As my sister Angie said, thank you for honoring our father. But . He sounds like a remarkable man. [citation needed]. Krakauer discovered he was still conscious when the survivors in Camp IV prepared to evacuate. Blaming Doug is ridiculous when you take into account, not only his lack of experience climbing let alone with 8000ers.but also his current state at the time, hypoxic. And so, he certainly had the skill set that was required. The novel is now stuck; I have a beginning and end but no middle. Very nice tribute to Doug Hansen. [14], Upon reaching the Hillary Step (8,760m or 28,740ft), the climbers again discovered that no fixed line had been placed, and they were forced to wait an hour while the guides installed the ropes. Doug was the kind of guy who, if there were people sitting around in the mess tent and you walked in, he'd be one of the first people you would go sit by; easy to get along with. I look forward to more installments in this series, this was very interesting to read. I appreciate you dropping in with the nice words. The flag is made of linen with the image of a sun in the centre with "Sunrise Elementary" handwritten in black ink in the left-hand corner and four yellow ties to secure it to the set. Work. Ultimately this is an entertainment, not professional article. View the profiles of people named Doug Hansen. Beyond the Limit, 2007. Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on November 04, 2015: I was familiar with this ill fated expedition. . The following is a list of the other fatalities during the spring 1996 climbing season on Everest. Shortly after, Hansen collapsed and Hall refused to leave him, setting the stage for a tragedy. People get cocky and turn off the oxygen. Summitting Everest is something only a mictoscopicslly small percentage of the world's population will ever do. [15], Several climbers got lost on the South Col during the storm. A real mailman would always push himself to impossible limits of endurance to make it there on time, then help the stragglers up to the top. You first meet him and you think, "This guy's all business." Thanks for reading! Yes, Rob couldve said no, I wish he had. Thanks for reading! Andy ultimately proved that he had the kind of character, and what it took, to be a superb guide. He was an optimistic, enjoyable, upbeat fellow. The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 1011 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. As Krakauer reports, "a brief conversation ensued. What a tragedy indeed. Dutchess Golf & Country Club. In my experience, it is safer for me, once acclimatized, to climb without oxygen in order to avoid the sudden loss of acclimatization that occurs when supplementary oxygen supplies are depleted. Accounting for the increased volume of climbers in 1996 compared with previous years, the fatality rates on Everest dropped considerably, meaning that 1996 was statistically a safer-than-average year.[37]. Despite receiving oxygen and attempts to rewarm him, Weathers was practically abandoned again the next morning, 12 May, after a storm had collapsed his tent overnight and the other survivors once again thought he had died. And, Scott Fischer was comfortable with that choice as well. His body was found on 23 May by Ed Viesturs and fellow mountaineers from the IMAX expedition, but was left there as requested by his wife, who said she thought he was "where he'd liked to have stayed". wgbh. He must have been amazing, to work two jobs and stll have energy to climb mountains. It must be surreal reading articles after article about your father. Thanks for reading. I argued with him on the point; I did say I didn't think it would work. The story is very interesting and sad at the same time. kingdom of deception console commands; Income Tax. Deb Hirt from Stillwater, OK on November 14, 2015: This was an excellent read, but from what I can surmise, Doug was more of a "people pleaser" than logical in some cases. Well said Angiemuch of what the movies portrayal of him is a much closer depiction of who he was considering it's a 2 hour movie (and to fully delve into who each of the characters are would take a mini series) than the awful movie made from Krakauer's Into Thin Air. He had good hands. Doug Hansen was an American climber and postal worker who died during the infamous 1996 Mount Everest disaster. Hollywood definitely put their twist on the story in "Everest" but other than Rob calling him Doug'y they did an okay. Courageous folk. Just authentic. On the way down, Ang Dorje encountered client Doug Hansen above the Hillary Step and ordered him to descend. Actual letter carriers, the postal employees you would identify as your neighborhood "mailmen," do not work night shifts. Lana Adler from California on November 04, 2015: Great article Mel. Hard to write about such stuff unless you have a time that you should have died. I watch documentaries over and over again. That says pretty much everything you need to know about what kind of guy he was. [15] Many of the climbers had not yet reached the summit by 14:00, the last safe time to turn around to reach Camp IV before nightfall. Beck Weathers: So many of my images of Rob have to do with the humor of the man. Mel Carriere (author) from Snowbound and down in Northern Colorado on November 24, 2015: Thank you Lawrence. Legendary Sardar Apa Sherpa was scheduled to accompany the Adventure Consultants group but withdrew due to family commitments. A moviegoer is likely to leave the theater believing that the disaster could have been avoided if that stubborn mailman had just turned around when told to. And once you did know him and you were in his circle of friends, there was always a good time to be had. If a client sees that the summit is close and they're dead-set on getting there, they're going to laugh in your face and keep going.[32]. After a brief celebratory stay at the top, he headed back down with Rob. It was well written and I enjoyed reading it. Rob Hall's team also had an issue with a radio during a discussion over oxygen bottles that caused confusion. The team began the assault on the summit on 6 May, bypassing Camp I (5,944m or 19,501ft) and stopping at Camp II (6,500m or 21,300ft) for two nights. Doug Hansen finally achieved his dream of climbing Mt. The Website for the 2008 PBS Frontline television show titled Storm Over Everest. He reported that Harris had reached the two men, but Hansen, who had been with him since the previous afternoon, was now "gone", and Harris was missing. He was the weakest climber and ultimately put Rob in an unwinnable situation. (Hey, it's my day off!) Again, I am very disheartened to see this poll still exists. Not me, not here.". The Mountain Madness 1996 Everest expedition, led by Scott Fischer, consisted of 19 people, including 8 clients. [citation needed] Krakauer's account notes that by this time, the weather had deteriorated into a full-scale blizzard: "Snow pellets borne on 70mph[110km/h] winds stung my face. I find it disgraceful and disrespectful. I still blame the mountain. We were a dynamic duo. By that time, Hall, Krakauer, Harris, Beidleman, Namba, and Mountain Madness clients Martin Adams and Klev Schoening had reached the summit,[15] and the remaining four Mountain Madness clients had arrived. It is one of my guilty pleasures. But very thoughtful and just a really warm, warm guy. [citation needed], By 09:00, Hall had fixed his oxygen mask but indicated that his frostbitten hands and feet were making it difficult to traverse the fixed ropes. And the numbers have shifted since your response and no longer bolster your rationalization. I believe that if Rob Hall was more of a jerk, people would have been more critical of his decision to get Doug to the summit PAST the turnaround time of 2pm. Now get this he returned a half of his members and saved their lives even though they didnt want to give up. And he almost looked like Popeye, when he'd go and say, "You're not going to be one of them moaners, are ya?" Unfortunately, during the 1995 climb, Doug had been turned back just 330 feet short of the summit when Hall judged the conditions too dangerous to continue. The long and short is that at 2 PM, instead of turning Doug back, Hall put his arm around the struggling climber and assisted him up the slope. The South face of Everest, the side climbed by Doug Hansen as a member of Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants team. Both men gave detailed written explanations as to why they preferred not to use oxygen; both carried a bottle on the summit day that could be used if needed in an emergency or extraordinary situation. He was divorced, as is made plain in the movie, he had two children and a girlfriend he was seriously involved with at the time of his death, but other than this, details about his life are sketchy. Mel Carriere (author) from Snowbound and down in Northern Colorado on May 16, 2016: Thank you Audrey. [Laughter] But nevertheless, it was just something we talked about. The Everest shaped memorial to Doug Hansen on the property of the Kent, Washington Post Office. ;). It's very difficult to turn someone around high on the mountain. join the discussion. Frank Fischbeck (53)a - attempted Everest three times, reached the South Summit in '94 Doug Hansen (46) - attempted Everest with Hall's team in '95 (died on the South Summit) . Because Hall was fond of Doug, whose easy-going personality contributed to the positive atmosphere of his excursions, he offered him a significant discount to return to climb again in 1996. My dad was a good man. Having to live with everyone elses oopinions and conspiracy theories is exhausting. I remembered how sad I was when had learned about the accident. Its all on him. When Jon Krakauer attempted to rouse Doug out of his sleeping bag at Camp Two (21,300 feet) on April 26th, two weeks before the final ascent, Doug complained, "I feel like shit. However, nature being what it is, hypothermia, body mass -- she had a small body mass; she would have gotten desperately cold much more quickly than an average person twice her weight. The blizzard on the southwest face of Everest was reducing visibility, burying the fixed ropes, and obliterating the trail back to Camp IV that the teams had broken on the ascent. Neal Beidleman: Scott was an incredibly magnetic personality. I still am sad. Boukreev had prioritized Pittman, Fox, and Madsen (all of whom were from his Mountain Madness expedition) over Namba (from the Adventure Consultants expedition), who seemed close to death; he did not see Weathers (also from the Adventure Consultants expedition). itsfunneh minecraft mods Hansen did not respond verbally, but shook his head and pointed upward, toward the summit. Please don't worry too much. The 1996 Adventure Consultants expedition was populated mostly by wealthy lawyers, doctors, and executives, as the healthy price per head of 65K would indicate. A phenomenon known in the climbing world as 'summit fever' may have played a part. Laborer at Concrete Repair Specialist. But in reality he wasn't! To this I would add: As a precautionary measure, in the event that some extraordinary demand was placed upon me on summit day, I was carrying one (1) bottle of supplementary oxygen, a mask, and a regulator. Close to 4:00 p.m., client Doug Hansen finally reached the summit with the assistance of Rob Hall, who remained behind to see his bid through. SANTA MONICA, CA - NOVEMBER 04: (L-R) Robert Hayward, Chief Operating Officer, Summit Entertainment, L.P, Patrick Russo, Principal, The Salter Group, Doug Hansen, President, Endgame Entertainment, Ashok Amritraj, CEO, Hyde Park Entertainment and Jared Underwood, Senior Vice President, Group Manager Entertainment, Comerica Bank Entertainment Group speak onstage during the 2011 American Film . People who had never had the privilege of knowing him. Mel Carriere (author) from Snowbound and down in Northern Colorado on February 12, 2019: Nobody and no one is to blame about the tragedy of that fateful day.let us just pray that their souls have finally found the peace wherever they are now. More information I saw the movie when in came out and since gave read into thin air. The climbing Sherpas located Fischer and Gau on 11 May, but Fischer's condition had deteriorated so much that they were only able to give palliative care before rescuing Gau. Apparently he had some frostbite in '95 and he thought he had a system all worked out for batteries for his boots that was going to keep his feet warm. He was very good-looking, rugged-looking, clearly right out of the mountains.