I'm not overly familiar with mountain climbing, but if Kurtz had been in a better position against the cliffside when he reached the knot--and his hands had been functional enough--wouldn't it have been possible to unclip from the rope, move the clip past the knot, and then reclip it? Cause that's what I would have done. I'm sure there's a reason why this wouldn't have been smart, but it just seems to me that if you're going to die anyway--or give up--why not risk it?
@Sonicisbadazz Im not very familiar with it either but if he was to unclip himself, he would have had nothing holding him to the rope. he would have had to hold onto the rope with one hand (holding his whole weight and with frostbitten hands) and to somehow unclip the carabiner with the other and re-clip it past the knot. I may be wrong but that just seems imposible.
But here's the thing: if you're the sort of person who never gives up until the very end--as Joe suggests Kurtz was--then why wouldn't you think, "I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well TRY it"? Impossible or not, if you're going to die anyway, what's the harm in taking that chance?
(shrug) I guess he just didn't want to go out that way.
@3arnotg he would have hit the ground far before the parachute had unfurled and slowed him down enough. also parachutes would add much more dead weight to carry up a mountain.
Couldn't he have used another rope, threaded it through the carabiner first, then tied it to the rope above the knot, then cut away just above the knot, allowing him to abseil down?
I know nothing about climbing, but it seems do-able.
Tragic stuff though, I didn't know how it ended and it left me hanging so to speak whether he was going to make it or not.
@ukulazy It probably would have worked. But at that point, he probably barely understood why he stopped, his other hand was a block of wood, and it's unlikely he had any strength left. In that moment, It's a very real possibility he literally had nothing left.
For anyone thats never been ... GO TO SWITZERLAND!! it is the most mind bogglingly, unfathomably and incomparibly beautiful place in the world! RIP Tony Kurz
Absolutely incredible story, to be caught by retracting the rope, and then the final climber to get caught by a knot, my God, appalling, very, changeable, tough conditions, horrific climb, freak accident and it all changed.
@Dieslinka if he was able to rappel then this should've been possible, you wouldn't even need to use your fingers besides your thumb. Maybe he was about to pass out from exhaustion? and they didn't think of doing that anyway so it doesn't matter much.
Just back from a pilgrimage to the jungfrau region and zermatt, got 2 days of 35 degree heat at the foot of eiger nordwand at scheinege platte in perfect conditions. The White spider looked incredible. What a mountain. I'll be back in 5 years with the axes!
there has to be some way to get Tony Curz back. The rescue team cld hav gone back to get a bigger rope & tied some small stone & thrown at him. Tony cld then put some clips into the rock & doing so cld hav moved bit by bit towards the rescue team.
I guess it's the failure of the rescuers & not Tony's. Really sad that even with all the determination & effort by an individual he cldnt succeed to save his life by some1's else mistake...
@addmad99 I don't think that's possible. First of all, he would have had to clip himself loose and then tie himself to the other rope, meaning he would be there with no security for some dreadful seconds. Second of all, it looks like he is far away from the rock due to overhangs, and even if he could reach the rock it is a question whether or not he would have been able to put a clip in the rock. And this all has to be done with frostbitten hands.. I don't think anyone was at fault here.
Why couldn't he cut below the knot, thread it through him, tie above him, cut away knot, keep abseiling? Why didn't he cut away the guy below him so the guy above wouldn't asphyxiate. Why didn't he climb up the rope straight away to avoid sleeping the night?
I guese that after 4 days on the mountain, 3 nights without tents and after witnessing his best friend and two climbing companions getting killed set his mind off a bit!?
Never to mention that one hand were so severely frostbitten that it was useless to him, stiff and claw like.
Of curse spending that last night hanging in midair during a snow storm would add to that aswell i think, !=)
I mean, he died from fatigue while struggeling...we can´t realy say he didn´t try,
Look, the mountain guides who tried to rescue him were professional guides working for the hotell at the Eiger, no one else could or would try and rescue. Throwing food or ropes in a snowstorm at night to a guy sitting in midair 5-6 meters above and about 2-4 meter away is not possible.
@ultram4 how do you know it was at night or in a snowstorm? anyhow, the rescuers tied a knot in the rope, so they would've been, and probably felt pretty stupid.
@adrianwaj it was on the night in a snowstorm when they first arrived to him, but they couldnt get close to him so they abandon him to wait for the morning, so he was hanging there all night, its pretty impressiv that he survived that!
The mountain guides had a 60 meter long rope, which was placed on top of a back pack to be fast at hand when Kurz lowered his string of rope down to them, but that alone took 5 hours because of his condition. When the string came down the 60m rope was dropped.
@ultram4 says here they dropped a longer rope, and ended up being able to touch his crampons with an ice axe goo.gl / ZU8gr - the problem was Kurz didn't have the energy to go on. Sad
The day after, when the wheater was better they could reach him and they could touch his crampons with an long ice axe while one guide was sitting in another guides shoulders when Kurz had abscended to the knot, but he was out of reach for a rescue, and Kurz was to fatigued to move
The climbing team who finally cut him down the day after did that by climbing up to get over him.
Kurz would prly had died anyway, even if they got him down, it was a miracle he survived as long as he did
@ultram4 if you look at the photo at 3:43 they could have thrown a rope up to him and he could've tied it to himself and then cut the other rope, that might've save him too,
Again I don't pretend to know what it's like to be in that physical state, or that location, or to be a mountain rescuer in that position. But if Kurtz had the strength to cut two men free and still had the knife; and if one of the rescue team, by standing on another's shoulders, could touch the tip of Kurtz's crampons with an ice axe...was it just the risk from the sheer drop so nearby that prevented Kurtz from cutting the rope, falling the three metres or so and being caught by the rescuers?
@catherinespark Hi catherine, three years ago I climbed the north face of the eiger with two colleagues, (we are all guides), and in answer to your question I would say yes it was most likely the sheer drop. If where they say Toni had ended up is correct then the fall line is about 1000m to the scree fan at the foot of the face, he would have almost certainly died if he had cut the rope. Poor chap.
Its a formidable face and if something goes wrong on it, even now, you are in serious trouble.
If Tony hadn't been completely exhausted, confused and half frozen to death he would have quickly wrapped a Prusik knot around the rope above the jammed knot attached an étrier, stepped up and taken his weight off the knot and solved the problem. Its something straight out of the 1931 Austrian Climbing manual that he'd both done and shown his clients how to do many times before. All four of these guys...and Joe Simpson as well showed amazing toughness and resolve. Hats off!
Massive amount of respect for these inspirational men! I'm Definately going to have to watch the film version now! Germans and Germany should be proud of their memory!
@goodial Yeah not quite as in depth as this as far as what happened, but it's a really great film - really well made(I recommend folks try to find a 5.1 audio copy - the region 4 version is disappointingly only stereo), and seems to be pretty accurate given how events are presented here...
Though I wasn't clear as to the competitive 'race to the top' aspect between the two teams of two, as Nordwand(North Face is the English title) presented it.
Absolutely one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Thank you so much for posting it. Heartbreaking story, vivid self-realized commentary from Joe -- perfectly entwined. Thank you.
I know nothing of mountaineering, but couldn't have Kurtz have pulled up the loose rope below him, put it through another snappling (attached to him, of course) then tied a knot where he needed it and then cut the other snappling clear off of him with the knife? Then he could have continued down to the rescuers, no?
@thedsearch : that's what I thogut too, or with a carabine. in the worst case he would have fallen 50 feet in the rope but given the alternative to just hang there...
i have always understood that deep and strange human attraction to risking life in order to experience some diabolical wrestle with fate...why does such a costly, sinister thrill make us feel more alive...?
such a moving and tragic story and such a powerfull lesson
Joe Simpson is BACK! youtube doesn't allow links so google it. News Link: Joe Simpson, the English climber most famous for the Touching the Void accident in 1985 — and subsequent best-selling book and movie — has soloed a new route on the south face of Mera Peak in Nepal. Simpson, 49, climbed the 4,000-foot-plus route over two and a half days, then descended the normal route on the popular 6,470-meter (21,227') trekking peak.
This is a most heartbreaking story. He deserved to live. All of them who risked their lives selflessly to save a wounded teamate deserved to live.
If he only could have unclipped the biner from the rope and did a body rap the rest of the way he might have been saved. I guess he didn't have the strength. Why couldn't the rescue team thrown a grapple hook to catch his line and bring it in then ascend up the line and help him??
Thanks so much for posting this. The Eiger is so full of amazing stories. It was the one thing I wanted to see when I went to Europe a number of years ago. I've been twice, and plan to go back next summer. The entire Junfrau Region is probably my favourite place on earth. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for posting! I love these historical mountaineering re-creations (the Mountain Men series, etc). What a shame Kurtz didn't have any prusik loops in his kit (invented 1931)...
as soon as i seen the knot being tied i knew what was coming. that poor guy, i was thinking though if only he had pulled up the end of the rope, made a prussik with the end of it, nad just a loop to stand in he could have taken his weight off and taken the knot through? or some kind of barrel knot or something just to take his weight.
The more I think about it, he climbed the rope to the original belay, so he must have had ascenders of some type... Why he couldn't re-ascend just one foot to get the weight off to retie the knot above him...?
I've been "what-iffing" this story with a buddy for weeks... Ultimately, you're right EhmCat, in the end he must have been exhausted and disheartened to the point of utter collapse that most of us cannot come close to understanding. Simpson is the perfect narrator as he experienced as closely as possible Kurz's story while surviving... Kurz's story has to be one of the most haunting stories of mountain adventure/tragedy that I know of.
@cncguides You're right, I haven't experienced anything like this. It's just such a wretched ending to an amazing struggle... Anyway, hope I haven't offended anyone with my comments :)
Just read the 'Beckoning Silence' book and had no idea they made it into a film/documentary. Thanks again for the upload, I really enjoyed it's and has made my morning, inspiring stuff indeed!
I'm not overly familiar with mountain climbing, but if Kurtz had been in a better position against the cliffside when he reached the knot--and his hands had been functional enough--wouldn't it have been possible to unclip from the rope, move the clip past the knot, and then reclip it? Cause that's what I would have done. I'm sure there's a reason why this wouldn't have been smart, but it just seems to me that if you're going to die anyway--or give up--why not risk it?
Sonicisbadazz 1 week ago
@Sonicisbadazz Im not very familiar with it either but if he was to unclip himself, he would have had nothing holding him to the rope. he would have had to hold onto the rope with one hand (holding his whole weight and with frostbitten hands) and to somehow unclip the carabiner with the other and re-clip it past the knot. I may be wrong but that just seems imposible.
thecodgamermw3 1 week ago
@thecodgamermw3 I understand. It DOES seem impossible.
But here's the thing: if you're the sort of person who never gives up until the very end--as Joe suggests Kurtz was--then why wouldn't you think, "I'm going to die anyway, so I might as well TRY it"? Impossible or not, if you're going to die anyway, what's the harm in taking that chance?
(shrug) I guess he just didn't want to go out that way.
Sonicisbadazz 1 week ago
"rich why did you buy a 70m rope instead of 60m?"
"no one has ever died because their rope was too long"
richXPT707 1 week ago
what a horrendous death
krugerfuchs 1 month ago
Great story, beautifully told
brew667 1 month ago
should have brought a parachute, and for people who are gonna slate me, i climb 7b so fuck you!!
3arnotg 2 months ago
@3arnotg ìs 7b a level of climbing i'm not being smart asking i just don't know about climbing and was curious thanks
krugerfuchs 1 month ago
@krugerfuchs Yeah, 7b is a climbing grade of the French rating scale, which is universally the most used difficulty scale.
LT89NL 1 week ago
@LT89NL thanks
krugerfuchs 1 week ago
@3arnotg he would have hit the ground far before the parachute had unfurled and slowed him down enough. also parachutes would add much more dead weight to carry up a mountain.
thecodgamermw3 1 week ago
@3arnotg also what is he soposed to land on? sheer cliff?
thecodgamermw3 1 week ago
Couldn't he have used another rope, threaded it through the carabiner first, then tied it to the rope above the knot, then cut away just above the knot, allowing him to abseil down?
I know nothing about climbing, but it seems do-able.
Tragic stuff though, I didn't know how it ended and it left me hanging so to speak whether he was going to make it or not.
ukulazy 2 months ago
@ukulazy It probably would have worked. But at that point, he probably barely understood why he stopped, his other hand was a block of wood, and it's unlikely he had any strength left. In that moment, It's a very real possibility he literally had nothing left.
alteregoash 2 months ago
did 50 meter ropes exist back then?
touge242 2 months ago
Lmao that sucks dick! the White Spider read it =]
bsextremesports 3 months ago
this is hurtful !
heartbreaker
joselao9 3 months ago
thanks for uploading
grahamek77 4 months ago
For anyone thats never been ... GO TO SWITZERLAND!! it is the most mind bogglingly, unfathomably and incomparibly beautiful place in the world! RIP Tony Kurz
neilus 5 months ago 2
Absolutely incredible story, to be caught by retracting the rope, and then the final climber to get caught by a knot, my God, appalling, very, changeable, tough conditions, horrific climb, freak accident and it all changed.
corcaighrebel 5 months ago
@corcaighrebel why not tie a loop in the rope below him, stand in it, move the knot, hold the rappel, untie loop and continue down. Seems possible.
MrGlacierNova 4 months ago
@MrGlacierNova with a frosen hand?
Dieslinka 4 months ago
@Dieslinka if he was able to rappel and unthread the rope this should've been possible
MrGlacierNova 4 months ago
@MrGlacierNova it took him 5h, I think that it would be possible at the 1st day but it was 5th after long night and tour up and down the wall.
Dieslinka 4 months ago
@Dieslinka if he was able to rappel then this should've been possible, you wouldn't even need to use your fingers besides your thumb. Maybe he was about to pass out from exhaustion? and they didn't think of doing that anyway so it doesn't matter much.
MrGlacierNova 4 months ago
stupid 'rescuers' could have at last brought some longer rope!!
fatsmut 6 months ago 8
@fatsmut agreed. those guys were total incompetents!!!!!!
otavioandradas 3 weeks ago
Thank you so much for uploading this.
TheLastFraudster 6 months ago
Thank you so much!
Tanana01 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
over romantisization.....or triumph of the human spirit......or cocky arrogance
or the best outlet for emotional cripples.....or trying to escape
meaninglessness.......or the reading of too many 'heroic' books at an impressionable age?
you decide !
catveezle 7 months ago
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catveezle 7 months ago
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catveezle 7 months ago
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catveezle 7 months ago
If he only had the energy to unclip the clip from the rope and move it below the knot he could have been saved.
jnm144 7 months ago
6:20-7:02.... Best justification for climbing iv heard
ambiguousheather 8 months ago 8
Or was it kleine scheidegg? :s it escapes me...
ambiguousheather 8 months ago
Just back from a pilgrimage to the jungfrau region and zermatt, got 2 days of 35 degree heat at the foot of eiger nordwand at scheinege platte in perfect conditions. The White spider looked incredible. What a mountain. I'll be back in 5 years with the axes!
ambiguousheather 8 months ago
there has to be some way to get Tony Curz back. The rescue team cld hav gone back to get a bigger rope & tied some small stone & thrown at him. Tony cld then put some clips into the rock & doing so cld hav moved bit by bit towards the rescue team.
I guess it's the failure of the rescuers & not Tony's. Really sad that even with all the determination & effort by an individual he cldnt succeed to save his life by some1's else mistake...
addmad99 9 months ago
@addmad99 I don't think that's possible. First of all, he would have had to clip himself loose and then tie himself to the other rope, meaning he would be there with no security for some dreadful seconds. Second of all, it looks like he is far away from the rock due to overhangs, and even if he could reach the rock it is a question whether or not he would have been able to put a clip in the rock. And this all has to be done with frostbitten hands.. I don't think anyone was at fault here.
MrFvdb 6 months ago
Those words hearing him give up, just so sad. Thanks for the upload though. Great story brought to life in a movie.
kyzmaztic 9 months ago
when i saw this on tv i cried, and thats something i rarely do. grim as fuck.
istvankozma 10 months ago
Why couldn't he cut below the knot, thread it through him, tie above him, cut away knot, keep abseiling? Why didn't he cut away the guy below him so the guy above wouldn't asphyxiate. Why didn't he climb up the rope straight away to avoid sleeping the night?
adrianwaj 10 months ago
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ultram4 10 months ago
@adrianwaj @adrianwaj
I guese that after 4 days on the mountain, 3 nights without tents and after witnessing his best friend and two climbing companions getting killed set his mind off a bit!?
Never to mention that one hand were so severely frostbitten that it was useless to him, stiff and claw like.
Of curse spending that last night hanging in midair during a snow storm would add to that aswell i think, !=)
I mean, he died from fatigue while struggeling...we can´t realy say he didn´t try,
ultram4 10 months ago
@ultram4 I wonder if the rescuers could've climbed up the rope with another rope to tie above.
adrianwaj 10 months ago
@adrianwaj
Look, the mountain guides who tried to rescue him were professional guides working for the hotell at the Eiger, no one else could or would try and rescue. Throwing food or ropes in a snowstorm at night to a guy sitting in midair 5-6 meters above and about 2-4 meter away is not possible.
ultram4 10 months ago
@ultram4 how do you know it was at night or in a snowstorm? anyhow, the rescuers tied a knot in the rope, so they would've been, and probably felt pretty stupid.
adrianwaj 10 months ago
@adrianwaj it was on the night in a snowstorm when they first arrived to him, but they couldnt get close to him so they abandon him to wait for the morning, so he was hanging there all night, its pretty impressiv that he survived that!
The mountain guides had a 60 meter long rope, which was placed on top of a back pack to be fast at hand when Kurz lowered his string of rope down to them, but that alone took 5 hours because of his condition. When the string came down the 60m rope was dropped.
ultram4 10 months ago
@ultram4 says here they dropped a longer rope, and ended up being able to touch his crampons with an ice axe goo.gl / ZU8gr - the problem was Kurz didn't have the energy to go on. Sad
adrianwaj 10 months ago
@adrianwaj
The day after, when the wheater was better they could reach him and they could touch his crampons with an long ice axe while one guide was sitting in another guides shoulders when Kurz had abscended to the knot, but he was out of reach for a rescue, and Kurz was to fatigued to move
The climbing team who finally cut him down the day after did that by climbing up to get over him.
Kurz would prly had died anyway, even if they got him down, it was a miracle he survived as long as he did
ultram4 10 months ago
@ultram4 if you look at the photo at 3:43 they could have thrown a rope up to him and he could've tied it to himself and then cut the other rope, that might've save him too,
adrianwaj 10 months ago
@ultram4 they could have thrown him some friggin food.
adrianwaj 10 months ago
so sad, he was so close.
parttimelaver 11 months ago
amazing
wak444 11 months ago
This is unbelievable.
atemlos2585 1 year ago
sometimes, no matter what, your time is just up!
brew667 1 year ago
Again I don't pretend to know what it's like to be in that physical state, or that location, or to be a mountain rescuer in that position. But if Kurtz had the strength to cut two men free and still had the knife; and if one of the rescue team, by standing on another's shoulders, could touch the tip of Kurtz's crampons with an ice axe...was it just the risk from the sheer drop so nearby that prevented Kurtz from cutting the rope, falling the three metres or so and being caught by the rescuers?
catherinespark 1 year ago
@catherinespark Hi catherine, three years ago I climbed the north face of the eiger with two colleagues, (we are all guides), and in answer to your question I would say yes it was most likely the sheer drop. If where they say Toni had ended up is correct then the fall line is about 1000m to the scree fan at the foot of the face, he would have almost certainly died if he had cut the rope. Poor chap.
Its a formidable face and if something goes wrong on it, even now, you are in serious trouble.
peu423 1 year ago
I know nothing about climbing, but I think I can see what people mean about looping the rope and taking his weight off the knot. However:
1. He may have known he wouldn't have had the physical strength to step up. Maybe that's why he didn't stop when he first saw it.
2. He was mumbling incoherently; he may have thought of trying. We'll never know.
3. He was one-handed and needed a hand to abseil. Maybe it was therefore impossible to pull the end up, knot it and force it through.
catherinespark 1 year ago
If Tony hadn't been completely exhausted, confused and half frozen to death he would have quickly wrapped a Prusik knot around the rope above the jammed knot attached an étrier, stepped up and taken his weight off the knot and solved the problem. Its something straight out of the 1931 Austrian Climbing manual that he'd both done and shown his clients how to do many times before. All four of these guys...and Joe Simpson as well showed amazing toughness and resolve. Hats off!
1138thz 1 year ago
im reading the book at the moment
makes you think these so called "athletes " who win sports man of the year trophiesare just nothing compared to these guys
JIMMYBUSHIDO 1 year ago
@JIMMYBUSHIDO I wouldn't go that far.
atemlos2585 1 year ago
Definitely one of the best documentaries ever. I totally want to see the Eiger now
ShinyItaly 1 year ago
Massive amount of respect for these inspirational men! I'm Definately going to have to watch the film version now! Germans and Germany should be proud of their memory!
PBSmithy 1 year ago
Thank you so much for uploading this. I'm off to Chamonix in a week to climb solid for a month. This was perfect viewing :D
subasurf 1 year ago
Excellent upload,thanks.
safuker 1 year ago
wat mountain was this again??
slammy166 1 year ago
This doc would be a great addition to a Bluray release of the film Nordwand/North Face...
cinesimonj 1 year ago
@novatrek Childish nonsense.
Do you know the era? What time restraints they were under? What rudimentary equipment climbers of that era used?
The resuers did their best - but you in your warm, comfortable little room, of course, know it all...
cinesimonj 1 year ago
there is also the german movie 'Nordwand' telling the same story...
goodial 1 year ago
@goodial Yeah not quite as in depth as this as far as what happened, but it's a really great film - really well made(I recommend folks try to find a 5.1 audio copy - the region 4 version is disappointingly only stereo), and seems to be pretty accurate given how events are presented here...
Though I wasn't clear as to the competitive 'race to the top' aspect between the two teams of two, as Nordwand(North Face is the English title) presented it.
cinesimonj 1 year ago
Thank you so much again! What a treat!
ilajuhil7 1 year ago
Absolutely one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Thank you so much for posting it. Heartbreaking story, vivid self-realized commentary from Joe -- perfectly entwined. Thank you.
Melesse636 1 year ago
Whoaa... Amazing.... Do you know the title for the book?
mattsnow81 1 year ago
I know nothing of mountaineering, but couldn't have Kurtz have pulled up the loose rope below him, put it through another snappling (attached to him, of course) then tied a knot where he needed it and then cut the other snappling clear off of him with the knife? Then he could have continued down to the rescuers, no?
thedsearch 1 year ago
@thedsearch : that's what I thogut too, or with a carabine. in the worst case he would have fallen 50 feet in the rope but given the alternative to just hang there...
crazvy 1 year ago
Thank you for uploading... Powerful stuff
queenslandersrule 1 year ago
stop at the top..
chena3 1 year ago
Great that joe resents the fact he is thought of as English, rather preferring his Scottish ancestry. Good man!
ambiguousheather 1 year ago
This was a very good docymentary. Thanks for uploading it. The end was really touching
Allemaalmensen 1 year ago
Rescuers took too short rope?!?!? oh, FU*K it!
mantoskeeee 1 year ago
in german it is actually translated "I cannot anymore"
ich kann nicht mehr.
very extraordinary video. thank you from overseas
bastianwence 1 year ago
Joe Simpson ,, was /is,, truly a remarkable man,,,I salute you !!!!!!
eckankarpaul 1 year ago
Touching. Very touching.
snap99999 1 year ago
i have always understood that deep and strange human attraction to risking life in order to experience some diabolical wrestle with fate...why does such a costly, sinister thrill make us feel more alive...?
such a moving and tragic story and such a powerfull lesson
thankyou
Feralsprite 1 year ago
This was amazing story and an amazing video!Thanx for sharing it
addity1981 1 year ago
wow, I'm not a climber, but this documentary makes me want to go out and do something with my life.
Thanks for posting.
Asterix5750 1 year ago
This was a great documentary; thank you for posting it!
Gauss2010 1 year ago
An amazing story really well retold. I really feel for the guy that tied the knot in the first place, it must have haunted him.
SIARFT 1 year ago
Oh. Moving, fascinating and compelling. Thank you
sunshag1 1 year ago
thanks for posting it...incredible story
vulturgore 1 year ago
Great story, narration, and filming. Awesome!
Gr8fulDG 2 years ago
that was fucking excruciating. but fucking amazing
martinmedeski 2 years ago
Thanks for posting...
vjaiswal79 2 years ago
Guau!! Un documental que te hace astillas la cabeza!!!, gracias Simpson!
Griegozervos 2 years ago
Joe Simpson is BACK! youtube doesn't allow links so google it. News Link: Joe Simpson, the English climber most famous for the Touching the Void accident in 1985 — and subsequent best-selling book and movie — has soloed a new route on the south face of Mera Peak in Nepal. Simpson, 49, climbed the 4,000-foot-plus route over two and a half days, then descended the normal route on the popular 6,470-meter (21,227') trekking peak.
reddirtg 2 years ago
Comment removed
philipg52 2 years ago
just an amazing story, witch it is more then just climbing a mountain.
thanks for posting
attimount 2 years ago 3
This is a most heartbreaking story. He deserved to live. All of them who risked their lives selflessly to save a wounded teamate deserved to live.
If he only could have unclipped the biner from the rope and did a body rap the rest of the way he might have been saved. I guess he didn't have the strength. Why couldn't the rescue team thrown a grapple hook to catch his line and bring it in then ascend up the line and help him??
tecnolover2642 2 years ago
Thanks so much for posting this. The Eiger is so full of amazing stories. It was the one thing I wanted to see when I went to Europe a number of years ago. I've been twice, and plan to go back next summer. The entire Junfrau Region is probably my favourite place on earth. Thanks for sharing this.
CuriousG007 2 years ago
Thank you very much for the upload, one day i will make it to that window and remember
rollingride 2 years ago
Inspirational. Thanks for the upload. God Bless.
sammyhill69 2 years ago
My bad; KURZ
thundarrmy 2 years ago
Thanks for posting! I love these historical mountaineering re-creations (the Mountain Men series, etc). What a shame Kurtz didn't have any prusik loops in his kit (invented 1931)...
thundarrmy 2 years ago
as soon as i seen the knot being tied i knew what was coming. that poor guy, i was thinking though if only he had pulled up the end of the rope, made a prussik with the end of it, nad just a loop to stand in he could have taken his weight off and taken the knot through? or some kind of barrel knot or something just to take his weight.
rockscoop 2 years ago
The more I think about it, he climbed the rope to the original belay, so he must have had ascenders of some type... Why he couldn't re-ascend just one foot to get the weight off to retie the knot above him...?
thundarrmy 2 years ago
@thundarrmy keep in mind he was not only very near death, one of his hands was frozen solid.
EhmCat 2 years ago
I've been "what-iffing" this story with a buddy for weeks... Ultimately, you're right EhmCat, in the end he must have been exhausted and disheartened to the point of utter collapse that most of us cannot come close to understanding. Simpson is the perfect narrator as he experienced as closely as possible Kurz's story while surviving... Kurz's story has to be one of the most haunting stories of mountain adventure/tragedy that I know of.
thundarrmy 2 years ago 4
Guess you have never been on a frozen mountain for five days in a blizzard. He was zeroed out.
cncguides 2 years ago
@cncguides You're right, I haven't experienced anything like this. It's just such a wretched ending to an amazing struggle... Anyway, hope I haven't offended anyone with my comments :)
thundarrmy 1 year ago
The fight with death is always something special and certainly that's why people climb and die. many thanks for upload
leguanc 2 years ago
Climbing documentary as it´s best. Five stars for this. The Nordwand is always fascinating and Eiger is a big part of the climbing history...
grimlund 2 years ago
Wow. Thank You.
babblaX5 2 years ago
Utterly stunning. Thank you for the upload
coldscooter 2 years ago
Thanks for the upload its a great heart-felt story. Much appreciated.
braddon79 2 years ago
Just read the 'Beckoning Silence' book and had no idea they made it into a film/documentary. Thanks again for the upload, I really enjoyed it's and has made my morning, inspiring stuff indeed!
Ducatisti001 2 years ago 2
Thank you so much for the upload, fantastic stuff
davadov1 2 years ago
eiger pioneers who made their place in history at the greatest cost, great programme
LolSticky 2 years ago
thanx for the upload loved it
britandyx 2 years ago
gripping!
DeadlyVeggie 2 years ago
Thanks for uploading this, this story really gets to me. The guy was sooo close to being free and that knot killed him. After all he went through=/.
refuckulate420 2 years ago 15
thanks for posting i had already seen touching the void got it on dvd and got the book but ive always wanted to see this
Fastmovies111 2 years ago 2
thanks for uploading
rannntanplan13 2 years ago 2
Thanks for posting .... that's so nice of you !!
ktawut 2 years ago 15
no problem, thanks for watching
ylemsoul 2 years ago
@ktawut What a great series of video. Very inspiring story of courage, strength, and character. Thanks for posting.
lakepapa1 1 year ago
THIS IS AVERY NICE PIECE...
birnten 2 years ago 4