The REAL Story of Sandy Pittman's 1996 Everest Tragedy & Fallout

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Sandy Pittman (Hill) suffered a social death after the 1996 storm on Mount Everest in 1996 that claimed eight lives, mostly through her own doing. In this fascinating video we look into why she continued to be a central character in being blamed for much of what happened on 11-12 May in 1996.
*(Sandy Pittman's book was never published.)
==========================
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Introduction to Sandy Pittman - is she to blame
2:32 - Pittman on Everest in 1996 and start of her problems & issues
3:42 - why is there no information about Sandy Pittman online
5:34 - Scott Fischer’s culpability in 1996
6:20 - overview of what happened during storm of May 10-11, 1996
8:43 - Pittman reaches summit and beginning of the storm
12:35 - Begin to see the problems with reputation in Kathmamdu & not acknowledging events of storm
16:10 - Is Pittman responsible & personality aspects
17:55 - Hires attorney to help public image
21:08 - Closing thoughts and suggestions for improving public image & does she deserve blame
REFERENCE MATERIALS AND BACKGROUND FOR THIS STORY:
Decoding Scott Fischer's Role in the 1996 Everest Tragedy (Everest Mystery video): • Decoding Scott Fischer...
Everest 1996 Disaster · Mountain Without Mercy · Dateline
• Everest 1996 Disaster ...
Jon Krakauer - Into Thin Air
Anatoli Boukreev - The Climb
Nick van der Leek - 96 Everest Disaster - KRAKAUER VS PITTMAN
(True Crime Rocket Science, / @tcrs )
Snow Blind Ambition, Vanity Fair article originally published August 1996:
www.vanityfair.com/culture/20...
Interview with Sandy Hill (Pittman) referenced in video with Harvest Series,
entitled Podcast: Surviving Everest & social death with Sandy Hill:
• Podcast: Surviving Eve...
===================
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DISCLAIMER:
Thank you for watching this video! We want to clarify that some of the footage used in this content is intended for educational purposes, providing commentary and analysis on the subject matter. We respect copyright holders and have made efforts to attribute the sources wherever possible. Our goal is to enhance the educational value of our content, fostering understanding and critical thinking.
If you have any concerns regarding the use of this footage, please contact us directly. We are committed to addressing any issues promptly. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Everest Mystery

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27 май 2024

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Комментарии : 882

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

For more fascinating and insightful stories on Everest and the mountains of the world, be sure to SUBSCRIBE and hit the bell button to be notified when the next video comes out. Click here: www.youtube.com/@everestmystery?sub_confirmation=1

@rtqii 2 месяца назад

I have watched several of your videos and I find them informative and entertaining. I took a break from work this evening and ate delivery at my desk and watched this. A friend of mine fell off the mountain in '82, and I have always been interested in events there. The '96 storm was epic.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

@@rtqii thanks so much for taking the time to watch, I really appreciate it. I am wondering if your friend is Marty Hoey. That is still a story that resonates, and I didn't know her....but was just getting into the mountaineering thing around then. Thanks for sharing, and I hope you had a great dinner!

@rtqii 2 месяца назад

@@EverestMystery I worked housekeeping at Snowbird back in the 80's. I cleaned Marty's room. I had a terrible crush on her, but then, everybody did.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

@@rtqii ah, yes....very understandable....

@rtqii 2 месяца назад

@@EverestMystery I was so broken up about it I finally contacted Jim Wickwire for some consolation, and we both cried on the phone.

@peach7210 2 месяца назад

"Everybody says the definition of character is what you do when nobody's looking. And when we were up there, we didn't think anybody was looking. And so everybody did pretty much what their inner person...the real them.. the exposed them.. would do. And some individuals come out of that, I think, justly proud of their actions. And others would probably never want anybody to know." ~ Beck Weathers. I always suspected he was referring, at minimum, to Sandy.

@pamelaannehowell 2 месяца назад

Good for you beck weathers

@luludust 2 месяца назад

I thought the same thing. She was the first person that came to mind when he said this. Although, there are a few others I could also probably clump with her.

@stephenmcdonagh2795 Месяц назад

Saying that nobody died on her team wasn't just a lie as Fisher died, but also disguising the truth that Rob Hall and Fisher had teamed up... so yes, plenty died on her team- but no socialites.

@maxmackinlay618 Месяц назад

Beck is responsible for his own demise. If you can't make it to the summit then you turn back and head down. Beck just sat down and waited in the death zone for hours.

@jchang5032 Месяц назад

@@maxmackinlay618 Correct me if I'm wrong, but Beck didn't die on the mountain. And Hall told Beck to wait. Hall is the experienced expert on Everest so I suspect that's why Beck followed his advice?

@jenniwalker9180 2 месяца назад

I can't imagine asking someone to pretty much put their life on the line to carry me up a mountain. If you can't make it yourself you have no business up there. She sounds out of touch with reality.

@acleanpairofsocks 2 месяца назад

I don’t think we know whose decision it was to short rope her. She says she didn’t ask for it, Krakauer seems to imply it was Lopsang who decided, and we know their leader was very motivated to make sure she made it to the top. She may have been more than okay with it, but I don’t necessarily think it was her idea.

@drlangattx3dotnet 2 месяца назад

She was not carried.

@jenniwalker9180 2 месяца назад

@drlangattx3dotnet my mistake I should have said carried down. She was pretty much dragged up.

@dawnmoriarty9347 Месяц назад

I think many people overreach themselves on the mountain. They mostly survive due to receiving assistance

@Chck314 29 дней назад

not true, between Bidelman and Krakauer we know it was Fisher who assigned the Sherpa to her for speciual attention. SO many commenters here haven't read Krakauer's book or heard Bidelman's account. @@acleanpairofsocks

@sully2737 2 месяца назад

Maybe too simplistic of a conclusion, but my impression is that if Scott Fischer and Rob Hall had both observed their 2 pm turnaround time rule, they both could have lived to guide another day and their clients would likely have made it down the mountain. Maybe it was self-imposed pressure to be able to demonstrate success with their guiding businesses in order to entice future clients. We'll never know for certain. My general opinion of Sandy Pittman is that of disdain, purely for her failure to recognize the heroic efforts of Neil Beidleman and Anatoly Boukreev--or to even acknowledge that Scott Fischer had died. Her lack of gratitude is incomprehensible.

@lindaroth6273 2 месяца назад

Nobody ever respects the turnaround time, and then a storm comes up.....sound familiar??

@sully2737 2 месяца назад

@@lindaroth6273 Yes. And very sad.

@Itried20takennames 2 месяца назад

I agree Pitman was shockingly ungrateful and tone deaf in the aftermath, and unqualified, but I think the storm was the main thing to “blame” for the deaths. Yes, there were multiple delays, including Pitman herself and many staying on top too long, but the storm was what prevented many in the “huddle” or who stayed with slower clients from making it back to Camp 4. And from Wethers book, seems like there were multiple selfish climbers in Camp 4 in 1996, as well as heroes. When Wethers staggered into camp after being left for dead overnight, near blind and with useless, frostbitten hands, multiple people treated him as an annoyance they hoped would just hurry up and die already. He didn’t phrase it that way, but noted he was initially stuck alone in a tent for hours with no water, with the tent blowing flat over his face at one point, and with him screaming for help as his frostbitten hand/arm painfully swelled around his metal watch band he could not remove. Wethers said occasionally a person would look in, see he was still alive, and immediately duck their head back out…but Wethers does not name them in the book, and only after it was clear he stubbornly wasn’t going to die was much of any effort made to assist him. And Wether’s book seemed pretty honest, with him making no effort to make his time on Everest seem epic, mostly describing himself has having problem after problem on the mountain, being grateful for the help he did get or those who tried (like Anatoly Bucreiv) and that he got up/saved himself being left for dead as him having “nothing better to do at the time,” so might as well try to blindly find Camp 4.

@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 2 месяца назад

@@Itried20takennames I've not read his book yet but I've watched talks from Beck & ofc several documentaries on the events of 96 & afterwards & Beck seems like a genuinely thoughtful, deep, humane, complex, honest man who has survived the incomprehensible & the reprehensible yet refuses to lose his own humanity. I don't know if he's naturally oriented towards optimism + hope or if he chooses to be so moment to moment, but he's someone I admire specifically for those qualities. Can't say I admire many other non-Sherpa climbers, but I admire Beck Wethers. May the rest of his days be full of peace + love + manageable adventure.

@sully2737 2 месяца назад

@@Itried20takennames Yeah, I definitely got the impression just from reading "Into Thin Air" that Beck Weathers was left for dead more than once. I'm not sure I have the heart to read Beck's book. The description of him being (unexpectedly) found alive and yelling for help even as the tent material was repeatedly flapping down onto his face was horrific at best. It's always been hard to wrap my head around him being put into a tent and left alone. Many years ago when I worked in a large hospital as a PT, I sat with a cancer patient for a few hours while he died; it was tough, but he had no one else, and I just couldn't leave him to die alone. I am in no place to judge the actions of anyone on Everest; I wasn't there. I didn't go through what they went through. It has always bothered me, though, that Beck was in that tent alone.

@a.walters123 Месяц назад

RIP to Anatoli Boukreev, a true mountaineer and a literal heroic legend, who saved lives during this disaster and died from an avalanche on Annapurna the next year.

@chrisl7839 29 дней назад

But he did not perform well as a guide BEFORE the storm hit. He was more interested in making the climb without bottled O2 for his own resume than in helping clients up and down the mountain as he was hired to do. If he had, perhaps more clients would have made it down the mountain BEFORE the storm hit.

@stormtrooper9404 26 дней назад

@@chrisl7839Why do you think he would need a fourth summit for his resume 🤣 He already had a far tougher achievements in his book. Although if you read Toli.. he was not a guy who run for laurels, but for his intimate love of the mountains and the serenity they’ll give to him. And to say that he wasn’t good guide.. let me guess.. you had read the “Into the thin air” 😂 Am I right?

@kc72186 22 дня назад

Great climber and terrible guide.

@granthurlburt4062 17 дней назад

@@kc72186 Saved several lives. Was a good guide. No one else saved those lives.

@granthurlburt4062 17 дней назад

@@chrisl7839 He was a good guide. He saved 4 lives. He would have been too exhausted to do so had he not rested in the tent.

@janetkrulock1971 2 месяца назад

She’s an elitist, they don’t care about anybody but themselves

@eigleenalegri2664 2 месяца назад

Indeed. And elitists want their money's worth when they pay.

@SWS1493 2 месяца назад

She contends to this day that there were no heroes on that climb just team members. The Sherpa pulled her up to the top,Charlotte Fox gave her a shot of dex(maybe two), Lena gave her the oxygen tank off her own back and Anatoli climbed up in the storm and brought her back to camp!! It’s mind blowing.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

@@SWS1493 Wow!! How and why did these people do all that for HER??? Putting their own lives in clear danger for her??? Why? A woman taking the oxygen bottle off her own back to this worthless narcisist?? Just....why?

@SWS1493 2 месяца назад

@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits This is all from what I have been seeing on these videos.They were on their way down from the summit,and Sandy was low on oxygen and unable to move and face down in snow. Neil,another guide,told Lena an advanced climber to give Sandy her tank because she was still walking.Charlotte did mountain rescue in Telluride,I think,so she and boyfriend were looking out for Sandy. They never received one thank you from what I have read. They were noble mountaineers who looked out for each other. Sandy didn’t even know who had helped or saved her. It is hard to imagine this behavior. Rob Hall died because he refused to leave a sick client near the the summit then got caught in the storm.Sandy chartered a helicopter the next day and flew off to a Kathmandu hotel offering only a Seat to Charlotte Fox’s boyfriend. For the same amount of money she could have rented a bigger helicopter and carried everyone to Kathmandu. It’s so astounding that she was that out of touch with the suffering ,sacrifices and deaths of others. Crazy.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

@@SWS1493 Out of touch....that is a very very generous gentle term. She is a sociopath psychopath. Sexing up there with no respect. And she is still alive and well and still lying!! A good example of pathetic lousy people who never get their karma back onto them!!

@cdd4248 2 месяца назад

This is what happens when you get entangled with someone that has NEVER heard the word NO.

@davidhoward4715 2 месяца назад

The guides, you mean?

@TheHigherSpace Месяц назад

That's not fair .. Scott wanted her on the summit, just like Rob wanted Doug on the summit .. It was their call after all .. If there were reports of them trying to turn people around then that's a different story ..

@johngarland502 Месяц назад

@@TheHigherSpace they wanted the money .

@THX5000 Месяц назад

VANITY fair

@musicdunc Месяц назад

narcissistic personality traits are quite obvious

@missshroom5512 2 месяца назад

I don’t remember the word Narcissist being around in 1996 but….the word fits this woman pretty well

@vickicali 2 месяца назад

Back then a narc still only meant a drug snitch. 😂

@sisterpamop 2 месяца назад

The word was around, but it wasn't in our face daily as it is now.

@Tim_the_Enchanter 2 месяца назад

People throw vague labels around much more freely now. Or maybe they always did, but we're much more aware of it now because of "social" media.

@nisebiggs6572 2 месяца назад

Grandiose narcissist

@cdd4248 2 месяца назад

Yes, it is currently phrase du jour- but this case fits. She is, as they say, is The Poster Child.

@Evilsivle77 2 месяца назад

Lopsang would have been able to save Scott if he wasn't so tired from dragging her stuff up the mountain.

@Chck314 29 дней назад

I don't think that's accurate. According to Krakauer's book, FIsher had exhausted himself and couldn't move, even the strongest climber/sherpa can't carry someone like that in those conditions, the storm was as bad as it gets in May on Everest, but yes, Pittman was a contributor to the disaster.

@EverestMystery 27 дней назад

This is such a fascinating angle to the story. My wife has asked me to do a video on Lopsang. Perhaps that would be an interesting one.

@stormtrooper9404 26 дней назад

@@EverestMystery Loopsang is long gone sadly… Not just that, but in his short few months after Everest he doesn’t left many interviews or his story besides the well known tapes and a few telephone conversations that were not even transcrypted! Not much to dig there sadly… Only one thing is sure, that Loopsang never forgive himselfs and carried the burden of guilt until his death.

@DonnaRoushall 11 дней назад

@@EverestMystery I tried to vote twice for this statement…!😉….. I would love to see a video of him….. Just “ maybe” it could bring a different angle to the whole mess…

@MizQue 2 месяца назад

Both Scott Fisher and Rob Hall made fatal mistakes by becoming emotionally invested in getting clients to the top. Scott with Sandy Hill, Rob with Doug Hansen. Sandy claims she was an experienced climber. Beck Weathers had been on a mountain with her before '96, and said she had guides cart up a hamper full of expensive food and a TV.

@kcbarbo78 2 месяца назад

It was more than an emotional investment. The financial viability of their businesses relied on their ability to get clients to the summit.

@mwheape 2 месяца назад

At some point, it has to become everyone for themselves. Or you die.

@matthewotis3594 2 месяца назад

@@kcbarbo78 but at what risks?

@CO2isfake 2 месяца назад

Sandy had plenty of money to make a second attempt. Rob and Scott were the guides. And who cares if she brought luxury items. Didn’t she leave them at base camp for future climbers?

@ozwitchglenda 2 месяца назад

The one thing if true was having a sherpa that avoided ropes that slowed things down to have her summit , I have watched Inti Thin Air, Everest movie but have not read book Into Thin Air. It seems like she had a little narcissism going on… so sad for all the others.

@user-pv6xo1ti4c 2 месяца назад

Sandy was partly to blame. Her being short-roped prevented ropes from being fixed and critical time delays. She should have turned around long before the summit, but likely refused to. These delays resulted in deaths. The group was also slowed-down by Sandy on their return to camp 4. Her behavior towards the people that saved her is appalling. She didn't thank the climber that gave up her oxygen, she didn't thank the climber that gave her dex and instead tried to get that climber's boyfriend to leave in a helicopter, she didn't thank people that carried her, etc. She is partly to blame for the deaths, and solely to blame for her bad behavior.

@antyant 2 месяца назад

This is an overly simplistic way to look at things. The delay in the ropes being fixed only really affected the strongest climbers pacing way ahead of the majority of climbers. It's also a moot point since Krakauer himself helped to fix the ropes anyways in Lopsang's absence. Any delays after that were the result of a long line of people going single file up narrow spaces. Those elite-level climbers were all in camp by the time the storm hit.

@Phoenixhunter157 2 месяца назад

@@antyantit did deplete him of vital energy he needed. She was not fit to summit. Maybe more people need to be told no. So others don’t have to risk or lose their lives rescuing people who take ridiculous unrealistic risks.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

She was 90% of the cause of the DEATHS! Case closed.

@bravado7 2 месяца назад

@@Phoenixhunter157 You can tell her no, but she will just offer to pay you more money. I would say that it's only partially her fault. Sure, she should have known her limits, but also her enablers who agreed to take her up the mountain when they shouldn't have.

@Itried20takennames 2 месяца назад

Pitman was awful, ungrateful and tone deaf in the aftermath, but I would mostly blame the storm for the deaths, not her. And yes Pitman caused some delay that contributed, but there were also multiple other delays that had nothing to do with her, such as: 1. Multiple climbers ignored the turnaround time 2. Multiple climbers stayed on top for longer than recommended 3. Other clients had issues like Beck Wethers realizing the altitude was affecting his vision due to a prior eye surgery, so had to discuss with guides and wisely stop, and one guide (sorry but I forgot if Rob Hall or Scott Fisher) spending excess time nicely trying to get a postal worker, who he knew could not afford a future trip, to the summit, etc. 4. Although Anatoli Bucreiv was a true hero and had superhuman strength to save people once the storm hit, I believe he was supposed to have stayed while the weather was still good to assist one team with descending clients. Instead he summited then quickly went down himself to rest (pretty sure that was written, but not 100% sure) ….much to the annoyance of one of the team leaders 5. Although not as bad as now, it was one of the first years that traffic jams and delays due to sheer volume of climbers was an issue.

@sonder2164 2 месяца назад

I absolutely believe if Sandy was not there many would still be alive. She exhausted alot of life saving resources.

@eigleenalegri2664 2 месяца назад

Ambition and poor decision making killed them. Poor organization skills of the expedition companies caused big problems such as ignoring turnaround time, management of oxygen tanks, and coordination of staffs

@66bayouboy 2 месяца назад

That's ridiculous to blame it on her. It was Scott and Rob's decision not to make people turn around at the 2:00 p.m. summit deadline. They are to blame

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

Absolutely

@cathyizzo7886 2 месяца назад

@@66bayouboyin addition, Scott knew that his Sherpa should've been with Robs sherpa fixing ropes. He had no business telling his Sherpa Lop Sang to re direct and haul Sandy up the mountain. That was ludicrous. But Sandy Pittman leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

@zarasbazaar 2 месяца назад

It seems to me that anyone who is out of their element in that environment puts everyone else's safety at risk.

@dt3802 2 месяца назад

I've watched videos on her and read a few things. This is the first time I've heard she said about the two who saved her, which two gentlemen is that. That's disgusting to me.

@ralphbooger4756 Месяц назад

well, maybe graverobbers peeling corpses of the ground and photographing their faces hoping to get payed is not the best source of this information... this guy likes to bend the truth!

@miriamha970 12 дней назад

She also added “that’s what they get paid for”. Talk about a person who has no value of another’s life.

@yelloworangered Месяц назад

Hall and Fisher thought they had gotten control of Everest and could shuttle climbers up and down at will. The mountain proved to be far from tamed.

@Chck314 29 дней назад

they were arrogant about everything, including being the best guides ever

@kc72186 22 дня назад

Agreed, they were drowning in their own success on Everest and tried to capitalize on it. They both failed their clients that day.

@darrell0803 2 месяца назад

Having recently reread Into Thin Air, Krakauer's handling of Sandy Pittman is totally even-handed. He goes out of his way to note that (a) Pittman did not ask to be short-roped, and (b) the sherpas complaining about her sexual liaison on the mountain were notoriously licentious themselves. He also heaps both praise and criticism on Bookreev. I believe that SP is (and remains) totally self-absorbed and frankly obnoxious. However, I agree that it is way to simplistic to make her the villain of Everest '96. There were a lot of underqualified people on the mountain that day and not nearly enough adult supervision.

@indi3066 2 месяца назад

Yep. Krakauer is very prejudiced in his book in many ways.

@msmo2060 2 месяца назад

Beck Wethers had a different opinion the John krakauer

@berryreading4809 2 месяца назад

Definitely don't regard that book as documentation! Just a piece of the puzzle, but with a layer of tape covering the visual details... It has important parts that coincidence with other accounts, but has also been completely changed to fit his personal ideals and in some ways even to degrade reputations of others... Quite a biased point of view, but a neccessary point of study when looking at the entire 1996 disaster... The fact that it has become "the definitive record" for many people is a shame, especially after the loss of people who had direct disagreements or memories of the events and timelines of that historic event... John was also careful to not take responsibility for certain personal actions, or handing responsibility to others when he did... Just because your willing to throw out small bits of self deprivation doesn't mean you're willing to share the unbiased truth of events when you may come out the other side looking bad... I think John's book did exactly this in several strategic points of the disaster to preserve his own career and reputation... Further research and other people's recollections that basically match but also differ from John's account make this abundantly clear.

@Tenebarum 2 месяца назад

@@indi3066 He had a lot of assumptions and prejudices regarding his fellow climbers. He was hoping to expose commercial climbing, but stumbled on the golden goose. Blood money indeed.

@indi3066 2 месяца назад

@@Tenebarum very true!

@billsfan7883 2 месяца назад

You’re like the “That Chapter” or “Mr Ballen” of Mountaineering stories! Great story teller! I’ve seen literally everything to do with this disaster, yet I still found myself hooked in your story version of it. Keep up the good work! I’d like to hear you talk about Reinhold Messner and Lincoln Hall and all the other fascinating stories!

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Thank you for the huge comment...it means very much to me. I was just researching Messner yesterday....slowly putting something together. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and hope to keep bringing the good stuff. I have one coming out on Friday (hopefully). Take care

@user-cw8hw8vo7g 2 месяца назад

We've all met people like sandy Pittman completely self absorbed with an unshakable belief in their own narrative. The big I am in spades. Getting her up there must have been a big pull to Scott Fischer and his team. Talk about finding out the hard way Thanks again Thom

@bradleygonzalez1160 16 дней назад

Lots of people like that.

@ellebelle8515 2 месяца назад

Sandy Pittman: "No heroes that night." This alone tells you all that you need to know about her narcissistic, cruel character. A lesson to take from this: Prior to any great challenge in life, spend a lot of time with and know the character of each person that you will venture forth together into the challenge- especially when danger and death is a clear possibility.

@bradleygonzalez1160 16 дней назад

Well said. Great post

@christianjones4497 5 дней назад

She has repeatedly and publicly thanked the people who helped her many, many times.

@kcc-karenschroniccorner9432 2 месяца назад

This is a fair and well balanced explanation of Sandy’s role in the events of 1996.

@DonnaRoushall 11 дней назад

Yeah….Maybe she “ Wasn’t “ 100% to be blamed for the tragedy….. but her behavior at the restaurant is insensitive AT the least….but OUTRAGEOUS none the less. Plus the fact that she never gave credit to those that saved her life will forever be in my mind.

@melissaeden1219 2 месяца назад

I've watched and read a lot on this subject, and I feel there's a surprising lack of responsibility and gratitude on Pittman's part, plus a real lack of awareness of the effect of her behavior on others--possibly due to her life of privilege. I'm not sure I would say she was the sole cause of the tragedy; it had so many moving parts, but as you've argued, she certainly did not help herself.

@alisonwilson9749 2 месяца назад

@@backlogbrood2451But still not strong ~enough~, and the more experienced and capable she was, the more blame to her for not giving up sooner.

@timewa851 Месяц назад

@@backlogbrood2451 ....the sherpas packed her like that espresso machine she 'needed'. lol. Baggage. Expensive kind. Time burglar.

@bucksnake Месяц назад

@@backlogbrood2451 More skilled than some is true, but she was not capable of climbing Everest that particular day. It is unfortunate that she chose to be short roped and consequently the Sherpa was unable to set the ropes he was carrying, in two key places in the death zone. Consequently, 30 climbers were stranded there waiting for the ropes for hours using up their oxygen. They had planned to summit by 1:00 but the delays put everyone in jeopardy so much so that some climbers turned back and 5 others continued and then froze to death.

@GoodieWhiteHat Месяц назад

I love your calm and clear assessment. I like that you suggest she is just not capable of really grasping the extent of the whole tragedy and she seems quite vacuous and self centred. I also agree that you can’t blame one subordinate as she was only doing what she had been allowed to do. She did defend Anatoli and Scott’s team against Jon K though. And she seemed on pretty good terms with Charlotte in the doco as they laughed about the needle. I have to agree - who cares about the coffee machine? It wasnt a big machine anyway, she just frothed up some milk powder to make it seem like cappuccino. The issues of her luxuries, or her inappropriate behaviour afterwards is not why people died. She did not demand to be short roped. Scott arranged that for her. And it wasn’t all the way to the top. She at least really does have a love of the mountains. Anatoli had a lot of misgivings in his writings about a number of people’s lack of fitness for the climb. Her fault is that of a lot of them there. They should not really have come or kept going. Each team was too slow as a team. Even Scott was exhausted from all his extra climbing and shouldn’t have attempted it. Anatoli ended up being the last man standing but he couldn’t do it all. Only Doug realised that he should turn back but sadly got persuaded to push on.

@AndriaBieberDesigns 2 месяца назад

I mean, I hate to say this, but from all the documentaries I’ve watched on the 1996 episode. If she wasn’t there, I think it might’ve been a little different even with the storm. My problem is they had to tie the lines early and ditched protocol so she had extra help getting up the mountain. And another interview I saw with her she’s extremely arrogant.

@user-no9go8mf4b 2 месяца назад

It's not her fault they pulled people from setting ropes to help her.

@sonder2164 2 месяца назад

I agree, if she was not there it would have been different.

@michelledawn3588 2 месяца назад

Thank you for covering this, sharing your thoughts, and including Charlotte Fox.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts :)

@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 2 месяца назад

May Charlotte journey well.

@ChardeeMacdennis339 2 месяца назад

Charlotte Fox was my cousin 😊 I love hearing stories about her. She was such an a amazing woman ❤

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Wow, thank you. I'm sorry for your loss...it must have been a big surprise. Thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment!

@camilleinchicago 2 месяца назад

I have always felt that Charlotte saved Hill Pittman’s life by promptly administering the dexamethasone injection when she collapsed on the slopes of Everest. It is very sad that she never so much as received a thank you.

@davedennis6042 Месяц назад

@@camilleinchicago Pitman's reaction to that statement: "Thank WHO?"

@ChardeeMacdennis339 Месяц назад

@@davedennis6042 yeah thahs such a bummer 🙁

@ChardeeMacdennis339 Месяц назад

@@EverestMystery thank you! Yeah I’ve been loving these stories about all of these mountain adventures!! She was an amazing woman who had the ability to capture an entire room ❤️

@Bright.Girls.Film. 2 месяца назад

The controversy surrounding Pittman has always fascinated me, specifically because of the ways she has been presented from the different accounts as well as the dynamics of the guides, the hunger of media outlets, and the expectations of the client’s role. Nobody should be short roped up the mountain, that is unforgivable but even that and who “was to blame” is cloudy(imo). I really appreciated your thoughts on this. You’ve provided a good deal of illumination that I hadn’t realized about her. Thanks Thom✌️❤️

@baker_canner 2 месяца назад

Sandy Pittman is most certainly largely to blame for the loss of lives in 1996. She paid Lopsang Sherpa to haul her up the mountain when he was supposed to be fixing ropes. That put everything late and everyone in peril. She has a lot of nerve even claiming she climbed that mountain: she did not! She paid a man to drag her to the summit. She accomplished nothing and belongs in the dustbin of history.

@Chck314 29 дней назад

not "largely" but somewhat. Guides fucked up and the storm was going to kill people regardless.

@peterenevoldsen7199 16 дней назад

If that is true, why is Lopsang not to blame?

@baker_canner 16 дней назад

@peterenevoldsen7199 , The discussion here was about Pittman, so my comment related to her specifically. Note that I said above that she is largely (not solely) to blame. Lopsang should not have agreed to it, but he felt pressured because Rob Hall wanted to get her up the mountain. There is blame to go around, but she knew she had the power to interfere with plans, and she used it.

@junglesuperstar9270 5 дней назад

@@baker_cannerdo you know that people can say NO.

@christianjones4497 5 дней назад

She was not hooked up to him. And if she was, all she had to do is unhook if she didn't want to be hooked up to him. Lopsang was from a different party. Why would a sherpa rom a different party be asked to haul her up the mountain? Or, why would she pay for a sherpa from a party that wasn't hers to carry her up? There is actually photos of everyone of these people just below hillary step, and no one is short roped. The photo was taken from Rob Hall who was at the back of the line with Dan Hanson (not sure if I got his name right).

@wt6953 2 дня назад

Enjoyed this video. At 75yrs old cancer survivor with little activity, i am especially moved by your exhortation to "do something for someone and don't ask anything in return". God bless you and those you love. 🤗🙏

@4034miguel 2 месяца назад

I just saw Princess Chaterine video about her condition. The first thing she does is to thank gracefully to the medical team that made her surgery successful. They were doing their job and as you say, he humbly thanked them for what they did for her. So if a royal princess is capable of gratitude, it is incredible for me not be appalled, by the self centered, narcissism and lack of empathy of SP.

@TheQueensWish Месяц назад

There certainly is a huge gulf in the negative behaviors and self serving attitudes of narcissists and others.

@garthlundquist3623 58 минут назад

The biggest failure was the inability to accurately forecast the incoming storm. No doubt weather forecasting has much improved in 28 years, but back then the teams had access to sat phones and input from weather satellites. Without the storm surprising the teams on the mountain, they could of dealt with Precious Pittman and all the other problems. The number one rule for mountain guides is to be aware of changing conditions: this means not only external factors, but also the condition both physically and mentally of your team members.

@volvoman1096 2 месяца назад

I‘ll take “How to spot a psychopath for $200 Alex”.

@SWS1493 2 месяца назад

😂😂

@cdd4248 2 месяца назад

Her entitlement and privileged self-righteousness were palpable.

@craigscott8064 2 месяца назад

maybe not a psychopath but absolutely a sociopath......as are most of the very wealthy...

@robinputnam2569 2 месяца назад

Thank you for all you research that you put in to your reports.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

My pleasure! Thank you : )

@itllbesuzanarchy 2 месяца назад

Wow. Sad that in her eyes, the 'team' seems to be comprised of everyone but the leader. I guess Scott wasn't on the 'team' because he wasn't a paying customer? Must be how she reconciles it all in her mind. Thank you for your excellent videos.

@ursuladirnberger 2 месяца назад

I've been captivated by this story ever since I stumbled upon it in an outdoor magazine in the university library during a study break in 1997. Since then, I've read many articles and books about this disaster. I've been thinking a lot about who's really to blame but it's not easy. I mean, I've never been there. I've never been at such heights and neither have most people who make judgements about the people involved. There were so many circumstances that led to this tragedy - both guides made crucial mistakes, driven by their ambition and the idea of competion. Also, I think, when you climb Mount Everest as a client, it's still crucial to know your own limits and not rely on others. I admit, of course, it's not easy to turn around after spending so much time, effort and money. I like climbing mountains but the altitude of the mountains in my area is pretty low. It's mostly between 2000 and 2500 m and I can climb 1000 m in about 2 1/2 hours. Just imagine that it's "only" 800 m from camp 4 to the top and people need more than 12 hours to get there! How crazy is that? What an enourmous effort for your body and what willpower you need to put one foot after the other when you are being exposed to -40°C, windchill and very low oxygen. I understand the fascination of the 8000s but personally, I'd rather stay in the Alps than to go to the Himalayan. Thanks for this video. I've just come across this channel and I subscribed to the channel. I'm thinking about becoming a member...

@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 2 месяца назад

Ha, that's so funny --- my Everest interest came from reading Krakauer's magazine piece when it came out, also while I was taking some university courses. I used to have a great ethics prof & your comment makes me really wish I could walk back into that classroom with this situation & have one of the fantastic talks the prof + my fellow students would have over various ethics issues, discussing the events of 96 with the conviction + passion we all brought to that class would be amazing. I agree with your assessment of "many moving parts" on the mountain that day. I'm glad you've been able to really climb. I live near the Rockies & I love to hike & used to cross-country ski before my local snow got too chaotic but I've only ever climbed in a gym. I know my limits + I am a marshmallow lol. But I got into following various sports that are considered more dangerous or extreme bc my friend group at the time were very much into challenging themselves, so I learned about caving + ice climbing + bouldering etc so I could share their love of their activities + understand the experiences they discussed, even if I'd stick to base camp, hike at my own pace, watch birds, & look out for my pals. Everest is such an incredible anthology of peoples' stories. So many different kinds of people + different kinds of stories + different kinds of climbers. Always interesting to follow, even tho I'd never go there in person. The thing that spooks me the most about Everest is the footage I've seen of the actual jetstream whipping the summit. The jetstream. I mean that is wind that could just pick a person up & hurl them from the summit. It's incredible anyone gets back down. Apologies about the length of my reply; I enjoyed your comment. Your remarks obviously really resonated with me. All best to you from near the Canadian Rockies!

@ursuladirnberger 2 месяца назад

@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 Thanks so much for your reply. This is amazing. Same here. I love hiking and climbing and being outdoors but I know my limits and I don't put myself at risk when I go up a mountain. Of course, if you climb a mountain, an accident is possible but you can minimize the risks. I think, the older I get, the more cautious I become. I've never seen the Rocky Mountains. I've been to Canada twice, but more in the East, near Toronto. West Canada is definitely on my travel bucket list! Again, thanks for your nice comment and all the best to you from Austria!

@chancevonfreund9145 2 месяца назад

Fantastic video but what a conceded person I've seen interviews of her and your right she never mentions it . She even makes it sound like she is a elite climber! Sad 🏔

@marylandflyer5670 Месяц назад

Good commentary. Fair. Russel Bryce would lecture his clients at base camp, telling them that he and the experienced guides will try to get you safely to the summit and back down, but you the client need to listen to the guides. If they tell you to descend, you descend. It’s not any guide’s job to die for you.

@thishappycrafter272 2 месяца назад

This was a great video! Thanks so much for putting so much effort into it ❤

@csabaspottle4765 2 месяца назад

I like your truthful, honest videos.

@anonz975 2 месяца назад

FYI I saw an interview with Pittman last week in which she mentions her tiny 8" Cappuccino maker so she did have one.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

She is still alive??? You mean karma did not catch up yet????? Disgusting

@nukeputin420 2 месяца назад

@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits That's a little extreme, there.

@thegreencat9947 Месяц назад

She called the other people in the group...." my team". Bull

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits Месяц назад

@@nukeputin420 ok

@davidjackson4916 Месяц назад

DISGUSTING "!!

@zsuzsablom6256 2 месяца назад

Narcissists never accept blame. They have no insight, compassion or empathy.

@adataylor6793 2 месяца назад

You nailed everything about the true nature of who Sandy really was then and most likely still is Thom! I cringed when I read about her self-righteousness, selfishness, and spoiled brat behavior! It's her true identity on who she is! Men aren't the only ones who have a three "S" routine in the morning when they wake up! Lol She looks in the mirror and sees a halo! Everest summit success requires a team effort. She'd never had made it out alive without the efforts of porters, sherpas, the team and guides....if it wasn't for Char giving up her Dex with no hesitation, Sandy would have died! Imagine how deep her rabbit hole is by now when wonderful caring and peaceful people like you Thom continue to bring up her name! She should be ashamed and like you said....humble yourself and admit when you are wrong! Thank you so much for this....I didn't know half of what I learned about her today from your vid! 👍 ✌️ 🤗

@drlangattx3dotnet 2 месяца назад

I was a guide for many years. Hall and Fisher were destroyed by human factors. Their decisions, which were supposed to keep everyone safe, were too much affected by their desire to summit their clients for status and money in the burgeoning Everest guide business. Professional guides were/are reluctant to take a side against fellow guides because it has a tendency to hurt the guide business and helps no one. Behind the scenes, sometimes, there are lawsuits that get settled quietly. Saw this exact type situation occur in the early 2000's. The lay public usually hovers outside such informed analyses and sometimes, in a sensational way, blames someone like Sandy Hill for the tragedy. It is much easier and more exciting to balme an unlikable socialite. "We have paved a Yellow Brick Road to the summit!" Who said that? Hill as the cause? Ridiculous, despite the somewhat distasteful aspects of her story. Also, she was not inexperienced. SHE WAS NOT INEXPERIENCED. Any more than other clients. There may be blame for others, but guides are in charge. Maybe Krakauer should have guided Weathers down to camp. Yes? No? Should he have gotten up from his tent to help mount a rescue to the stranded clients? What did he say in the moment? The whole thing turned into a clusterfuck. Sandy Hill is a terrific oblect for abuse. This analysis is done very well and I am glad for the opportunity to vent my opinions. Thanks and I look forward (I think) to a reply.

@Nephthys-ness Месяц назад

The reply you sought. Sorry for lateness. Hi, Sandy-fan, your comments bring salient reasons to not starF**k your way to Nature's Nadir. Desire for fame and a Mountain free of Mercies do not negotiate. Not-inexperience teaches this. One climbs to climb another day. The Verified Experienced who perished could not fathom a life where they had (albeit, perhaps knowingly / commercially) allowed mal-objectives to fester. And, instead of whining, begging and profiting; they chose to do their utmost to endevour to save = knowing every ticking minute in the death zone was EXACTLY that. They made a choice to preserve their name in noble effort, at the expense of their life. They perished for their mistakes. Their eternal silence will always speak louder than Red Carpet Clothes, blithe silence and valor theft. Sandy was not-inexperienced in cheapening hardships. "Krakauer should have (sic) gotten up from his tent" ?? What? So Krakauer was lazily napping and abnegated his (because EXPERIENCED) necessity to go rescue a Short-Roped, Book-Dealed, continuously-collapsing Entitlement's victims from the bottlenecks which she, your hero - the aforementioned "Not-Inexperienced" - kept creating?? Bottlenecks which caused a/descents an ultimate tragic lateness. Sandy lay down bc she expected - prima facia as she received - aid. Sandy did not collapse to pass: she collapsed to get rescued. Everyone was in the death zone but her. Yes, she suffered the effects of it and the storm - but she did not have the mens rea mindset to truly summit. Maybe she was not the only one - however, they do not live to have their stories "narrated". These Mountains ask no quarter and give none. Sandy asked all. I'm sure she still does. She is part of the chain of destruction - at the very very least. There but for the grace of ....

@Chck314 29 дней назад

she WAS a contributor, at least in small part. Anyone who's actions slowed the "queue." that day was part of the problem. I agree that she gets too much blame. That storm was going to be a problem even if everything went to plan.

@cathyd74 2 месяца назад

Did Sandy realize that she got so much help or did she think everyone else got the same treatment as her? The short roping, did she think that was normal to do? If you need to be short roped on the ascent, maybe you should turn around? 🤷‍♀️

@cyclonasaurusrex1525 2 месяца назад

I sense that, if this had happened today, she’s the kind of person who would Instagram, TikTok, and livestream har way up the.mountain. She appears to be antithesis of seeking to confront and to accept one’s smallness.

@charlesmartin1121 2 месяца назад

If an individual is short-roped by another climber, on part of the route to the top, should that even be counted as a legitimate summit?

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

I was wondering the exact same thing.

@alisonwilson9749 2 месяца назад

I'd say no, myself. But I'm not a climber. However, at the very least, she ought to give credit to whoever helped her each time she talks about it. Which does not seem to be her style.

@thegreencat9947 Месяц назад

No...I don't think so.

@ralphbooger4756 Месяц назад

this video is a disgusting hit piece and you are a bunch of gullible fools! lol, she is to blame because her guide decided to short rope her, which resulted in the climbers in front getting stuck because that guide was supposed to fix the ropes for them and they were helpless without the ropes...??? how about it not counting if you rely on fixed ropes? or sherpas? oxygen? who even cares?!!

@plushcat716 2 месяца назад

Absolutely a malignant narcissist, no concern for anyone, even those who died...

@denim_ak 2 месяца назад

Your editing on this channel has come a long way. Very engaging video.

@bucksnake 2 месяца назад

Is Pittman to blame? I would suggest that if she had not HAD to be short roped UP Everest, Lopsang would have set the ropes as planned and everybody would have reached the summit two hours earlier at around 1:00 as was planned. And they would have missed the storm that killed them. Look she could not climb Everest that day. She had to be pulled up the mountain for five hours and the Sherpa doing the pulling was carrying the damn ropes that 30 climbers were waiting for using up their oxygen in the death zone. And she was rescued three times during the descent where she would have unquestionably died. For me, it all comes down to a very important question. WHY did Lopsang abandon his rope setting duties to drag her up the mountain? Why knowingly place 30 other climbers at risk in the death zone ? Why put the whole summit attempt in jeopardy? She indicated she was being pulled up against her will, which no one believes for a second. Lopsang said that Fisher did not ask him to short rope her. There is only one explanation. Pittman had to reach the summit both personally and professionally. A decision was made and she and Lopsang made it. They were willing to put everyone else at risk. Just because you are given an opportunity, does not mean you are absolved of the consequences if you take it. She wasn’t given the keys to the car, nor was she driving, but if she had NOT been in the car in the back seat, the others would have avoided the crash that killed them. So is she to blame. Yes she is. Just an opinion. Respectfully.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Good analysis, I appreciate your taking the time to walk through it. You make many good points, thank you

@melindahall5062 Месяц назад

That’s the bottom line. No ropes to the top due to Ms Hill-Pittman put everyone way behind. It didn’t have to happen.

@falllinemaniac Месяц назад

I knew Sergei and Frannie, even climbed with them. When Fran said they got a permit for Everest I knew I was going to lose her. I never met Anatoli but they loved him like they loved me. I also met Charlotte, she was a tremendous human being that I'm forever grateful for knowing. Over the years the numbers of lost friends has become quite painful. Here's to everyone still breathing 🎉

@Hootncozy 2 месяца назад

Human error causes more deaths on the mountain than accidents. Being enamored of your climb is most assuringly signs of a narcissistic behavior. She knows, she knows what she went through and how she helped contribute to the drama up on the mountain, she had no business being up there to begin with. The fact that those people were able to get her down off that mountain is telling of the nature of those she was climbing with. They are the hero’s, they are the ones who sacrificed their own wellbeing in order to save her life. She never thanked the ones who truly put it all on the line for her. Obviously the mountain causes memory loss. Blah, she is in my opinion responsible to contributing to the death or deaths of those who climbed with her.

@jondavies9347 2 месяца назад

Summit fever has claimed so many lives.

@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits 2 месяца назад

I totally agree. Another thing this guy did not mention is that she forced the sherpas to haul up TV Cameras, sound equipment, microphones, and other niceties for herself. What a total sociopath!! And having sex (NOT just hooking up) on the mountain???? DIsgusting low life!!

@MLeibs 2 месяца назад

Pittman is all about Pittman. She is seemingly unaware how self-centered she is. No humility or gratitude detected. I’ve read years of books and articles about 1996 on Everest. There are people like Pittman in all walks of life. Folks, learn to spot these people as early in life as possible; it will save you a heap of avoidable heartache and trouble.

@jandedick7519 2 месяца назад

So happy RU-vid made me aware of your channel! I was planning to do the trek to Everest and had actually thought I go with Rob Halls old company,and then I decided I would not be able to handle the cold. Really enjoying your videos on Everest.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

I'm happy you found the channel, thank you for telling me! Adventure Consultants is a truly solid company, they are in the elite of the elite on the mountain. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos!

@katekat1064 Месяц назад

So frankly she gave no credit for the enormous amount of help she had. It is very telling that she survived but so many others died

@vickiedouglas401 2 месяца назад

great video about the year I started watching things on Everest. My sister did a trek to base camp and got me hooked. She called me when the news started coming about the deaths. So I read into thin air a few times and think he did an amazing job under such conditions. I especially like the way he describes Beck Weathers misadventure and miraculous survival. Sandy Pittman seems to fit the bill for Asperger's which is a very high performing type of autism. They cannot read social cues and have no clue about it. Some have genius level gifts. I've known one and he was frustrating as can be. The mysteries of the brain. So far as blame it's a concept I've decided to give up. I'm tired of slander and the pointing fingers. But I can honestly say I think all of them or most of them played their part in this scenario. She should never have been up there. I just shake my head when I see the lines we've seen getting longer every year. One can't help but wonder what the future will bring. I enjoy your videos.

@jwalkerC21 2 месяца назад

"So far as blame it's a concept I've decided to give up". more if not everyone should consider this.

@surrealistgirlx 2 месяца назад

Her behavior points more to someone with a narcissistic personality disorder. All of her actions were self-serving and self aggrandizing. I have autism so I get your viewpoint and can definitely understand your analysis. I stand by your right to have a valid theory. I've read articles and watched interviews. She has a level of entitlement which is reflective of her place in the world and her life. I've met people on par with her who are kind and down to earth. She saw the sherpas and guides as "the help". She never even mentioned the names of the people who died. As noted in the video she did not see the tremendous sacrifices people made for her; they were just doing their jobs. And that's a pretty crappy attitude.

@CPE1704TK5 2 месяца назад

It’s narcissism. These things imo come in round the edges in extremities but soon become amalgamated.

@vickiedouglas401 2 месяца назад

so sad isn't it? @@surrealistgirlx

@alisonwilson9749 2 месяца назад

@@surrealistgirlx I do get a little fed up of medicalisation of everything. It's just as possible, I'd say more so, that she is a selfish, self-centred, ungrateful wretch, and knows exactly what she is doing. I know people with severe autism who work incredibly hard to try to work out other people's feelings, and to review events afterwards so they can make amends if they have misread things so that they don't hurt others. She seems to be able to connect easily enough with people when she wants to.

@julianaweiser8512 2 месяца назад

Thank you for your thoughtful tour into this story. To this day it stands as one of the most compelling stories that occurred on Everest. I too love Krakuer’s book and agree that Pitman had a large contribution to the way things played. If only she took a little accountability for her part… that would go a long way. I agree with you, it’s her attitude that is the problem. How tragic that Hall and Fischer were vying for top dog and as a result they both died that day.

@tomdaly1010 2 месяца назад

Love the blue hat and shirt combo my friend!! Well done!!

@machineofrage 2 месяца назад

One line that immediately grabbed my attention was that she "hooked up" with someone on the mountain, and that's a big "No no". I wonder if anyone can clarify this. Is it because Mt Everest is considered to be a sacred place by some? Or is there another reason? I'm just a simple lobster fisherman from Nova Scotia, I have no idea of what proper etiquette may be on the mountain.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Thank you for watching! Into Thin Air describes how the Sherpas don't like climbers having sex on Mount Everest, since it is believed to anger the mountain. In 2016 there was a case of one of our sherpa staff having relations with someone and he was run off the mountain and literally left the business altogether. It was a huge disruption and caused a big stir. Ultimately, it's deemed to be very disrespectful, and their beliefs are deeply ingrained.

@machineofrage 2 месяца назад

@EverestMystery I assumed that's what the situation was. Thanks for clarification! I have no aspirations to ever climb a mountain, but I do enjoy your content very much!

@dt3802 2 месяца назад

@@EverestMysteryThank you for the explanation. I assumed it was because one needs to be concerned for themselves and not the person they 'hooked up' with too. Adds more danger for all.

@scottwooledge6387 2 месяца назад

Kinda tracks that she disrespected the local customs but showed up at the photo shoot having appropriated the local fashionable headdress.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

@@machineofrage I appreciate you being here, thank you!

@lyndsayreed2169 21 день назад

you are such a kind & empathetic guy for your generous analysis. it is soo easy to get outraged by her comments/actions & you were so level-headed & willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. seeing the way you think genuinely inspiring me to be more careful about being judgmental. thank you ❤

@ianclark2665 2 месяца назад

I smoke two packs a day and drink a bottle of Scotch before lunch. I intend to pay sherpas to carry me up Everest. Why? Because it's there! I'm entitled to do it because I'm rich and I need something to brag about at my golf club.

@The.Original.Potatocakes 2 месяца назад

Might as well have the Sherpa haul up your golf clubs so you can drive a golf ball off the top of Everest. 😂

@isabelmaas8588 2 месяца назад

Some people don't belong in the mountains, be it from lack of skill, condition or personality.

@janelleg597 2 месяца назад

She was an accomplished climber. No novice. But yes

@alisonwilson9749 2 месяца назад

@@janelleg597 She certainly fell short on personality- or perhaps character is a better word in the context.

@johnabney3530 5 дней назад

That's like terminal narcissism but on the flipside she had the gut and grit to ascend Mount Everest! And looking like that is an insane combo but very fascinating...

@EverestMystery 5 дней назад

No matter what, climbing Everest is a monumental force of willpower and determination

@MADDLADO1 17 часов назад

I think you covered this story pretty well, it's a very interesting story and I liked your take on it.

@eigleenalegri2664 2 месяца назад

Thank you for the video.

@frankmiller95 2 месяца назад

Very well done, insightful and compassionate analysis.

@misarthim6538 2 месяца назад

I read "Into thin air" about 10 years ago and I devoured it in two days. And predictably I loved it and I've seen it exactly as described - as brutal but honest account of the events. But then I revisited it couple of times and I started to come around and now I actually really dislike what Krakauer did there. He blew these peoples' private lives wide open and did it without any consent and mostly without them even knowing he's gonna be there. I was thinking how his article, which he was commissioned to write, would look like if there was no disaster and I bet it would be still be 'Amateurs on Everest'. His self deprecation has little value for me if it's used, as is the case here, to give himself permission to point at failures and being judgemental of others. He was there to write about Hall and his company, not the other clients. That he felt entitled to do so anyway doesn't picture him for me in best light as well.

@peach7210 2 месяца назад

15:23 "Owning your own crap is one of the most incredible qualities in a human being." AMEN!!! Yes. Exactly. Accountability. Humility.

@user-rp9om3pr6g 2 месяца назад

I am tired of people playing games and making excuses why it was not her fault, her actions are horrible.

@julietwasjung 2 месяца назад

Absolutely! And no matter how much people tap dance around her to distract from the truth, as opposed to "her" truth, she holds a great deal of the responsibility for those deaths.

@sisterpamop 2 месяца назад

It was not her sole responsibility for the many poor decisions made that day. She was not the only weak climber attempting to summit. There were a number who qualified for that designation. She did contribute to the disaster, but many others did as well, even though they were more likable.

@janelleg597 2 месяца назад

@@sisterpamopindeed. Her credentials were way stronger than others

@alisonwilson9749 2 месяца назад

@@janelleg597 Then she deserves all the more blame for her actions, especially afterwards. You can't have it both ways.

@michaelchesny656 2 месяца назад

Well presented. Thank you.

@tinadenning3186 2 месяца назад

I read and watched everything Everest 1996. So much hubris of many ... as you mention. The fact that both guides kept going well after the turnaround time is major. Beck climbing blind and waiting.. relying on the leader to bring him down. The demand placed on Andy by Rob. Not fixing the ropes. And Anatoli, leaving Beck and Yamba(sp) i believe is that he didnt feel responsible not his team AND him not guiding but climbing (w/o oxygen) What Sandy did after as well is chopper out alone and not having her team join her in leaving. Bidelman and Groom are the real heros.

@jaymanitu8421 2 месяца назад

Everest Mystery, It would be nice to hear your thoughts on the Ali Sadpara, JP Mohr & John Snorri sad accident / death & what you think really happened to these men on K2. Thank you.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

That is a story that I have often considered. There are many moving parts and also the element of the other team that made the summit, leaving aspects of it open for speculation. Your having mentioned gives me pause to dig back into the story.... Thank you!

@lindasd7591 Месяц назад

Excellent presentation!!

@jobis2414 Месяц назад

She summit’s six other major peaks so I’m not sure why everyone thinks she just came off of fifth avenue in New York and a Sherpa drug her all the way up. She wasn’t inexperienced and deserved that kudos. However if she didn’t honor anyone who helped her she deserves that disdain as well.

@Jodie4582 2 месяца назад

Appreciate your perspective on Pittman. You may already completed a video regarding why Anatoili Boukreev was even available to save Pittman but if you haven’t I’d love to hear your perspective. I’m new to your channel and now a subscriber.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

Thanks for being on the channel, it's great having you here! Definitely, a video about Anatoli must happen. I'm glad you found the channel :)

@reidawg72 2 месяца назад

⁠@@EverestMysteryyes, please do a Boukreev video. I wrote a rambling reply which I deleted as it dawned on me: he knows all this. I have read a number of Everest books but had not read Boukreev's until a couple weeks ago. It was actually a comment under one of your videos which made me realize I wasn't as informed as I thought. I'm very glad I read it and came away with immense respect for the man. I've subscribed to your channel. You do great work.

@hawkeye98 2 месяца назад

I’m from South Louisiana. I get winded walking to the top of the levee. When I see people like this lady climbing on Everest. It just screams entitlement. You know there are places in Louisiana that outsiders have no business going. Much like me trying to climb mountains. What makes people believe that have the skill to climb the worlds highest mountain just because they can pay some guide a crazy amount of money to try to get her there. Sad. I have to say I’ve read both Into Thin Air and The Climb. Both both great books

@dukecraig2402 2 месяца назад

Maybe you should try looking at all the mountains she did summit, she didn't get winded walking to the top of a levee. All this smack talking on her is nonsense, people are taking thing's way out of context including thing's she said herself and using them as the basis for basically doing nothing more than jumping on a bandwagon and bashing her, she's no more responsible for what happened to the different people up there than anyone else is, it seems Krakauer made a pretty easy target of her talking about thing's that she had and was doing that others also were including some by him. Here's a perfect example of how thing's about her have gotten blown out of proportion, her expresso "machine", it was nothing more than one of those little semi hourglass shaped coffee pots, there was no "machine" to it, it was nothing more than a little coffee pot the likes of which many of the climbers had, she wasn't fresh grinding her own expresso beans, and when it comes to the foam on the top she was scrounging up non dairy creamer packets and mixing them with water and shaking them up to make it foamy then pouring it on the top of a cup she'd just brewed. She's just been made a target for blaming everything on her simply because it's easy and convenient.

@ethicalbunny 2 месяца назад

She was one of the most competent mountaineers on the team!

@christinepaige2575 2 месяца назад

I'm with you, hawkeye98!

@dukecraig2402 2 месяца назад

@@ethicalbunny Yep, and when it comes to things like the expresso machine in this video he says "Who cares about an expresso machine?" but that's just it, that's how stupid people are willing to get to demonize her, and even he is contributing to the whole thing about it by referring to it as an expresso machine or expresso maker or whatever he refers to it as, he should use the truth behind it to make a point of how everyone keeps taking things about her out of context, call it an expresso machine or an expresso maker and everyone pictures some kitchen appliance size thing when in fact it was nothing more than one of those little kinda hour glass shaped single cup capacity coffee pots just like what most everyone else had around base camp, it wasn't a machine that had a thing that spit foam out attached to it, it was nothing more than a little coffee pot she was brewing ground expresso beans in instead of ground coffee beans, as far as the foam on the top she was doing something like scrounging up non dairy creamer packets and mixing them with water and shaking them up to make it foamy then pouring it on top of her cup she'd just made, what people are doing is no different than listening to me talk about how in the Army we'd take the coco mix packets in our C-Rations and mix in just enough water so it was like an icing and spreading it on top of the little piece of pound cake that came in a tin can to make what we called cake with chocolate frosting and twisting things around to make it sound like we had little ovens in our armored vehicles that we baked cakes in, ridiculous.

@hawkeye98 2 месяца назад

@@dukecraig2402 yea well I’m no mountaineer by any stretch but it doesn’t take Sir Edmund Hillary to realize she wasn’t prepared for Everest.

@SuperSlappy25 2 месяца назад

looking forward to more videos. How many cats do you have?

@chrisl7839 29 дней назад

Thanks, enjoyed the video, and I subscribed. I also thought Krackaur's (sp?) book was very good, and also agree that the coffee machine was the least of Pittman's issues. I do think the extra care and resources she needed DID cost lives (using sherpa Lopsang to sort rope her for ex). Turnaround times MUST be adhered to, but one thing many people don't understand, or forget, is that the lack of O2 has a profound effect on a climber's ability to reason and use sound judgement. For that reason turnaround times should never be questioned on the mountain. Once you let that slide, bad things happen it seems. There were heroes that terrible day and night. Neal Beidleman was one. Boukreev would have been had he been more interested in performing his job as a guide BEFORE the storm hit.

@wyomingadventures 2 месяца назад

Nobody should blame her for others' deaths. That's my opinion. She did have mountain experience before Everest. She tried climbing Everest before that trip. She has done the 7 summits. I think it was 1994 that she climbed with David Breshears and Chad Lowe. I love John's books. I've read so many people's books of that day by others who were there that day. It really is interesting hearing everyone's thoughts on what happened that day. This is a topic that will never be forgotten. Charlotte Fox's interviews after this I found very interesting. I do think Hill wouldn't have survived without others helping her. She definitely made many mistakes afterward. She should have been very thankful for people helping her. I have to agree with you it's not her fault. But yeah everyone needs to take responsibility for their own actions.

@louisduplessis2075 2 месяца назад

The problem is with her totally blind self centered behavior.

@BarbaraFarmer-tu6bj 2 месяца назад

She needed to much help. Taki g time and resources from others. That's my opinion

@Unfluencer Месяц назад

multiple accounts have described her as being practically carried to the top. shes a fake climber.

@wyomingadventures Месяц назад

@Unfluencer nobody can carry another person up Everest. When you can reply with something sensible I will respond.

@patrickmorris4594 Месяц назад

Surely it wasn't zero effect. Certainly the pressure and distractions of supporting her and not turning back had some effect.

@michaellockett1631 2 месяца назад

Great video I love your honest opinion on it 👍 I've seen videos on her before! Her lack of empathy is unreal she as so many narcissistic traits. To say are team when there your guides and your saviours and saved your life is a total disgrace for the men who went above and beyond hats off to them 👏👏

@melodymacken9788 2 месяца назад

Brilliant conversation. Rotorua, New Zealand 🇳🇿

@deannefortnam4247 Месяц назад

This is So well done! Great analysis of the situation that caused the 1996 disaster. Thank you. Competiton and hubris caused all those people their lives. Sad

@gobeyondtheedge Месяц назад

Narcissism is not only incurable, but it typically leaves an incredible trail of personal and professional damage and in this case death.

@maryrutten3387 Месяц назад

There were many mistakes that day. Sandy was struggling and the Sherpa short roped her for awhile. How long , do you know ? I do no but it wasn’t all the way to the top. Why did the Sherpa do this? Might he been instructed by Hall to help out climbers who might struggle? We don’t know that do we? There were some serious mistakes and decisions made that day that cost lives. I don’t hear anyone blaming Rob for Doug’s death. Doug was struggling and wanted to stop but Hall wanted him to get to the summit and pushed him on. Hall knew they were well past the turn around time. He knew he had instructed Beck to sit tight in the death zone. Yeah Rob also lost his life but he was the guide and experienced climber and both died because of Halls decision. So who is blaming Hall? What if Scott trying to help out all his team and taking a climber back down and then going back up. He was all over the place and he became exhausted. You can’t do all that stuff and that altitude even if you are in the best of shape. So tell me again how Sandy is to blame? Yeah you read about how she is this spoiled socialite and she brought all this useless stuff. She did hire and pay for those men that took her stuff up there. Besides I don’t have any idea what behind why she took those things. I wasn’t there. All we know is what we have read, not than any of that is bias, couldn’t be. There is absolutely no reason to blame one person for the tragedy that happened that day. There were many mistakes made and bad decisions made plus a horrendous storm that all contributed to this tragedy. Stop trying to put the blame all on a person that has been made to look like a villain because she was this socialite who perhaps had her priorities messed up. This tragedy did not happen because she brought a coffee machine and a TV and it is no reason to put all the blame on her !

@theworldisavampire3346 Месяц назад

I dont care for Jon Krakauer. Sandy Pittman was an accomplished climber & Jon really portrayed her as a thoughtless, vapid heiress that was nothing short of extra weight on the team. Jon himself lay in a sleeping bag, refusing to assist once it was apparent that many were wandering lost in that fatal storm. He had no business casting any stones. RIP Anatoli & Andy Harris, REAL heros of that tragic day & night on Mt Everest.

@bradleygonzalez1160 16 дней назад

Whoa. Never heard or read that.

@pizzafrenzyman 2 месяца назад

If folks had turned around at the turnaround point, everyone on the South side would have survived. So delays or not, each person who continued climbing past the turnaround must accept responsibility to their own fate.

@mountresplendent 2 месяца назад

Exactly!!!!

@Chck314 29 дней назад

possibly, the storm was such that those climbers would've been stranded for some time at the South Col under ideal circumstances

@bananamiriam 33 минуты назад

...agree about Jon Krakauer's book. I thought it was respectful and a good account.

@user-ms3to5st2k Месяц назад

EXCELLENT, excellent analysis.

@pamelah997 Месяц назад

You are too kind to Ms. Pittman, but I appreciate your even-handedness and excellent story-telling. In a time of nasty opinions and commentary online, I truly appreciate you, thank you!

@b.p.879 2 месяца назад

I had the great pleasure of attending Dr Neil Beidleman's speaking/slideshow tour about Everest, and he was really great to listen to. Thanks for rekindling this memory.

@kc72186 22 дня назад

If they all turned around at 2pm we wouldn't be having this conversation. Rob and Scott failed their clients that day. RIP Andy Harris.

@Chck314 29 дней назад

the 1996 disaster was a combination of small issues, from Pittman being short-roped to slow climbers like Doug Hanson being catered to by prideful guides. At the end of the day, the massive storm was going to be a big problem even if the expedition went smoothly. As to Pittman's bad behavior and callous attitude, I think she acts like someone raised uber rich and privileged.

@msmew4371 2 месяца назад

UM, Being a girl From the NOLS and Climber Community in Jackson Hole....You are Exceptional Brother.

@EverestMystery 2 месяца назад

This ranks up there with the most excellent of comments I've ever seen - thank you : )

@Chatterboxis007 2 месяца назад

Wow learned something new today,thanks.

@dt3802 2 месяца назад

Great video.

@ChynnaPhillipsBaldwin Месяц назад

I just find you so relaxing, smart and engaging. 😊

@2708dragon 9 дней назад

I've read Into Thin Air four times and attended a short lecture by one of the climbers there on that tragic day. No doubt in my mind that Anatoli behaved like a legend. I was deeply sorry to hear of his death the following year. In addition, hauling someone up a mountain who had no business to be there (Doug Hansen I think) was an unfortunate mistake by Rob Hall that probably cost both their lives. I'm glad you spoke kindly of Into Thin Air as it's a compelling but deeply sad read.

@LadySlippersHikes 2 месяца назад

Scott should have said, “no, we’re not carrying 30# of satellite phone up the mountain.” And Rob and Scott both should set and stick to a turn around time.

@virginiaspinelli-buser4420 2 месяца назад

I always enjoy stories about Everest climbers. It seems like Sandy focused her goals on her book and interviews. If I were planning on a climb like that, I would go over my skills and being prepared for anything that could happen. I have hiked some Colorado trails and I know my limits. I know the weather can change suddenly and it is important to know what to do and if or when to not go further. These were nothing like Mount Everest!

@jazamaraz8029 2 месяца назад

Why did Lopsang short rope Sandy up the mountain? Was he told by Scott Fischer to do that? If so, who did Fischer expect to set the ropes? Neither of the other two guides were assigned to set the ropes. Or did Pitman herself convince Lopsang to forgo his rope setting duties and help her up the mountain? Or did Lopsang make the decision on his own? The consequences that resulted from that one fateful decision were catastrophic. As I see it, the person who made that decision is the Uncle Joe who gave the keys to the car to the 11 year old.

@kevinhsu8184 2 месяца назад

My understanding is that Scott Fischer had asked Lopsang to short roped her up to summit because she was literally blogging for NBC her way up Everest and had she gone up and came down successfully without all the drama and tragedy, you can imagine it will bring tons of business for Scott. While Sandy should have climbed her way up without being short roped, at the end of the day, it was Scott’s decision. I don’t know if Sandy would had made it without being short roped to summit. By the time she climbed Everest in 1996, she had already done 6 of the 7 tallest summits at every continent so I had to assume she’s fairly seasoned climber. She was one of the few people on that team that had done 8000 meter climbs before. At the end of the day, I think it was Scott’s greed that got the best of him. Sorry to say that about a dead person but from all the accounts I read, that’s my conclusion.

@henrikk2713 8 дней назад

The most important question & it seems never to be fully answered. Have anyone thought that Sandy also had sex with Lopsang in order to get him to ditch his other duties & assist Sandy as much as needed? :) Cuz normally sherpas are not regarded from disregarding important assignments such as the critical setting up of ropes so would need a severe persuading...These days of course it's too common to have not only 1 but maybe 3 personal sherpas to drag one up to summit & down again of course but back in 1996 I think not however?

@alejandropalazonurtubi3520 6 дней назад

awesome video

@EverestMystery 6 дней назад

Thanks so much, I truly appreciate it

@Chrissy85308 2 месяца назад

I think she should have learned to read room. I think if she would have given credit to the people that helped her and saved her life she would not have been demonized so badly. She wouldn't have been alive to be offensive if it wasn't for all of those people. Great video!

@wtfsalommy3250 13 дней назад

Watched a couple of the og documentaries from that Summit. You see these things happen all the time in Aviation. It's when you feel _More human than human_ that gets us in trouble. *Oh and Gau had me reeled in.. He is truly a beast of a Soul in this world. It was captivating to say the least.

@EverestMystery 13 дней назад

Very cool....great comment. Thanks so much for watching!

@dwightstoup5865 2 месяца назад

Very insightful. I have the book Into Thin Air, and read it several times. I have watched the Frontline film Storm over Everest, by David Brashears. Your conclusions are very much in line with that film. Neil Biedelman was interviewed extensively during that film. I dont recall that he placed blame on Pittman, but he did mention her needing the shot from Charlotte Fox, and that Pittman was in worse shape on the South Col than some of the others.