The 1996 Mount Everest Disaster: Causes and Death

On May 10-11, 1996, Everest saw one of its darkest days. The story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster still haunts many climbers to this day. A single miscalculation turned deadly for many that day. It serves as a cautionary tale to climbers.

Everest is the final challenge for a climber, as the world’s highest peak. Mount Everest holds the elevation of 8,848.86 meters, announced by China and Nepal in 2020. Mountaineers dream about summiting Everest. 

Conquering the highest peak sounds like a dream to a climber. Moreover, many set out to reach the peak. Many did succeed, but many failed to reach the top. Some even traded everything to summit the mountain. Yet never to return and tell the tale.

The Rise of Everest expeditions in the 1990s

Reaching the highest spot on Earth is a temptation that many climbers feel. After Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, mountaineers craved to feel what they did. How would it feel to be on top of the world? Literally.

The 60s and 70s saw massive growth in Everest expeditions. The first woman to summit Everest was Junko Tabei in 1975. Likewise, the 1980s saw the completion of the first ascent of the North Face of Everest.

The 1990s saw the biggest hike on Everest expedition. It was due to commercial expeditions with private companies. Furthermore, the cream of the crop were Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness.

Today, commercial expeditions have become the norm. The mountain saw an influx of visitors every season after that. One can call the late Rob Hall the pioneer of guided Everest expeditions. 

The 1996 Spring Looked Favourable on Everest

After the influx of climbers on Everest, the 1996 Everest expedition was packed. Many teams pushed for the summit in the Spring of 1996. What’s more, the sky remained clear for most of the climbing season. 

Looking at the clear sky, many thought the summit was within reach. With that mentality, most of the climbers decided to keep pushing for the peak. Each team wanted to summit Everest before the other. This created an unhealthy competition among the climbers.

Many climbers didn’t want to return as they had spent days and hours on the climb. The summit fever became a fuel that kept the climbers moving. But some would pay the steep price for the summit. The guides from the commercial expedition company felt the pressure. They needed to get their clients to summit Everest at all costs.

Key People Involved in the 1996 Everest Disaster

Expedition Leaders in the 1996 Disaster on Everest

Rob Hall – 

Rob Hall was a renowned mountaineer hailing from New Zealand. Hall was the head of Adventure Consultants at the time. He was an experienced guide, known for safety and commitment to clients.

Scott Fischer –

Scott Fischer was an energetic and bold leader of Mountain Madness. People remember Scott as a charismatic, fit, and risk-taking leader.

Mohinder Singh – 

Mohinder Singh is a mountaineer from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. He was deeply passionate about mountains. He was the leader of the Indian expedition.

Climbers Who Perished in the 1996 Everest Disaster

From the Southeast Ridge (Nepali Side)

Doug Hansen – 

Doug Hansen was an American postal worker. Hansen was a client of Rob Hall. The 1996 expedition was his second time. Doug died near the South Summit after summiting late on May 10.

Yasuko Namba – 

Yasuko Namba was a Japanese climber. She was the second Japanese woman to summit Everest. Moreover, she was the oldest woman to summit Everest at the time. Namba later perished during descent near Camp IV.

Scott Fischer – 

Scott Fischer was the leader of Mountain Madness. Scott later succumbed to exhaustion and altitude sickness. Fischer lost his life near the South Col.

Rob Hall – 

Rob Hall was the head of Adventure Consultants. He died near the South Summit. Hall stayed with his client, Hansen. Rob refused to evacuate without his client.

From the Northeast Ridge (Tibet Side)

Tsewang Smanla – 

Tsewang Smanla reached the summit. But he perished during descent in worsening conditions.

Dorje Morup – 

Dorje Morup disappeared after a suspected fall from a ridge. Later, Dorje was presumed dead.

Tsewang Paljor – 

Tsewang Paljor became widely known as “Green Boots.” His body became a tragic landmark along the route.

Survivors and Witnesses of the 1996 Everest Disaster

Beck Weathers – 

Beck Weathers was an American climber who was left for dead twice during the storm. Miraculously, he survived with severe frostbite. Beck later became a symbol of human resilience and wrote a book on his experience.

Jon Krakauer – 

Jon Krakauer was a journalist with Outside Magazine. Krakauer summited Everest during the disaster. He documented the tragedy in his bestselling book Into Thin Air.

Anatoli Boukreev –

Anatoli Boukreev was a Russian high-altitude guide with Mountain Madness. He was criticized for climbing without supplemental oxygen. But Anatoli was praised for risking his life to rescue stranded climbers.

The Timeline of the Tragedy on Everest 1996

Jon Krakauer told the world what happened on Everest in 1996. From him and other survivors, we learned about the timeline of the 1996 Everest Disaster. Here’s a timeline of that fateful day.

A. May 10 – Summit Day

Early start (midnight) from Camp IV (South Col):

The Adventure Consultants and Mountain Madness started their push at midnight. The sky was clear, spirits were high, and headlamps flickered on the trail to the summit.

Bottlenecks at Hillary Step in the morning:

Progress slowed near the key technical sections. They faced a traffic jam at the Hillary Step. They faced a bottleneck due to missing and improperly fixed ropes. The line grew and burned their energy and oxygen.

Late Summits well past late Afternoon:

The standard turnaround time was 2:00 PM. But many climbers continued to ascend after 2 PM. Some reached the summit around 2:30 PM. Others summited Everest as late as 4:00 PM.

B. The Descent

The Storm Arrived in Late Afternoon:

Climbers faced a fierce storm on their way down. The sudden blizzard dropped the visibility to almost zero. The temperature also plummeted to an unbearable degree. 

Exhaustion and Disorientation at the Death Zone:

The vicious winds of the storm erased the trail. It caused the teams to scatter and disorient above 8,000 meters. Climbers descending were exhausted and hypoxic. 

Oxygen Ran Out during the night:

Many climbers ran dangerously low on supplemental oxygen. Some even ran completely out of it. With thin air at the Death Zone, mental clarity faded. Likewise, the climbers faced physical fatigue. The line between survival and collapse became as thin as the air.

Rescue Attempts in the Blizzard:

The guide from Adventure Consultants, Anatoli Boukreev, made desperate rescue attempts. He made repeated solo forays into the blizzard. He rescued many climbers and guided them to safety. However, he found some climbers too weak to move. And the rescue became impossible.

The night of 1996 May 10 became one of the most harrowing tales of Everest. Many climbers were left exposed to the harsh climate. And others disappeared in the blizzard.

C. May 11 – Aftermath and Rescue

Dawn Revealed the Devastation on Everest

As the blizzard settled in the morning, the camps on Everest were eerily quiet. Many mountaineers were uncounted for. Some lie on the snow motionless. And others were missing entirely.

Left for Dead, But Survived:

The most shocking twist of fate was when Beck Weathers stumbled back to Camp IV. Beck came back with severe frostbite, barefaced, and nearly blind. Weathers’ survival became one of the most remarkable tales of Everest.

Daring Rescue Under Extreme Conditions

Normally, helicopter rescues at an altitude of 8,000 meters are nearly impossible. But the Nepali Army did one of the highest-altitude helicopter rescue attempts. They were able to airlift Beck Weathers and Yasuko Namba. Namba perished shortly after.

Deaths Confirmed in the 1996 Everest Disaster:

By May 11th’s end, eight climbers were confirmed dead. These climbers were Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, Doug Hansen, and Yasuko Nambe on the Nepali side. On the Tibet side, Tsewang Paljor, Dorje Morup, and Tsewang Smanla of the ITBP lost their lives.

The Teams descended Everest after the storm passed. The storm that took the lives of eight people remained fresh on each climber's mind. The tents were dismantled, and the bodies stayed on the frozen peak. The survivors carried the weight of loss back to Everest Base Camp. And Everest returned to silence once more.

Why Did It Go So Wrong? The Cause of the 1996 Everest Disaster.

In an extreme environment, a single mistake can be fatal. But the Everest disaster of 1996 didn’t just have one. The tragic outcome was due to human arrogance and unpredictable weather on Everest.

Turnaround Time Ignored:

Climbers are advised to begin descending by 2:00 PM. It doesn’t matter if you summit Everest or not. On May 10, 1996, many climbers pushed to the summit way past the turnaround time.

This delay left the climbers dangerously exposed to the cold. Reaching the brink of exhaustion, mountaineers began their descent too late.

Bottlenecks on the Route:

Hillary Step is a key section of the Everest climb. With various teams gunning for the summit at once created a bottleneck. What’s more, the fixed ropes weren’t set properly. 

Climbers queued at an extreme altitude. It cost them time and energy to cross the Hillary Step.

Poor Forecasting and Delayed Decisions:

A major storm hit the mountain in late afternoon. Weather reports were either missed, misinterpreted, or not shared.

Teams pressed on despite signs of deteriorating weather. The blizzard hit the climbers as they were descending from the Everest Summit.

Altitude Impaired Judgment:

At a Death Zone, above 8,000 meters, the brain is oxygen-starved. This causes impaired thinking, slow reaction times, and leads to poor choices. Even among experienced climbers, this issue is fatal.

Inexperience and Overcommitment:

Most clients lacked experience as climbers. When push came to shove, they fell short in critical decision-making. Guides were too committed to their clients. They pushed past their safe limits so their employers could summit Everest. It cost Rob Hall and Scott Fischer their lives.

This mixture of unfortunate events was the 1996 Everest Disaster. Everest claimed eight lives that day. It also exposed the harsh reality of scaling the Death Zone.

Media Coverage and Cultural Impact of the 1996 Everest Disaster

The 1996 Everest Disaster had a massive impact on popular culture. The survivors of the disaster shared their experience through books. One of the most renowned pieces of literature is Into Thin Air. The American journalist Jon Krakauer wrote the book.

Into Thin Air critiqued Anatoli Boukreev’s and his team's actions during the event. Anatoli wrote his rebuttal, defending his team and himself in The Climb. 

The 1996 Everest Disaster also crashed the mainstream media. The story of Rob Hall and the tragic incident was told to millions in the form of a movie. 

A. Books and Films on the 1996 Everest Disaster

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer:

A bestseller on the disaster, which tells the story from a survivor’s perspective. Jon critiques guiding decisions in his book. Likewise, he also questioned the leadership of the expedition. The key point in Krakauer’s book was his survivor's guilt.

The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev:

Anatoli’s response to Into Thin Air was written with G. Weston DeWalt. Boukreev defended his actions during the disaster. Likewise, he shared his version of the incident. Anatoli talks about the complexities of a high-altitude rescue in his book.

2015 movie “Everest” (starring Jason Clarke as Rob Hall)

The movie “Everest” is a dramatic adaptation of the real-life event. It mostly focuses on Rob Hall and his Adventure Consultants team. 

Jason Clarke starred as Rob Hall and Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer. The film was a massive success, earning almost triple its budget, $55 million. It grossed $203.4 million at the Box Office. Jan Arnold and daughter, Sarah Arnold-Hall, were consulted during the movie’s production.

B. Debates and Controversies

Krakauer vs. Boukreev – who was right?

Jon Krakauer criticized Anatoli Boukreev for his decision to climb without supplemental oxygen. But Anatoli defended his actions in his book. Likewise, he also shared his views on using supplemental oxygen.

Krakauer’s second critique of Boukreev was his descent ahead of his clients. Anatoli had a sound argument. The guide stated his choice allowed him to save lives during the storm. But the climbing community stays divided on who was right.

Ethics of guiding inexperienced Clients

The disaster also raised a key question. Should anyone with money be allowed to attempt Everest? Should guides be responsible for drawing the line between ambition and recklessness?

Commercialization vs. the spirit of mountaineering

The 1996 season shows Everest’s shift from elite challenge. It had become a high-priced adventure. Critics cited that Everest got overcrowded and too commercial. As a result, scaling Everest became too dangerous.

Lessons for Trekkers and Adventurers

The 1996 Everest Disaster offers hard-earned wisdom. And it’s not just for mountaineers. It’s for anyone venturing to a high peak. These lessons still apply to anyone heading to Base Camp or dreaming of the summit.

Respect the mountain

You are in an extreme environment, even if it is only up to Everest Base Camp. Nature makes no distinction between a climber and a spectator. As such, always pay respect to the mountain and take caution.

Understand risk

Learn about altitude sickness and its symptoms. Likewise, learn about its cure. Understand the risk of volatile weather. It only takes a few moments to change the condition. Preparing and maintaining awareness can save your life.

Choose ethical and experienced guides

Not all companies are created equal. Take time and research for the best. Pick one who prioritizes safety over summit success. Also, respect the mountain and the people.

Know your limits—Everest is no place for ego

Leave your ego at sea level. Pushing beyond your capacity can lead to your early demise. Ego and arrogance at an altitude of over 8,000 endangers you and others around you.

No one is immune 

Even the most elite and seasoned climbers died in the 1996 Everest Disaster. Experience helps, but at 8,000+ meters, the mountain always comes out stronger.

These aren’t just climbing lessons; they can be considered life lessons. Travel with humility, prepare with care. And never forget, one miscalculation can lead to tragedy.

Modern Changes on Everest Since 1996

The 1996 Everest Disaster was a wake-up call. Since the tragedy, Everest has changed in many ways. Yet many old challenges remain.

Better communication Technology

Everyone at Everest has access to satellite phones, GPS trackers, drones, and radios. These technological advancements allow for faster coordination, weather updates, and emergency response.

Improved weather forecasting.

Meteorological tools have come a long way since 1996. Today’s forecasting has a high precision rate. It helps the climbers plan the summit more safely. But nature still has the final say.

More regulation from the Nepali government (Still Evolving)

The Nepali Government has introduced permit rules, insurance requirements, and guide regulations. But enforcement of these rules remains inconsistent at best. Critics argue that commercial pressure still overrides safety.

Crowding remains a problem—2019 deaths revived similar concerns.

In 2019, over 300 climbers summited in a short weather window. It led to traffic jams in the Death Zones. Moreover, it caused many to perish, which could have been avoided. The core issue, too many climbers in one timeframe, remains unresolved. 

How the 1996 Tragedy is Remembered on the Trail

The 1996 Everest disaster left a scar on the mountain’s history. The tragic event lives on through books and films. But the disaster’s remnants are on the trail itself. Trekkers still walk past the shadow of those incidents. 

Memorials Along the Way

As you reach Everest Base Camp, you will find memorials honouring the late climbers. A memorial on Thukla Pass pays tribute to those who perished in the 1996 disaster. The site is quiet, stark, and deeply moving.

Stories passed down by guides and Sherpas

The local guides and Sherpas often share stories of that fateful season. It’s not to frighten the climbers. It is to teach them the lesson taught by the disaster. Everest is a sacred land. Every step on the mountain should be taken with humility and awareness.

Conclusion: Everest Remembers 

The 1996 Everest disaster is more than a tragedy. It is also a timeless warning. It reminds us that the world’s highest peak commands respect and humility. Strength and courage can only take you so far. 

A silent story of sacrifice follows every summit photo shared with the world. The stories of climbers never returning and the choices that led to their final moments. Many such tales remain buried in the snow on Everest.

Be it a trek to Base Camp or the climb for the summit, never let ego guide you on Everest. Let your journey be guided by respect, preparation, and perspective. Ego and summit fever are among the deadly but silent threats on the mountain. 

The Everest Disaster has a lot to offer climbers. The event shares lessons about safety and preparations. The mountain gives and inspires the mountaineers. It also takes from the climbers heading up with ego.

FAQ on the 1996 Everest Disaster

What was the 1996 Everest Disaster?

A deadly storm struck Everest on May 10–11, killing 8 climbers near the summit.

Who led the 1996 Everest Summit?

In the 1996 Everest climbing season, two prominent expedition leaders were Rob Hall, leading Adventure Consultants, and Scott Fischer.

Who were the key people involved?

Leaders Rob Hall and Scott Fischer died. Survivors included Beck Weathers and Jon Krakauer, who wrote Into Thin Air.

How many people died in the 1996 Disaster?

Eight climbers died in a single storm on May 10-11.

What caused the tragedy?

Late summit attempts, a sudden storm, inexperience, and poor decisions at altitude.

What book covers the event?

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, who was part of the expedition.

Is the movie Everest based on this?

Yes, the 2015 film Everest dramatizes the 1996 disaster.

Has Everest climbing changed since then?

Some improvements exist (weather, comms). But overcrowding and risks remain.

Can I visit related places?

Yes. Thukla Pass and Base Camp have memorials for fallen climbers.

Was anyone to blame for the 1996 Everest Disaster?

No official blame. But books and media sparked debate over decisions.

Why does this matter to trekkers today?

It’s a reminder to respect the mountain, whether trekking or climbing.

Who was to blame for the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster?

The 1996 Mount Everest disaster, which resulted in the deaths of eight climbers, was a complex event with no single entity to blame.