www.michaelmatthewsfoundation... Michael Matthews (Mike) died in 1999 when descending from the summit of Mount Everest. Mike was much loved and is greatly missed - his name continues to be a force for good.
I’m always enthralled by the stories of people who spend tens of thousands of dollars to live out the final weeks of their lives dying a slow death of cerebral/pulmonary edema and frost bite.
It does sound crazy but I would love to see that "Top of the World" view. Although minus all that death defying stuff would be great. I've been 14,000 feet up just hiking and the view was amaze-balls for whatever that's worth.
It's best it they're living a life of perfect luxury and ease and lying between satin sheets when that clarion call to Himalayan Adventure first pricks their awareness....
When you have the expedition leader running around trying to hit clients over the head with an air tank it's a good sign the mission has gone off the rails.
Yea for real!! Just looking at the footage on a perfectly clear blue sky day seeing how narrow some of the route they follow is makes it truly Unbelievable knowing people have made it back to safety!! Some of the "route" is barely shoulder width apart and they say the winds in this storm and others were over 100 miles per hour!!!! How in the fu** is that possible??! LITERALLY asking HOW tf is that possible when trying to walk in 100mph winds on dry flat ground is virtually impossible!! Lmao I honestly don't understand that and most likely never will if I am to remain being honest with myself!! Lol
@@kevinkelly5569 its not stormy all the time...thats why summit windows are chosen with utmost care. There are a Lot of other 8000s which are exponentially more difficult to climb than Everest. Everest is most popular (because its highest) hence a Lot of people are attracted to it...in the last decade more inexperienced climbers. Hence the death toll is high...still it is just 4%. In comparison Annapurna and K2 has death toll of 29-30%. But lower number of deaths in comparison...as inexperienced climbers don't attempt them.
I am not a climber but from what I know trekking to Everest, that guide who took the responsibility to take Mike to the summit had complete responsibility to bring him back down. Mike Smith should have short roped Mike if he was leading him and never gone so far ahead he couldn't see him even in a storm. Mike Smith's behaviour was shameful. Rob Hall lost his life because he wouldn't leave his client even though he had completely collapsed.
Sure it does. Ed Viesturs, one of the U.S.'s best ever high altitude climbers definitely listened to his gut instincts while he was climbing, and if something felt even a bit off to him, he went down. Probably a good reason why he is still alive after summiting all fourteen 8000m peaks, plus quite a few others that were below 8000m, but still dangerous on their own. He never took any mountain for granted. The one time that he DIDN'T listen was kind of early in his career when he was climbing K2 with Scott Fischer (who died on Everest in 1996). His instincts were telling him that the route wasn't safe, but because Scott wanted to keep going, Ed ignored his gut, and sure enough, an avalanche broke lose right underneath them that somehow didn't kill either him or Scott. He said after that, no matter what, he would listen to his gut instincts and what the mountain was telling him.
@@JokersWild70 - Gut instinct is the life jacket we were all supplied with before birth. It's amazing how many people never act on it, never listen to it, completely disregard it. I think some (many?) of these Everest climbers are so determined to summit that they'd ignore a 9.0 quake on the Richter scale to continue climbing. I've always been fascinated by Everest but would chew my own leg off before I'd attempt it. The Michael Matthews situation is still so controversial after 20 years, with Everest News and many organizations fiercely defending the OTT group as having done nothing wrong, but the majority of the OTT team itself that year claiming that Michael was abandoned by his guide and left to a certain death on the mountain. I guess we'll never know the truth - the egos involved are far too large for any guilty party to stand up and admit what actually happened.
It takes more than courage to walk away and leave your client in a storm too. How is it that they were able to continue to operate on Everest, albeit with a different name? Why was there no inquiry into Michael's death? I KNOW that shit happens on the Mountain - but .. He was simply abandoned!
Bless the sherpas. That was very thoughtful of them to build Michael a memorial. Sad that his death could’ve been avoided, so many things went wrong that could go wrong. All that I’ve read and watched and researched about Everest climb is that if I were too attempt the climb, which I never would, I would most definitely listen to the sherpas. They know more than anyone.
If you want to see something sad but great to finish this story...Michael's brother went looking for his body and made a documentary about it. He meets a sherpa's family while he's there, the sherpa had also died on the mountain and his family were in a similar situation. The documentary was really great and the ending is a lovely tearjerker. It's on hulu if you have that. It's called Finding Michael
These guys all brag they've climbed Everest... meanwhile the Sherpas are climbing up and down continuously carrying all their bags and oxygen, setting up camps and fixing ropes/ladders, while guiding the men to the top 🤣🤣 all hail the brave Sherpas
I couldn’t say it any better- PERFECTLY STATED. The sherpas do all the grunt work and take all the risks, (whereas a climber might go up and, hopefully down, once) going up and down 20+ plus times per climb setting lines, carrying supplies, readying camps, etc.)
Worse is people actually didn't disclose that 2 the family. Supposedly they were "friends "... Luckily there was an annymous leaked and he spilled the beans.
@Definitely a George Soros funded bot Your username is hilarious!! I thought the issue was that they were Russian & American - made parts that didn't fit together properly? I didn't think the problem was with canisters made in Britain but with the bottles connecting to the rest of the apparatus.
When these people realized that they had paid a lot of money for a guided tour and the oxygen bottles were incompatible with the fittings, they should have gone down, gone to the office of the they guided tour company, and demanded their money back
Except there is no "office" to go to. They would have to telephone the company and try to get a refund... of course the company will refuse and say they are exaggerating.
COULD YOU BE LESS ORIGINAL WITH THE STUPID COMMENT? WE HAVE ALL HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES. TRY TO FIND SOMETHING ORIGINAL TO SAY. EVERYONE'S MOM & DAD HAS SAID THAT NOOB !
@@matthewcollins5344 You missed the keyword in that phrase...stupid. Play *stupid* games, win stupid prizes. And the vast majority of people with lives worth living did so without dying of exposure and hypoxia on a freezing mountainside. Many of them lived long lives...worth living. But I think this story falls well in the 'Darwin Award' category.
1. Poorly organized expedition 2. Faulty oxygen cylinders 3. Insubordinate climbers 4. Psychotic guide 5. Sherpa's advice overruled by guide 6. Terrible weather It's a wonder that there was only one fatality!
You're not far off, i think. But most likely a lot of expeditions have varying degrees of preparedness for the worst scenario. I bet if that storm hit all everest expeditions the number of deads would be double or triple or quadruple. But for this expedition a post expertise should be done to verify if mixing separate bottles and connectors from different manufacturers violated those manufacturers product term of use. And if it didn't then whether testing the operation of the composite bottles was sufficient well done for a life and death expedition. The dead young man disregarded the advice of the expedition's professional sherpa to turn back. It should be written in the contract that if any climber receive that word and refuses then no liability is assumed. The young man was already showing early signs of AS way before he even climbed the summit. Even without the storm it is questionable that he would have made it back down alive. But to answer these questions, the expertise on the bottles is crucial. If he had a faulty bottle adapter from the start then the blame is 100% that company or manufacturer.
@@micheladerry5681 I think that will never be known for sure without a post expertise is done on the composite oxygen bottles and adapters from separate manufacturers. It is unclear if that was violation of the products term of use and if not, then it's faulty product, and if so what's the responsibility for the expedition not to have tested the combination ahead of time. There is a serie of technical expertise work that needs to be done in this case to determine responsibilities.
jaelzion Insubordinate climbers, psychotic guide and sherpas advice being overruled by psychotic guide is the main reason Michael Matthews was left to die on that mountain. He was ordered to turn around, why was he told to advance by a guide that would not stay with him, at least to be able to definitively say what happened to him. The guide was simply careless and selfish.
@@k42uy4 Sherpas are not just porters my dear...they fix ladders, fix ropes, clear pathways, set up camp, cook sometimes, and take overall care. Is it possible for climbers without Sherpas ? Technically Yes...but only the best climbers in the world would ever have any chance...and that would also be exponentially more difficult to carry tents, food, gear, ropes, oxygen... adding 15+ kilos to their weight... The climb will be slow and more exhausting...and more O2 will be consumed. The death toll of the climbers, would rise exponentially as a result !
Balancing on ladders laid across crevasses, with crampons on my boots, would be enough to dissuade me from climbing Everest. Actually, the bill would be enough...
I believe you are partly right. The coming down to camp 4 part is when the weather is changing, and the "late comers" get the worst of it. Another part of the deadliness is getting through the night at camp 4 after coming down...I believe you are at your worst in terms of health.
The truth is always that at the summit you are ONLY 50% done with your climb. Climbing with ANYTHING else in mind is beyond irresponsible in the least.
Mike’s first mistake was not climbing Cho Oyu first, since it’s an easier technical 8k meter climb than Everest. He would have gained experience climbing in the death zone. Aconcagua is 6k meters and nowhere near the death zone. In fact, he’d have done better to climb Denali first, since it’s the tallest mountain on earth above sea level. Everest is the highest mountain. Google it. His second mistake was going against Tinker when they were ordered to come down. His third was not returning to base camp with the team. His body would have had time to build the red blood cells they needed to carry oxygen at altitude. His fourth mistake was not short roping with the guide who made it back. Were he clipped to him, he wouldn’t have wandered off. His fifth mistake was listening to Dave Rodney. Pride goes before destruction.
What these highly inexperienced climbers fail to realize is if you are lost or immobile in the death zone you will be left and no one will come to rescue you. That is the risk you take when you climb Everest, accept that or don’t climb.
Is this true? This should be on all magazine articles, and in the contract they sign with the company. How is this OK. £40,000 to possibly just be abandoned to death on an icy, lonely mountain. Not worth the risk. Just to say: oh yeah, I did that. Or not 🙄
@sassi7966 this is a very well known and accepted reality of the Himalayas. If someone is going to climb Himalayas they should be experienced enough to know this otherwise they have no business even being at base camp. It's not a Disney land ride for christ sake. It's a life risking activity where you're at the mercy of nature, biology & physics.
Gas man Gas man : I believe so too and not only that but every dead body in their way should be a warning to stop and go back canceling the expedition trip for good. This people are probably feeding their ego and look like they do not have something more important to do. Should be a law that prohibit this kind of propaganda trips. A Ban. no more expedition to this and any other dangerous zone in earth. Like the list of prohibited Island that we are not allow to go.
I think climbing mountains like The Matterhorn are the ideal way to challenge your love for mountain climbing with just enough hair-raising moments to keep you from being distracted or unable to stay sharp and alert and focused. I believe the often hellish conditions and uncomprimising demands on the human body on mountains lilke K2 and Everest are the product of ego and delusions of grandeur. Once everyone and their grandmother has climbed them the thrill of victory surely can't be as exciting as when you are the first to go where no one has gone before.
@@craigroberts1670 You are a walking contradiction. Stay safe and be grateful for all of these nice new outdoor layers we have today because of people who are brave. and crazy, enough to live there life outside their comfort zone.
I'm big on the process of making high quality decisions. There is a huge lesson to be learned from this story as a guide told Michael he should go to the summit while a Sherpa yelled he must go back down. Guides tend to have a daredevil mentality, while the Sherpa would likely have the mindset to make it back safely at the end of the climb because, the Sherpa are native to the region, they go on all the expeditions, and have family waiting at the bottom they absolutely want to see again. Furthermore, a client climber should put more weight in the directions from a Sherpa than guide when those directions differ in a deadly situation like climbing in the death zone.
I might edit that to say that a guide has not a "Daredevil Mentality" but rather a mentality that for self-promotion wants as many of his clients as possible to summit. It is good for his personal Public Relations.
The guide might have been suffering from high altitude impaired judgement but with the high altitude gene adaptation the sherpa did not and was yelling the right choice.
"Why should we have to go back down to come back up again because someone selfishly has a minor stroke? We paid to climb this mountain!" Spoken like a true entitled jerk! 🙄
@@MakerInMotion This "OTT" is/was a scam operation. Maybe not on purpose, but inept very much so. This "Nick" idiot - seen by eye witnesses chasing and screaming at a client. Never heard of that before. OTT should have been charged with criminal neglect. Hope they went out of business.
That's not entirely true especially if you end up the first person in your country to do so. Now if you are from America or UK for example, then yeah you are considered old news even if you summited 20 times.
I wouldn't ever climb Mount Everest because I know I'd never make it, so why would I even put my life in danger like that. Plus I could use the $40,000 for other better things than climbing a mountain.
A shocking tale of deceit and desertion! Out There Trekking (OTT) completely failed in its duty to provide and care for its clients. Leadership was insufficient, equipment was faulty, and guides abandoned clients. 1) Following the leader, Jonathan Tinker's stroke and departure from the mountain, there was insufficient leadership and planning. There was no group cohesion. Communication was non-existent. Organization was horrendous. First the replacement leader announced that the weather was too poor to ascend in the next 5 days. Then, he reversed his decision, sending climbers into -40 degree temperatures with 100mph winds. The most telling sign that the replacement leader was in over his head was the fact that he attempted to assault his client on the mountain! 2) The oxygen bottles were faulty. In an attempt to cut-costs, Tinker chose to purchase used, second-hand oxygen bottles. No fewer than 6 climbers reported having problems with the oxygen. If a climber's oxygen cuts out at 29,000 feet, it's a death sentence. 3) The guide, Mike Smith was derelict in his duty. His story that he simply went too fast and lost sight of his client is unacceptable. Obviously if his client had become incapacitated, the guide would have no responsibility to carry him down the mountain... but that's not what happened. The guide simply abandoned his client. While that's not exactly murder, it's damn close. Frankly, I don't believe the guide's story. I believe he fabricated parts of it to make himself seem less dastardly, and even his altered story sounds bad. If the guide's edited version of events sounds as bad as it did, I can't imagine what the true story was. Did he steal the climber's oxygen?
" ...And one rupee is too much!" That kind of tourist attitude makes me very angry. You have to remember that every single thing you use on the trek or buy on the trek, has been flown in by air to Lukla and carried by aching human back and porter all the way to where you enjoy it and that the location where you purchase it, whether it is a soft drink, tea, sugar or milk or rice and dahl has had to pay a lot of money to get it to you! You should have respect and not laugh about prices that come at such a human cost and with great human effort which you yourself are taking advantage of and could not bear that hardship yourself. It is unconscionable that you would try to bicker the price down lower when you have just paid $40,000 to be there at all! A king's ransom in Nepal! You are being disrespectful and culturally ignorant and insensitive, when you can see for yourself, because you are there, what it takes to supply the tourist trade. Let's have a little human kindness, respect, and support for people in Solu Khumbu who break their backs and ruin their legs and discs for you! It's almost slave labor. Show some kindness and understanding.
ybet1000 if you’ve been there, you more than most would understand that what that lady was saying was absolutely correct, and if more people had her attitude the world would be a better place
I’ve seen many natural beauties on this planet but the top of Mt Everest happily won’t be one of them and I’m quite content with that! RIP to all the lost souls on that mountain
Very sad. It's basically an expensive suicide. Same thing happened years ago to a Canadian woman, she went to the top but died on her way down after being told by sherpas that she shouldn't go. These documentaries are definitely eye opening, thanks for sharing.
Very good book by Jeffrey Archer about a man climbing Evert just letting you maybe share. Can't remember the name of the book but s brilliant men and a few women including me read and enjoyed
I want to watch films of them going DOWN, where 80% of injuries and deaths occur. Hey, if they are going to do something this stup...errrrrrrrr I mean dangerous, we want to see all of it
This was so very sad to watch, and must be devastating for Michael's family to see. This company had a responsibility, as did the climbers. The decision to stay at the camp against the instruction of the company is likely an important factor in the outcome. I can't quite fathom inexperienced climbers ignoring the instructions of the company responsible for guiding them in one of the most hostile places on earth, but this company had been a farce from day one so it's a lot easier to see how you'd come to that choice. It was clearly evident Michael was struggling when they returned to camp, and while they seemed to identify this, 'hoping' his natural strength would get him there is NOT the attitude to have on everest. He was clearly fatigued, and by the time they got back up to camp 3 clearly experiencing altitude sickness. The video they shoot inside their tent talking about how rough it was getting up there shows he is already short of breath at rest, and importantly, coughing. The company should have had experienced enough people to identify this and instruct people when it is no longer safe to continue, not leave the choice to a 22 year old, full of confidence, and with nowhere near the same understanding they should have of the risks of altitude sickness. I wouldn't be surprised if Michael made it to the top, and compounded with the oxygen problems, developed high altitude pulmonary oedema and this was the reason he slowed so drastically. The decision of the guide to take him up and then get too far ahead to keep contact with him proved fatal, and should never have happened had he properly assessed the situation. Getting to the top doesn't prove you can do it, it proves you can make it half way, but you still need the physical reserves to make it back to camp again. I can't imagine how heavily it weighs on the mind of Michael's family whether he could have made it back if the guide hadn't lost contact with him. Rest in peace Michael. Forever at the very top of the world ❤
This was doomed from the beginning by not making a firm team of everyone. You should all be known to each other, to know that you are doing this as a team, and if 1 is down, all are down. You don't get so much rebellion when you feel more part of a bigger picture! When you are off to do something that could take your life, you make a bond with everyone involved, or it won't work!
I know! It's crazy to see these climbers who have these single-minded egos and disorganized teams of amateur strangers lining up. Something like everest should be a humbling personally rich experience. Not a throw down tourist go.
My husband and father were both military, both deployed to wars. They were, of course, with very diverse teams. But they WERE teams, and had common purpose and watched out for each other. This OTT exhibition seems it was a $hit show from Day 1. I'm saddened that this young man died needlessly and there was zero accountability. I pray his loved ones have found some piece.
@@zztop4996 Yes, but mistakes were still made, like sumitting later than the turnaround time, and missing oxygen bottles that might have saved lives. This company didn't pay attention to those mistakes and made new ones of their own.
A mother’s worst nightmare, to live in the knowledge that your son died alone and his body still lays frozen somewhere on Everest. Unbearable really... I hope mr and mrs. Mathews managed to make peace with it all.
@@brentj.peterson6070 they received a photo via email of a body in the same clothing as Micheal the day he died I haven't watched the doc yet but I pray it's him that's what started the expedition to find Michaels body as they too believed that to be the case but a body has been found which has been closest possiblity to be him to date so the body is there it's reachable , that is questionable but someone came across it so there is some hope 🙏
@ Dave Smith -You're right too! And what about rich people that are carried or dragged to the summit; they abuse Sherpa's and guides and are a menace to real climbers... Some of them have to be explained how to use crampons... Retarded and antisocial idiots!!! In this regard, Sandy Hill comes to mind...
@@jrborghuis9178 - I think I saw that video with Sandy Hill in it. What you correctly draw attention to is probably a lot of bother to the experienced climbers who are forced to wait in line, and it detracts from the actual sport (or obsession, depending on one's point of view). I personally would never think of climbing Everest, but Rob Hall who refused to leave his client comes to mind. I'm watching a video of Apa Sherpa who has summitted Everest 21 times ... first time I'd ever heard of the man. Twenty-one times! It would probably be much easier on him if all of the climbers he assisted were "professionals" who appreciated his extraordinary skill.
@@davesmith5656 Thanks for taking the time to write to me. And please excuse me for my average command of the English language... Rob Hall was -I regret- an exemption, and it was a real tragedy that he died. Hero? I don't know... But it is obviously an example what can happen nowadays... Myself, I did some not so clever things (like Matterhorn solo, just an example), but nevertheless, I was experienced...
@@jrborghuis9178 - Matterhorn is - I have heard - a difficult climb! (I just watch videos out of curiosity. I'm thinking of taking up indoor rock-climbing or "bouldering" - that's my level, lol. I like houses, comfortable chairs, refrigerators in the kitchen, and ground-level things, plus or minus six feet!)
What gets me is these guides can make $30k a climb and the Sherpas doing all the work making dozens of climbs and setting everything up make maybe $700? I think Nepal should make it mandatory that Sherpas make a minimum of what the guides make, plus an extra $1000 for every extra climb from camp to camp carrying everything. And, the company should be required to provide a $150k life insurance policy for each Sherpa they employ. That’s at the least.
I agree. They should also require some type of gratuity. They deserve a nice tip for risking their lives to haul them to the top. Especially hearing that some of them literally help carry them to the top. That’s ridiculous!!!
It cost anywhere from $5k-$30k to climb Everest depending on which climbing company you use but that cost is to cover the necessary cost of food,oxygen,gear for the duration of the trip that could last weeks. Sherpas should get paid a type of royalty that helps them even when the climbing seasons are quite especially since they maintain the routes over the summer periods
The average income in Nepal is 250 dollars a year....the sherpas charge 300 for each ox rented...100 for hay for each ox...the sherpas make about 3000 dollars for 2 months work out of the year....not to mention everest dosent effect them like it dose white people....if you paid the sherpas 30k....they would retire for life rich men
I totally agree with you. I guess some people figure "why not" but my life and I just don't have $40,000 hanging around either and if I did, I could find better ways of spending it on a house or a nice new car instead of a death zone.
If Michael and the other joker had have come down when they were told the first time with the rest of the crew, Michael would have been more rested and had the energy to stay with the pack.
Most accomplished mountaineers like Reinhold Messnesr and Ed Viesters mentioned that they always Climb higher and sleep at lower altitude to acclimatize . There was no point in staying at camp3 as it won't help them recover their strength . I hope future tourists to Everest at the very least read some mountain literature to understand how mountaineering works .
I mean, it’s easy to sit in the comfort of out homes and critique these people but they spent months, tens of thousands of dollars, blood, sweat, and tears and It’s not that simple to just turn around when you are right there near the summit.
@@NASkeywest They chose not to listen to their guide, pure arrogance.Mike was ill informed, the team were a little jealous, no they understood resting at lower altitude.This ontop of oxygen issues, recipe for disaster.
@@NASkeywest nature doesn’t care, if you can’t keep up, are too exhausted it just claims you. He didn’t understand the dangers. And he should of been sent back numerous times.
The picture of Mike Matthews on the top of Everest... He looks like a 40 years old man, and he was in his 20's... It just shows the toll it takes on your body to climb this mountain.
I was listening w ear buds more than watching and at the end when that photo was shown I thought it was another person on the trip & I missed something. He legit looked in his 40’s
He was an inexperienced climber and office worker from the city. No doubt not overly fit, and probably another example of somebody who should not be up there.
The guide will always be lambasted for leaving the client behind but at a point where the only way of getting down is yourself, you are beyond help. The reverse side of that story is Rob Hall, who died because he refused to leave a client behind.
@@Ravendireokami but what a legacy to leave behind to die in a quest to save someone else because you coudlnt possibly leave them says alot about someone's heart he probably truly believed he could save them both 💔
@@Despond and if everyone thought that way we wouldn't have so many historical figures we have today , that's a real passionless way of thinking do you want to just die and that's it be gone and forgotten I dont
Actually, neither is easy. The issue is that people do not properly account for the descent: they get "summit fever" and do not realize that they aren't "safe" until they are back at Camp 4 from their summit. You expend as much energy going down as you do up when you're that tired... The level of fitness required to make the trip safely is also something that is not easily internalized. I know, because I was seriously pursuing this goal until I was talked out of it by a nice man named Rob Hall. Perhaps you've heard of him....
@@SueMead The man probably saved my life. He challenged the motivations I had, and basically made me stop and think before I went any further. It's not that he was discouraging me from climbing, on the contrary, he was making sure that for this particular challenge, that my eyes were wide open and that my motivations and the information I was receiving were pure and honest. He said specifically that to conquer Everest, you conquer yourself; your pride, ego, self-worth and even basic decency as a human are all tested on that climb and other challenges like it. In hindsight, I believe my desire to climb it was out of nothing more than pride, and placing my wife and kids in jeopardy of losing me was simply not worth it (in my particular calculus). For others that follow through and do it, I have nothing but respect and admiration. Even back then in 1994, Rob was concerned about the growing number of climbers he saw that were not experienced enough. I could see after the tragedy the tension that existed in the businesses of these men between having funds to conduct expeditions, and ensuring safety while performing the work of guide, counselor, motivational speaker, and at times Drill Instructor to get their clients up and down the mountain safely. I'm sure his desire to save Doug is why Rob died: people can second guess all they want I suppose. He's dead and unable to defend himself. The man I spoke to though, he was conscientious, meticulous, and very humble and realistic about trekking on Everest. I hope he is at peace and that his widow and daughter are proud of him and what he stood for.
This expedition should have been canceled or postponed as soon as they realized there was problems with the oxygen. There were so many signs that something could go wrong. They are lucky that there was only one fatality.
I think his partner played a role by encouraging him to stay at the second camp. Teamwork is hard sometimes because we have to go with the majority rather than what we think is best. I personally am not the best team member because of that. I am a natural leader and a strong type A personality. I don't do well in the role of a subordinate, because I feel that sometimes decisions are made that make very little sense. Such as requiring an entire group to go back down for one person. They could have easily went without two sherpas so that they could take the ill one down to safety. At that point they were so close to the summit. I couldn't imagine being told to go back down just to turn around and go back up.
Yeah fighting amongst the team and leaders is another sign that there will be problems. People pay so much money and train so hard that they have tunnel vision to the summit. Oxygen problems, fighting amongst the team, the leader having to leave the mountain and unstable weather was a recipe for disaster.
@@madreep Yes, the influence of that nutjob tent partner is under appreciated. He basically badgered a half dead guy into submitting, after keeping him at high altitude when told to descend.
Michael Matthews was James and Spencer Matthews brother. James is married to Pippa Middleton, and Spencer became famous on Made in Chelsea! I believe James and Pippa do a lot of work for a charity in Michael's name now! Also is that a young Bear Grylls at the beginning? (I'm only 2min in so he may appear again)
I wish these 8,000ers had a ban. Only climb to clean. When it's clean...start again with a plan. Sherpas who are there each year should have final say imo.
@@TierNone_LarperatoR what a negative and short sighted thing to say, you have no idea " what it's all about", how about challenging yourself to be more than an ignorant, negative critic. Have a nice day.
Poor management on this climb but it is a personal decision to risk your life in order to summit. 1 in 7 people die. Micheal Mathews was told to turn around. It was his decision and his responsibility. Sorry for the family. RIP
Correct, you have to really know yourself and your physical & mental, I would even add spiritual limitations. Like me, I greatly admire courage & determination of those who pursue Mt. Everest, but I'm 57 yrs old, have weak lungs from pneumonia when a teenager, and don't climatize well, so no Mt. Everest for me. This 8,000m climbing is only for the physically fit and climatized people like sherpas, Colorado residents, etc.
@@RHINOTACTICAL I think a madman chasing someone with an oxygen tank, knowingly having problems with their oxygen tanks, and having a guide that eggs him on to go to the summit puts the true responsibility on the guides, oh, almost forgot about that criminally negligent order to descend and immediately ascend after a day and a half, sounds like it was spite. Someone with a channel handling firearms should have better judgement.
Edited: it is very wrong for anyone to cast judgement on a young man, basically college kid age, dying on Mt. Everest, when the so-called expert guides and company were so incredibly negligent. It is not clear whether or not he heard the Sherpa. Also he was not an experienced climber, so even if he heard the Sherpa, having a guide tell him it's okay could have influenced him, that being the case.
Would a good mother not appreciate the relief of the other mother, knowing that her child was sacrificed so a stronger, higher value individual could survive? It seems selfish to think a pissy, spoiled nonce like that deserved more than what could be done without risk to the stronger team members.
Some of people would pay a lot of money 💴 to die..I would pay 40 thousand for something more pleasant, and there are a lot of pleasant places in this world
This is one of the craziest stories I’ve ever heard. How can sensible people find themselves in such a state. If you are reading this I implore you not to attempt this senseless climb. I’ll never understand.
Yeah but Michael had O2 when he sumitted. Then his mountain guide got scared and abandoned his client on Everest in a stom and made a beeline for safety and the South Coll camp,
@@chowder8802 I stand corrected. edit. I correct my correction. I've learned that it's an even split between unscrupulous firms and professional firms.
Some of your better climbing firms require a minimum of 3 8000m peaks off of a pre-approved list prior to Everest. Some of your lesser firms require only "prior mountaineering experience" which is a checkbox on a form. Some of the better firms use testing at everest basecamp, before even being permitted to go to advanced basecamp. Then more testing to camp 2 and back, then to camp 3 and back prior to being granted the right to summit. Some of your worse firms though dont perform this testing. They dont test the ability to climb, to recover from a fall, how to use the O2 in the dark, how to signal for help, etc. Only just "hold onto the rope and let the Sherpas push you up the mountain"
His death is on OTT. Inexperienced people with money will always want to climb Everest, and it’s up to the guides to tell them no, or at the very least bring them home safe.
I think his oxygen was not working well, i watched some of the documentaries about mount everest expedition and one thing i noticed, when the client is starting to walk slowly, the first thing sherpa will do is check the oxygen if it need to be changed or it is faulty. the expedition was not organized at all and Mike really wanted to reach the summit and they ignored the sherpa when they were told to go back. I never have a plan to go in the summit but if incase I will go there, i think the first thing i will do is follow sherpas advice even if it will cost me the summit. life is more important than the summit.
As soon as I saw this as a suggestion on RU-vid, I recognized Michael Matthews' name, as I'd seen his memorial chorten on a trek to Everest Base Camp. I wrote his name in my journal and Googled him when I got home, so this was sweet to learn about him as a person. RIP, Mike.
My condolences to the family and friends. It is even more tragic if his death could have been prevented as for many possible reasons mentioned in the documentary. But in general, it is to say that if one decides to climb Everest, he knows it is a dance with the death and that possibly makes it more adventurous and interesting for many climbers. He was a smart man and he knew the statistics. Still, sorry for the loss. 😢
The immortal Dirty Harry quote alright. The thing is, if these dead 1s were ever miraculously defrosted, they'd most likely run right back up them deathly Mountains just t die over an over again. Whether due t dubious guides, lack of oxi, altitude, fatique, faulty gear ( whatever); when r these crazy crazies gonna realise that theyre not lnvincible an above the laws of nature? *Also; if ur stubborn an don't respect nature it'll whip u butt good an proper an hand it back t u on a platter with no questions asked.* Natures wonderous Mountainous an its underground labrythical catacombs of abyssal cave-ical formations have been carved out perfectly through the Millenia of time an has perfected the art of survival a trillionth of eons of times( made up numbers)bf mankind was even a dot in the landscape. They r not t be blame f some of humanity's ignorance and self-indulgent exploits t try an find enlightenment of themselves only t find their end of life instead. The dead r the Mountains eternal 'children' now; it took them in life, now let it keep them in death as a warning t all the future '(don't) know-it-alls' feeling the need t put their/others lives at risk f the sake of a few minutes just t say... *lm here.* Sad but live by the Sword an all that..
The arrogance of people who think they have some innate right to ascend the highest peak on the planet because they can afford to pay a few dozens lackeys to ferry their gear up and down it is what kills most of them. This case is no different. An experienced climber would have been out of there like a dog shot in the arse as soon as those regulators didn't fit the tanks. That's bound to be an unpopular opinion I know but nevertheless it is a fact.
It did not appear the OTT was forthcoming about the O2 issues, and Summit fever is hardly limited to noobs. Plenty of the best mountaineers in history died because they disregarded trun around times, weather and equipment issues. Do a search for Allison Hargraves, one of the best female climbers in the world. She and half a dozen guys were literally blown off K2 on a day many others, including Edmund Hillary's son, turned around as the weather worsened.
In winds of that strength - a climber can simply be blown clean off their feet in a split second, and into the abyss. One of my friends died descending from the summit of K2 in that way. To blame guides for a client getting blown off the mountain is a bit rough. OTT sounds like a joke, and only crazy people would consider climbing anything more serious than a set of stairs with them. So many warning signs. So little sense.
Chris Davies I recall watching a mountain climbing video in which one guy came out of his tent without his boots on, had slippers on instead and as soon as he placed his foot on the frozen snow, went into a slide as all began screaming for him “don’t do it, get your boots.” He went over the ledge. This was just early in the ascent.
Chris Davies : In first time the place is too dangerous to go and no worth. Nothing that can be done for him, but please adventures be aware. Use that money for z better cause.
Awful place? Don't be stupid ….. The Khumbu is the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever seen and the Nepalise are the most friendly, helpful and happy I have ever met. Climbing Everest maybe too dangerous for you but there is nothing awful about it. @@lydiaaponte7868
Agreed. In SCUBA you check and recheck your O2 canister and any other pieces of equipment before even looking at the Ocean. You always inspect/test your own canisters and your dive partner/other eyes should inspect yours. If it's bad, it's called off. If it's a life-and-death item, they shouldn't have continued to risk it. :(
As soon as...it should of been called off. Money refunded, great steak dinner and drink binge night before flying back( can't be a total waste). Worse case scenario if not refunded, rescheduled. I cannot believe they proceeded without the oxygen supply being absolute.
Yes the guy that owned the company they should have told him about the problem with the oxygen bottles.... and he should have immediately had the word put through to the clients that he will give them all refunds... that would have been the right thing to do
No body noticed..a young "baer garylls" appeared in video right in begining around 18 sec. Nice to see him holding that much experience in climbing. He had already make all of us proud with man vs wild on discovery. Great Champ.
i summitted a month ago and lost a dear friend up there. Its not worth the hype it used to be. its everybody for themselves up there, takes you to rather carnal times
Congratulations on summitting - but also very sorry to hear of your loss, I can't imagine the pain you must feel. It seems every year more & more operators are bringing too many clients, to the dangerous point of "logjams" where people are waiting for sometimes hours to move forward waiting for others in front to get past tough areas, leaving clients cold & exhausted. This particular story is tragic, & shows how some operators are more concerned with the $$ than the climbers - the oxygen tank issue should have been a no-go from the start.
I’m so sorry about your friend. Frankly I find you fascinating. I would go a long way to avoid going up there and I seek to understand the drive that gets people up there. And how it feels up there, what goes on in your mind.
@@marilynsgirl01 I somewhat understand your point but if I had to condense it into it’s simplest form it would probably be ‘the fear of missing out’. Some people genuinely get anxious at the prospect of what if’s. 70/80/90 years is a finite amount of time.
@@deb7457 I know it must be a mega disappointment to be so close to the summit and not reach it, but the alternative is certain death. I am sure that sherpa made it down to camp alive. But may he RIP. He was only 22. Youth makes you do crazy things sometimes.
he didn't have the experience to understand his life was in danger. I'm sure he thought it was just another couple hundred feet, so he emptied the tank getting up and didn't realize he needed to save enough energy to get down safely. He probably would have been in big trouble even if the weather didn't change, but once the storm came he had no chance.
I feel very sorry for Mike's parents. Too bad that they didn't or couldn't talk him out of this dangerous desire to climb Mt. Everest. Especially when things started going terribly wrong. Young people often feel they are invincible. Too bad we can't turn back the hands of time and give Mike a second chance to make a wiser decision.
He was King of the stock markets and thought how else can I conquer the world 🌎 🥳 So sad. I remember being 22, I thought I was virtually immortal and death was only for old people. I mean, I knew it was a fact that young people died.. but that never felt real 😔
That guide Mike probably had oxygen problems too and knew he had to get down quickly. I reckon he left him there to die. As that other man said ;how can you get so far in front of your climber that you cant see him anymore'. Pure neglect and selfishness to leave him there alone. RIP Michael Mathews, you were too young to die. Great doco though. Thank you so much.
Thanks for sharing this video! With all the controversy of Everest right now, I’ve been watching every one on here about it. I’d never climb it, no way!
I get the thrill of going on an adventure and reaching the top of the highest mountain. Many people don't understand this because we have become less nomadic and much too comfortable with our "civilized" lives. But the pain the families go through when they lose their loved ones this way and can't even retrieve the body and give them a proper burial, makes me think people who do this are most times selfish and/or overconfident. On another hand, I think it's interesting that Michael Matthews is the Princess of Wales' sister Pippa Middleton's brother-in-law. I hope one day his body can be found.
The dude in the blue shirt who decided he didn't want to descend is the exact type of person we all picture with more money than sense. Even if you don't agree with a decision you follow it. So he stays up there for too long then descends, then has to head up again. If he'd followed the group they'd be fine.
I'm usually on the "sometimes horrible shit happen on dangerous mountains despite everyone's best efforts and you really don't get it unless you're there, and you can't be too hard on people in extraordinary circumstances", but this was a disaster waiting to happen. What a mess. Poor kid. Doesn't sound like he did anything wrong except to trust his guide, which he should have been able to do.
why should he have been able to trust his guide ? A bit of basic due diligence would have told him that in 1996, the two most experienced guides in the business, Scott Fischer and Rob Hall, driven by rivalry and financial need, both got themselves killed and decimated both their expeditions in the worst fiasco to date, such a big story it was the front cover of Time magazine. Even the film of that disaster, Into Thin Air, became a global phenomenon. No he died of ignorance, naivety and bad luck, that is all. ....who do so many adventurers lack all imagination ? Everest is such a tired cliche, isnt it ? And, yes, I have travelled throught the Tibetan plateau from Kathmandu to Llasa and experienced migraines diarrhorea and altitude sickness....I think Everest adventurers are all losers, sorry.
@@supergrahamg because if you know anything about guiding, you know the guide's first responsibility is the safety of their clients, and theres really no excuse for losing one (barring completely unforeseen freak accidents). My husband is a guide (not on Everest, but a guide who guides clients in potentially dangerous outdoor/wilderness situations), and the idea that a client should have to mistrust his guide would be entirely foreign to him. A guide's entire purpose is to be safe and knowledgeable enough to have people following him and trusting him. Anybody not able to do that should not have even gotten a guide license. The 1996 season was an unusual circumstance and, yes, the guides didnt do what they should have, but its suspected that the day of the climb, Fisher anyway was so ill with the effects of altitude that he probably was incapable of making any good decisions; he never really even participated in the actual guiding that day. So potentially Everest is just a place that guides cannot reliably operate as such, but it is their, the professionals, job to figure that out. And their clients should be able to trust them to do that.
@@MoonlightCircus but their naive clients clearly can't trust the judgment of their guides because so many of them die on the mountain; these trust fund adventurers have abdicated responsibility for their own welfare to people that are otherwise unemployable - you are in denial because you have financial 'skin in the game' - as your comment shows - you are married to a mountain guide. At least be honest about the whole charade.....there is nothing more ridiculous than an unfit pompous gin-and-tonic quaffing New York journalist 'correspondent' with a ton of audio equipment being short-roped to the top of an 8000m mountain and then squealing when it all goes horribly wrong. Guides' ethics are skewed by a financial imperative where what is at stake is life or death. That is where it is morally tendentious. I am a solicitor by training and I would never advise a client to bankrupt himself for a cause celebre and a day in court...just so I can put in a bill of costs. It's about integrity and judgment at the end of the day....just saying...With tourism mountaineering.it seems in short supply on both sides because both parties are in the grip of a mania. In my view, it is a contemporary folie a deux. You romanticise something that has no lustre....
I think this doc was pretty one sided. We didn’t hear anyone from the expedition tell their version of the story, just the versions from a few disgruntled clients. I think the critical failure came when Michael and Rodney refused to follow directions about returning to base camp with the team. There’s no evidence that the oxygen had anything to do with this. It sounded like everyone’s oxygen worked just fine. If the expedition was at fault anywhere, it was not kicking them off the team right after they refused to descend to base camp..twice. Clients are implicitly told and retold that they have to trust their leader’s expertise and follow their orders. They didn’t do this, and the result was Michael was clearly weakened from the summit push, combined with the storm and refusing an order to descend was one too many things going wrong in the death zone. Guides can only do so much.
@@jhonatanduarte7816 I don't understand what do you mean? Are you telling me rich people are not vacationing on Everest? If you are not an experienced climber why are they going there and why does anyone need dining tables on Everest ? How about carry the stuff you need and then we see if a dining table makes the list. This just economics disparity between devloped and developing countries which western people are misusing. If you can't see that I have nothing to say, no bodies comfort is bigger than people's life.
@@jhonatanduarte7816 i am not going i am asking for not expirenced rich people not to go there for some kind of false achievement risking other peoples lifes
When you decide to climb Everest you should except the risks and the possibility that you may never make it back, because that possibility is just so real. Finding someone or something to blame when tragedy strikes is in human nature but not fair to others. You don’t go there excepting to be looked after, you go there to push your limits to the extreme. If it wasn’t for Sherpas, not even 1% of all these who “successfully” have climbed the Evers would have made it.
Ya idk if I believe 1%. I would imagine most people who climbed k2 and anapurna have also climbed Everest and most of them are elite level climbers, way more than 100 people.
@@emperored7771 itd be easy to figure out. just count up those who have summitted without a team or sherpa assistance. im not sure but it would probably be low
as someone who’s been to base camp I can say a lot more preparation went into getting to basecamp than these unprofessional tour organisers did for the summit. A shame
High finance in the city, difficult to get into without strong family connections. Sad loss of life but hard to blame the average Englishman for not mourning.
He is successful and young. It is surely not unprecedented. The problem is the decision-making and maturity level before going to do such a task. The mountain does not take kindly to those that are unprepared. Pay to play is also completely wrong. Required (mental and physical) tests should be passed before you go to prevent this. The storm, poor guiding, O2 bottles and everything else can be blamed but it is on the person who is in the dead zone to have the proper training to get him down safely . You are half dead up there and dying and everyone seems to forget this. Tech does not always come through. If you are reading this and your whole goal in life is to be at the top of the highest mountain go to many other mountains first in British Columbia, Argentina and gradually develop your skill level. Also, watch the CBC documentary on the Nepali -Canadian lady that was adamant to go to the top of Everest and should bought all the shiny gear and had a great kit but....
I feel sorry for his family but COME ON: A Sherpa told him to suck it up and go back down. He chose to ignore the advice so that he could fulfill his egotistical desires. He trusted a clearly incompetent guide and underestimated the mountain. The Sherpas are a part of that mountain: if you can't pay proper respect, you shouldn't be there. No matter how much cash you have in your bank account.
There was no excuse whatsoever for not aborting the climb at base camp when the incorrect oxygen tanks were delivered. It was the guide's responsibility to do so. If he couldn't deal with the repercussions he shouldn't have taken the job.
The owner of Ott... I can't remember if it was said after he had his mini stroke... if his workers contacted him and told him about the oxygen bottles . If they had he should have been decent enough to tell everyone he's reimbursing them the money and yes he should have canceled The Climb . He should have taken the Financial loss so that nobody would have been in danger .
