Mountain Climbing NIGHTMARE | S02 E02 | I Shouldn't Be Alive | Full Episode | All Documentary

Three British

mountain

eers attempt the climb of their lives in Alaska, but within sight of the summit, the weather stops them in their tracks when frostbite threatens a climber's life. The others must decide to stay together and wait for a rescue that may never come or leave their place. A man risks his life to go alone in search of help, but tragedy strikes him, he faces almost certain death knowing that his friends have little hope of being rescued. I let him down. I liked that we made stone and they. We're probably going to die Mount McKinley is the highest

mountain

in North America.

It is located in the Arctic Circle. It is one of the most difficult climbs in the world. The team has set its sights on the energy-consuming 20,000-foot peak they have been

climbing

for two years. weeks and a half and should be a day away from the summit Steve Ball has been

climbing

for 18 years and has conquered some of the highest peaks in the world. For me, the mountain environment is a very special and beautiful place, particularly Mount McKinley, it's a big one. The wilds of this world have been an ambition of mine for a long time.

Anthony Hollinshead is Steve's best friend and his long-time climbing partner. Climbing is predominantly trusting your climbing partner. It is essential that you know what others are doing. Nigel Vardi completes the trio. team, this is his first expedition with the others. He is an experienced climber, but has never attempted a mountain as treacherous as Mount McKinley. He sometimes fills himself with a little confidence and sometimes, after saying Nigel, he can do this. Everything will be fine originally. Steve had the dream. to climb McKinley and really maybe find his leadership, it would be the first big expedition Nigel had ever done, so I think he was a little unsure of what was ahead of him with Nigel coming into the team, it obviously changes the dynamic of the team slightly.

Suppose Stephen and I were used to making decisions. There is a lot of pressure to work well together because you depend on each other. Totally dependent. There was no one else. There are several routes to climb Mount McKinley. One of the most popular is the West one. buttress, but Steve Antonia Nigel has decided to face the West Rim route, much harder, after 17 days of intense climbing, they have reached their last camp at 16,000 feet, their goal is to reach the summit tomorrow, the night before let the summit bed be in the tents. They're all pretty high, I think we're ready for tomorrow.

No, ladies and gentlemen, dried meat or fish. Oh, how about a delicious popsicle? Vegetarian Option B is a real comedy character to know. Antony,

full

of life, always laughs a lot. Hey, that's it. Better Kolya picked up today You'll be in a swimsuit tomorrow Didn't you put on sunscreen today? Steve is the complete opposite. Steve has a very serious character. He should be like a religion to you. Nigel, no other son can make your skin appear quickly. Let's go down quickly, okay, so let's get rid of all the unnecessary equipment and pack a team. What we agreed is to split it in two.

Conditions can be extremely hostile at this altitude. The team must be sure of the weather before deciding to make the challenging climb to the summit. Copy that face. good night, pretty good, sleep a little and then to infinity, happy, I'm sure you like this done before, he said space for the summit, stick the flag, take the photographs and go back down to reach the summit and return sooner of dusk, they need to travel light. They leave the tent and most of their team behind the client the summit is about 4000 feet from here maybe a little more and there is a lot to do at this altitude so we have to go light and get back down before let it go dark, they now face one of the most difficult sections of the climb.

Steve was like, come on, let's get into this bang bang bang and we're still in the beginning stages. I'm not tall minded, but as the day goes on I'm thinking that we're moving pretty slow and we need to keep moving a little faster, it takes us a long time to cover this, the times are really ticking after hours of hard climbing, the team is already behind schedule, they have now reached an area known as the soccer field a flat plateau just below the summit but the weather is changing as we walked along the top of the soccer field the wind began to pick up rapidly the temperatures dropped to around -50 degrees Celsius with the wind howling over the summit ridge at about 70 miles per hour I don't know what that gets you to but it's called, believe me, every step is exhausting, you're almost crawling, actually, it's like sticking your face out of the wind, it can be like being Hit frozen peas with hail if your flesh is exposed.

Weather conditions on Mount McKinley are some of the most unpredictable in the world and can cause death from sudden frostbite within seconds. It's taken us all 17 days of hard climbing, which means I don't have much excess fat, which is what you need in a situation like this. These conditions are very tough for everyone, but for one, the conditions are proving to be too much, what I didn't realize was how cold Steve was getting. I have intense cold. I can feel myself falling. I'm shaking, my teeth are chattering. My thought process is slowing down. I'm getting lethargic.

Steve, who leads the team, is beginning to feel the effects of hypothermia. He literally he's freezing to death. at over 19,000 feet the temperature is plummeting at such altitudes the impact of an unforeseen storm like this is devastating Steve is suffering a lot Antonia Nigel knows they have to get him out of the freezing cold finding a place to hide there is very difficult We really are out of you, by the grace of God, we found a crack in the base of the psalm story, we took their ice axes and opened everything up, which was very hard work.

I can feel myself falling. I'm shaking, hypothermia. It's coming soon if I don't get out of this wind, it was a wind that was killing it and once we get there, I'm not going to say it was hot, but it was water when the Colts took effect, do you mind slowing down? reactions are slowing down thought processes are slowing down so I depend on others to take care of me I need you to get some water Steve asks me to hold him and keep him warm really Anthony was talking to Steve quite alone and I think That's probably It was due to the fact that they were great friends anyway, they had known each other for a long time and Anthony just wasn't going to let him go.

Nice trick, let's see what we have. Dehydration is a major problem for the team. We're starting to regret leaving his team behind, we should have brought a stove to reheat and get some hot food and possibly a better drink inside us, just calm down, have them send help, we'll never defeat Steve alone, not in the say that is in, we have no choice, it is still sending and moving, that is a very good sign. Nigel and Anthony know that Steve would want to continue, but now they must decide if they should call off the climb and send out an emergency call.

It's a very difficult decision to decide that we have to make this emergency call because we don't know how Steve is going to react. We need to call now instead of waiting until it's too late for there to be enough charge and battery to get through. try to keep him warmer it's so cold he's fine what does he get a better signal outside the base camp this is expedition stress do you copy this is expedition stress requesting urgent help to get there? I was very happy to hear someone else's voice, someone did, but they were really struggling to hear us and then they started are you this expedition?

One click for yes. Two clicks for now. We just went down until they got a click for yes. And at that point they know who you are, what route you're going to climb next. family team all this information you can know what they said don't call reconfirm our position in the morning just have to go on the radio tonight again tomorrow Steve at night Steve stop moving Steve Steve is becoming dangerously hypothermic and now Nigel is too losing his battle against the cold. I don't realize I'm hyper-serving and my own mind is shutting down. Antony must try to keep his two friends

alive

in temperatures of -30 degrees at almost 20,000 feet.

It has been a long night, but Antony finally emerges to see if the weather may at least be changing for the better. With the dawn comes another surprise shivering red last night, obviously these big amahi manly arms stuffed overnight. Antony managed to stop the protis of hypothermia by holding Steve's body close. In addition to providing much-needed insulation against the cold, it was a big improvement from the night before. Steve was actually in good condition. Come on, let's go see where we are. We can bring it later. He looks like you and me. a look at this mountain we've been talking about for so long, okay, at this point, I'm still hoping to get to the top so the three of us can get there, we look, it's there for the taking, let's go.

Go ahead, Steve, it's like you've been pretty bad. Nigel thought we both saw them. You should send a distress call over the radio. What the hell have you done so far? What did they say? Nigel went out to make the call. He said the radio seemed to be plugging the last push and we're there, let's take that radio base and tell them we're all good now. I'm sorry Mabel, you were a real disaster, okay, really, let's go back, that Nigel made you push Nigel still. He needs to radio to confirm his position and let Basecamp know that his emergency is over.

I took the radio and put it on the edge of the top of the crack while an entire micelle fought against me, Mr. Rocker, and an octet with my elbow and just watched. These little black dots are flying down the hill and I thought you were the first camp. This is expedition 10 that I sent you a copy. Is dead. Desire was an incredible thing to understand. Please come in. Your only means of contact with the outside world was gone. It's the only thing that could save you, he was able to talk to me, everything is fine, George, I'm so sorry, we dropped the radio, it broke, your beautiful face.

I would miss him completely. I didn't realize what was happening and he looked at me. and I could feel his hand rise and pull. I have a balaclava, he's here and he just puts them on and I can't feel this cold. I can feel numbness, but I can't feel anymore. I looked at Nigel. I'm surprised he's in a terrible situation. He says the day before he got a sunburn on his cheek and the overnight frost must have gotten into it because his face was swollen the size of a football. I don't know how long it will last.

We just have to get it out. Let's go find you. Oh, Steve, I'm so sorry, maybe you two can move on. I know how important it is for both of us to reach the top. Look, let's not worry about it now, it's okay, Stephen Anthony took it fantastically well, in fact, and I felt immensely guilty. Do we still do it? Let's go down, go to a hospital and quickly the mountain will be here next year B of the year after, if we leave Nigel like this, he may not be there, we have to go down with the radio now broken, all communication possibilities are.

It's a race against time for Steven Anthony to get Nigel down the mountain. As soon as they began their descent, the team realized that Nigel was suffering from more than just frostbite as we headed back. It's obvious that Nigel is struggling and we didn't. I don't realize his ice art was as bad as the swelling on Nigel's face forced him to close his eyes, he's getting weaker and more confused slowly with every step, it's a feeling of being out of control, He was falling and stumbling, was that it? It was painful to see Steve start to get cold again and that was becoming a concern for Steve.

I'm worried for both Steve and Nigel at the moment the temperature has now dropped to around -30 degrees. Nigel is holding the team back and Steve knows it. It won't be long before he succumbs to the cold again. We're going down. We have to take someone down. Now an organizer is rescuing Tony. I can't continue at this slow pace. I'm going to suffer hypothermia again. I have to make my own decision when Steve says this to Miz is we stay with Nigel or I go with Steve freely vaginally, he dies. I didn't think Nigel was fit to sit alone.

No I don't think he would have lasted long if he had been left alone, the other guy just wanted to do that descent on his behalf, so you can be sure it's very selfless of him to stay with Nigel. Okay, will you see me later? Park what she stepped on somewhere in the back of my mind. I can hear some murmuring and Steve walks away and I squint at him thinking Steve, where are you going? And he's gone. Well, we're just. Let's all get well, yes I'm trying to keep it out of my mind but it's obvious there's a chance Nigel could die.

It's a strange experience watching Steve go off on his own. It is a great responsibility for me. an hour down, I feel the way towards that responsibility, it isIt's on my shoulders to make sure these two live. Steve believes that the lives of his friends now depend on him success

full

y making the treacherous descent down the mountain just to raise the alarm. He has decided to descend the most popular route of the west buttress, where he hopes he will be more likely to meet other climbers, but it is not the route the team used for their ascent, so Steve has no experience in it.

The pressure to turn it down very quickly now, but I can't choose. where the routes go. I'm worried at the moment that I won't be able to get down fast enough for Nigel. I know that at some point Anthony will make the decision that he has to come down if no one comes to rescue him. He and I am worried that if he leaves that decision too long, he will get lost and die up there. I need to get down as fast as he can. Steve knows that he has to find the most direct way down no matter what risks he takes.

I think ice shooting is the fastest option and I can clearly see where I'm going down. Climbing is much more difficult than going up and when you don't have a rope or someone to take care of you above the risks, my heart pounds a little. everything seems to be firming up everything is holding up well, big breath, come on, come on amazing, there's a crack but I'm out of the adrenaline and I think it's so fast that these seconds I'm falling feel like minutes, there is absolutely no way that can do it. Place this ice ax to stop my fall, it would just rip my arm off.

I need to stop it. Steve has fallen about 1100 feet. Oh, I can't believe we're still

alive

. The fall should have killed me. Steve has seriously injured both of them. His legs, the right one is fractured but the left one is shattered in 12 places. He is over 17,000 feet high and in condition he is a great distance from the route where he hoped to find help at over 2,000 feet high. His friends are waiting for the rescue that can now we never come we still can't eat or drink anything and it's been almost 36 hours since we left so you know it's a long time to go without taking anything on board there's little we can do to keep warm without using our energies or not knowing what the next step will be and here we are telling Kitty jokes that are very funny, dark and smelly, all this nose, listen, Steve is not willing to give them our position, you are listening, listening, listening and thinking in yourself, fantastic, this could be.

I can hear helicopters, you can hear the helicopter blades going round and round the mountain, thinking to myself, are they looking for us, there is a rescue group coming to the mountain, now, what are we going to say and the works . going away and sinking into the distance at this kind of altitude a helicopter rescue is virtually impossible whatever they can hear is unlikely to be release below them Steve is seriously injured but is making a heroic effort to crawl to where he can be As seen by other Climbers, his injuries are so severe that he may not live, but Steve believes that if he fails all three will die on the mountain.

I have to access the popular route where people will climb well. My only hope is to return. down the ice slide I just fell I still have the caravan on my right leg and I'm using that right leg like to buy food I could feel the bone very well eNOS I'm going to go so far and my crampons slip and I slide down again on the way down. I find my left leg painting quite unbearable. Now I need to take a look at my legs, but see what condition I roll up my pants, both on my left leg are stuck together. through the skin, I'm really worried I might bleed to death and try to put pressure on the wound to stop the flow.

Now I'm pressing on the bone and all you can see is raw fibers through the skin, knock, knock, what do you say ladies? What do I expect? So I feel very helpless. I do it, I really do and having someone there with you is fantastic. She is being like a babysitter and she is very, very good. Frostbite has started to affect Nigel's hands and feet. They are deteriorating rapidly. Nigel is extremely. weak, he's very cold, I'm actually getting colder at this stage as time goes on, now I'm getting a bit unnerved by being away and the other night with Nigel in a very weak condition, come on Bobby, lie, Steve is desperate to keep asking for help.

He has to splint his leg to keep going, but I have my ice ax around my leg to try to hold it up. Everything is aligned now and I see myself in better condition. Now comes a big test. What am I going to do if I don't put my leg in? weight on my leg I'll never know I'll never get off I have a kv-2 going I'm sitting here in the snow wondering what the hell I'm going to do I can't get up and walk I tried to crawl I have a whistle I started blowing my whistle in case someone is on the other side of the rib I'm sitting there thinking what else I can do to get attention I have nothing else I let him down It looks like we've gone down and they're probably going to die.

Now they have been exposed on a barren mountainside for hours and, although the Arctic nights are very short, as the Sun sets it gets colder and colder, getting closer to about nine, ten, 10: 30, which is when I'm starting to realize that at that time of day it will be very unlikely that a rescue party will come to us and as a result I'm starting to realize that we could be in a very exposed area for a second time. evening. We thought Stevie was the hero of the day for raising the alarm and bringing the helicopter up to 19,500 feet.

This remains the highest recorded helicopter rescue in North America and was only attempted. due to Nigel's call for help the night before, but it's not looking good for Steve. Night is beginning to fall and with these temperatures Steve knows that he will be lucky to survive the hours ahead. Now I have to take care of myself at night. I have to think about shelter, about keeping warm, what happens if the wind comes down from the mountain? I untie my ice ax from one leg, go out into a shallow hole and build a small wall, it's enough to keep the wind out.

I need to make sure that I stay awake when it's dark if I don't stay awake I'll die this is the sun has set if I think about four hours in the dark temperatures down to -50 degrees Celsius and surviving is a long way to go The body Steve is succumbing to the cold desperately trying to stay alive I'm thinking about my family in England who keeps me alive I want to see my family I want to go home - I have to stay awake I'm playing with my leg putting my glasses over my eyes so my eyes don't freeze even hitting my leg to stimulate some pain and keep me awake climber Steve Ball has had an arrhythmia Kinley has been stranded for fifteen hours with terrible injuries in incredibly cold his partner The climbers Antonia Nigel had been rescued.

All he can do now is hope someone finds him before he dies. Steve, his friends had no idea that Steve is still lost on the mountain. Someone came into my hospital room to ask me what Steve was wearing. It's just then I realized that Steve wasn't in a safe place. He had been there for up to 12 hours exposed on the mountainside and no one knew where he was. The climbers have now been alerted and are looking for Steve, but have nothing. I have no idea where to look for him and have little hope of finding him alive.

It is rare for the human body to survive overnight at temperatures as low as -50 degrees. I can't feel my feet anymore. My nose is cold. I don't want to drink. My fingers out of his pockets I just want to stay curled up I don't have much left I'm starting to lose him Steve has lost all hope of being saved He hasn't made it to the path All he can do is wait for death I hear voices but I don't know I think I'm dreaming but it's not a dream these voices are real I know these voices and I know I'm being rescued I know I can't be dreaming because I'm feeling the pain and you don't feel pain when you're dreaming I'm awake they told me they are climbers and they found me and they found me surprised that I'm still alive I'm cold but I'm alive I'm going to stay alive I want to go home after two weeks in Alaska in intensive care Steve was allowed to travel back to the UK he spent a further six months in hospital and another two years in rehabilitation my frostbite injuries resulted in amputations of all the fingers and thumb of my right hand my left hand in the middle of the palm the left leg has reached below the knee and my right foot has reached the middle of the foot and , of course, a bit of the nose Antony and Nigel suffered severe frostbite Antony lost two fingers Nigel lost all his fingers and toes, as well as needing skin grafts to rebuild his cheek and nose.

I have managed to travel the world numerous times since then, for example going to the Arctic, the Himalayas and climbing a little slower. Steve asked me while I would like to know if we could go back and do it again and plan. I think we'll go back and get another expedition fund, possibly the three of us together and do something. We'll have to wait and see. Now I'm disabled, but no. I'm out, running, walking, climbing, mountaineering, snowboarding, skiing, canoeing, I still go back to the mountains, I still climb. I start with the same pleasure and enjoyment of the mountains, so no, it's not worth losing life and limb, we can't. stop going I'll wait for you