K2's Dark Truth: Have Mountaineers Lost Their Soul? #mountains #K2 #interview

WARNING: SOME OF THE CONTENT OF THIS VIDEO MAY BE UPSETTING. Today I bring you into the 2023 tragedy on K2, about the loss of life of an inexperienced high altitude porter named Muhammad Hassan.

CHAPTER MARKERS
00:00 - Intro & Willi Steindl teaser
6:08 - Willi Steindl & summit push
7:39 - Cameraman sends up drone
9:37 - reviewing drone footage and people stepping over Hassan
10:28 - celebration in Base Camp
11:55 - visiting Hassan’s family
14:19 - GoFundMe page set up for family of Muhammed Hassan

I have an interview with a climber who witnessed dozens of people stepping over Hassan as he lay mortally injured at 8200 meters. Willi Steindl was climbing with Furtenbach Adventures…one of several teams that turned around during their summit bid after witnessing an avalanche up above, determining that conditions were far too dangerous.

Steindl's cameraman, Philip Fleming filmed a long line of climbers making there way toward the summit, when they noticed every climber was stepping over the body of a still alive person.

This is the story of July 27, 2023 on K2.

GoFundMe page for Muhammad Hassan's family:

Article in Explorers Web by Angela Benevides:

Kristin Harila's explanation of what happened on K2 on July 27, 2023:
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Everest Mystery

[skinnyfarmer]

i come from a family of mountaineers, I was raised in a spirit of solidarity on the mountains. My father and grandfather would be shocked to see this. Rest in peace Muhammed.

[GeoEstes]

There's actually a name for this: Diffusion of Responsibility. When there are many people around at the time of a crisis, everyone assumes someone else will deal with it. You're far more likely to get help if there are only a few people nearby.

[NefariousEnough]

Geez. Hard to stomach. I don't know what to think. Thanks again, Thom.✌

[ITR]

If you cannot stand on your feet at the bottleneck of K2, it’s all over for you. This is the sad reality of high altitude mountaineering. Everest at that height? Maybe a rescue can be made. On K2, it would take weeks or months of preparation, a large dedicated team, and it still might not be possible. Most people just have no idea what it’s like up there. He was given supplemental o2 and still did not respond. You can either go up, or go down and mourn, those are your options. Now the woman that was partying at base camp after the summit, that’s a problem, true mountaineers don’t behave this way.

[LazyDaisyDay]

These peak baggers aren't the kind of people I'd want to spend a lot of time with. Steindl on the other hand is a man of genuine integrity and worthy of deep respect.

[darthlaurel]

He was killed by the company that hired him, not by the people who couldn't or didn't help him. Sent up there with no oxygen, no gear, and probably not a lot of experience.

[sonnygL]

I admire the young man who took it upon himself to visit this man's family. A true hero. Made the choice to go back & still after the tragedy he went to visit his family. Well done sir, truly heartwarming to see. 🙏🏼🫶🏻🙏🏼🌻

[mattdryden]

Thank you for putting these interviews together. There is so much speculation and assumption that happens in these situations. It's important to get the first hand accounts. I feel so terrible for Hassan and his family and am glad to see that the gofundme is being successful.

[awesome_comment]

God bless Willi Steindl, a climber with a conscience and compassion 🙏

[rbeatty]

Very common in emergency circumstances. Unless someone takes charge, you have a crowd of people doing nothing- in this case almost 80 people. The majority of blame probably falls on the guides and team leaders- the professionals- for failing to lead. I'd like to think that comes down to poor SAR/first aid training, but it makes one wonder what would happen if one of their own clients got into trouble...As a client, you should consider how much effort would be put into your survival by others on the mountain.

[Stefan-Breton]

Heart breaking. Climbing has become a 'designer' activity for the beautiful people. Good job by Will. We need more like him.

[lornesabo]

Thank you Thom, This video definitely had me tearing up. Im totally amazed at the people who attempt any mountain and put their goal a head of helping others. I always thought that mountain climbing was about everyone coming home alive! I couldn't live with myself if I stepped over someone needing help and didn't put their wellbeing above summiting, maybe its being a nurse for thirty years and helping others that makes me think this way but I truly believe I couldn't live with myself if I summited at the expense of someone else's death to do the right thing. Im left speechless and truly disappointed at the people who attempt to summit big mountains with no humanity.

[DanielLehan]

The last comment made here, ..makes sense. Make a portion of the "cost of the climb", an insurance fund for the guides and sherpas. It seems fair, and logical. This makes me sad, that people are treated so.

[themoose]

The whole mountaineering industry kind of disgusts me....Rich people ticking off their bucket list on the back of poor workers on top of the environmental destruction caused by these expeditions

[PotooBurd]

This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌

[AndriaBieberDesigns]

This man is a blessing. It’s so sad what happened to Mohammed. I hope his family will be OK.

[rebelbelle]

I think you hit the nail on the head here in your intro: the commercialization of these 8k meter peaks leads to inexperienced climbers paying to get to the top. They can barely help themselves let alone someone else. If there were a climbing experience requirement of some kind to climb these mountains- be it tested skill or previous climbs- perhaps less of these tragedies would occur. You'd have fewer overall people climbing, and those who were would be experienced enough to know their limits, know how to gauge weather, and be comfortable enough to render aid to other climbers.

[Heavyisthecrown]

So crazy… even facing certain death in wars 100’s of years ago. Their guts hanging out, someone would stay and help the fallen. So sad. Humans are so awful now 😢 bet if that was one of the rich people paying instead of the help they would have cared.

[Mila_Brearey]

I've been trying to figure out if there really was a way to help Hassan.

I don't know if people realize how high up on K2 the bottleneck is ... and that it is the most dangerous part of the mountain due to being in the death zone with sn apartnent-size serac hanging above the climbers, ready to kill them all at any moment. Climbers know to get out of there asap.
It was reported that two sherpas & a climber pulled him up on the ledge & gave him oxygen in the hopes that he would stand up. Without the ability to stand & take direction, he would not be able to be short-roped down. Hassan did not bring back-up oxygen. The standing around & waiting, depleted everyone's oxygen.
The sherpas probably realized that they would need 4-6 very experienced climbers to even attempt this rescue, while risking their own lives, because Hassan couldn't even hold his own body up.
K2 is steep without any areas for rest, so I can't see how they could have gotten him down without a bit of his his help & without risking their lives as well.
Also, everyone is low on oxygen that close to the summit - esp when wasting oxygen while waiting - which is why some turn back.

Btw ... Sherpas are paid by the climbers - most of whom are not rich, but had saved half of their lives for this. The more summits a sherpa has on his CV, the more $$$ he can charge in the future ($15-$40, 000) in a country where the average income is around $300/year.

Everyone has a lot at stake. Most wouldn't know how to plan or execute a rescue on such a technically, avalanche-prone "killer" mountain anyways ... and the experienced mounrsineers & sherpas know how to recognize when a person has succumbed to cerebral/pulmonary edema.
Poor Hassan & his family. He was new at this and had no idea of what he would be facing. He was improperly dressed for such cold and without back-up oxygen. He just needed some guidance & rules of surviving in the death zone. It's incredibly sad that no one bothered to take him under their wing & tesch him.

I'm basing my opinion on what i have read, as well as Hassan's complete collspse.
(Sorry that this is so long).

[Bala]

As you say, it is difficult to determine whether a rescue is even possible at this altitude and in this environment... I'd hope that If I found myself in this situation I would choose to try and help this individual instead of summiting, to turn back and pursue professional aid rather than pushing on.