This story was cover so well, I love this as sad as it is, it wraps you up in the story and makes you part of it!!

Not to take away from anything but also the sheer risk pilots take in rescue is just bravery in its purest form. If you know even a little about helicopters you know how extremely dangerous any kind of helicopter rescue attempt is at those heights. It’s the most selfless act of honor and bravery. Every single rescue pilot, every single attempt they make, my salute to them. They look death in the face and tell it every day “not today” to rescue fellow humans and I’m just in awe of them.

The video does not give all the details of what happened. Some time ago i finished a book about it so here it is: Dren Mandic: he was 1-2m ahead of Cecilie Skog, but had some problems with his oxygen bottle, and right behing Cecilie there was a small place like a small terrace or something, where he could fix the oxygen without preventing other climbers behind to move forward. So this is why he unclipped, he wanted to get back to this small terrace. Then he lost his footing, and tried to bear hug Cecilie in his desperation. Cecilie fell down with him but only for a second, as she was still hooked to the ropes, while Dren could not hold to her and dropped down.Then some 50m down he stood up on his feet and waved to the group, as maybe to say that hes okay. Then he lost his footing immediately and fell down 2nd time further 200m, this time his body hitting some rocks, and this time he unfortunately died. Jehan Baig: him, 2 serbians - Iso and Predrag, and Fredrik were only hooked to the rope that holds the dead body of Dren Mandic. Serbians were on the left side of the body, Fredrik and Jehan were on the right, and Jehan was behind Fredrik. They were all hooked only to the rope of the Dren Mandics body. This is why Fredrik said in the video ''if you do fall, you release - its our lives too, remember''. So basically meaning if somebody falls he has to let go in order not to drag everyone else to their death. They were lowering the body on a steep hill, then Jehan Baig fell on top of Fredrik and they both fell down. Fredrik managed to get on his feet, but at the time the rope that Jehan Baig was holding, was around the legs of Fredrik, thats why he shouted to him to release the rope. Unfortunately after Jehan released from the rope, he did not try to arrest/stop his sliding and he slid to his death. Mind you, the book says that Jehan was sluggish and having difficulties to walk normally, probably due to high altitute sickness. This is why he did not summit to the top and decided to come down - because he was not feeling good. Hence maybe the reason he lost his balance and feel on top of Fredrik, and maybe later could not stop his sliding with his axe. Rolf Bae: Was killed on the descend while his wife Cecilie and his friend Lars were several meters behind him. He was not feeling very well at the time and had a lack of oxygen also, so he decided to go down first of the three. After he went first a serac fall dropped on top of Rolf and he went down with all the ice and rocks and died. This is the serac fall that cut all the fixed ropes and made it very difficult for the rest to descend. I will have to go back to the book to explain the rest of the persons, because i dont remember every detail of every death. Hugues D'Aubarède in few words was very tired, so he had to quickly go down, because of lack of oxygen. On the summit he was sluggish and communicative, but one could see that he is not feeling well and moves very slowly. On his descending he went with Cas, but later told him that Cas must go ahead of him, because he is in better shape and Hugues didnt want to slow him down. Later Cas saw the severed ropes from the first serac fall and shortly after he heard a cracking noise from an ice fall and saw a person in a yellow suit falling down in the darkness without making a single sound. Karim Meherban: After the summit he was oxygen deprived and seemed sluggish and lost. He was very slow in his descent and was navigating himself by the headlights of other climbers, who were descending ahead of him. At some point he could no longer see any lights so he could not find his way and was forced to spend the night somewhere above the bottlebeck. The book says that Pemba made pictures of what appears to be Karim and was in disbelief to see him actually heading to the Chinese side of the mountain. Meaning that , if Karim is not able to find the right path, he is beyond rescue. At the end Karim continued wandering around the edge of the serac, at one point falling down from the edge/or being swept away by a serac fall, hundreds of meters down to his death.

When I was in my 20’s I did some minor climbing and scrambling. I quickly learned my limitations. I watch these videos in awe of the people who do this, my knees going weak watching how high they are and how far it would be to fall. The ability to keep going when cold, exhausted and mentally impaired from oxygen deprivation is both admirable and perplexing. Being up on a dangerous mountain that really doesn’t want you there defies my imagination.

This particular 2008 expedition was and remains a horrifying example of what can go wrong on K2, even with clear and beautiful weather. The men who tried to save Dren, many of whom I know and follow, did their best to rescue him under extraordinary conditions. Give them all credit for their attempt to save him.

Helicopter pilots...unsung heroes.

I worked in northern canada all my life often full days outside in -40°C. To prevent frost bite i realized you must by completely dry. Climbers are sweating as they climb of coarse and i did climbing structures and oil rig platforms. I put paper towell in my boots first then between every toe and constantly changes my socks. If you can wash your feet every night even better. I put paper towells in my gloves in my palms because your palms sweat. Old gloves have moisture in them even though you do not realize so use new gloves every week. If you are completely dry frostbyte is much much more preventable. I remember others complaining of cold or frostbite always. Every chance you get change the paper towels in your boots and gloves. Moisture is the enemy.

I'm not a climber, I only hike whenever I get the chance. When I started watching these documentaries about summiting various mountains around the world I was asking myself why on earth someone would do that. Now after I've watched a few of them on David Snow's channel, I don't question these expeditions anymore. I sit in my warm bed, safe and cosy but I get dragged into these stories and my mind flies away to the mountains. I know it's only just another way of entertainment for me or people like me but all this feels so real. Seeing their drama makes my heart pound. I hope this doesn't sound pathetic.

That dude saying they celebrated the summit like no one died literally moments before kind of put me off

You never conquer this mountain at best you make it to the top and return home with your life

"It was a perfect day to climb the summit, no wind, beautiful sunshine but Bob forgot the rope..."

Nothing is worse than when a climber dies trying to bring down a dead body.😞

Thanks for the upload man

I've climbed plenty of mountains, right from the comfort of my recliner in my living room. Good enough for me!

I just discovered your channel last week. What an incredible variety of climbing documentaries you have! I'm enjoying watching them.

The whole story is bizarre - the climbers are portrayed as serious or "professional" climbers, yet from the very start they had messed up even basic basic elements - missing equipment, even though they've been there for weeks preparing. This seems more dilettante than serious. The worst part is that these people always end up killing Sherpas. If they want to kill themselves, okay, fine that's their business. But the treatment of the Sherpas is unforgiveable.

ive watched this documentary 3 times in a year. its just an insane story and it gets my full undivided attention every time.

What strikes me is that everybody is talking about many people having died on the mountain, but nobody seriously includes the possibility that he / she could be the next.

These guys were all highly experienced climbers-the rule is-if you don't summit by 12 Noon-you turn back and climb down. Getting stuck at night in the open equals death.

I love this channel. It's so niche, on point and satisfyingly interesting. More, please. (It would be amazing if there were a series covering all 14 summits - there's so very little about the lesser known mountains.)

Watched this a few times over the years along with the other versions. Truly remarkable and sad. The rolling camera in the pocket is more chilling than any horror movie ever made.

I can't even imagine climbing a mountain like this and losing so many fellow climbers during the same climb and knowing you couldn't do anything to have saved them :(. It's so tragic and horrible I hope those who have died on these mountains can rest in peace.

Tastes may vary, but I'd rather listen to an explanation of why a climb was abandoned, see the footage of the mountain at that time (e.g. blizzard), than listen to an obituary and see a small plaque on a rock. Turn back, then tell us how many weeks it took to plan and execute the attempt, make us understand how hard it is (for you) to abandon a climb. To me, that's more heroic than stupidly forging ahead to likely death AND failure.

Fantastic filming. Just hearing their puffed out breathing is like I’m right behind them. Best wishes from Australia 🇦🇺

I got caught in a rip current when I was young...and I was a strong swimmer....but I would've drowned if I hadn't been rescued by 2 marines in the rental next to us....nature should always be respected for it's ability to shred us

THAT MOUNTAIN, took my father in 1982 10 years later i lost both my brothers, 30 min. apart, 7 years 4 days later i lost my wife and sister i quit climbing, they all died poor judgement lack of enough oxygen. MY mother blames me for taking her family, i begged each of them to stay home,this is why we never had children, she now resides in an institution she was no able to cope with the loss of her only daughter and daughter in law my beloved wife of 25 years. The last words from my sister was tell mom i'm sorry,i did and she lost it.

Excellent docuvideo ! Thank you. Always a sad day when we lose climbers in the mountain, whatever the cause. However, I think it is important that all climbers, sponsors, family, public understand that anytime a climber starts up a high or difficult climb, there is a strong possibility that he will not come down alive. This is a characteristic inherent to the sport and it is why insurance companies exclude this hazard from routine life insurance policy coverage. With deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those lost. May they rest in peace.

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

What a gorgeous summit and glacier!

This was an amazing experience. RIP to those that were determined .

I highly recommend the podcast Against The Odds, it has a season that covers this incident to great detail, it really makes you feel their despair and how incredible it is that some people survived

A great documentary! Thank you!

I just love this channel thanks a lot admin for bringing such amazing documentaries to us

Beautiful film beautiful Recording, i keep watching again and again its my favourite place in Pakistan,, love from Englan🇬🇧💖🇵🇰

These people prepare for a long time. Then in the morning when it's time to climb, equipment is disorganized, they spend 3 hours trying to get it together, losing valuable climbing time. How about getting things organized the night before, so everyone can get going in the morning?! After all that confusion and frustration can a human being feel confident and at ease enough to tackle that mountain?!?

Really good documentary. Thank you

It was very disturbing to hear how elated and joyful those who made it to the summit were knowing, as they did, that not long before, two of their fellow climbers had fallen to their deaths. I found it also grimly ironic that some of these very same climbers fell to there own deaths soon after starting their descent.

Nims Purja not only did 14 8 thousanders in 6 months but he also did k2 in winter. What a legend!

You can feel the horror & the pain at 29:12 in his voice .. It will just move your heart & a cold wave will slowly start moving in your spine..

Wonderful documentary!

You maybe don't get the second chance to summit K2, but you definitely don't get the second chance to live ...

I run marathons here in Japan, but I could not imagine the conditioning it takes to do such climbs. Such a beautiful place but so dangerous.

Brilliantly put together, RIP to the fallen.

After watching a few Everest documentaries I realize these people are wired differently. I am completely missing whatever hardware they have that makes climbing a mountain like this something you want to do.

Avalanche crashes nearby. Mountaineer: “Seeing that awesome power makes u think of uh all the uh possibilities!” Most everybody else: Death comes to mind.

Finally the good stuff!

I have to say you sure presented this all well, clearly,...thanks alot it was interesting

Ale piękny film. 😊 Widoki z wyprawy niepowtarzalne...bo ten szczyt jest niepowtarzalny. Pozdrawiam was🇵🇱

I love the mountains. Usually I'm going to one every weekend. I hunt, fish, trap, and horn hunt and love all of it. But what these climbers do is absolutely insane to me. Even if I knew 100% I'd be safe I'd still never climb what they do. I've had to stop watching videos because the heights and steepness of what they deal with freaks me out lol. I don't even know how we are the same species. Climbers brains are build different. God bless them.

Although K-2 is the second highest mountain in the world, the degree of difficulty in climbing it is far higher than Mt. Everest. And the mountain is remote, steep with frequent rock falls, avalanches and seracs breaking off and tumbling down the steep mountain. Sudden change in weather is common, winds can be dangerous. Sherpas don't like to climb K-2 and won't usually, so mountaineers are pretty much on their own on that mountain! Due to its remoteness, help is NOT rapidly forthcoming if an emergency occurs. K-2 is a beautiful mountain, but deadly.

Good stuff. Harsh reality 😢 💔

Thanks !

if someone dies..and is already wrapped in plastic- i just think it's best to leave him there. risking your own lives is not worth it here. it's not about morality or decency

It is gruesome, but the Gilkey memorial also contains remains from fallen climbers. I have read their can be a scent of decomposition around it it warmer weather.

Eleven People , gone just take that in , a real thought provoking Vid .

I've always been fascinated by this mountain. I recommend Ed Viesturs book dedicated to K2 specifically. It's my 2nd favorite mountaineering read after Annapurna.

It's surprising that they thought there's safety in numbers. They must have known that you can't help other people at that altitude and on top of that, other people's slowness is a danger to you. Starting the climb late was the moment they should have realised it was going to be disastrous, and continuing when someone had died was wrong. But the programme explains quite well the pressures that professional mountaineers are under. It's all a trap and they fell in it

Love and respect for all global mountaineers from K2 Pakistan 🌙✌☝🗻🚩🌲❤🙏🌏

I flew over Alps to Amsterdam. I was terrified it was in March and covered with snow. I pray to get over quickly. One week later a plane crash.

It seems like you all should have simply turned around and went home. Exactly like the 96 Everest cluster***k.

Different mountain, but reading Anatolis book climbing about 96 Everest disaster Great insight into how Mountain companies operate it focused on Mt.Madness and Scott Fischer

Great story but so tragic.

Climbing these mountains is insanity. It isn’t noble, it isn’t courageous, it’s madness.

Appreciate the upload, awesome story. Watching from Australia, we only have "hills" here. Everyone has their journey, no judgement.

Well, this is part of the reason National Geographic Documentaries aren't as good as they used to be. The simple fact that it reduces EVERYTHING that happened that night into an after the after statement of "There were icefalls, people died" completely undercuts everything the documentary had been building up to.

You couldn't ask for a better day in a million years ❤

Thank you David Snow for the documentary.

I’d make a “leave me where I lay” pact with everyone. Do not risk your life trying to retrieve me. Just let my body be in its final resting place.

For a regular guy like me, the idea of getting that last stretch to the top and then the feeling sets in of what’s ahead in Getting down…. Terrifying Once there you need to get lower quickly if possible. You’re stuck up there and it’s up to you to survive getting down. Damn that’s scary

Прекрасна грозная К2,рассказ участников,виды на гору,палатки,статичные сцены сняты отлично,а восхождение,движение,самое важное-камера дергается,кадры по полсекунды...ожидала лучшего,но в целом фильм один из лучших документальных.Восходителям здоровья,новых вершин,возвращайтесь всегда,всего доброго,наилучшего!!

Great honest documentary

The legends Muhammad Ali Sadpara and John Snorri. Rip

I have thought about this intensely, and have formed the conclusion that there are no tragedies on 8000m peaks; only choices, and their consequences.

@David Snow, Thanks alot for posting. Really good documentary. It’s just a shame such a big chunk of the story wasn’t included. Graham Bowley’s book, “No Way Down”, gives a fuller account of the unfolding disaster. It’s a good read.

Of all of the docs, this is the absolute best. Keep it up, please.

How can you justify to your wife or kids climbing a mountain that kills 3 in 10 people?

This huge build up on how challenging the bottle neck is...sherpa does it in the dark... They are the real badasses

Perhaps having run exactly 50 marathons in my life is no comparison, but like the comments made early in the film, you DO feel a sense of foreboding,of.."Why am I doing this?" And yet the challenge makes you WANT to do it. I just didn't want to risk having a part of me being amputated and then make my other challenges harder to achieve, like losing a part of my foot for having the thrill of climbing "once".

It is amazing! Thanks! Best regards from Russia! It is far from my undestanding being so brave! So strong

"There was no sign it would go wrong on the way down."... 2 people died 20 minutes earlier.. sorry but I can't feel bad for these people.

what an incredible group of human beings.

The guys who decided it was too late and did not go were also arguably heroes. Thank goodness they showed common sense. People are so amped up about getting to the summit after all the hard work, it was too late to go but sadly some went. The doctor was able to help some of the victims.

I misread the title (Fatal Attitude), and I maintain that that would have been a more correct and realistic title for this video.

Our Pakistani hero Ali sid para cross k2 many times. RIP legend

respect mother nature, and be in awe

Beautiful scary experience expeditions

I just wounder how the families who are left behind are doing? I know when my husband was in Saudi Arabia in the 90s I absolutely was so stressed and anxious I finally had a break down not knowing what was going on, I finally had a bad break down that affects me to this day! It’s just so sad

I just got done watching that project possible documentary on Netflix. That guy is amazing to be able to do this in 21 hours, let alone all 14 peaks in 5 months.

Wow the weather was great at that time !

Too many inexperienced young persons of diverse cultures pissing about on a lethal mountain. They courted danger and danger won. RIP

31:15 It was so wonderful, we narcissistically summit, and someone just died below us. All well.

A perfect summit day ... the sun warming up the ice the whole day since the early morning ... no wind to cool the surface ... and then finally collapsing seracs destroy the ropes ...

Admire the photographer, Brilliant

I did Kili and will do Aconcagua this year and will leave it to that.

The sound of silence is in the air at extreme altitude.

in order to get to the top of a mountain they seem to lose their humanity and barely seem to react when someone died. wtf

what does he say at @ 32:53 that is cut out? Edit: i found the video on vimeo it has the 5 or so minutes cut out of the youtube versions, they essentially detail the lack of supplies, oxygen and how drained they are after being above 8,000m for 2 days and wonder if they would survive the decent after 3, concluding that they have to leave the 4-5 stranded survivors above them.

I think of young parents who I know who have passed from cancer, and loved ones watching them die - they’d give anything for more life. Then these guys choose this and call their spouse to tell them they’re dying - for what purpose? It’s incredible to watch.

Literally, anybody: "Hey, wanna go to PAKISTAN and climb one of the most dangerous mountains in the world?" Me: "No, thanks."

I’ve literally never heard of a good thing happen when people stay out late to summit.