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1996: Beck Weathers: the gregarious Texan climber who went snow-blind in the Death Zone
Left For Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
What you need to know before your trail
Anyone who has read Jon Krakauer’s famous account of the 1996 Everest disaster, INTO THIN AIR, will remember the story of Beck Weathers: the gregarious Texan climber who went snow-blind in the Death Zone below the summit and who spent a night out in the open during a blizzard that took the lives of a dozen colleagues and friends.
Even as he staggered back into Camp 4 the next morning, Beck’s condition was such that the other survivors assumed he would not make it back down the mountain. He was effectively left for dead, but drawing upon reserves of determination and courage he didn’t know he had – as well as the extraordinary selflessness and bravery of a Nepalese helicopter pilot he’d never met – he finally made it to safety. Only then could a new battle begin: to rebuild his life with a family he’d taken for granted for too long.
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Mount Everest
Mount Everest is Earth’s highest mountain above sea level. The international border between Nepal and China runs across its summit point.
The current official elevation is an astounding 8,848 m (29,029 ft).
In May 1996, Weathers was one of eight clients being guided on Mount Everest by Rob Hall of Adventure Consultants. Weathers became blindedby the effects of high altitude . Hall wanted him to go back down the mountain but he ended up waiting it out. Hall went higher himself to help someone else but he them himself got in difficulty and never returned.
A blizzard then struck the mountain and Weathers and the others got extremely disoriented in the storm, and could not find Camp IV. Anatoli Boukreev, a guide on another expedition led by Scott Fischer, came and rescued several climbers, but during that time, Weathers had disappeared into the night. He somehow managed to get down to Camp IV but suffered severe frostbite. He was rescued by helicopter but had to endure several amputations and reconstructive surgery.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Left For Dead: My Journey Home from Everest
Destination : China, Nepal, Mount Everest Author/Guide: Dr Beck Weathers Departure Time: 1996
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