This film is an abomination to those that have actually died during the 1996 season on Everest. I feel compelled to comment as the film tarnishes the good names of Rob Hall and Scott Fischer. While both Hall and Fischer made errors (remember, they are human and prone to the same feelings, desires, etc. that we have) the film failed to take into consideration the totality of the circumstances. The film failed to mention the Taiwanese and South African Expeditions. If those two teams had not been there to cause the traffic jam at the Hilary Step, I am willing to believe that Rob Hall and Scott Fischer would be with us today.
As an added note, I am deeply disturbed by the portrayal of Fischer as an incompetent guide. A reminder should go out to the director that Fischer was the consumate expert; having attained a professional certification from the National Outdoor Leadership School. This school is internationally renouned for its quality. The director skewed Fischer's comment, "I like to give my clients free reign." This did equate "unsupervised" as the director would have one believe. This simply goes along with the established NOLS practice of occasionally allowing brief student-lead teams. Even then Fischer only allowed the clients freer reign where terrain and conditions were acceptable.
Finally, while Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were competitors, they were above all, friends. The director makes them out to be butting heads, when they really cooperated with each other. As John Krakhauer notes in his book, Into Thin Air, Fischer looked up to Hall.
Anyone who wants to know what REALLY happened in 1996 should read the following books. After all, these words are from the people who experienced it, not by a poor director's interpretation.
Into Thin Air by John Krakhauer The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev
The reading mentioned above will show you that errors in judgement were compounded by the totality of the situation: not just a small group of leaders.
As an added note, I am deeply disturbed by the portrayal of Fischer as an incompetent guide. A reminder should go out to the director that Fischer was the consumate expert; having attained a professional certification from the National Outdoor Leadership School. This school is internationally renouned for its quality. The director skewed Fischer's comment, "I like to give my clients free reign." This did equate "unsupervised" as the director would have one believe. This simply goes along with the established NOLS practice of occasionally allowing brief student-lead teams. Even then Fischer only allowed the clients freer reign where terrain and conditions were acceptable.
Finally, while Rob Hall and Scott Fischer were competitors, they were above all, friends. The director makes them out to be butting heads, when they really cooperated with each other. As John Krakhauer notes in his book, Into Thin Air, Fischer looked up to Hall.
Anyone who wants to know what REALLY happened in 1996 should read the following books. After all, these words are from the people who experienced it, not by a poor director's interpretation.
Into Thin Air by John Krakhauer The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev
The reading mentioned above will show you that errors in judgement were compounded by the totality of the situation: not just a small group of leaders.