ONE OF THE KEY DRIVERS FROM ONE OF THE KEY DRIVERS FROM SOUTH AMERICA IS OF COURSE SOUTH AMERICA IS OF COURSE CLIMATE CHANGE.

ONE MAN WANTS TO SHOW HOW QUICKLY OUR WORLD IS CHANGING.

A GREAT AMERICAN MOUNTAINEER DAVID BRASHEARS CLIMBED MOUNT EVEREST, THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, HE IS WORRYING ABOUT WHAT HE IS SEEING THERE.

JUST AS CLIMBERS PUSH THE LIMITS OF THEIR BODIES, DAVID BRASHEARS SAYS WE ARE TESTING THE LIMIT OF OUR EARTH.

WE TELLS US HOW THE DPLASHIERS ARE TELLING THIS STORY.

>> Reporter: SO YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD FIVE TIMES AND NOW YOU FROM FOCUSED ON HELPING US FIGURE OUT THAT THE VIEW IS SCANNING FROM THE TOP.

WHAT'S DIFFERENT?

>> EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT WHEN IT COMES TO THE GLACIERS, AND THE ICE UP HIGH IN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE SNOW COVER.

I FIRST WENT TO HIMALAYA, I WAS 23-YEARS-OLD IN 1979.

AND A CLIMBED A 22,500 PEAK.

IF I WAS TO GO BACK AND CLIMB THAT PEAK AGAIN TODAY, I WHO YOU WOULD SEE A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT SNOW AND ICE COVER.

>> ARE YOU FOCUSING ON SOMETHING CALLED MATCH PHOTOGRAPHY.

WHAT IS THAT?

?

MATCH PHOTOGRAPHY IS WHERE I FIND AN OLD PHOTO POINT SAY FROM AN EARLIER EXPLORER, MAP MAKER, CARTOGRAPHER.

THEY WERE THE FIRST TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF THE DPLASH YEARS, SAY GORGE MALLORY IN 1921 OR ANOTHER IN 1899.

I FIND THAT PHOTOGRAPH IN AN ARCHIVE.

I MAKE A PRINT OF IT.

I GO TO THE SPOT, THE PHOTO POINT.

AT LEAST TRY TO FIND IT AND CAPTURE THE SAME IMAGE WITH THAT TIME SPAN IN BETWEEN.

>> IS IT EASY TO GET TO THAT SAME SPOTS THE PHOTOGRAPHER STOOD AT?

>> SOMETIMES WE CAN FIND IT FAIRLY QUICKLY.

ONE PHOTO POINT TOOK US MULTIPLE EFFORT.

IT'S A PHOTO POINTS NEAR K2 IN THE CARACORM RANGE OF PAKISTAN.

WE WERE ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHED AT THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TERRAIN THE PHOTOGRAPHER VICTORIA CELLA AND HIS TEAM OF SUPPORTERS HAD CLIMBED ON.

NOT ONLY DID WE HAVE TO PROBLEM WITH TERRAIN.

WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE WEATHER.

WE WAITED IN CAMP AFTER HE WOUND U FOUND THE LOCATION FOR 13 DAYS ON THE DPLASHIER TO CAP CURE THE SAME IMAGE HE HAD CAPTURED IN 1909.

WE WERE THERE IN 2009.

>> HOW SIGNIFICANT IS THE CHANGE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE FROM THE PICTURE THAT WAS TAKEN 50 YEARS AGO, 100 YEARS AGO, TO WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY?

>> THE CHANGE IS DRAMATIC.

WHEN YOU SEE THE MATCH PHOTOS OF CHOYOU AND THE NORTH SIDE OF EVEREST AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF EVEREST, ANYONE LOOKING AT THESE PHOTOS CAN SEE THE CHANGE.

WHAT WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABILITY IS THE FUTURE CHANGE AND WHAT A RECENT REPORT FROM ISSYMOD AN ORGANIZATION IN NEPAL THAT STUDIES THESE TYPES OF THINGS SAID BY 2100 WE EXPECT TO LOSE 80 TO 90% OF THE MASS OF THE 18,000 DPLASH YEARS IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION.

>> WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING THE 80-TO-90% OF THE GLACIERS?

>> THERE IS AN IMPERILLED ECOSYSTEM.

THE HIGH MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS ARE FRAGILE.

THE DPLASHIERS ARE TELLING US THEY ARE UNDER TREMENDOUS STRESS.

UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE.

THEY'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH SNOW.

THE TEMPERATURES IS WARMING.

AND THERE IS BLACK CAR BONN BEING DEPOSITED ON THE SNOW.

SO WHAT AFFECTS THAT ECOSYSTEM AFFECTS THE LIVE LI HOODS OF OVER 230 MILLION PEOPLE WHO INHABITANT THE REGION AND THERE ARE MANY-FOLD REASONS HOW THIS EFFECT PLAYS OUT TO HARDY MOUNTAIN PEOPLE.

THEY ARE VERY ADAPTABLE AND RESILLENTS BY THEIR NATURE AND THEY OWE OWE RESILIENT BY THEIR NATURE AND THEY TEND TO BE POORER THAN THE PEOPLE DOWN RIVER AND THEY ARE GOING TO SUFFICIENT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS STRESS ON THE ECOSYSTEM FIRST.

>> WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT A VIDEO THAT YOU HAVE.

IT'S A COMPILATION OF DIFFERENT IMAGES AROUND EVEREST.

TELL US WHAT WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT.

>> WE'RE FLYING RIGHT TOWARDS MOUNTS EVEREST.

THAT'S THE BLACK PYRAMID ON THE LEFT.

WE'RE PASSING MOUNT PUMAREE ON THE RIGHT AND WE ARE ABOUT TO CROSS THIS RIDGE AND FLY RIGHT OVER BASE CAMP.

THE PEAK ON THE RIGHT IS NUPSIE.

THE PEAK IN THE MIDDLE IS LOPSIE.

WE ARE WORKING UP INTO THE WESTERN COUP.

THE ROUTE TO THE TOP OF EVEREST GOES STRAIGHT UP THE MIDDLE OF THE ICE FIELD IN THE MIDDLE AND TRAVERSES TO THE LEFT IN THAT SAD HIM.

THE COAL BETWEEN EVEREST AND LOADSIE.

WE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE THE HIGH CAMP AT 26,000 FEET.

NOW WE ARE GOING TO TURN AROUND.

WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ROOF.

NOW, FROM ON THE RIGHT-HAND SKYLINE FROM THE HIGH CAMP TO THE TOP AND NOW WE'RE FLYING BACK DOWN THE WESTERN COUP.

THE ROUTE OF OUR ASCENT.

RIGHT NOW MANY HUNDREDS OF CLIMBERS ARE GATHERED THERE FOR THE SPRING CLIMBING SEASON AND WE ARE FLYING BACK OUT OVER THE ICE FALL IN THE DISTANCE IS CHOIU, THE WORLD'S SIXTH HIGHEST MOUNTAIN SO WE'VE SEEN FOUR OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS.

>> NOBODY'S EVER SEEN THAT VIDEO BEFORE.

HOW'D YOU MAKE 245 THAT VIDEO?

>> THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK.

IT WAS QUITE EXPENSIVE.

WHAT IT WAS, WE FLEW SIX CAMERAS, STILL CAMERAS, IN THE NOSE OF A HELICOPTER.

MOUNTED OUTSIDE OF THE HELICOPTER.

>> IT'S HARD TO DO.

HELICOPTERS USUALLY DIFFER.

>> WE TOOK TIME.

WE FLEW THE HELICOPTER QUITE HIGH.

LET'S JUST SAY A LOT HIGHER THAN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO.

AND IN THE WINTER.

BUT THOSE SIX CAMERAS COVER 230 DEGREES AND I WAS FIRING THOSE CAMERAS EVERY SECOND TO 2 SECONDS.

AND THAT COMPILATION OF THOUSANDS OF IMAGES CAN BE, CAN PRODUCE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND, THEREFORE, WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN FLIGHT PATH AND FLY THROUGH IT.

>> IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT AND SAY WHAT'S THE PROBLEM HE'S DESCRIBING HERE?

GLACIER, THERE IS ICE SHIELDS, PEOPLE ARE WALKING UP THE MOUNTAIN.

>> OH, THE MOUNTAIN'S CHANGE AS LOT.

SINCE I FIRST CLIMBED IT ALSO MYSELF IN 1983.

WELL, WHAT WE CAN'T SEE FROM THAT ELEVATED POSITION.

WHAT YOU CAN SEE FROM FLASHIER WORKS OBLIQUE GROUND BASED PHILOSOPHY, THE VERTICAL WASTING OF THE GLACIER.

THE HORIZONTAL WASTING OF THE DPLASHIER.

IT'S A DIFFERENT, MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE FROM WHAT I CLIMBED ON IN 1983.

MOST OF WHAT WE LOOK AT, MOST OF THE ACCUMULATIONS OF DPLASHIERS ARE FROM REALLY 22,000, 21,000 FEET ON DAWN.

>> THAT'S WHERE WE ARE SEEING MOST OF THE EFFECTS OF WARMING AND DEPOSITS OF BLACK CAR BONN ON THE DPLASHIERS.

>> PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PHOTOS SANDR AND SAY, LISTEN, THERE IS A SCIENCE, A PHOTO HERE, SAME PLACE LATER, IS IT THE SAME SEASON, THE SAME CLIMATE AT THE SAME TIME?

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THESE CHANGES ARE LONG-TERM AND ARE HAPPENING?

>> THAT'S FOR THE SCIENTISTS TO DECIDE.

AND I FOLLOW THE SCIENCE VERY CLOSELY AND OVER 350 RESEARCHERS AT ISSIMOD DID A NATIONAL CENTER FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT IN MOUNT CANDU PUBLISHED A RECENT REPORT.

THEIR SCIENCE IS VERY GOOD.

I USE THE IMAGES AROUND THE WORLD FOR A DPLASHIER WORKS EXHIBIT CALLED RIVERS OF ICE, VANISHING DPLASH YEARS OF THE GREATER HIMALAYA.

>> THAT STARTS A CONVERSATION, A BIG GAP SAY 1899 TO WHEN I REPHOTOGRAPHED THE SAME PLACE 110 YEARS LATER.

NOW, LET'S CARRY THE CONVERSATION FURTHER.

OUR MELTING, SOME OF THE MELT RATE YEARS AGO WAS THROUGH MORE NATURAL CAUSES.

NOW IT'S GREATLY ACCELERATED AND WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE?

DPLASHIER WORK-- GLACIER WORK A WORK I DO IS MOSTLY USED FOR EXHIBITS AND TO HELP START A CONVERSATION ABOUT ADAPTABILITY AND RESILIENCE.

>> YOU PROBABLY MADE IN MY OPINION THE GREATEST IMAX FILM I'VE SEEN ABOUT EVEREST AND DOCUMENTED ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRAGEDIES THAT HAVE EVER HAPPENED ON THAT MOUNTAIN.

WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT JUST PEOPLE AS YOU WERE WATCHING THIS HAPPEN IN FRONT OF YOU?

>> THAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR FOR EVERYONE, 1996.

AND WE ENDED UP WITH THIS FILM THAT REALLY WE HADN'T EXPECTED IT TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL.

BUT WHAT YOU SAW WAS THE BEST AND THE WORST OF PEOPLE AND YOU ALSO SOW, I SAW THE BEST AND WORST IN MYSELF.

>> PEOPLE MIGHT NOT REMEMBER, WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

>> WELL, IT'S THE YEAR THAT'S KNOWN AS INTO THIN AIR.

BASED ON JOHN KRAKOW'S BOOK.

WHAT HAPPENED WERE A COUPLE TEAMS CLIMBING HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN GOT CAUGHT OUT LATE CLIMBING TOO LATE AND AT THAT SAME MOMENT WHEN THEY WERE VERY VULNERABLE THEY WERE OVERCOME BY A FAST-MOVING STORM THAT WAS NOT FORECAST, THAT CAME OUT OF A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN WE NORMALLY EXPECT.

AND IN THAT NIGHT, EIGHT PEOPLE FROZE TO DEATH AND SOMEWHERE SEVERELY FROST BITTEN, ONE GENTLEMAN LOST BOTH OF HIS HANDS TO FROST BITE, EVENTUALLY.

AND IT WAS JUST COMPLETE CHAOS ON THE MOUNTAIN DURING THE STORM.

AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NEVER REALLY SEEN ON EVEREST.

A MIX OF DIGUIDING, A MIX OF PROFESSIONAL CLIMBERS.

A MIX OF CLIENTS WHO ARE LESS EXPERIENCED ALL WITHIN A COUPLE HOURS, WITHIN AN HOUR, REALLY, IN THE DRAMATIC FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES.

>> SO BASIC A HIMLY A TRAFFIC JAM UP THERE?

>> IT WAS A TRAFFIC JAM.

NONETHELESS, THIS WAS ABOVE THE HOUSE SUMMIT AT 28,750 FEET.

NONETHELESS, THE GUIDES COULD HAVE TURNED PEOPLE AROUND AT THEIR 1:00 TURN AROUND TIME.

BUT -- >> EVERYBODY IS TOO CLOSE.

THEY WANT TO GET TO THE TOP.

>> IT'S VERY HARD TO DO.

ABOUT THREE PEOPLE TURNED AROUND OF THEIR OWN VOLITION AND THEY ALL LIVED.

YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT, YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THE TUG THAT MOUNTAIN EXERTS ON YOU AND ALL THAT -- ALL THE TIME, EFFORT, PRIDE, MONEY, TRAINING AND THEN BECAUSE THIS CAUSES US TO ENGAGE IN SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING.

I HAPPEN TO THEECH THIS IN LEADERSHIP PRESENTATIONS, AND IT'S THE WILL FULL DISREGARD OF NEGATIVE INFORMATION.

WHERE AT THAT MOMENT WHERE YOU ARE CLOSE TO BEING IN EXTREME PERIL.

ARE YOU HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN.

YOU ARE VULNERABLE.

HAVE YOU 300 FEET LEFT TO GO.

YOU ARE TIRED, EXHAUSTED.

HYPOXIC, PROGRAMS, THAT'-- PROG THAT'S WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR MIND TO NEGATIVE INFORMATION, NEGATIVE INFORMATION SAYS THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK OUT WELL.

LET'S TURN AROUND AND GO DOWN.

AND THERE IS ALSO HOPE SPRNGS ETERN AM.

RIGHT?

WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE TOP.

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.

>> I'LL WIN A LOTTERY TICKET.

>> AS I LIKE TO SAY, HOPE IS NOT A PLAN.

YOU KNOW.

>> ARE THERE SYSTEMS IN PLACE NOW TO PREVENT THAT TRAGEDY FROM HAPPENING AGAIN?

>> ON EVEREST?

>> YES.

>> NO, NO, NOT AT ALL.

IT'S UP TO THE QUALITY OF GUIDING A AND THE QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE OF THE CLIENTS.

YOU KNOW, THEIR CLIMBING SKILLS, ALSO HOW THEY PERCEIVE SUCCESS VERSUS FAILURE.

I'VE KNOWN PEOPLE WHO HAVE TURNED AROUND 300 FEET FROM THE TOP.

AND OFF MIGHT NOT GET THAT FEATHER IN YOUR CAP.

BUT THAT WAS A TRUE SUCCESS.

>> YOU GET TO KEEP WEARING A CAP?

>> YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU KEEP ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES.

>> IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE IF I WRITE A CHECK, PEOPLE WILL PRACTICALLY CARRY ME UP THAT MOUNTAIN.

MOST OF THE FOLKS DON'T RECOGNIZE MOUNTAINEERING AT THAT STAGE, HUGEAMENTS OF EQUIPMENT ARE BEING HAULED BY OTHER PEOPLE ON YOUR BEHALF.

IT'S NOT JUST YOU AND A BACKPACK ANYWHERE, RIGHT?

>> IT HASN'T BEEN THAT WAY IN A LONG TIME.

THE EARLY EXPEDITIONS HAD HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS.

THE EARLY EXPEDITION IN 1953, IT WAS RUN BY COLONEL HUNT.

IT WAS ALMOST A MILITARY OPERATION.

I THINK WHAT CHANGED THE MOST FOR ME, I WAS ON THE MOUNTAIN IN 2014.

I WAS NEAR BASE CAMP WHEN A COLLAPSE ABOVE THE ICE FALL KILLED 16 PEOPLE AND THEN I WAS THERE DURING THE EARTHQUAKE.

I HAVE BEEN ON THE GLACIER DOING WORK FOR DPLAGLACIER WORKS WHEN THERE IS 1,400 PEOPLE, A RAID ON THAT DPLASHIER.

WHEN I WAS THERE IN 1985, WE WERE ONE TEAM.

WE WERE 38 PEOPLE.

AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GO TO THE MOUNTAIN MANY TIMES AND FULFILL SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO IN LIFE AND TO MAKE GAMES.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME FEELINGS.

THEY WANT TO GET TO THE TOP.

WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IT'S THE HARD WORK OF HAVING THE SKILLS TO LOOK AFTER YOURSELF WITHOUT A GUIDE THAT REALLY MAKE THAT CLIMB WORTHWHILE.

AT LEAST FOR ME.

>> HOW MUCH HAVE YOUR FILMS DONE TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO CLIMB THIS MOUNTAIN NOW?

>> I DIDN'T NEED TO SEE AN IMAX FILM.

I SAW A PHOTOGRAPH TO GO TO EVEREST.

WHAT I THINK IS THAT THE TUG OF E EVEREST IS SO STRONG, THERE IS THIS INEFFABLE KIND OF CALLING FROM THIS MOUNTAIN THAT PEOPLE REALLY CAN'T DESCRIBE, BUT YOU SEE THEM THERE.

YOU SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

IT'S JUST ASTONISHING THAT THAT WORD EVEREST LIGHTS UP THEIR EYES, BRIGHTENS THEIR FACE WITH EXCITEMENT.

AND WHEN 15,000 TRECKER'S HEADED TO THE REGION THIS SPRING AND MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO THE KUMBA REGION FOR ONE REASON.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CLIMB EVEREST.

THEY JUST WANT TO SEE IT.

>> BECAUSE IT'S THERE?

>> BECAUSE IT'S THERE.

AND IT'S THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN ON EARTH.

29,028 FEET HIGH.

SO I'VE HAD MY ROLE IN IT.

BUT I DON'T THINK I CREATED EVEREST.

>> DAVID BRASHEARS, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.