Man I love having TIVO. I forgot that season 2 of this show was coming on. But I left it in my Season Pass from last season and surprise I came home and there it was.

Nice to see some returnees from last season.

Those Sherpas are just incredible aren't they?

Every year I get so hooked on this show!! Mt. Everest is something I will never do, but I LOVE doing it vicariously through these people. And yes, the Sherpas are incredible.

Could they have found a more annoying woman?

hills27 - LOL, are you taking bets, do you think she will make it to top? I don't think so. Quite a bunch, some of the same losers from last year that don't know when they've had enough.

The Sherpas make everyone else look like clowns.

regards - tom

Too bad I already know she doesn't fall off the mountain!

I'm also an Everest junkie with no desire to actually climb myself, and along with the "Everest: Beyond the Limit" series, I happened to TiVo another Discovery Channel Everest program, which I watched last night.

It was called, I think, "Death on Everest," and it focused on the moral and ethical issues that arise on the mountain, as seen through the lens of the disasterous 1996 season. Beck Weathers (the guy who was left for dead before amazingly coming to and stumbling back to camp) was interviewed, as was a member of the South African team that climbed that year. It was really interesting, and focused quite a bit on the South African team - they'd been high on the mountain when the fatal storm hit, and there's apparently been debate over whether they did enough to help. Then two weeks later they made another summit attempt, with one of their three members falling hours and hours behind - after summiting they encountered him on the descent and either weren't able or didn't try hard enough (depending on who you listen to) to get him to turn around. He summitted, but it was much too late in the day and he consequently died a short time later.

I caught the show for the first time the other night and enjoyed.

For this late comer;
When did the show start? Are they airing repeats?

Although I respect that these folks are working extremely hard to get up the mountain it does seem like the Serpas make it all possible.

And what's with big boy - the dude who tried climbing up last time when told not to. Shouldn't that guy be told that he blew his chance. Is he that marketable?

I think the first season was last year's. I'm not sure if they're airing repeats but it may be on DVD, or you might want to check the Discovery Channel website.

As for "big boy" aka Tim, he basically showed up last year with a bag o' cash and joined the group last minute. He was kind of a stubborn ass - consistently lagged behind the others (he has some physical problems and metal plates in his body from a car crash or something), and initially refused to turn around when Russell ordered him to last year when it became clear he was too far behind to make the time cutoff and summit, putting the Sherpas with him at risk. I don't recall how much climbing experience he had, but it seemed less than the others. I got the impression he's more of a wealthy adventurer/risk-taker than serious mountaineer, though that may not be accurate. But based on his behavior I was surprised they let him back this year.

That was the first episode in this years series.

I'm also surprised that boss Russell allowed Tim back. Russell says he's the boss man but Tim repeatedly refused his orders to come back down last year. Some boss Russell is. I think Tim is there because the TV producers loves to show the x-rays of Tim's pins. You will see those x-rays at least twice a show.

The book "Into Thin Air" by John Krakauer was a best seller, an excellent read of his first hand, he was there, 1996 attempt on Everest. Eight climbers were killed by a storm. (Russell was not a leader, another leader did die).

regards - tom

Tom

2 leaders died in that storm in 1996, Rob Fisher and Scott ?

It's all about TV, and Tim was a total moron last year, maybe this year he will do the same and end up dying, maybe that's what the producers were after. Everest seems dramatic enough without trying to spice it up.

Per a summary I just now read (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Everest_Disaster), the killed leaders were Rob Hall, Scott Fisher, Andrew Harris. I agree, Tim is there for TV, they probably paid his way to come back for the show. Having him there again hurts the credibility of the show and the climb, IMHO. And again, the Sherpas put everyone else to shame.

regards - Tom

bump

I am bummed the double traverse didn't happen. I also realize that the one thing always missing for me on the show is that it appears they go up the opposite from where everyone went up in the book Into Thin Air.

When they mentioned the Hillary Step I got really psyched. Too bad they got such little video.

And Tim needs a good smacking! Did anyone get a count of how many times they showed the "xray" of his injuries?

I was bummed, too, that the double climb didn't happen. Seems that part, if not a lot, of the reason he decided not to was really egotistical. He was pretty "worried" about the fact that Phurba would REAlly be the first to do the double summit, and not him. Kind of ridiculous IMHO. I don't think anyone else would really look at it that way. I hope he had to pay Phurba's way back to ABC - for being such a putz.

Tim is a total shmuck. And yes, it gets really old seeing the x-rays of his pins, etc. They make it sound like he's a bionic man or something. For the love of God, he has a small cage in his spine and a few pins in his ankle and knee. Big deal. Most unimpressive!!! ;-)

Well Tim made it to the top. There is a part of me that wanted cry for happiness for him as he sat up there.

But there is the other part of me that wanted to scream at him for putting others in danger.

I do have to hand it to him (pun intended) for being able to make it all the way up there.

Yep, Tim made it. Hope we get to see the x-rays of his pins one more time . What do you bet we do??? I thought for sure he would not make it, and be back next year to again be the "bad boy" of the show.

Again, the Sherpas make everyone else look like children playing.

regards - tom

You guys got me started watching this thing every week! And when I can't, I record it to watch later. It's been great!


Ya think we might get to see pins in Tim's "broke hand"?

We've got one more episode, right? With team 2's attempted summit?

Have you guys also been watching "After the Climb"?

I have not been watching "After the Climb" because I thought it might spoil the upcoming events. Do you like it??

regards - tom

This seems like as fitting a place as any to mention the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, a legend of climbing but far more important, a philanthropist that gave back to the Sherpa community.

Yes Wayne, thanks.
regards - tom