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{y:i}TONIGHT ON NOVA: EVEREST.

{y:i}IN 1996, EIGHT DIED {y:i}IN A SINGLE DAY...

{y:i}NOW NOVA TAKES YOU BACK

{y:i}TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF {y:i}ALTITUDE ON THE BODY AND MIND.

...HE HAD THE NERVE TO WALK ON CAROL'S DOOR.

Man: Excellent, David.

{y:i}AND A NEW DRAMA UNFOLDS.

{y:i}WILL THE SUMMIT CLAIM {y:i}A NEW VICTIM?

Man: WHAT'S GOING ON, ED?

BREATHING QUICKLY RIGHT NOW WON'T HELP YOU, CARTER

AND I KNOW THIS IS REALLY SCARY.

[Captioning sponsored by PARK FOUNDATION

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE

THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

and VIEWERS LIKE YOU]

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "NOVA" IS PROVIDED BY THE PARK FOUNDATION

DEDICATED TO EDUCATION AND QUALITY TELEVISION.

THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED IN PART BY NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE

WHICH HAS BEEN PROTECTING FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES

FOR GENERATIONS.

HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE QUIET COMPANY?

AND BY:

AND:

Foster: FIVE AND A HALF MILES ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

THE HIGH HIMALAYAS STAND FIXED AGAINST THE WIND AND CLOUDS.

THE AIR IS SO THIN, IT IS NOT LIFE-SUSTAINING.

WITHIN HOURS, THE LIVING BEGIN TO DETERIORATE.

BUT HUMANS COME HERE AND STRUGGLE FOR EACH BREATH

TO STAND BRIEFLY ON THE HIGHEST POINT ON EARTH.

Man: IT'S A LIVING HELL.

THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS AN UTTER EXHAUSTION.

YOU REALLY DON'T CARE IF YOU DIE

OR IF YOU JUST SIT DOWN

AND DON'T GO ANY FURTHER.

Foster: IN 1996, EIGHT PEOPLE DIED IN A SINGLE DAY ON EVEREST.

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE MANY, IF NOT ALL OF THOSE DEATHS

COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO HYPOXIA, OR LACK OF OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN.

Man: JUDGMENT BECOMES IMPAIRED.

A PERSON BECOMES CONFUSED.

THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AS IT GETS WORSE.

PEOPLE HALLUCINATE.

SO ALL SORTS OF MENTAL CHANGES CAN TAKE PLACE

AS THE BRAIN STARTS TO BECOME MORE AND MORE ABNORMAL.

Man: IT'S A VERY SLOW AND ARDUOUS PROCESS.

YOU TAKE A STEP, YOU BREATHE, YOU TAKE ANOTHER STEP.

THAT'S ALL YOUR MIND IS OCCUPIED WITH

IS TAKING EACH INDIVIDUAL STEP.

Foster: FOR EVERY SIX SUCCESSFUL SUMMITS ON EVEREST, ONE PERSON WILL DIE.

WITH MORE PEOPLE CLIMBING INTO THE DEATH ZONE...

ABOVE 26,000 FEET...

ONE CRITICAL QUESTION IS

HOW OXYGEN DEPRIVATION AFFECTS THE BRAIN.

DAVID BREASHEARS, A HIGH-ALTITUDE CLIMBER AND FILMMAKER

HAS STOOD ON TOP OF EVEREST THREE TIMES.

IT'S JUST HARD WORK.

EVERYTHING ABOUT BEING AT ALTITUDE IS HARD.

WE GO UP WITH THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE TO US

THE BEST TRAINING

AND YOU CAN STILL END UP FROZEN TO DEATH AT 27,500 FEET.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES EVEREST EVEREST.

Foster: DAVID WAS MAKING THE IMAX FILM, "EVEREST", LAST YEAR

WHEN A STORM CLAIMED EIGHT CLIMBERS' LIVES.

HE HELPED RESCUE SOME, BUT OTHERS WERE BEYOND HELP.

HE IS RETURNING TO FILM AND LEAD AN EXPEDITION

THAT WILL EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE

ON THE BODY AND MIND.

Breashears: EVERYONE THINKS THAT THEY'RE THINKING VERY CLEARLY UP HIGH

AND YET BY VIRTUE OF GOING UP INTO THAT ATMOSPHERE

YOU GREATLY INCREASE YOUR LIKELIHOOD FOR MAKING AN ERROR.

Foster: ON THE EARLY EVEREST EXPEDITIONS

CLIMBERS TREKKED FOR WEEKS TO GET TO THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

TODAY, THEY FLY INTO A SHERPA VILLAGE AT 9,000 FEET.

IT WILL TAKE TEN DAYS TO ASCEND THE 9,000 FEET IN ELEVATION

TO EVEREST BASE CAMP.

BASE CAMP IS A TEMPORARY CITY OF TENTS HOUSING 300 PEOPLE

TO SUPPORT NINE EXPEDITIONS.

THE ACCOMMODATIONS MAY BE CRUDE

BUT MOST TEAMS HAVE A SATELLITE LINK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 30 PEOPLE STANDING THERE...

Foster: DAVID BREASHEARS MEETS UP WITH HIS TEAM MEMBERS

AND THEY SCOPE OUT THE ROUTE UP THE MOUNTAIN.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK

ABOUT THE UPPER PART THERE BEFORE CAMP ONE?

Foster: DAVID CARTER, FROM INDIANA

IS RETURNING TO EVEREST AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT IN 1991.

WE ALWAYS PUT LADDERS THERE

AND THAT'S THE TOUGHEST PART OF THE WHOLE ICEFALL THERE.

Foster: ED VIESTURS WILL BE GUIDING CARTER.

CONSIDERED ONE OF TODAY'S

PREMIER HIGH-ALTITUDE MOUNTAINEERS

ED HAS CLIMBED EVEREST FOUR TIMES, TWICE WITHOUT OXYGEN.

JANGBU SHERPA CLIMBED EVEREST FOR THE SECOND TIME

ON DAVID'S LAST EXPEDITION.

HE IS IN CHARGE OF THE LARGE SHERPA STAFF

THAT WILL SUPPORT THE TEAM.

THESE CLIMBERS WILL TAKE PART IN A BATTERY OF SCIENTIFIC TESTS

THAT WILL GAUGE THEIR PERFORMANCES AT ALTITUDE.

ED VIESTURS LIVES AND TRAINS IN SEATTLE.

TWO WEEKS BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE MOUNTAIN

THE CLIMBERS JOINED HIM

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOR BASELINE TESTS.

DR. BROWNIE SCHOENE LOOKS FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL CLUES

THAT DETERMINE WHO WILL PERFORM WELL AT ALTITUDE.

ONE DETERMINANT IS LUNG CAPACITY.

Schoene: IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE BIG LUNGS?

YES, BECAUSE IN THAT REGARD, YOU CAN MOVE MORE AIR

OBTAIN MORE OXYGEN WITHIN THE LUNGS

THAT THEN THE BLOOD CAN PICK UP

AND DELIVER TO THE MUSCLE TISSUES.

Foster: WHEN WE BREATHE IN, OXYGEN MOLECULES PASS THROUGH THE LUNGS

INTO THE AIR SACS.

HERE, PURPLE OXYGEN-DEFICIENT BLOOD CELLS

BECOME REVITALIZED AND RED WITH OXYGEN

AND ARE PUMPED BY THE HEART THROUGHOUT THE BODY.

DR. SCHOENE MEASURES THE CLIMBERS' HEART RATES

AND ABILITY TO WORK.

CARTER IS WELL ABOVE AVERAGE.

AT THE ELITE LEVEL

ARE ED VIESTURS AND DAVID BREASHEARS.

Schoene: THE ELITE HIGH-ALTITUDE CLIMBER

CAN TRUDGE THROUGH THE SNOW, BREAK TRAIL

CLIMB UP A CLIFF AT THEIR MAXIMUM CAPABILITY FOR HOURS.

Foster: HIGH ON EVEREST

MANY CLIMBERS APPROACH THEIR MAXIMUM HEART RATE

JUST GASPING IN THE THIN AIR.

SOME MAY COLLAPSE, UNABLE TO GO ON.

GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB.

Foster: THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN CARTER'S BLOOD

IS MEASURED BY DR. HOWARD DONNER.

CARTER, THIS LITTLE MACHINE

THAT GOES BEEP IS AN OXIMETER.

THE TOP NUMBER HERE IS YOUR SATURATION

WHICH IS A MEASUREMENT OF THE OXYGEN IN YOUR BLOOD.

100 MEANS THAT YOU'RE COMPLETELY SATURATED

WHICH IS WHAT WE'D EXPECT CLOSE TO SEA LEVEL.

AS YOU GO HIGHER, THIS NUMBER IS GOING TO DROP.

THIS LOWER NUMBER IS YOUR PULSE.

AND YOU HAVE A NICE SLOW PULSE.

IT'S 63, WHICH IS NORMAL FOR YOU RESTING.

AND AS YOU GO UP IN ALTITUDE

A NORMAL RESPONSE IS TO SEE YOUR PULSE RATE GO UP.

Foster: CARTER IS NOW GIVEN A DECREASED LEVEL OF OXYGEN

TO SIMULATE GOING TO HIGH ALTITUDE.

HIS BODY STRIVES TO GET MORE OXYGEN.

AS CARTER'S BLOOD-OXYGEN SATURATION FALLS

HIS BREATHING INCREASES AND HIS HEART SPEEDS UP

TRYING TO PUMP MORE BLOOD MADE RED WITH OXYGEN TO HIS ORGANS.

OVER TIME, MORE OXYGEN-CARRYING BLOOD CELLS WILL BE PRODUCED

TO CARRY THE OXYGEN WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED...

TO THE MUSCLES AND BRAIN.

THESE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ARE CALLED ACCLIMATIZATION

AND THEY ENABLE A PERSON TO SURVIVE AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER ALTITUDE.

YOU FEELING ALL RIGHT?

Foster: DUE TO THIS SUDDEN EXPOSURE TO HIGH ALTITUDE

CARTER'S OXYGEN SATURATION PLUMMETS.

HE WILL ULTIMATELY PASS OUT FROM THE LACK OF OXYGEN TO HIS BRAIN.

WE'VE FOUND SOME ABNORMALITIES PREVIOUSLY

IN HIGH-ALTITUDE CLIMBERS...

Foster: DR. PETER HACKETT ADDRESSES THE CLIMBERS

ON THE EFFECTS OF DECREASED OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN.

ONE OF THE MORE PRESSING QUESTIONS

IN HIGH-ALTITUDE MEDICINE IS

DOES CLIMBING TO EXTREME ALTITUDE CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE?

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.

ONE IS BY M.R.I. SCANS.

SOME WORK INDICATES THAT SOME CLIMBERS

WHO GO TO EXTREME ALTITUDE WITHOUT OXYGEN

DO COME BACK WITH SLIGHTLY SMALLER BRAINS.

IF CELLS OF THE BRAIN ACTUALLY DIE, THE BRAIN WILL GET SMALLER.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH STROKES

AND OTHER THINGS THAT CAUSE BRAIN CELLS TO DIE.

WE'LL LOOK AT THE VOLUMES OF THE BRAIN

BY THESE SPECIAL SCANS.

THESE ARE UNUSUAL PEOPLE GOING TO A VERY UNUSUAL PLACE.

SO THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES HERE.

DAVID AND ED HAVE BEEN TO ALTITUDE MANY TIMES

AND WE MIGHT EXPECT THEM

TO REACT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN DAVID CARTER

WHO IS A RELATIVE NEWCOMER AT THESE KIND OF EXTREME ALTITUDES.

I'VE LIVED BY THE RIVER FOR 20 YEARS...

Foster: PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING WILL REVEAL SUBTLE CHANGES

IN THE CLIMBERS' ABILITIES TO PROCESS INFORMATION

AS THEY GO HIGHER.

Woman: WHAT WE WILL EXPECT TO SEE IS

THAT THERE IS A SLOWING IN SPEECH.

THERE'LL BE A SLOWING IN REACTION TIME.

WE MAY SEE A LOT OF MISSPEAKS.

THEY WON'T SAY THINGS QUITE THE WAY THEY WOULD AT SEA LEVEL.

THERE'LL BE SLURRING AND HESITATIONS.

THIS ONE'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.

THIS TIME WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS

GO DOWN THE COLUMNS

AND YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THE COLOR THAT YOU SEE.

YOU HAVE TO DISREGARD THE WORD YOU SEE.

TELL ME THE COLOR

THAT THE WORD IS PRINTED IN, OKAY?

BLUE, RED, GREEN, BLUE, RED... BLUE

GREEN, RED, GREEN

BLUE, GREEN, BLUE...

STOP.

THAT'S GOING TO BE FUN AT ALTITUDE.

ISN'T THAT FUN?

IF CHARLES BEATS DAVID IN A SPRINT

WHICH MAN IS THE FASTER RUNNER?

CHARLES.

Hackett: PEOPLE LIKE ED VIESTURS AND OTHERS

WHO MAKE A CAREER

OUT OF DOING THESE VERY HIGH PEAKS WITHOUT OXYGEN

MAY HAVE SOME LONG-TERM BRAIN ABNORMALITIES.

SOME STUDIES INDICATE

THAT THEY DO HAVE VERY MINOR, SUBTLE COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION

AND IT CAN BE FOUND ONLY ON PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING.

THERE'S NOTHING OBVIOUS.

THEIR M.R.I. s SHOW THAT THERE CAN BE STRUCTURAL CHANGES.

WE HAVE YET TO HAVE A GOOD CORRELATION

BETWEEN THE M.R.I. STRUCTURAL CHANGES

AND THE COGNITIVE CHANGES.

THAT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE TIME, MORE STUDIES

MORE RESEARCH LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW.

Foster: DR. HOWARD DONNER TREKS INTO BASE CAMP

WHERE HE WILL BE STATIONED

TO MONITOR THE HEALTH OF THE CLIMBERS.

HOWARD! YOU MADE IT!

MAN, YOU'RE MOVING LIKE AN OLD MAN.

I'M NOT READY TO SPEAK IN COHERENT SENTENCES, SO GO EASY.

Breashears: WELCOME TO BASE CAMP.

THANKS, MAN.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THIS IS JANGBU, OUR SIRDAR.

JANGBU, GOOD TO MEET YOU.

YOU LOOK BLUE.

GIVE ME YOUR HAND.

I'VE GOT A PULSE OXIMETER HERE.

I DON'T TRUST YOU WITH MEDICAL DEVICES.

YOU'RE ALIVE.

YOUR SATURATION LEVEL, 74

AND YOUR PULSE IS ABOUT 85.

Foster: A BLOOD OXYGEN LEVEL OF 74% WOULD BE ALARMING AT SEA LEVEL

BUT IS NORMAL FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS JUST REACHED 18,000 FEET.

WELL, WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA?

WE'LL GET YOU WARMED UP.

Foster: AS HOWARD ACCLIMATIZES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS

THE LEVEL OF OXYGEN IN HIS BLOOD SHOULD INCREASE.

IF IT DOESN'T, HE MAY BECOME ILL WITH ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS.

THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

ARE PRIMARILY HEADACHE, FOLLOWED BY DIZZINESS

TROUBLE SLEEPING AND LACK OF APPETITE.

AND THEN AS IT PROGRESSES

ONE DEVELOPS A MORE SEVERE HEADACHE, NAUSEA AND VOMITING

AND TROUBLE WITH THE BALANCE OR COORDINATION.

AND THAT IS THE HALLMARK SIGN

OF PROGRESSION TO DEFINITE COGNITIVE PROBLEMS.

I'VE HAVE ALTITUDE SICKNESS BEFORE

AND I KNOW HOW BAD A HEADACHE CAN GET.

THE TWO THINGS THAT REALLY AFFECT YOU

ARE SHORTAGE OF BREATH AND THE LACK OF SLEEP.

SOMETIMES YOU REST AND YOU FEEL OKAY.

THEN YOU START WALKING, AND IT'S NOT OKAY.

AFTER MY HEAD HAS GONE TOO BIGGER LIKE THIS...

I EXPERIENCED THE MOST SHOCKING HEADACHE

I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE

AND I FELT SICK.

AND IN THE NIGHTTIME, I TOOK TWO ASPIRIN;

AFTER THAT, SO WHENEVER I FELT MYSELF TO GET HEADACHE.

NOW I'M FINE.

Foster: IF SYMPTOMS GET WORSE

A PORTABLE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER, KNOWN AS A GAMOW BAG, CAN HELP.

WHAT'S YOUR ALTIMETER SAY NOW?

WE'RE ABOUT 17,600 FEET.

Foster: THE BAG IS INFLATED TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE INSIDE.

THIS RESULTS IN A HIGHER DENSITY OF OXYGEN MOLECULES.

DOUG, WHY DON'T YOU WATCH YOUR ALTIMETER

AND LET US KNOW IN A MOMENT WHAT IT'S TELLING US.

Doug: BOY, WE'RE DROPPING FAST!

Foster: THIS SIMULATES A DESCENT OF SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET

WHERE THE AMBIENT AIR HOLDS MORE OXYGEN.

DOUG, WHAT'S YOUR ALTITUDE?

Doug: I'M AT ABOUT 15,300 FEET NOW.

Donner: AT THIS ALTITUDE, PUMPING THIS BAG UP TO TWO P.S.I.

WILL BRING A PATIENT DOWN TO AN ALTITUDE INSIDE THE BAG

OF ABOUT 8,000 FEET LOWER THAN WE ARE HERE.

DOUG, WHAT ALTITUDE ARE YOU AT?

Doug: WE'RE AT 10,900 FEET.

MOST OF THE TIME, PUTTING A PATIENT IN

FOR A NUMBER OF HOURS, THEY'LL GET SOME BENEFIT.

IF DOUG COULDN'T WALK BECAUSE OF SEVERE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

WE'D PUT HIM IN FOR FOUR OR FIVE HOURS

AND NOW HE'S ABLE TO WALK DOWN THE HILL UNDER HIS OWN POWER.

OKAY, DOUG, I'M GOING TO STOP PUMPING AND SLOWLY DEFLATE.

Foster: WITHIN SECONDS, THE PRESSURE DECREASES

AND THE PATIENT RETURNS TO 17,600 FEET.

ARE YOUR EARS OKAY, DOUG?

Doug: I'M FINE.

HE'S BACK TO BASE CAMP

BECAUSE THERE'S NO MORE TENSION HERE.

Breashears: LAKBA?

YES, SIR?

MAY I HAVE TEA?

YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELCOME, SIR.

IT'S 5:30 IN THE MORNING HERE AT BASE CAMP.

WE'LL BE DOING A LITTLE FILMING TODAY WITH JANGBU.

THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.

WE'VE GOT OUR HARNESS ON, OUR BOOTS AND OUR CRAMPONS.

AND THOSE ARE ALL OUR TOOLS FOR THE ICEFALL

AND SO, UH...

I HAVE TO EAT AND DRINK AND GET READY TO GO.

Foster: THE KHUMBU ICEFALL IS A STEEP GLACIER

RIDDLED WITH DEEP CREVASSES AND HUGE ICE BLOCKS.

IT CAN ONLY BE TRAVERSED WITH THE USE OF LADDERS AND ROPE

FIXED AND MAINTAINED BY A TEAM OF SHERPAS.

IT IS HERE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLIMB

WHERE THE GREATEST OBJECTIVE DANGERS ON EVEREST LIE.

ON THIS SECTION, FOUR LADDERS ARE STRAPPED TOGETHER

TO HELP CLIMBERS SCALE A HUNDRED-FOOT WALL OF ICE.

JANGBU AND DAVID USE MECHANICAL ASCENDERS

TO CLIMB UP THE FIXED ROPES.

THIS IS CALLED "JUMARING".

THE ICEFALL IS A JIGSAW PUZZLE

OF GIANT BLUE ICE PUZZLE PIECES THE SIZE OF HOUSES

WEIGHING SOME 30 TONS EACH.

WITHOUT WARNING, THE BLOCKS CAN SHIFT

AND CREVASSES CAVE IN, TAKING CLIMBERS WITH THEM.

DAVID JUMARS UP THE LAST PITCH OF THE ICEFALL

TO ARRIVE AT CAMP I.

Breashears: OKAY, EVERYBODY DOWN THERE, THIS IS DAVID FROM CAMP I

READY TO PROCEED WITH THE HIGH-ALTITUDE TESTS.

AND I WANTED TO START OUT WITH, UH...

GIVING YOU MY CURRENT, UH, PULSE OXIMETER READING.

UH, DO YOU COPY, AND HOW ARE YOU DOWN THERE?

Woman: Yeah, we copy

and we're ready to record your pulse oximeter readings... over.

HI, JENNY.

WE REALLY MISS YOU UP HERE.

AND I'M GOING TO STICK THIS THING ON MY FINGER, SO STAND BY.

MY HEART IS RACING

BECAUSE I HAVE TO TAKE THIS DAMN TEST UP HERE

AND I'M NERVOUS AS HELL.

OOPS, IT JUST WENT UP.

UM, SO... UH, JENNY, I HAVE IT ON MY FINGER.

THE OXIMETER READING IS 80.

A MORE REALISTIC READING FOR MY PULSE WAS A FEW MINUTES AGO.

IT WAS 78.

BUT NOW THAT I HAVE TO TAKE THIS TEST

AND I GET ALL THIS TEST ANXIETY, MY PULSE IS RACING AT 104.

Carter: GREEN... UH, RED, UH, BLUE, UH, RED...

UH, GREEN, RED, BLUE...

Foster: ALONG WITH ED VIESTURS

DAVID CARTER HAS ALSO REACHED CAMP I.

CARTER, THIS IS TRUE AND FALSE.

READ THE NUMBER OF EACH QUESTION AND SAY IF IT'S TRUE OR FALSE.

YOU HAVE 60 SECONDS.

Donner: You can go.

51 IS FALSE.

52 IS FALSE.

53 IS FALSE.

54... FALSE.

55... FALSE.

56... TRUE.

57... FALSE.

58... FALSE... TRUE.

58 IS TRUE.

59... UH, TRUE.

Man: OH, HI, ED.

HI.

HAVE A GOOD SLEEP?

YEAH.

GUESS WHERE WE'RE GOING?

BASE CAMP.

BASE CAMP.

YEAH.

YEE-HAW!

OXYGEN... WARMTH... COTTON CLOTHING...

WOW!

SHOWER.

OOH!

HELL, IT'S JUST DOWN THERE.

Foster: AT THE TOP OF THE ICEFALL, THERE IS A BOTTLENECK OF CLIMBERS.

ED VIESTURS PUTS ON HIS PACK AT THE BACK OF THE LINE.

IT'S AMAZING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON MT. EVEREST

AND YOU'RE WAITING IN LINE LIKE THIS.

Foster: IT'S ONLY ONE AT A TIME ON THE ROPES.

ED, DAVID AND CARTER ALL DESCEND BACK DOWN TO BASE CAMP

FROM CAMP I.

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY TRIPS THROUGH THE ICEFALL

IN THEIR LONG SCHEDULE OF ACCLIMATIZATION.

IT TAKES TIME FOR THE BODY TO ADAPT

TO HIGHER AND HIGHER ALTITUDES.

CLIMBERS WILL TYPICALLY ASCEND TO CAMP I TWICE FROM BASE CAMP.

THEY MOVE UP TO CAMP II AND SLEEP THERE SEVERAL NIGHTS

BEFORE MOVING TO CAMP III.

BEFORE THEIR FINAL PUSH TO THE SUMMIT

CLIMBERS DESCEND TO BASE CAMP TO REST AND GAIN THEIR STRENGTH

BEFORE TRYING FOR THE SUMMIT.

WHILE CLIMBING DOWN THROUGH THE ICEFALL

THE CLIMBERS CROSS PATHS

WITH A LINE OF SHERPAS BEARING LOADS FOR THE HIGHER CAMPS.

"SHERPA" IS THE NAME

FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE EVEREST REGION.

ALTHOUGH THEY ADAPT WELL TO ALTITUDE

THEY ARE NOT IMMUNE TO ITS DEBILITATING EFFECTS.

IF THEY PUSH THEMSELVES TO GO UP TOO QUICKLY

THEY, TOO, CAN SUFFER FROM ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS.

AT BASE CAMP, THE CLIMBERS HEAR

THE DISTURBING NEWS OF A SHERPA WHO WAS FOUND NEAR DEATH

LYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIL.

WHEN I SAW HIM

HIS EYES... HIS PUPILS WERE FIXED AND DILATED.

HE'S... BARELY HAD A PULSE

AND HE DIED SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER I GOT THERE.

I THINK HE HAD HIGH-ALTITUDE PULMONARY EDEMA.

WITH PULMONARY EDEMA

THE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE LUNGS START TO LEAK.

THEY LEAK THIS PLASMA FLUID THAT IS TINGED WITH RED BLOOD CELLS

SO IT'S A LITTLE PINKISH.

AND THE AIR SACS START TO FILL UP WITH...

IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE LUNG...

USUALLY THE RIGHT FIRST, THEN THE LEFT...

AND EVENTUALLY, THEY ALL FILL UP WITH FLUID.

THE PERSON STARTS COUGHING THIS PINK, FROTHY SPUTUM.

CAN'T GET ANY AIR AT ALL.

THEIR BLOOD OXYGEN LEVEL DROPS

AND THEY GO INTO CARDIOVASCULAR COLLAPSE AND DIE.

WITH EACH BREATH, HE WAS BLOWING BUBBLES

THROUGH THE FLUID IN HIS NOSTRILS AND MOUTH.

HE WAS DROWNING IN...

HE WAS DROWNING IN HIS OWN SECRETIONS

FROM HIGH-ALTITUDE PULMONARY EDEMA.

Foster: THE TREATMENT IS DESCENT.

IF THE PATIENT CAN'T WALK

THEN OXYGEN OR A GAMOW BAG MUST BE USED.

LAKPA, HI.

CAN I CHECK YOUR SATURATION AGAIN?

Foster: A MALAYSIAN EXPEDITION DOCTOR MEASURES

A SICK SHERPA'S BLOOD-OXYGEN SATURATION.

WELL, ON OXYGEN HE'S NOW GOT A SATURATION OF ABOUT 91%

WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT

THAN WHAT IT WAS YESTERDAY.

Donner: THIS MORNING AT BREAKFAST

WE NOTICED A TEAM CARRYING

THIS SICK SHERPA... THIS IS LAKPA... BY OUR CAMP

AND WE'RE NOW AT THE HELICOPTER LANDING ZONE

WITH DR. SAYACK KOO.

SAYACK, WHAT WENT ON WITH LAKPA?

WELL, HE WAS VERY ILL INDEED WHEN WE WHEN WE CAME ACROSS HIM.

HE WAS A BIT CONFUSED.

HE WAS QUITE ASHEN GRAY.

HE WAS QUITE BREATHLESS AS WELL.

AND WE CHECKED HIS SATURATIONS

AND TO MY ALARM, IT WAS 20%.

WE SLAPPED SOME OXYGEN ON HIM

AND IT CAME UP TO ABOUT 70%, 80%

WITH THREE OR FOUR LITERS A MINUTE.

Koo: AND BECAUSE HE WAS ABLE TO TOLERATE LYING FLAT

WE DECIDED TO PUT HIM IN THE GAMOW BAG

WHICH WE DID FOR TWO HOURS.

AND HOW DID HE RESPOND TO THE GAMOW?

UH, HE DID VERY WELL.

HE WAS COMFORTABLE IN IT.

BUT SINCE HE HAD SYMPTOMS ON BOTH SIDES OF HIS LUNG

AND HE WAS SO UNWELL

AND SO DESPERATELY SHORT OF OXYGEN

WE TREATED HIM FOR PULMONARY EDEMA.

Foster: WHEN A HELICOPTER ARRIVES AT BASE CAMP

IT MEANS A PERSON IS IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE EVACUATION.

AND FOR LAKPA, A QUICK DESCENT TO KATHMANDU WILL SAVE HIS LIFE.

PILOTS DON'T HESITATE LONG HERE

AND THEY BREATHE SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN.

IF SUDDENLY EXPOSED TO THE ALTITUDE OF BASE CAMP

THE PILOT COULD BECOME DESPERATELY ILL

FROM ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS.

IN THE EARLY MORNING FREEZE

THE CLIMBERS SILENTLY PUT ON THEIR CRAMPONS

TO CLIMB UP THROUGH THE ICEFALL FOR THE LAST TIME.

THE TEAM HAS BEEN ON EVEREST FOR SEVERAL WEEKS

ACCLIMATIZING AT THE HIGHER CAMPS.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR AN ATTEMPT ON THE SUMMIT.

CARTER HAS DEVELOPED A HIGH-ALTITUDE COUGH

WHICH HE KNOWS COULD JEOPARDIZE

HIS CHANCES OF COMPLETING THE CLIMB.

Carter: IT'S A REAL VIOLENT COUGH.

IT COMES FROM DEEP WITHIN AND YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT.

MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW

IS WHEN I GET HIGHER, THE COUGH WILL GET WORSE

AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT BREAKING A RIB OR VOMITING OR SOMETHING.

Foster: A CHILLING REMINDER OF HOW DANGEROUS EVEREST CAN BE...

HUMAN REMAINS RESURFACE FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE MOVING ICEFALL.

Donner: I CAME UPON THIS THE OTHER DAY IN THE GLACIER.

IT'S THE OBVIOUS REMAINS OF A CLIMBER

SPREAD OUT AROUND THIS AREA.

THIS IS AN INNER BOOT MADE OUT OF A SYNTHETIC MATERIAL

MAKING IT PROBABLY '80s VINTAGE, AND THERE ARE STILL

PORTIONS OF THE BONY STRUCTURE OF THE FOOT INSIDE.

RIGHT HERE

MAYBE THE MOST OBVIOUSLY HUMAN PORTION OF THE SKELETON

IS THE HEAD OF THE FEMUR, AND OVER HERE

A TIBIA AND A FIBULA STILL INTACT, STILL TOGETHER.

AND THIS KIND OF STUFF IS SPILLING OUT ALL THE TIME

AND A REMINDER

OF SOME OF THE DRAMA THAT GOES ON UP IN THE ICEFALL.

Foster: THE CLIMBERS BYPASS CAMP I AND ENTER THE WESTERN CWM

ON THEIR WAY TO CAMP II.

THIS HIGH GLACIAL VALLEY IS TRANSECTED

BY MASSIVE LATERAL CREVASSES.

Breashears: HOW ARE YOU FEELING, ED?

OH, PRETTY GOOD.

IT WAS A LONG DAY.

IT'S ABOUT, UH, 12:30.

I STARTED AT 5:00 A.M., SO IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.

WHERE'D YOU START FROM?

BASE CAMP.

DON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING REALLY FUN TO DO TODAY?

NO, NOTHING FUN... JUST RELAXING.

I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DO SOME TESTING UP HERE.

OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

WHAT KIND?

OH, MENTAL TESTING, READING SOME LISTS AND MEMORIZING

AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO DO?

I HAVE NO IDEA... WE'LL SOON FIND OUT.

Jenny: Okay, Carter:

The action of the brave cyclist kept a small boy

from being hit by a ten-ton truck.

THE ACTION OF THE BRAVE CYCLIST KEPT A SMALL BOY

FROM BEING HIT BY A TEN-TON TRUCK.

Woman: If Daphne walks twice as fast as Margaret

and they are the only two people in a race

who is most likely to finish last?

MARGARET.

Jenny: Okay, now, you know for this test, David

you're going to try and count the low tones

and ignore the high tones.

Man: Ready?

Man: How many?

UH, FOUR.

TODAY I'M SUFFERING BADLY.

WE'RE UP AT 6,500 METERS

AND OFTEN ONE FEELS FAIRLY POORLY HERE ANYWAY.

I THINK I'M SUFFERING FROM A.M.S. ...ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

UM... WHICH, WITH VOMITING AND DIARRHEA

MEANS THAT I COULDN'T DRINK OR... OR EAT ANYTHING

SO I'M FEELING A BIT WEAK.

THERE'S THE PART OF HIGH-ALTITUDE MOUNTAINEERING

THAT ISN'T NICE... BEING... BEING SICK.

IT'S HARD ENOUGH AS IT IS, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SICK AS WELL

ALL YOUR RESERVES ARE GONE AND IT'S VERY HARD TO CATCH UP.

Foster: IF GUY COTTER'S SYMPTOMS GET WORSE, HE'LL HAVE TO DESCEND.

THERE IS A DELICATE BALANCE

BETWEEN ACCLIMATIZATION AND PHYSICAL DECLINE.

CLIMBERS KNOW THAT THEY CAN ONLY STAY AT ALTITUDE FOR SO LONG.

YEAH, I'M NERVOUS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO PERFORM.

I'M ALSO NERVOUS THAT WE'RE SITTING DOWN HERE

AND MY BODY IS SLOWLY DETERIORATING

THE LONGER WE STAY AT THIS ALTITUDE.

AND I SLOWLY GET WEAKER AND WEAKER.

Hackett: HUMANS WILL START TO DETERIORATE BECAUSE OF THE HIGH ALTITUDE

AT AROUND 17,000 FEET.

SLEEPING BECOMES A PROBLEM

MUSCLE WASTING TAKES PLACE, WEIGHT LOSS TAKES PLACE.

THIS PROCESS OF DETERIORATION TAKES PLACE MUCH MORE QUICKLY

THE HIGHER ALTITUDE THAT ONE GOES TO.

SO AT OVER 26,000 FEET, IT'S CALLED THE "DEATH ZONE"

BECAUSE ACCLIMATIZATION IS ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE.

GOING TO CAMP, UH, III TOMORROW.

WE'RE GOING TO GET UP EARLY... AROUND, UH...

WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE PROBABLY ABOUT 6:00.

I'M ON AN ANTIBIOTIC NOW.

I ENDED UP GETTING A PRETTY GOOD HEAD COLD ABOUT THREE DAYS AGO.

AND YESTERDAY, I WAS REALLY FEELING PRETTY BAD

WHEN I CAME INTO CAMP II.

I WAS DEHYDRATED AND BASICALLY JUST WEAK FROM THE COLD

BUT THE ANTIBIOTIC HAS BEEN KICKING IN

AND I'M FEELING PRETTY GOOD TODAY

AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TOMORROW.

Foster: IN THE MORNING, THEY MARCH TO THE TOP OF THE WESTERN CWM

WHERE THEY BEGIN THE ARDUOUS ASCENT OF THE LHOTSE FACE.

OKAY, DAVID, YOU CAN START ANY TIME.

CARTER TO, UH, BASE.

DO YOU COPY?

Donner: Dave, this is base.

Where are you guys? Over.

HEY, DOC, IT'S DAVE.

WE'RE AT, UH, BASICALLY

THE BOTTOM OF THE LHOTSE FACE.

UH, WHERE ELEVATION IS AT, UH, 22,300

AND IT'S ABOUT 8:00 IN THE MORNING.

Donner: We got that, David.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING OVERALL?

OVER.

Carter: Oh, not too bad.

I COULD BE FEELING

A LITTLE BIT BETTER RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE OXIMETRY DATA, IF YOU HAVE IT, OVER.

UH, PULSE WAS AROUND 140 WHEN I ROLLED IN

AND, UH, BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION...

...was at 60, over.

Foster: 60% IS LOW, BUT HOWARD IS HOPEFUL

THAT CARTER'S SATURATIONS WILL IMPROVE OVER TIME.

DAVID BREASHEARS INTERVIEWS CARTER AN HOUR BELOW CAMP III.

Breashears: HOW'S IT FEEL?

OH, IT'S TIRING.

FEEL I'VE FELT BETTER.

WHEW.

WHAT'S IT LIKE CLIMBING AT ALTITUDE?

AH... YEAH, YOU JUST...

IT'S, IT'S SLOW.

YOU'RE WINDED...

UH, DEHYDRATED...

LOSING YOUR VOICE...

UH, COUGHING.

BUT THE VIEWS MAKE IT WORTH IT.

Foster: CAMP III SITS HALFWAY UP THE LHOTSE FACE

A 45-DEGREE WALL OF GLACIAL BLUE ICE.

Breashears: OKAY, LET'S HUFF AND PUFF IT UP HERE.

Foster: THE PACE IS SLOW AS ED AND CARTER ASCEND INTO THIN AIR.

THE ROUTE IS FIXED WITH ROPES

AND THEY FALL INTO THE RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT

OF KICKING STEPS, PULLING AND STEPPING UP.

FINALLY AT CAMP III.

YEAH.

GOOD JOB.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.

WE GOT TO GET SOME SNOW AND MELT SOME WATER

FOR THOSE GUYS COMING UP.

BE CAREFUL WALKING AROUND HERE.

IT'S KIND OF STEEP... ESPECIALLY WITHOUT CRAMPONS ON.

Foster: MANY CLIMBERS HAVE DIED HERE

SLIPPING OFF THE FACE FROM ONE POORLY PLACED STEP.

DON'T YOU THINK THIS IS A LITTLE ABSURD?

I'M SITTING ON THIS LITTLE LEDGE

OUT HERE IN FRONT OF MY TENT, AT 24,000 FEET.

I'M READY.

Donner: The video camera captured

the bank robber's daring daylight robbery

of the First Avenue Bank.

THE VIDEO CAMERA CAPTURED THE DARING BANK ROBBER'S ROBBERY

OF THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK.

The action of the brave cyclist

kept the small boy from being hit by the ten-ton truck.

THE ACTION OF THE BRAVE CYCLIST

UM...

HELPED SAVE THE BOY...

UH, LET'S SEE... I KNOW I HAVE TO SAY ALL I KNOW, UH...

PREVENT THE BOY BEING HIT BY THE TEN-TON TRUCK.

OH, SHIT.

Breashears: IT'S JUST HARD WORK.

EVERYTHING ABOUT BEING AT ALTITUDE IS HARD.

I CAN'T SHOW YOU

THAT THERE'S NO OXYGEN MOLECULES IN THE AIR HERE.

THERE'S ONLY 35%

OF THE OXYGEN YOU'RE BREATHING DOWN THERE AT SEA LEVEL

AVAILABLE TO ME RIGHT NOW.

WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS EXPEDITION.

THE ICEFALL'S GOING TO CLOSE, OUR PERMIT'S UP.

WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.

BUT WE'RE ALSO EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS

AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUSH IT ONE BIT.

WE'LL DO OUR RESEARCH AS HIGH AS WE CAN

AND GO HOME, KNOWING WE'VE DONE THE BEST WE CAN.

HOW DID YOU SLEEP?

GOOD.

YEAH, THE OXYGEN REALLY HELPED.

IT WAS GREAT.

OH, YEAH.

Donner: Carter, this is Howard.

Uh, how do you feel your breathing's going

relative to this, uh, upper respiratory infection? Over.

UH, REAL GOOD NOW.

A LOT BETTER.

HOWARD, IT WAS A LOT WORSE WHEN I WAS, UH...

I'D WAKE UP AFTER TWO HOURS

AND I FELT LIKE I HAD A LOT OF SHIT IN MY THROAT

AND I'D COUGH IT UP.

IT'S KIND OF A HARD-CHUNK, SNOT-TYPE SHIT.

IT WAS YELLOW, OVER.

Sounds like maybe you're clearing the stuff out, over.

YEAH, AFTER A FEW HOT DRINKS

AND, UH, LIKE GETTING OFF O's

AND, UH, BREATHING THROUGH MY NOSE, UH, I FEEL A LOT BETTER.

Great, David.

I don't need to tell you this

but just stay hydrated and cough that shit out of there.

I'll give you back to Kate.

ALL RIGHTY.

Kate: Hey, where are you now?

I... I DON'T KNOW.

NO, I'M KIDDING; WE'RE AT CAMP III.

WE'RE GETTING READY TO MOVE OUT.

Foster: CARTER IS ABOUT TO GO HIGHER THAN HE HAS EVER BEEN BEFORE.

LOOKING UP THE ROUTE, SOME 50 CLIMBERS CLAMBER

TOWARDS THE HIGHEST CAMP ON THE MOUNTAIN.

THIS MAKES DAVID BREASHEARS AND ED VIESTURS VERY NERVOUS.

THEY WITNESSED LAST YEAR

THAT CROWDED ROPES ON EVEREST CAN BE DEADLY.

THIS YEAR, IT SEEMS NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

AS CLIMBERS WAIT THEIR TURN ON THE ROPES

THEY INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF BECOMING HYPOXIC.

TONIGHT THEY WILL ALL LEAVE CAMP AND CLIMB TOWARD THE SUMMIT.

DAVID AND ED CLIMB INTO THE DEATH ZONE

AN ALTITUDE WHERE HUMANS ARE ONLY TRANSIENT VISITORS.

THE TENTS OF CAMP IV FINALLY COME INTO VIEW.

IT HAS TAKEN NEARLY TWO MONTHS

FOR THE CLIMBERS TO REACH THIS POINT

AND WHAT WILL TRANSPIRE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS

WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES.

OXYGEN BOTTLES FROM EXPEDITIONS YEARS AGO

LITTER THIS WIND-SCOURED PLACE.

HIGHEST JUNKYARD IN THE WORLD.

ANYTHING YOU NEED, WE HAVE IT...

TENT POLES...

SPARE OXYGEN...

TENT STAKES...

AND THE ODD CORPSE!

Foster: WHEN YOU DIE AT 26,000 FEET

NO ONE HAS THE ENERGY TO CARRY YOUR CORPSE OFF THE MOUNTAIN.

THE CLIMBERS ARE SLOWLY DETERIORATING

THEIR BODIES LITERALLY CONSUMING THEMSELVES FOR ENERGY.

YOU NEED THE RED STRING.

Foster: SIMPLE TASKS TAKE LONGER TO PERFORM

AND PRECIOUS ENERGY IS BURNED JUST GASPING FOR AIR.

WHILE MOST CLIMBERS ARE RESTING, DAVID, ED AND CARTER ENDURE

ANOTHER ROUND OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.

OLD HOUSES ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN

BUT WORTH THE EXTRA TIME AND EFFORT.

OLD HOUSES ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN

BUT ARE WORTH THE EXTRA EFFORT.

I've lived by the river for 20 years

AND ONLY TWICE BEFORE IN ALL THOSE YEARS

HAS IT BEEN THIS HIGH.

ED LIVED BY A RIVER FOR 20 YEARS

AND, UH...

THIS WAS THE, UH...

THE FIRST TIME IT HAD BEEN THIS HIGH.

OVER.

OH, BOY.

The wildflowers bloomed in profusion

in the high meadows in August.

THE WILDFLOWERS BROOMED IN PROFUSION

IN THE HIGH MEADOWS IN AUGUST.

Okay, Carter, sounds good.

We'll be with you in a minute.

DOESN'T SOUND GOOD, DOC.

Foster: DAVID RADIOS ED, WHO IS IN A NEARBY TENT.

THE SCENE FEELS ALL TOO FAMILIAR.

Breashears: Ed?

Viesturs: I just tuned in.

What's going on?

Breashears: I'm having serious doubts about going up today.

Something about climbing with all these people.

It's got me bothered

in the way that a few days last year had me bothered.

What do you think?

Viesturs: It does concern me

there's a lot of relatively inexperienced people.

Hopefully nobody is going to get in trouble.

If they do

of course the more experienced people always have to help out.

Breashears: I mean, who looks after who up there, you know?

How do you sort that out?

Well, I don't like to be

around people staggering around like that

and I don't know...

I'd like to see this day just kind of sort itself out

without me in it.

Foster: IT'S A BRIEF MOMENT OF DOUBT

BUT IN THE END, DAVID DECIDES TO GO UP

KNOWING HE CAN ALWAYS TURN AROUND.

FIVE HOURS LATER, THE CLIMBERS PREPARE FOR THEIR DEPARTURE.

AT THIS ALTITUDE

LOADING A PACK AND PUTTING ON CRAMPONS WILL TAKE TWO HOURS.

EACH CLIMBER CARRIES TWO BOTTLES OF OXYGEN.

THEY LEAVE AT 10:00 P.M.

Hackett: WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE CONDITION THAT A CLIMBER IS IN

ON THE SOUTH COL ON SUMMIT DAY

IT'S REALLY AMAZING THAT THEY CAN REACH THE SUMMIT AT ALL.

FIRST OF ALL, THERE HASN'T BEEN SLEEP

FOR USUALLY A COUPLE OF NIGHTS.

THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH TO EAT OR DRINK.

EVEN IF THEY'VE BEEN ON OXYGEN

IT'S STILL BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO BREATHE.

THE MUCOUS MEMBRANES ARE ALL DRIED OUT.

THERE'S ALWAYS A SORE THROAT, THERE'S ALWAYS A COUGH

THERE'S OFTEN A HEADACHE.

AND IT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WILL

TO KEEP GOING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

Foster: AT 5:30 IN THE MORNING AND 300 FEET BELOW THE SUMMIT

DAVID CALLS DOWN TO HOWARD.

Breashears: WE'VE BEEN CLIMBING LIKE CRAZY.

WE'RE ON THE SOUTH SUMMIT... 28,700 FEET.

Donner: It's unbelievable!

You climbed in the middle of the night

and you're standing up there in the early morning.

Foster: THEY SIT DOWN TO REST.

TEN FEET IN FRONT OF THEM LIES THE BODY OF ROB HALL

ONE OF THE EXPEDITION LEADERS WHO DIED IN 1996.

DAVID POINTS TO WHERE ROB IS BURIED UNDER WIND-DRIVEN SNOW.

Cotter: HOW FAR BURIED DO YOU THINK HE IS?

FIVE FEET?

Breashears: IT COULD BE FIVE OR SIX FEET.

RIGHT.

IT'S A LOT.

YEAH.

REST IN PEACE.

Foster: THEY HAVE ONLY 300 VERTICAL FEET TO GO

BUT TWO HOURS OF CLIMBING.

THEY TRAVERSE A KNIFE-EDGE RIDGE

WHICH DROPS OFF 8,000 FEET ON BOTH SIDES.

DAVID CLIMBS IN FRONT.

THEY REACH THE HILLARY STEP, A 40-FOOT WALL OF EXPOSED ROCK.

THIS IS THE MOST TECHNICAL TERRAIN ON THE SUMMIT DAY.

CLIMBERS MANEUVER UP THE CRACKS AND OVER THE ROCKY OUTCROP

WHILE CLIPPED INTO THE FIXED ROPES.

CARTER HOISTS HIMSELF UP.

ONLY ONE CLIMBER CAN ASCEND AT A TIME.

THIS IS WHERE BOTTLENECKS OCCUR.

THEY SILENTLY PASS BY THE BODY

OF A CLIMBER FROM AN EARLIER EXPEDITION

WHO DIED HERE ON THE ROPES.

Hackett: THE BREATHING BECOMES UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.

YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ONE HUGE LUNG.

THE HEART RATE AT REST BECOMES HIGHER AND HIGHER.

THE MAXIMUM HEART RATE BECOMES LOWER AND LOWER.

AND AS YOU GO HIGHER, THOSE TWO GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TOGETHER.

AND OF COURSE

WHEN YOUR RESTING HEART RATE EQUALS YOUR MAXIMUM HEART RATE

ALL YOU CAN DO IS REST.

YOU CAN'T DO ANY MORE PHYSICAL WORK.

Foster: THEY'VE CLIMBED FOR NINE HOURS.

JANGBU RAISES THE TIBETAN FLAG ON THE SUMMIT.

DAVID IS SITTING ON THE TOP.

ED IS TAKING THE LAST STEPS UP WITH CARTER JUST BEHIND.

Breashears: Base Camp, Base Camp, this is David.

Do you read me?

DAVID, WE READ YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.

WHERE ARE YOU? OVER.

Howard!

I'm on top of the world!

We made it.

I'm on the summit of Mount Everest, 29,028 feet.

I'm here with David Carter, Ed Viesturs.

I can see everywhere.

It's just so beautiful.

We're not going to be able to stay here very long.

Foster: DAVID BREASHEARS HAS REACHED THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST

FOR THE FOURTH TIME.

ED VIESTURS HAS NOW BECOME THE FIRST NON-SHERPA

TO CLIMB EVEREST FIVE TIMES AND RETURN.

ROB HALL'S FIFTH SUMMIT LAST YEAR WAS TRAGICALLY HIS LAST.

CARTER HAS LOST HIS VOICE AND WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE

THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS.

Donner: Mike walked around the block three times

before he had the nerve to knock on Carol's door.

MIKE WALKED AROUND THE BLOCK THREE TIMES

BEFORE HE HAD THE NERVE TO WALK ON CAROL'S DOOR.

Excellent, David.

Do you have any oximetry on the summit?

Foster: AT 78, DAVID'S BLOOD OXYGEN SATURATION IS GOOD

FOR A CLIMBER BREATHING SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN.

CLIMBERS CONSUME BOTTLED OXYGEN

AT A FLOW OF TWO LITERS PER MINUTE ON THE SUMMIT DAY.

WITH HIS MASK OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES

DAVID'S RESPIRATORY RATE INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY.

Donner: David, what's it like climbing back in the same area

that you were in last year? Over.

Breashears: All the bodies that were there last year were covered.

But unfortunately, we did pass one body

right on the fixed ropes.

It only makes me question my sanity

why I climbed this mountain again

because it is dangerous and cold.

Foster: ED TAKES HIS FINAL PSYCHOMETRIC TEST ON EVEREST.

Donner: The man who was an engineer came to the store where Alice worked

to buy pastries.

Who bought pastries?

UH, THE ENGINEER, JACK, THE GUY.

Where was Alice?

IN THE STORE.

Ed, I know you want to get moving again.

LET US KNOW HOW YOU'RE DOING, HOW YOU'RE FEELING, OVER.

Viesturs: THE DESCENT IS QUITE ARDUOUS.

YOU'RE PHYSICALLY SPENT

AND YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

YOU CAN'T JUST STAGGER AND SLUG YOUR WAY DOWN.

A LOT OF ACCIDENTS IN MOUNTAINEERING OCCUR

ON THE DESCENT, AND IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE GET TO THE SUMMIT

AND THEY TOTALLY LET DOWN THEIR GUARD

AND THEY'VE USED ALL OF THEIR ENERGY TO GET TO THE TOP.

Foster: IT TAKES FIVE HOURS TO CLIMB DOWN TO CAMP IV.

IN THE SAFETY OF HIS TENT, DAVID REVEALS TO HOWARD

THAT HE HAD A DIFFICULT CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT.

Breashears: Howard, this is South Col.

HEY, DAVID, THIS IS HOWARD, GO AHEAD.

Donner: I got that.

How's everybody doing?

Breashears: WE'VE GOT TO GET THESE GUYS OUT OF HERE.

HE'S A LITTLE SICK.

Foster: DAVID CARTER'S CONDITION HAS WORSENED.

DESPITE HIS OWN ILLNESS

DAVID BREASHEARS FILMS ED TAKING CARE OF CARTER.

Breashears: WHAT'S UP?

Viesturs: HE'S AT 93 AND 133

SO YOUR PULSE OX IS REALLY GOOD.

YOUR THROAT FEELS A LITTLE CONSTRICTED?

YES.

OKAY, HE'S ON A FOUR-LITER FLOW.

DAVID STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS

COMING DOWN ON THE SOUTH SUMMIT.

HE COULDN'T CATCH HIS BREATH

SO WE CALLED THE DOC AT BASE CAMP

TOLD HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON

AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING LIKE PULMONARY EDEMA

OR POSSIBLY THE FACT

THAT DAVID WAS HAVING SOME LUNG INFECTION EARLIER ON

THAT HE'S BEEN FIGHTING

AND WHETHER THE ALTITUDE JUST EXACERBATED THAT.

SO I THINK THE BEST OPTION

IF HE CAN HANDLE IT

IS TO GET HIM DOWN TO CAMP II.

THE LOWER WE GET HIM, THE BETTER.

WHAT ABOUT OXYGEN AT CAMP II?

YEAH, THERE'S A BOTTLE.

Foster: THEY'VE JUST CLIMBED TO 29,028 FEET, THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST

AN EXHAUSTING ACCOMPLISHMENT.

NOW THEY WILL TRY TO DESCEND 5,000 MORE FEET

TO GET CARTER TO A SAFER ALTITUDE.

Breashears: HEY, DAVID, GOOD LUCK, MAN.

SORRY YOU HAD TO GET SICK LIKE THIS.

Foster: DAVID BREASHEARS STAYS AT CAMP IV TO REST

AS ED ACCOMPANIES CARTER.

Viesturs: HE WOULD GO TEN OR 20 FEET AND THEN WE'D STOP FOR FIVE MINUTES.

YOU KNOW, HE HAD TO CATCH HIS BREATH

HE'D HAVE TO TAKE HIS MASK OFF.

HE WAS OVERHEATING

DESPERATELY TRYING TO GAIN CONTROL OF HIS BREATHING.

I THOUGHT WE COULD GET TO CAMP II

BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, IT TOOK US A LONG TIME.

IT TOOK FOUR AND A HALF HOURS TO GET DOWN TO CAMP III.

SO IT WAS ABOUT 7:00 P.M. THEN, AND WE GOT INTO THE TENT

AND THAT'S WHEN IT STARTED TO GET A LITTLE HAIRY.

Foster: AFTER HOURS OF LABORED BREATHING

CARTER GAINS ENOUGH STRENGTH TO GET ON THE RADIO.

Donner: CARTER, MY MAN, HOW YOU DOING?

TELL ME, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, CARTER.

I NEED TO GET A FEELING

FOR WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR LUNGS ARE FULL OF FLUID.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET AIR?

DO YOU FEEL REALLY SHORT OF BREATH

OR DO YOU FEEL MORE LIKE IT'S WHEEZY IN YOUR UPPER AIRWAY

LIKE YOU HAVE ASTHMA? OVER.

Foster: CARTER SEEMS TO BE IMPROVING.

BUT TWO HOURS LATER, A DESPERATE CALL FROM ED.

Donner: WHAT'S GOING ON, ED?

Donner: ED, I'M GOING TO KEEP TALKING.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND.

SEE IF YOU CAN DO A HEIMLICH.

GET HIM TO EXPEL WHATEVER'S OBSTRUCTING, OVER.

OKAY, ED, LISTEN TO ME.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU'RE AT.

IF IT'S AN OBVIOUS OBSTRUCTION

AND YOU CAN PUSH IT OUT WITH A HEIMLICH, DO THAT.

IF IT JUST SEEMS LIKE, UH, CARTER'S AIRWAY IS CLOSING IN

AND YOU NEED TO BREATHE FOR HIM

GO AHEAD AND START MOUTH-TO-MOUTH VENTILATION.

OVER.

TELL ME WHAT CARTER'S DOING NOW.

WHAT IS HIS RESPIRATORY STATUS? OVER.

OKAY, WHAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, CARTER, FOR YOU, IS

I WANT YOU TO TAKE NICE, EASY, SLOW, DEEP BREATHS.

BREATHING QUICKLY RIGHT NOW WON'T HELP YOU, CARTER

AND I KNOW THIS IS REALLY SCARY.

YOU'RE GOING TO DO FINE, BUT I NEED YOU TO BREATHE DEEP.

IN AND OUT AND IN AND OUT, SLOWLY

AND KNOW THAT ED AND THE REST OF US

ARE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU, OVER.

Viesturs: DAVID WAS DESPERATELY GASPING FOR AIR.

I WASN'T SURE HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT.

I MEAN, HE HAD HIS DOUBTS

AND IT'S A SCARY SITUATION TO BE UP THERE ALL ALONE

THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE THIS GUY MIGHT DIE ON YOU.

Breashears: HERE WE GO, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A RECORD LEVEL.

THAT LIGHT CAME ON, THAT'S PLUGGED IN.

OKAY, DAVID, WHAT'S GOING ON?

IT'S BEEN A LONG...

IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG COUPLE DAYS FOR ME.

I'VE BEEN VERY SICK COMING DOWN.

I'M TOTALLY EXHAUSTED.

I'M HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING A FULL BREATH.

MY THROAT FEELS

LIKE I'M BREATHING THROUGH A STRAW RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS GOD'S GIFT UP HERE.

Carter: THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE

WHEN I LITERALLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE.

I STILL TO THIS POINT HAVE NOT EVEN THOUGHT OF SUMMITING.

I JUST WANT TO GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

CHOKING TO DEATH AT 23,000 FEET

THE FIRST THING THAT WENT THROUGH MY MIND WAS

HOW ISOLATED I AM

AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL AND REVIVED.

I KNEW THAT WHEN I WAS CHOKING, THERE WAS JUST TWO PEOPLE THERE.

IT WAS MYSELF AND ED AND IT WAS FRIGHTENING.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE YOUNG.

BUT SINCE I'VE SURVIVED IT, IT'S A BIG PART OF MY LIFE NOW.

ELEVEN.

Foster: TEN DAYS AFTER COMING OFF EVEREST

THE CLIMBERS RETURN TO SEATTLE FOR A FINAL SESSION OF TESTING.

THE SCIENTISTS HAVE NOW HAD A CHANCE TO ANALYZE THE DATA.

THE PULSE OXIMETRY DATA COLLECTED ON THIS EXPEDITION

SHOWED, AS EXPECTED, THE DECLINE IN OXYGEN

WITH HIGHER ASCENT TO ALTITUDE.

AND DAVID CARTER, IN PARTICULAR, HAD LOWER BLOOD OXYGEN LEVELS

WHICH SEEMED TO GO ALONG

WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS HE WAS HAVING ON THE MOUNTAIN.

WE NEED TO DO MORE CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP

OF THE PULSE OXIMETER READINGS TO THE M.R.I. SCANS.

Foster: DR. HACKETT HAS LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE M.R.I. SCANS

SEARCHING FOR ABNORMALITIES.

HE DISCOVERS THAT EXPOSURE TO EXTREME ALTITUDE

CAN LEAVE ITS MARK ON THE HUMAN BRAIN.

HACKETT ADDRESSES THE CLIMBERS.

THE ONLY ABNORMALITY WE FOUND WAS

A VERY MILD ATROPHY IN THE BRAIN OF ED VIESTURS

WHO HAS CLIMBED MANY TIMES TO HIGH ALTITUDE

WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN.

AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS

FOLLOW HIM OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO SEE

IF THIS MIGHT ACTUALLY PROGRESS WITH HIS HIGH-ALTITUDE CAREER.

Ed lived by the river for 20 years...

OH, BOY.

...and this was the first time it had been this high, over.

OH! YOU WERE FEELING BAD THERE.

WE HAVE REVIEWED ALL THE TESTS YOU SEE

AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A REAL DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PERFORMANCE

AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY IN SURVIVAL MODE.

FROM THE NUMBERS, WE COULD SEE

THAT YOUR PERFORMANCE WAS DETERIORATING

AND HAD WE HAD THOSE NUMBERS AVAILABLE

WE WOULD'VE PROBABLY SUGGESTED

THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO CONTINUE.

I'M SHOCKED AND I REALIZE NOW HOW SICK I WAS.

YOU DON'T... IT'S JUST A HAZE UP THERE.

Breashears: YOU CAN'T TELL UP THERE.

WE'RE ALL JUST GETTING BY.

I'M LOOKING AT DAVID FOR THE FIRST TIME AT CAMP IV

AND TYPICALLY I'M TALKING TO HIM ON THE RADIO

AND IN FACT, YOU SAW WHEN HE WAS COUGHING

HE HAD THE MICROPHONE OFF.

SO I'M HEARING HIS RESPONSES.

I'M NOT WATCHING HIM COUGH OR SEEING HOW AWFUL HE LOOKS.

THE QUESTION THEN WE ASK IS

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU'RE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION?

ARE YOU ABLE TO THINK QUICKLY, ARE YOU ABLE TO THINK CLEARLY

ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE AND GET DOWN?

YOU CAN SEE HOW, IN HIS CONDITION

HE COULD HAVE NOT TIED HIS ROPE CORRECTLY

NOT TIED INTO HIS HARNESS CORRECTLY

NOT CLIPPED INTO THE ANCHOR CORRECTLY.

Carter: I LOVE THIS MOUNTAIN.

I HAVE LEARNED A LOT.

YOU KNOW, I SUMMITED

BUT I STILL DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THE SUMMIT.

I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT NIGHT AT CAMP III

BEING NEAR DEATH, POSSIBLY DYING.

WHEN I PASSED BY THE LAST LADDER IN THE ICEFALL

I KNEW THAT I HAD SURVIVED MOUNT EVEREST.

Donner: DAVID, NOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN TO THE TOP

DO YOU THINK THIS WAS YOUR LAST TRIP UP THIS MOUNTAIN? OVER.

Breashears: Well, it's the hardest day I've ever had on the mountain

and I have no intention

of ever going to the top of Everest again

and I need lots of people

to prevent me from changing my mind.

{y:i}TAKE THE TESTS YOURSELF.

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HAVE YOU HEARD FROM THE QUIET COMPANY?

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