What are your thoughts on this remarkable story of life, death and survival?
Dear FRONTLINE,
Climbing Everest is becoming a rite of passage like Spring Break. Give it up already! It's been climbed, it's been conquered, let it be - and don't lets lose any more lives. As other commentators mentioned, there are better and more useful ways to get 'spiritual highs'. The whole thing has just become a big ego trip.
Miranda Seymour
Los Angeles, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I'm not a mountain climber, but it seems to me that at least two fundamental errors contributed to these teams' difficulties:1. There appears to have been too many climbers on the mountain, which made their progress slower than planned.2. The guides did not insist on climbers turning around when the predetermined critical time had been reached, though that was the plan. Getting the client to the summit seemed to take precedence over safety.
H Paul Lillebo
Asheville, NC
Dear FRONTLINE,
I read "Into Thin Air" in 1999 and became fascinated with this story. I have read everything there is to read about this tragic event and find the story of human survival in the surroundings they were facing to be very heroic. I was very impressed with the Frontline episode and was glad to finally put faces and voices to the story that intrigued me many years ago. Beck Weathers is truly an inspiration to all, and for someone who hopes to "tame the mountain" someday adds important caution.
Dan Isbell
Las Vegas, NV
Dear FRONTLINE,
What a good film. However, I was disappointed that it did not focus more on the decision making that led to this tragedy. There always is, and was here, a point when arrogance overcame the careful planning and rules of safety. And while it was sad that Rob lost his life on the mountain and admirable that Rob tried to get Doug down the mountain, I was disappointed that the film did not place more of the responsibility where it belonged, squarely on Rob's poor decision making. Rob was the group leader and should have stuck to the schedule and rules. He decided not to, and even spoke disappointedly to Lou when he decided to turn around due to the delays. That was a failure of leadership on Rob's part.
Springfield, Missouri
Dear FRONTLINE,
A GREAT set of first person accounts in their own words of pushing human endurance/struggle and sensibility to the extreme.
I enjoyed David's unbiased presentation and perspective after have read both Jon's and Andre's accounts when they were first published. Thanks.
Hugh Larkin
Eugene, OR
Dear FRONTLINE,
Regarding "Storm Over Everest," I am disappointed that Frontline found it necessary to devote its considerable resources to a story largely about a group of modern day versions of Narcissus, the youthful Greek who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. How many times must we endure the tragic story of that fateful time on Mt. Everest?
Perhaps the most used pronoun throughout the entire piece was "I," followed closely by "me" and "my." The "heroism" threading its way through the undercurrent of the entire production was, indeed, false, and resided largely in the imaginations of the Everest climbers themselves, and quite possibly the Frontline producers. But for the Sherpa guides, who do what they do because it is one of the few ways to make a decent living in Nepal, the climbers were there by choice, a choice emanating from an extremely self-centered viewpoint of life. They must make this climb to prove something to themselves, or to have something to talk about the rest of their lives much like the war veterans who congregate along the darkened bars of the American Legion or the VFW.
But here is where these faux heroes diverge from real heroes. The veterans rarely went to war by choice. Most were thrown into turmoil and somehow managed to survive their ordeals. Nor do the Everest climbers approach anything close to the firefighters, the police officers or the volunteer military who, by choice, place themselves in harm's way to serve others. Very little "I-me-my" language among those crowds.
No, the first person pronouns are heard mostly from those who chose to undertake risky ventures only to please themselves. Is the world a better place because of the tragic loss of lives, the loss of fingers, toes, limbs and parts of faces on the littered superhighway to the top of Mt. Everest? Not really.
My guess is that Sir Edmund Hillary recognized the hollow nature of the quest shortly after he and Tenzing Norgay first made it to the top in 1953. After that climb, Hillary devoted the rest of his life to helping the people of Nepal.
Would it be a better world if these narcissists devoted such time, energy and money to helping tackle any of the serious problems plaguing humanity today? It certainly would be.
But on Mt. Everest we have only rubbish and broken bodies testifying to these egocentric monumental feats that lead to nowhere. -- and now in High Definition Television.
Richard Schneider
Denver, CO
Dear FRONTLINE,
You have made "character" a focus of Storm over Everest. But I also recall several years ago a NOVA special in which top a top grade mountain climber (may have been Ed Viesturs) was given neuropsychological tests at baseline and high altitude, and showed profound cognitive impairment high on Everest. And he obviously has an exceptional ability to manage high altitude without oxygen. Except for the guides, these climbers were no where near in Viestur's league. They were out of oxygen high on the mountain and hypoxic most certainly leaving them addlebrained, mortally exhausted, frostbitten, snowblind, and dehydrated. If Breshears hadn't opened up his oxygen and batteries to them its far from certain that most of them could have saved themselves much less someone else.
Its easy to look back with 20/20 hindsight and say "I/he/she could have done more". But Everest is a place where on a good day climbers cut their toothbrushes in half to lighten their load. When senile grandpa exposes himself we don't think it reflects on his character. Yet we look at these hypoxic people on Everest, and even in the face of scientific studies showing cognitive impairment at that altitude, declare their behavior to show their true "character". I think we should be more realistic in our expectations.
On the other hand, the decisions made at sea level to climb Everest even without the appropriate training or experience, or to ferry clients high on the mountain who couldn't get themselves down without you, that's a place to look at character.
Susan Arnold
Rochester, NY
Dear FRONTLINE,
I have heard of the book, but I had no idea! This program/story/first person reflection had me spell bound. I have suffered frost bite and hypothermia, and I empathized with the personal stories of the cold and the feeling of giving up and peace and sleep. What an ordeal to have lived through and to be able to tell their stories! Now I do want to read the book, and learn more. I can't imagine ever going through the hell they went through, and grieve for the losses of life, limbs and loved ones. This story is a sobering reality of how precious life is, and what a fine line there is between life and death at any moment. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job in retelling this important experience of those dead and alive! Peace and love.
Terry Bitzel
Woodland Park, CO
Dear FRONTLINE,
Like others, I have read Krakaeur's book, but this program with its survivor interviews made the people on the mountain real. To hear them recount their stories -- their bravery and their fears -- touched my soul. For me, I'll keep Everest in my dreams.
Kathleen O'Shea
Little Rock, AR
Dear FRONTLINE,
Like an accident on the highway I couldn't tear my eyes away from "Storm Over Everest". As beautiful a film as it was, and David Breashers must be commended on this, I couldn't connect emotionally with these conspicuously wealthy people who put themselves in harm's way for their own edification. Is the world a better place because a new batch heads up every May? We are far from the purity of purpose of Sir Edmund and Tenzing.
No, I believe the real stories of courage, character, and human connection will come out of the devastation in Myanmar and from under the rubble in China.
Karen Davis
Georgetown, TX
Dear FRONTLINE,
What a wonderful program. The music selected for the film captured both the majesty of the mountain and the tragedy that unfolded. Can you tell us what works of music were used in the film?
Wayne Tolliver
Dublin, OH
FRONTLINE's editors respond:
When the information is available, we'll be publishing how one can purchase the CD of the music composed for this film. Please revisit this site in the coming weeks.
Dear FRONTLINE,
What an incredible story of courage and the strength of these climbers' spirit! Of all the Frontline episodes I have watched, this was the one that had me absolutely captivated. Thank you so much for airing this program.
Bobby Streip
Anniston, Alabama
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thank you Frontline.
Not surprisingly, Frontline is again the leader and the pioneer to value this story. It is beautifully done. David Breashears approached the subject with respect and prayer. the movie is done in good taste by interviewing most of the important team members that survived this tragic episode. It makes each one of us to consider how short life really is and that tomorrow is only a great dream that we need to enjoy fully as long as it keeps coming. Supporting the production of films such as this one is what keeps me donating to IPTV, the local PBS.
Mauro Heck
iowa city, iowa
Dear FRONTLINE,
I recently watched "Into the Wild" and just finished watching this film. I'm not sure I understand why anyone would put themselves in such danger. I'm particularly struck by the loss their families must feel when these tragedies seem avoidable. I can contemplate the supernatural/religious type emotions such a journey would evoke, but if it costs you your peace of mind, or limbs, or life, I'd rather look elsewhere. For some people though, it must not feel like a choice.
My deepest hope is that those who lost their lives on Mt. Everest or on any other perilous journey, found what they were most looking for.
Bethany Molitor
Washington, DC
Dear FRONTLINE,
As with many tragic events a combination of factors contributed to the extraordinary loss of life. The razor thin margin between life and death is amplified many times by the altitude and desolation high on Everest. Combined with a healthy dose of bad luck it could have been much worse.
There will be other tragedies like this, it is only a question of when...
phil simonet
Lake Elmo, Minnesota
