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Scott Fischer
Scott Fischer was from Seattle just like Jon Krakauer. Leader and guide on Everest in 1996. At the time, he was forty years old. He had a ponytail along with manic energy, along with a drive to push beyond normal and his personal limits. He started while he was young and drank and smoked much, although not while working. He and Hall were buisiness Rivals yet Scott often went to Rob for help and advice. They eventually frew to become friends. -
Mountain Madness
In 1984, Scott Fischer launched his Mountain Madness climbing expeditons. -
Friendship
Rob Hall and Scott spent much time togeter this year and '94 on Everest becoming close climbing friends. They met in the '80's in the Russian Pamir. They had planned to attempt Manaslu in Nepal, which was 26,781ft tall, directly following guiding Everest. -
Hall and Fischer
These two also bumped into eachother on K2, the second tallest mountain in the world. Scott, and his climbing parters Ed Viesturs and Charlie Mace had to help Hall with his barely concious patner Gary Ball down the mountain in a blizzard. Beidleman was also on this expedition where he befriended both Hall and Fischer. -
First Succes
After three failed attempts, Fischer summited everest without supplemental oxygen. He and his team removed 5,000 lbs of trash of the mountain. -
Guiding Business
Successfully guide and 8,000 meter mountain. 26,400 ft Broad Peak in the Karakaram Range in Pakistan. Peter Goldman was on of his clients. Lopsang was also a sherpa for Fischer on this expedtiton. -
Lopsang and Fischer
Lopsang worked for Fischer and climbed Broad Peak in Pakistan. He again accompanied Fischer on everest in 1996. He also climbed Everest with Fischer in 1994 and they grew to admire each other. -
Scott Has a Family
By 1996, Fischer had two kids along with his wife and took significantly less serious risks while climbing. His son, Andy, who was 9 and Katie Rose who was 5 -
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Everest of 1996
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Charity
Scott did a fundraising climb of Kilimanjaro in Africa. He raise half of a million dollars for the charity CARE and was featured in Seattle news media. -
Guarantee
Scott Fischer believed 100% that he would be coming back from Everest that year. -
Guide Everest
Scott Fischer was guiding Everest for the first time with eight clients, sponsered by Statbuck's Coffee. -
Problems: Ngawang
While descending from Camp Two back to Base Camp, Fischer found Ngawang Topche, one of his sherpas, sitting at 21,000ft on the glacier. He had been carrying many heavy loads up the mountain. Ngawang ignored Scott's advice to descend and became very ill with HAPE. -
Agreements
Hall, Fischer, Ian Woodwall, Makalu Gau, and Todd Burleson all agreed that each leader would send out one or two members of their team to work together and set up fixed ropes that hadn't been set up from Camp Three to Camp Four at 26,000ft. -
Failed Agreements
When they left to set up the fixed ropes, the South African and Taiwanese team's determined people didn't join Ang Dorje, Lhakpa Chhiri from Hall's, Anatoli Boukreev from Fishcer's and the sherpa from Burleson's team. -
Rescue
At 23,400 ft on the Lhotse Face, Fischer and Neal Beidleman saved Dale Kruse from trying to descend with his harness inside out and not fastended. Fischer then went on to lower Kruse down the fixed ropes. -
Decisions
It was decided that both Hall's and Fischer's teams would leave for the top of Everest on May 10th. Unbenounced to Rob and Scott. the Taiwanese team had decided to go on this same date. As had the South African team. -
HAPE
Anatoli Boukreev did not follow the back of the pack like he was told by Fischer. As a result, when Kruse colapsed with HAPE at 20,000ft, Scott had to run and rescue him. Scott was very upset and yelled at Boukreev stated Kruse. -
Running About
Scott let his clients travel up and down the mountain individually during their acclimitization. This led to him making many travels to aid his clients. -
Departing Camp Two
Both Hall and Fischer's teams left Camp Two and ascended the Lhotse Face. -
Camp Four
It was very windy on Camp Four. Scott's sidar sherpa, Lopsang Jangbu was carrying a grueling 80lb load full of electrical equipment for Sandy Pittman. -
12/12:30 AM Departure
Mountain Madness departed for the Summitt Of Everest from the South Col. In the group were Fischer, his guides Beidleman and Boukreev, six Sherpas including Lopsang Jangbu, and clients Charlotte Fox, Tim Madsen, Klev Schoening, Sandy Pittman, Lene Gammelgaard, and Martin Adams. -
10:30 Sherpa's Never Left
Hall and Fischer had planned to send two Sherpas each including their climbing Sidars Ang Dorje and Lopsang Jangbu 90 minutes ahead of their clients to set up fixed ropes. For an unknown reson, the sherpas never left that night, and thus the ropes were never set up. -
Fischer Run Down
Fischer was lagging behind and didn't reach the South Col until five o'clock. -
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Ascending
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12:30 Oxygen
When leaving Camp Four, every client on both Fischer's and Hall's team had two 6.6lb bottles of oxygen along with a third bottle awaiting their descent on the South Summit, stashed by Sherpas. -
7:20 Balcony
Lopsang, after carrying an 80lb load up for Pittman, then proceeded to shortrope her up the mountain. Krakauer passed him at the back of Fischer's group kneeled over a pile of vomit. Lopsang did it for Fischer to whom he was very loyal to. -
7:45 Beidleman and Ang
Due to the absence of Lopsang, Fischer's guide Beidleman had to help Hall's sherpa Ang Dorje set up fixed ropes up the Balcony. -
11:00 Patiently Waiting
Fischer's guides Beidleman and Boukreev were waiting at the Hillary step for the ropes to be set by the sherpas. When Beidleman asked Ang if he was gonna set up the ropes at 11:40, he replied no, presumably due to the absence of any of Fischer's sherpas. -
11:30 Boukreev Without Oxygen
Although it was questionable for a guide, Boukreev was not using any supplemental oxygen, nor did he have an emergency pack with him, as a result of trying to lighten his load. The sherpa, Lopsang, was also climbing without supplemental oxygen. -
Noon: Ropes fixed by Guides
Fischer's guides Beidleman, and Boukreev had to set ropes with Hall's guide Andy (Harold) Harris at the South Summit. Jon Krakauer also volunteered and helped. Boukreev led the ropes while Beidleman fed out the rope. -
1:12 Boukreev Succeeds
At 1:12, Fischer's guide, Boukreev reached the summit of Everest. -
1:25 Neal is Second
Scott's guide Neal Beidleman reaches the top of Everest with client Martin Adams. Beidleman and Boukreev then settle in to wait for Fischer to reach the top. -
1:50 Hillary Step
At this time, Sandy Hill Pittman and Charlotte Fox ( another of Fischer's clients ) was climbing up the Hillary step with sherpa Lopsang. -
2:15 The Top
Scott's clients Pittman, Charlotte, Tim Madsen, and Lene Gammelgaard, and sherpa Lopsang reached the summit. Right around the same time, Hall, Groom, and Yasuko Namba reached the top. -
2:30 Back on the Step
Doug Hansen and Fischer passed Jon Krakauer on the HIllary Step. -
2:40 Boukreev and Adams
Anatoli Boukreev, Fischer's guide, and Martin Adams, Fischer's client, passed Jon going down the Hillary Step. Anatoli left, Adams right -
3:10 Beidleman leads
Still without sign of Fischer,Beidleman started leading his clients back down Everest. Including Pittman, Fox, Madsen, and Gammelgaard. BEneath the South Summit, Pittman collapsed and Fox had to give her a shot of "Dex" which was dexamethosone in order to revive her. Until she came to, Beidleman dragged her down the mountain. -
3:40 Fischer on Top
Scott finally reached the top of Everest at 3:40, close to three hours past a recommended turn-around time. -
5:00 Kangshang Face- Tibet
Groom saw Adams going the wrong way down the Balcony on to the Tibetan side. Realizing his mistake, he climbed back up and proceded towards the tents. Around this time also, Beidleman was accompanying his clients down the Ridge and Boukreev was already in Camp. -
10:00P.M. Lost
Sfter wandering for hours, not being able to find the tents, Beidleman's group huddle's by a small boulder and Beidleman and Schoening go to find the tents and help. -
12:00- Midnight Finding Camp
Scoening figured out the way to the tent, He Beidleman, Gammelgaard, Groom, and two Sherpas went towards the tents, reaching them around 12:45. Pittman, Fox, Weathers and Namba weren't fit to walk back and were left with TIm Madsen looking after them. He refused to leave his girlfriend, Fox. -
7:30 Searching Begins
Around 7:30, Anatoli Boukreev left camp to search for the rest of his party, he returned around 9:00 without success. He had almost gotten lost himself. Boukreev tried to put together a rescue team but Lopsang and Adams were too tired to move. Anatoli left by himself and had to turn back. Shorly later, Boukreev left again to bring oxygen to Pittman. He could only bring one person back at a time and he brought Fox first. Beck was blown away by the wind and Pittman did not have her mittens on. -
4:30 Return
When Boukreev returned with Madsen (who claimed that Weathers was lost and Yasuko was dead) and Pittman at 4:30, beidlemand cried for forty-five minutes over Yasuko. -
3:40 Scott Troubles
After summiting, followed by the Taiwanese sherpas and Makalu Gau, Scott wasn't feeling well and began to descend with Lopsang at 3:55. Scott had even removed his oxygen mask. On the way down, Lopsang paused to help Hansen up to reach the top and with it, Hall. But Lopsang wouldn't help the hypoxic Harris bring oxygen to the two because he had to return to help Scott. (5:30) -
6:00 Lopsang Catches Fischer
Madsen had seen Fischer dscending the Southeast Ridge at 5:20, looking very tired. At 6:00, Lopsang caught up to Scott above the Balcony and shortroped him because he kept saying he was going to jump. There was much thunder from the storm. They were passed by Gau and his sherpas. -
8:00 Gau
At 8:00, Fischer and Lopsang came across Gau, below the Balcony, left alone by his sherpas, deemed by them not strong enough to go on. Fischer told Lopsang to go ahead and get help, but Lopsang stayed another hour and had to be told again by Fischer to descend. Lopsang then went to go get Anatoli. -
Midnight Lopsang Reaches Camps
Lopsang reached the tents around midnight, told Boukrev where Fischer and Gau were, then passed out, exhausted. -
7:30AM Troubles Realized.
In the morning, Fischer and Hall are still lost somewhere up on the top of the mountain. When Jon woke up, Hall was on a radio call with Base Camp. Iam Woodwall of the South African team refused to lend anybody his powerfull radios for the rescue efforts. It turns out that Jon had seen Martin Adams go to camp, not actually Andy Harris who was still elsewhere on the mountain. -
4:30AM Rescue Mission
In the morning, two Mountain Madness sherpas, Tashi Tshering and Ngawang Sya Kra went with Taiwanese sherpa Tenzing Nuri to go get Fischer and Gau. They returned Gau to the tents, but Fischer's eyes were froze and he was barely breathing, so they left him there for dead. -
Return Home.
Saturday morning, Beidleman started leading what was left of his group down the mountain, giving Pittman another shot of "dex". Boukreev stayed at Camp Four waiting for Fischer. -
5:00 Boukreev
By this time, Weathers had crawled into camp, miraculously alive, yet in critical condition(although he would live). Boukreev refused to give up on Fischer and started off to rescue Fischer. He found Fischer at 7:00 or 7:30, but by then, he was already dead, without mittens or oxygen, and his jacket only half on. Boukreev collected some belongings to bring back and covered his face and sadly left. -
Boukreev Pays His Respects
Boukreev while climbing with Vinogradski, covered Fischer's body with rocks and snow at 27,000 feet as a form of paying his respects.
