Summit Journal Chat

After our discussion about the 10 year anniversary of the Everest tragedy that brought us together and the fact that it seemed to go unnoticed in the media - I was surprised this weekend while channel surfing to find a Discovery Channel Special on Everest: Mountain of Death. Forest Sawyer was the commentator and it was dated 2003. I don't recall hearing about it. Anyway, it was all about '96 and had videos of Scott Fischer and Rob Hall earlier in that season when everything was still so promising. It was extremely thorough, with interviews with all the principals -even Lapsang and Anatoli - so they really did their homework. JK, DB and EV were there as was Jan Hall and Beck Weathers. Just what I would have expected from a 10 year retrospective, although Rob's little girl was only about a year old when they showed her - the image of her father. It was very well done all in all. The only sour note from my perspective was that they placed Mallory and Irvine on the South side but not many casual observers would have noticed that. The ending was interesting. Sawyer said "So if you think you want to climb Everest - talk to Jon Krakauer. Then JK has a voice over as the credits start : " If you think you want to climb Everest - don't do. Talk to me first. It was a major mistake for me to go to Everest..."

Anyway, THAT's the special that I think should have been on TV on May 9. Maybe it was and I missed it. ;-)

Best regards to all. I hope everyone is having a good summer.

Rose