The deadliest mountain

Yesterday I continued reading Left For Dead (book about the 1996 tragedy on Everest) on the plane to Dallas. Rob Hall passed away... this is an excerpt from the book describing the situation. Very sad.

"Rob lived through that night, but late that next afternoon, as darkness began to fall and there was no longer any hope of a rescue, Base Camp called his wife, Jan, in New Zealand and patched her through to her dying husband. Everyone on that mountain with a radio bore silent witness to their last moments together. Hall had regained his faculties. He and Jan decided at that moment to named their unborn child Sarah.

Jane to Rob: 'Don't feel that you are alone. I'm sending all my positive energy your way.'

Rob to Jane: 'I love you. Sleep well, my sweetheart. Please don't worry too much.'

Both of them knew exactly what lay ahead. When those moments had passed and Rob no longer had to be strong, you could hear him quietly weeping as he faced his own death. He didn't know the radio was still on."

That can't be easy knowing that you are pretty much left for death and that no one can save you and you cannot save yourself. Several people die on Everest every year, The American Alpine Journal says that one in 29 climbers who summited Everest died on descent. However, many hard core climbers believe K2, where one in seven summiters died on descent is much tougher. I personally know that I am not capable of either (at least not yet). But if you are interested in learning more about K2, you should read this article. It is very long... but some of it is interesting.