K2 The KILLER SUMMIT · BBC

This documentary inspired me to never climb a mountain.

I risk to repeat myself: Pemba is a hero in every sense. What an incredible human being!

I’ve climbed with a Sherpa mountaineer (in Colorado), and he was the most professional, most intelligent guide I’ve ever met. It says a lot that the western media didn’t even bother to interview the most experienced Sherpa climber on that mountain. To so many people “Sherpa” means servant, but Sherpas are an ethnic group native to those mountains who know more about them than most foreigners will ever know. They tend to be quiet and seem passive, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for stupidity or timidity. They’re tough, smart people.

Pemba Sherpa’s look about 12 mins in when he said “They decided to continue the climb” after the first death says it all.

“Summiting is optional, the descent is mandatory”

'They paid us, and they acted like they owned our llives'.
This quote says just about all, like the level of egotism.

I wonder how this documentary would be if the sherpas spoke honestly. Let's be real, they were the strongest climbers, they took the highest risk and they did the most amount of work

Summiting at 6/7 pm is absolute insanity.

My heart goes for the sherpas who did not get properly documented in this video. They might have family and loved ones too to take care of.

The words of Pemba gave me chills “If they would have decided to go look after the first victime there would have been only 1 victim in total“

That still shot from the summit of K2's long shadow is terrifying, as are the rolling timestamps after that photo. Even a non-climber like me knows by that dark, dagger-like shadow that they were up on the summit far, far too late and that shadow was the foreshadow of the awful things to follow.

I don't really understand how he can honestly say "Everything was going great until we tried for the summit" after 2 people had already died.

I find this documentary really interesting because it shows how people try to control the narrative of the disaster, and people hear what they want to hear and believe what they want to believe. No one wants to believe that they lost a loved one due to negligence, or their own idiocy, or a simple mistake. The dead all have to be heroes and people won't agree to an interview unless they can tell a sympathetic story that doesn't make them out to be the bad guy.

"What happened to us was just a misfortune." That statement is why it'll happen again and again. Missing the summit time by many hours was a decision, not a misfortune. The answer "we can still make it' when Ger asked if it was getting too late set off this whole chain of events.

Sherpas should make it very clear that THEY are in charge on that mountain and they have the authority to tell climbers to turn back or follow any other instruction. If climbers refuse, they are on their own. To the climbers this is all a game for bragging rights (those like Ger are an exception) and some of them don't care who is put at risk. The Sherpas are just trying to support their families and they deserve respect.

There is a great book titled “No Way Down” about this incident. It goes into much more detail than was possible in this documentary.

So, we're gonna act like we didn't hear Pemba say he had to descend with everything by himself?

Like someone else said "people get so fixated in reaching the top, that they forget the summit is only halfway point".

In other words if you use up all your energy going up, how the hell are you going to get down?

When that one climber says “We’re late, I don’t know wtf we’re gonna do” about sums it up I truly believe! 💀

I have so so much respect for Jehan Baig who let go of the rope. Rest in peace. Legend. Thankyou.