Summit Fever (1996) Brian Blessed Documentary (Channel 4)

I do feel that we all do have a dream my dream is to climb Mount Everest it's is being witnessed South seven years a day I think that as Mara said that there's no dream that mustn't be dared and I feel this feel this very passionately it means more to me than acting or anything I'd won that it makes me realize when I was a child what I love most in life was adventure and I read about these people on the northern side in the hearts but comic doll it's never left my soul I must go where they went I must follow their route I must go where Maori world [Music] [Music] I shall at Everest is female not male you feel that very strongly then she does have a siren call nitrous Fink's there's something insoluble about it and beckoning i shan't rest you I don't feel anything I should have gone to its summit [Music] after two failed attempts in 1990 and 1993 actor Brian Blessed is preparing for his third Everest expedition people have things that they want to do it's his life he's entitled to do with it what he wishes so I don't think I see it as selfish I I think that he he would be less of a man in his own eyes for the inner person there are things that that you need to feed your soul that you to to make you a bit more complete than you were yesterday and obviously part of knowing what he is is identified with this with this mountain doctors and experts tell me it is absolutely impossible that a man my size can climb Mount Everest with auction or without and I said well with that however I will not be restricted I won't take it the godsake having pain bloody insurance and South's 14 years of age you know they're the coffins ready insurance policies you know and then death duties and they put you in the coffin and when you get older done makes a much troubled by peacefully like they want my father to do my mother did your bear with that I'm gonna live Brian has joined an expedition organized by a UK company that specializes in high-altitude mountaineering having flown to Nepal the team drive into Tibet for the 300 mile journey to Everest base camp twelve Sherpas travel with them to assist the climb [Music] at the panglao pass the team see everest for the first time at over 29,000 feet it dominates the skyline even though it's still 40 miles away their objective is the vast North Face 17,000 feet high on the wrong book place here the 10 team members established base camp each has paid $24,000 for their chance at mountain earrings ultimate prize we've got a mixed bag here we've got Sundeep Dylan at 26 the youngest we've got Brian blesses an actor at 59 we've got a film crew on board we've got our Hinks the most experienced high-altitude mountaineering britain we've got a whole mixed bag the file of people have paid to come on this expedition it makes no difference to me whatsoever I'll make decisions according to other way on the mountain dictates we run opaque brettly 17,000 feet the one objective that they all have and the burning ambition that they all have of course is to climb Everest and anyone who doesn't have that would not sit easily within the group I don't think [Music] airline pilot Roger porch has always dreamed of a chance to climb Everest having sold his British Airways shares to pay for the trip this will be his one and only attempt if you said to me what you can get to the top we're gonna lose a toe I might almost take that though it sounds ridiculous but I'm not going to come back if I don't get to the top of whatever reason this time I won't be coming back so I suppose I'm probably prepared to pay a higher price than people who expect either to make their living from mountaineering or to come back and have another go so it's not worth even a little finger not even a teensy weensy little finger for me or a little tour and a lot of people say I don't mind losing it or I think it will something that not for me on I get back in one piece one of Britain's most experienced climbers Allen Hinks has tried to climb Everest twice before and failed on both occasions I've been an expeditious about 14 of the 8,000 is now and honestly as I should try and climb them all having climbed what glider them now and I would like to climb Everest anyway it is the highest let's face it so you nicely look it up I see I want a film on the top so film number two other care to last year know what a film Brian hummert LT possible under the guidance of the expedition leader the Sherpas will establish the high camps and carry oxygen and food for the team members I could possibly conceive getting remotely anywhere up its mountain without Donny who besides that mean after himself is really looking after me because of the file analysis I'm just a novice and I depend on Barney to a great extent which is a hell of a responsibility for him I think sometimes he feels it a lot don't you there's others involved as well if I was involved as well as to look after a lot of people that you Simon and I that's one or two why not just you know some people out for the others yeah you need to split learning differently no huh the expedition doctor Sundeep Dillon has put himself forty thousand pounds in debt in his quest to conquer the world's highest peaks feel particularly glad that he found one of his first tasks is to treat a yak herder who has a painful wound on his foot yeah thank dangreen Thunderfoot perfect um this guy spilt boiling water on his foot about five or six days ago and he's just come to see me now if you look at it if you look down at his foot here there's a whole area of dead tissue here that I've had to cut away I mean you visit you okay even though that's the doctor on the expedition my job is to keep everybody alive some of his foot yeah no messing around we've got to come to one of the most dangerous places and I've got to try and make sure that we approach the mountain in a safe way and allow as many people as possible to try and get a chance to get to the summit over the years Everest has claimed the lives of more than 140 climbers there's a flat area of moraine by base camp which has around 1520 cans as memorials two people have died on Everest a visiting that was quite a moving experience some of the names I knew and I knew the story behind what had happened to them [Music] and perhaps that was in some ways easier to deal with that was more of a pilgrimage what was harder was the other names the people that you didn't know and you wondered you know what their story was what had happened why'd they died where they foolish and had they made mistakes or where they top class Mountaineers who had been caught out on everest it's made you start to think about why you were here and what you were prepared to risk [Music] we are short blessings chopped Eloqua Everest they come out to cockier but to befriend you travel over [Music] with a team of yaks to carry the tons of equipment the expedition sets out for the 17 mile trek of the wrongful placing at the foot of the mountain they will establish advanced base camp [Music] sometimes I feel optimistic and then suddenly I die inside I'd I would fear I've got to cope with my fear it's so very very big and you can't see altitude it's so invisible is it endless wars monstrous mountain even on this first stage long before the real climbing begins the effects of altitude take their toll progress up the glacier is painfully slow sorry fellows I thought very pasta I might as well see me as weak as a baby we've just come up the golden Highway these from a glassy about 20,000 feet it always happens to me I've find it hateful I've hated every minute of it suppose on what a smile and reminds me that I'm 59 and I'm not a young man anymore finally the expedition reaches advanced base camp 8,000 feet below the summit at the foot of the North Col [Music] Brian I really admire you I'm a hero number one he's very sweet absolutely hope will some helpless in four weeks are probably better hey man how to climate ice but this is my lowest I mean I just feels regards a bloody finger strong will you'll be right both [ __ ] yeah there are 13 other expeditions of the camp with teams from India and Japan all of them are preparing to attempt the North Face what about somebody who wanders up icon kegger buddy easy room we're talking about hey you're not able to grab you fellas I protect me lead yeah you're making out about not I'm a novice is that what you're saying else is like on cagin explain to the rest of us is I'm Vivek spear I'm good as you look keep what is true yes I get a big lever this is my third this is my third attempt all these mighty Mountain I'm very experienced indeed Bob you can see from my body I'm actually you can see have a gift imagine here but my body is made from a fluid you say the reading of the list most of this yourself evidence because you've got it on by now but I'll read anyway boots Gators are over boots skip my breath I worked really crampons you bag Brian is 59 years old and for 59 year old he's very fit having said that he's overweight and every sort of pound of extra flesh that he's carrying is tissue that needs oxygen is putting a higher stress on his lungs lips are sleeping bag and carry Matt lunch yeah I won't pick up some chocolate bars toilet paper film camera timings leaves five minutes hello Sandeep yeah so we can all go oh can you get a shot yeah many things yeah everyone's nervous come with me it's a big it's an old fossil yeah my name's of years old that ice it'll be nice to get up anything yeah that's like see the restoration my father while I was getting on rocket about the oldest man ever to climb a dog oh god let's get going otherwise we'll be [ __ ] around and readjust and until the yaks kaboom a 1500 foot wall of ice the NORTHCOM is the first real test for brian and the expedition they climb following ropes fixed earlier in the season by other teams if you took a lowland astray to the top of Everest there with these consciousness after about two minutes fortunately we go up a bit slower but it's still quite hard where you're putting your body through phenomenal amounts of stress as you start coming out the first thing you notice is you're gasping for breath your heart rate starts racing you can feel the blood panning around your head your brain starts swelling fall into a coma and now you can die within hours people at home have this very glamorous image of climbing it looks very flashy lots of fun and quite exciting the reality somewhat different from that I was all right Brian Congress wanted me pitch happy to carry our bags yeah thing we'll do it I'm so sorry I'll get up far away again quarter the wheel at all yeah what are you tracking hi trekkers bulan yeah so far from Busan here hopping over this one into the cloud one yeah we're not found a get [ __ ] okay Ryan need to pass not over my head one of the great things about expeditions and particularly those to high altitude is the fact that everyone's reduced to a common low point going up to the North Col the first time it didn't matter if she was your first time on Everest or whether you're a world-class Mountaineer like al-26 after an eight-hour climb the team reached the call 23,000 feet [Applause] tough call oh yeah I don't what I guess me I feel so Elsa for this happened in 1992 I saw worse this time there by great people like Tiger the shipper tiger great we should take miss the decision to come up and spend the night here and see how people fair and that'll be a key test on how people will subsequently do what we're going to do after that he's dropped back down have a long rest and feed ourselves up stay fit and healthy and then come back up and go for the summit [Applause] [Music] prior to their Everest summit attempt the team rest for nine days at base camp they will only leave when the weather conditions are judged to be right this is good our llama scarf and Eli llama I wear it and I'm high on the mountain and he wants me to take you there really as a ceremony to help peace in the world for mankind so I'm better being a bit of an ambassador for him cool well pressure Oh Moneypenny Homer I might have any home all my [ __ ] never more money burn it on mama many people Oh Moneypenny home and I could not in any shape or form on my name pay me Homer attempt this last stage of going out for the summit allowed in this ceremony I believe implicitly in this a man of my age I need all the prayers in the world I look at that it's so colossal and announcer today I'm just cannot stop me terrified three days later the team reach advanced base camp but a delayed by an unexpected storm please don't be miserable here at sir advanced base camp enormous really bad where you either wind ripping into the scent of it please their embassy and then the food leaves to be to be desired as well say the least so we not really not stop stoking ourselves up with the carbohydrates should be very on still seems mean fairly high spirits we need this win to drop the long enough for us to get up there and do some feeling me and get the top without frostbite and get back down there's no promising for tomorrow morning patience we have to be patient and then it will clear the way patient's bed weber glow whether you go with it it looks bad just come back from the Indian camp and they sent three people up yesterday and I think to them and definitely dead one was in a really bad way and I don't know if anyone was gonna be able to help mother things were really really bad it turned out the babes and their first summit party into the top camp on on the mountain they should have gone for the summit but it was too cold in fact they left very very late the last that they actually had any contact was that they saw some head torches on the second step at approximately 7:30 last night and then since then there's been no contact we accepted that people would probably die on Everest this year which meant they would die whilst we're here and but it's one thing to accept it into intellectually it's another thing but know that people up on that mountain dying whilst you're in a tent and it does bring home the V of the penalties for making wrong decisions or indeed being unlucky dude sounded like they weren't really ready to go to the top I mean when the weather's aeneas at the moment and you've got to be pretty hard to go to the top in this sort of weather just completely building yourself out you're up in the Death Zone sounds like they were probably using oxygen but they ran out of that as well so windy was so cold the wind so close seems to blow the life out of your body is amazing he just seems to blow everything away so the wind just seems to stop your daddy's horrendous and then they just get more and more exhausted and they probably didn't leave in well they obviously didn't leave enough in reserve to get back I think they were just determined brave guys add a bit more bravery and sense probably two days later the surviving Indian climbers returned to advanced base camp devastated by the deaths of their fellow climbers because really scared me to hell I mean I'm I'm creating my whole not charge we're all scared to death we've got a pass those bodies and I think it's awful the last stage of this mountain as we approach its summit I'm approaching it with deep respect the fact that people were dying and we could almost see them through a telescope was absolutely devastating to some people but certainly shocking to all of us to climb a mountain like Everest you need to be able to push yourself beyond the limits it's a psychological battle and I think some people actually lost the will to go on trillions have died they've died just about the second step which is very tragic and over here terrible news from the southern side the five people have been killed out in there for Japanese of one American I know David Breashears an American and could be immigrant my friend on the other side at the moment it's very very cold I made some like a bit of a rebel but I ain't going up at the moment the storm passes and weather conditions improve for the second time Brian and the team tackled the North Col better acclimatize now they make much faster progress than before if all goes well they could be on the summit in three days I have you got some water no couple food my own everything let's get the water because we haven't got that long yeah well well done Brian nice one well it 20,000 counted feet I think it's so hard this call it's left me knackered exhausted and I drank it but I've got a move on as much faster got a good rhythm and now we're on the car I'm glad bit over I hate the North Cove tomorrow the team will climb into the Death Zone above 26,000 feet well you put the mask on that's a bit one small bit I hate the death design refers to altitudes above 8,000 meters as soon as you go beyond that height you're very conscious of the fact that you're in a very very dangerous place you're not supposed to be there it's a bit like diving underwater it's only the equipment and a bit of luck that keeps you going cooling down quit except Africa summit boom what paraphernalia hi hate oxygen but I've got to use it you ask yourself whether using yep why but you won't get to the top without Brian you'll be like the rest of us floundering around the second step wishing you had two liters of two litres a minute covered in team ask it is a great day for the Empire it has seen the end of everyone will see the end of the rebels today Brian was complete a 3000 foot climb up the North Ridge at extreme altitude it is essential they move quickly ahead are two more camps camp five and camp six at 27,000 feet there's an old bridge it's very foreshortened you can see how traffic is because the earth Qantas is locked a little bit sick as I've been sick this morning I'm so excited I I don't know do with myself a cuff I've got six hours to the next cavity we can break it we can break that camp into that camp well on oxygen we could be 3023 I've got a bit 26,000 feet we're gonna feel it from now on Barney's duty of care takes on a life and death importance Brian puts on his down suit for the first time temperatures on the ridge could be as low as minus 35 degrees the summit is still over six thousand feet and three climbing days away they're about to cross the invisible line into the Death Zone [Music] mountains like Everest of course they are deadly dangerous if for a moment you take your eyes away from them from a the wrong decision if them don't you go a bit too far you didn't observe the signals of wind and snow and so forth and radiation then you die very quickly I'm ready to said deadly mountain [Music] [Music] bonnie is now becoming seriously concerned weakened by the altitude brian is getting slower and slower even more worried the wind is increasing and now blows a deadly plume of ice crystals off the ridge above there is still a thousand feet of climbing to go before camp five the team are running out of time we certainly found ready to buy twenty four thousand one hundred feet and we certainly find it but we're behind time we're not making a sufficient progress would be very very slow and we certainly find an actual fact would it be my summit attempt is breaking down it's much slower than we thought what do you think about all this Barney we certainly my altimeter were less than halfway between the North Pole on the next camp and we've taken over five hours now to reach this spot and if we carry on at this speed go slow on the second half we'll be in draft the dark and the wind up with fingers ago the wise thing we've decided I hope this we're going down we're not going to get any faster I'm not the same [ __ ] and he's not going to get any warmer now doubt the winds gonna get any less he might do I doubt it and daddy says we might run out a daylight as well so the point is it sir it's one of these seared mountaineering decisions looking after make really good on I'll get down a ban and hour and a half now I'll go and get a lost cups of tea and and we'll come back have another girl but by the time Brian gets back to the North Col he is completely drained the team now realized that his summit attempt is over short funny good god another packet we didn't put into discussing the weather there Brit we might have to go down anyway is Christ I feel that's the closest I've been to death put your head out yeah Yorkshire died you see that Tommy best God makes me happy in life though got my best that's makes me happy I think now you know Yorkshire lad I Yorkshire none at all Yorkshire Monterey young Yorkshire lad you take me to the top of that beautiful mountain you take me up there the gel armor scarf and so prayer for peace meanwhile the rest of the expedition complete the North Ridge and reach camp five the following morning on the way to camp six airline pilot Roger realizes like Brian that the summit is beyond him son deep and Simon battle on into the Death Zone but high winds stop their summit bid when they return to camp six they find an Austrian climber has died in his tent from acute mountain sickness only two days before he died the same climber was on the North Ridge just in front of Brian and Barney and moving at the same slow speed when Brian's team decided it was too risky to continue the Austrian made the fatal decision to carry on in his bid for the summit we were asked to bury the Austrian climber the day that we returned from our unsuccessful summit bid his wife called up on the radio and asked that we buried him we collapsed the tent on top of him and Simon made a simple cross from the tent poles we tried to place a few rocks on top but they were either too frozen or unavailable and so we ended up covering him in the empty oxygen cylinders that were up there Simon said are very simple that moving service which actually reminded us of the situation that we were in and both of us just broke down crying there was absolutely nothing we could do about it [Music] for the moment Everest has proved unassailable for the British team and ten climbers have now died on its slopes in the last two weeks now just two members of the expedition remain strong enough to have another try film director Mack Dickinson and cameraman Alan Hanks prepare for the four-day attempt I can't get it there if you'll be my if you'll take off the torch and you'll take it to the summit and say Oh Manny Emmy home on mana Timmy home hail the jewel in the Lotus and you'll say a few words for the peace of mankind in the nation stop warring module alarm would greatly appreciate it I've got a good look but you're a strong lad he's a Yorkshire lad I'm very very fond of him we've got very very close and he's already done five eight thousand me declines will be a six he's doing him with a very brave director today I wish them all the best you look up there lad can I show you what I'm thinking yeah a Portuguese autograph yeah but my daughter no isn't she pretty and I granted that's the two things we got to take up here better you betcha [Music] I felt the sentiment ashame are disgusted with my performance reason why I didn't make a summit attempt is because I got frightened and got the courage to carry on along with the three Sherpas who helped carry oxygen equipment and camera gear Matt Dickinson and Alan Hinks continue the climb halfway up the North Ridge the team find the remains of a Spanish climber who died on Everest ten years ago like most of those who died on Everest slopes his remains are too high on the mountain to be retrieved this will be his grave forever [Music] the summit team reached camp six a rocky ledge at twenty-seven thousand two hundred feet here the wind shredded remains of previous expeditions litter the ground amongst the debris discarded oxygen bottles rip tents and human waste [Music] up here need to get about 2,000 calories or some being tardy Beach Melia 5,000 calories a day which is almost the most I've managed to be in any one day on the hill has been thousand five hundred two thousand from here on the team will use oxygen at this altitude the air contains just one third of the oxygen at Cielo [Music] [Music] leaving camp 6 at 2:30 in the morning Matt Allen and three Sherpas climbed through the night up the rock cliffs of The North Face reaching the ridge at dawn on the ridge they find the dead body of one of the Indian climbers lying where he's tried to find shelter his oxygen cylinder empty the Sun is still five pounds away back at base camp the team wait anxiously for news it's a moment for those who had to give up to reflect on what might have been it was very depressing when Simon and I had to turn back I knew as soon as he said it really that I would have to go by a decision but I was still looking for excuses to carry on I'd spent years in this quest lots of money lots of effort struggled with employers bank managers everything to try and get this to happen yet at the back of my mind was the fact that 10 people at least died in the six or seven or eight weeks that we've been here and you can't justify that however much it was painful I knew that we had to turn back you do feel cheated I think in a way but I suppose our Sirdar was he was just very calm when he just said gods very powerful one day he kills people other days he lets people to the top 10:30 in the morning Allen Pink's fights his way up the final summit pyramid at 29,000 feet [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] you're both great heroes we're absolutely proud left the Jarrett's [Music] yeah I think you're very marvelous we're thrilled to bits with a high emotional state can you see me I'm a base camp I'm I'm waving to you can you see me not noticing you what's it like a bear out what did I go where it's unbelievable finally on top of the world there you go proud of the one flag will pop your finger reading the plaque will it open you're not gonna stay in this Monday I'm gonna put it forth and it's all over for me Oh anyway I'm glad you got a scarf you're an absolute here absolutely marvelous all you have to say is oh man me pay me home but for money probably would please don't play with me and math as well but I do look we're gonna get down quickly come down safely and bring that with you that other hero [Music] I'm gonna go to the can now we're very proud of you you could take it to burn in a jar [Music] it's a good [Music] manager it's an amateur in society they just got on to the summit and there's an amateur I bet it is yes it's celebrating I'm sitting here by the memorial a can of George Lee now in and to Worthing and strange that you two lads are up there and perform so brilliantly and I'm not sad the time and we do as a surprising statement would have not be absolute enthusiasm about getting up in the summit you see he dawned on me the other day at base camp why deep in my subconscious this side I don't want to climb higher than my hero I think something would die within me so psychologically I'll be reluctant so please forgive me young man and please Alan as well that I'm not alongside you I have in spirit what you've done it's wonderful what a great privilege to climb such a great mountain why do you climb it as Mallory said of course because it's there [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] you

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Rating: 4.7300615 out of 5

Keywords: documentary, channel 4, brian blessed, uk documentary, channel 4 documentary, mount everest documentary, mount everest climbing video, mount everest avalanche, everest documentary, brian blessed everest, everest summit, everest 1996, everest 1996 tragedy, everest 1996 documentary, everest 1996 disaster documentary, brian blessed everest attempt, brian blessed everest film, brian blessed everest story, brian blessed everest 1996, brian blessed everest documentary

Id: 9Herq3YwfbI

Length: 51min 1sec (3061 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 05 2018