Everest, 1996 IIRC.
i forget the mans name at the moment..Beck Weathers.
Anyway, a group of climbers were led up the mountain by guide Rob Hall. They got to the top after the set time when they were supposed to turn around due to climate/weather conditions.Things went to hell real fast.
Several People died.
Beck Weathers had vision corrective surgery,but climbing to such a height affected his eyes and he couldnt see anything. He couldnt walk down the mountain.
He was left laying in the snow,under three inches of ice. They thought he was gone. Yasuko Namba was also pretty close,IIRC, in the same perdicament. When asked what made him get up his reply was along the lines of 'nope,this isnt working out for me' so he got up,and walked down the mountain.
Alone.
He had no help at all.
No oxygen.
Nothing.
Surprised the **** out of the folks at one of the camps on the mountain,needless to say.
i believe when he got back,he had to have a part of his arm amputated,and some fingers as well,i may be wrong.
John Crakauer, who write for outside magazine wrote a book on his trip to everest,when this even happened. "into thin air" is what its called. worth every penny the book costs.
He also wrote another book on a kid that roams around the country for two years or so,then goes to alaska where he meets his unfortunate end.
Beck Weathers has to be one of the toughest sons of guns in the world. At a time when he could have just drifted off into a peaceful 'sleep' he said NO.Can you imagine? 3 inches of ice covering your body. cant feel anything. yet you get up and walk down the tallest mountain in the world.
damn.
