lines. One going up and another next to it with stretchers that can slide slowly down. They will need it.

Keep seeing all sorts of blame for this incident but, nobody seems to be talking about what team/expedition he was with. Instead of picking on the more notable “names” on the mountain that day, who were the climbers/sherpas he was with? What did they do to help him or advise him not to climb so high? Which company was he working for? Should they be fined or even not allowed on the mountain anymore?

I think it’s a travesty what the porters and Sherpas get paid! That should be regulated. So sad😔

It's sad that climbers can step over or walk past an injured or dying climber. It's tragic that a successful summit has more importance and meaning than saving a life does. This is extremely disturbing to me. Even if they can't save their lives how can they let them suffer and die alone? I would rather people say of me" She was a compassionate mountain climber that cared for others" than say "she summited the mountain". I live by"what I can do for others, not what I can do for myself". All the while enjoying every activity I choose to participate in. You can have both.

While I agree that Mohammad should not have been allowed to climb that high, I think that the attempt to rescue him should have been made. If rescuing him was impossible, it was still immoral to step over his body, especially while he was still alive. I remember stories of other climbers that have either attempted a rescue or abandoned their summit push when they encountered someone lost and dying in the death zone. I remember stories of the climbers who honored every single member of their own team and even competing teams who died in an attempt to reach a peak. These stories are from decades ago though. But now all that is needed to justify stepping over someone is to say that the one in need of help had no business being there in the first place, that they were poorly educated, and so on. Clearly, times have changed, and not for the better.

❤ ya Thom. For the algorithm

Very disgusting. The way described that was really worrying in my opinion. She basically said nobody wanted to ''waste'' the money they had invested to save this mans life and that in of itself is EXACTLY what the public was upset about and EXACTLY what ended up happening so nothing changed about the story! If you're so cought up in your money and good diner table story adventure that you're unwilling to save another human's life then you are EXACTLY the type of person that was criticized over this story by the public. No if ands or buts All the people that walked past him right then and there declared in front of rolling cameras for the entire world to see what the price of a human life is FOR THESE CLIMBERS... What's the K2 attempt cost? 10k ? 20k? All those people said that this mans life is worth less than the total cost for a summit attempt. That's the statement we got from them. There is nothing you can say to change that. This incident demonstrated to the world exactly what type of person is looking to reach the peaks of these mountains and/or what this type of climb has become. It was obvious to me and many others for years what these types of people are actually like but now with this example we've got a 100% clear and undeniable demonstration of their nature. That's the only positive that came out of this. That the world now understands who these people are so the next time someone is trying to impress you by talking about their K2 attempt etc just walk away from that person. They've got nothing of value to add outside of their own perceived 'epic adventure' and self-aggrandizement. Talk to them about literally anything else and they'll have nothing to say. A vast majority of these climbers are empty, hallow shells of human beings that need to feel like they've acomplished something... something that would be IMPOSSIBLE for a good 98% of all these climbers WITHOUT the help of locals and modern tech. Todays summit attempts compared to what it once was are the equivalent of taking a dive in a swimming pool with full respirator/rebreather diving equipment on and calling it heroic. Take your mask off! Remove the tech and the local labor force. What are you? A dead man... in an environment, you couldn't survive for an hour on your own while the actual heroes... the locals... end up paying the price for these wealthy cretins but don't you worry... he's just a porter, a glorified pack mule so who cares if he dies... If you delete this then you're declaring your stance on the matter.

I wonder: Has the axe been laid at the base of the mountain climbing "Tree" by the actions of the climbers on K2 that day?

there is no moral dilemma. you help a struggling person or countinue your self absorbed narcissistic goal. I would prefer to save another human even if he is an economic slave

Very well off folk paying porters 'peanuts' to risk their lives, I suppose the poor wages have something to do with the lack of equipment, a nice down jacket would cost them a few months wages!

It's not just that they stepped over him, they never even tried to get help. He probably never would have been up there if anyone cared in the first place. Paying someone $3 a day on a trip that costs tens of thousands of dollars is proof that they never gave it a thought. He lost his life because of greedy people who didn't care. I don't know that they could have saved him, but they could have tried and they could have at least been there for him as he passed. You might not be able to help, but what you can do is do the right thing and nobody did. The privileged people have examined their behavior and decided to blame everyone besides the people who walked over him as he died and did absolutely nothing to help him.

A part of me wishes to have the founds. To pay Sherpas and other 8000 m peck workers. To say of the mountains. Because I feel that will slow down. All this people that don’t need to be in 8000m being there. And hopefully bring the 8000m back to the 70s,80s and 90s.

I assume that even if they had managed to lower him, he might have become disabled for life with his brain significantly erased by hypoxia. I do not know whether they have disability benefits in their country or not.

Everybody knows it's every man for himself up on those mountains, If you aren't prepared die alone up there you don't belong up there..period.. I would have stepped right over him as well

How did he become a porter when he had no experience?

Is it a Tragedy? Yes! Could it have been avoided? Completely by the realization that K2 is a Mountain for absolute Pro's and not for him. Was he talked into the climb/summit push by his Clients? Was he afraid to loose out on earning money? Probably, in the end he paid with his life.

I know if im ever laying injured and dying, i I want to have a big huge crowd of people standing around me gawping at me instead of just going about their damn business. Oh, wait, no, no i dont want that. Not at all.

You are looking tired. Take care of yourself.

I think they should outlaw any and all expedition companies. If you don’t have the skill set to summit on your own you shouldn’t be there. Period.

Commercial mountaineering has left a bad taste for everyone concerning mountain climbers. It used to be seen as a sport. And people working together to attain the most difficult goal. Almost heroic when I was a kid. Now, it's just seen as a wealthy ego pursuit. But I have to say, those wages are slave wages no matter how you frame it. Com' on pfffttt

The decision to climb over injured or deceased people is not a sudden moral dilemma faced in harsh conditions. People make that decision from the comfort of their warmest coziest chair, far in advance. I don't even climb, and even I know that there will be dead and injured on that mountain - everyone knows. It made me a little sick in the stomach to see a string of people like ants crawling their way up. They wouldn't treat a church this way, would they? The mountain is not replaceable, it is rare, and that poor porter was just trying to make a living in an economy that would make most Americans cry and run away to Russia given the choice. What we have to ask ourselves is what is the purpose of stepping over injured and dying people as if they weren't there? Ego, mostly. Or entirely. And what kind of person is good with that choice, and will put tens of thousands of dollars into it - instead of maybe using that money to start a charity. No one needed anyone at all to go up there and trash that pristine, holy mountain with human feces and oxygen tanks, garbage and the husks of the human dead. It serves no purpose. If you want to test your fortitude, be a single mom for 20 years. If you think the cold is a challenge, just be poor and live in Wisconsin. The only thing climbing a mountain earns you and this beautiful world we live on, is yourself patting yourself on the back.