All language subtitles for Everest - The Death Zone (EN)

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TONIGHT ON NOVA: EVEREST.

IN 1996, EIGHT DIED
IN A SINGLE DAY...

NOW NOVA TAKES YOU BACK

TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF
ALTITUDE ON THE BODY AND MIND.

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

Man:
Excellent, David.

AND A NEW DRAMA UNFOLDS.

WILL THE SUMMIT CLAIM
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.

TAKE THE TESTS YOURSELF.

SEE THE 360 VIEWS FROM THE TOP.

RETURN TO EVEREST

AND EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING
WITH THE EXTREME ALTITUDE.

START CLIMBING AT:

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