Everest: Beyond the Limit (2006–…): Season 2, Episode 8 - Now or Never - full transcript

Narrator:
LAST TIME ON "EVEREST"...

TEAM 1 MAKE THE SUMMIT.

TOP OF THE WORLD, MA.

Narrator:
BUT AT A COST.

I BROKE MY HAND.

AAH!

Narrator: NOW TEAM 2 FACE
THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE.

BUT AT 28,000 FEET,

MOGENS LEARNS HOW CLOSE
TO THE EDGE HE REALLY IS.

AND 71-YEAR-OLD YANAGI
GAMBLES HIS LIFE

ON A RECORD-BREAKING BID
FOR THE SUMMIT.



THE RISKS ARE HUGE.

THEY'RE TAKING THEIR DREAMS
INTO THE DEATH ZONE.

YEAH, IT'S TIME.

Narrator: BUT EVEN IF
THEY MAKE IT TO THE SUMMIT,

THERE'S NO GUARANTEE
THEY'LL MAKE IT BACK DOWN.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

[ AIR HISSING ]

24-YEAR-OLD KOBE HAS A PROBLEM
WITH HIS REGULATOR.

IT'S LEAKING,
AND HE'S LOSING PRECIOUS OXYGEN

BEFORE HE'S EVEN STARTED
HIS SUMMIT BID.

[ HISSING STOPS ]

IT'S DAY 42,

AND TEAM 2 IS SETTING OFF
FOR THE TOP OF THE WORLD.

THEY'RE THE SLOWER,
LESS-STRONG HALF



OF RUSSELL BRICE'S EXPEDITION.

24-YEAR-OLD KOBE,
TAXI DRIVER TAKE,

AND 71-YEAR-OLD YANAGI
ARE ALL FROM JAPAN.

THEY'RE LED
BY EXPEDITION GUIDE HIRO.

ALSO ON THE TEAM
IS MOGENS JENSEN,

THE DANISH ASTHMATIC

WHO HAS TRIED AND FAILED
TO SUMMIT THREE TIMES.

MOUNT EVEREST.

I DON'T THINK I'VE GIVEN IT
MY BEST SHOT YET.

Narrator: MOGENS IS ALREADY
AT A HIGHER ALTITUDE

THAN HE'S EVER BEEN.

FROM HERE ON UP,
HE'S IN UNKNOWN TERRITORY.

AS THE TEAM ADVANCE
INTO THE NIGHT,

THEIR LEADER RUSSELL BRICE
COMMANDS FROM FAR BELOW

AT CAMP 1.

THE THICKER AIR MEANS
HE CAN THINK CLEARLY

AND CONTROL HIS CLIMBERS
WITH MILITARY PRECISION.

WHEREABOUTS EXACTLY ARE YOU NOW?

Narrator: THE CLIMBERS FACE
A GRUELING EIGHT HOURS

TO THE SUMMIT.

THEY MUST CLIMB 1,700 FEET

OVERCOMING LETHAL TRAVERSES
AND THE NOTORIOUS SECOND STEP.

THEY'RE ALSO AGAINST THE CLOCK.

IF THEY TAKE TOO LONG,
THEY'LL RUN OUT OF OXYGEN,

AND AT THIS ALTITUDE,
THAT'S A DEATH SENTENCE.

IF THEY REACH THE SUMMIT, THEY
MIGHT AS WELL BE ON THE MOON.

THIS IS THE MOST INHOSPITABLE
PLACE ON THE PLANET.

NOT SOMEWHERE YOU WANT TO LOSE
YOUR TEAMMATES.

58-YEAR-OLD TAKE HAS GOT
SEPARATED FROM THE GROUP.

IF THEY CAN'T FIND HIM,
HE'S AS GOOD AS DEAD.

THE GUIDES AND SHERPAS LAUNCH
A DESPERATE SEARCH.

I CAN'T UNDERSTAND.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

Narrator: WITH FIVE
DIFFERENT LANGUAGES BETWEEN THEM

AND NO NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS,

COMMUNICATION IS CHAOTIC.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

AND THEN, OUT OF THE DARKNESS,
TAKE APPEARS.

OKAY, OKAY.

Narrator: IN THIS DEADLY GAME,
THE TEAM JUST GOT LUCKY,

BUT AS THEY GET HIGHER,
SO DO THE RISKS.

LAST YEAR, HIRO GUIDED
RETIRED SCHOOLTEACHER YANAGI

UP A NEIGHBORING MOUNTAIN,
CHO OYU,

WHICH INSPIRED HIM
TO TRY EVEREST.

AT 71 YEARS OLD,

HE'LL BE THE OLDEST PERSON
EVER TO SUMMIT EVEREST.

AT MUSHROOM ROCK, A THIRD
OF THE WAY TO THE SUMMIT,

THE TEAM MAKE A PIT STOP
TO CHANGE THEIR OXYGEN BOTTLES.

AT THIS ALTITUDE, THE ONLY THING
KEEPING THEM ALIVE

IS THE OXYGEN THEY CARRY
ON THEIR BACKS.

Brice:
YOU'RE GOING INTO WHERE PEOPLE

SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE
VERY EASILY WITHOUT OXYGEN,

SO WE GIVE PEOPLE
SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN,

AND THAT HELPS
FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

IF YOU RUN OUT OF THAT,
THEN YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE.

Narrator: THEY'RE APPROACHING
THE SECOND STEP,

THE MOST DIFFICULT
AND DANGEROUS PART OF THE CLIMB.

THEY NEED MAXIMUM ENERGY HERE,
SO THEY TURN THEIR OXYGEN UP.

MOGENS HAS DECIDED THIS IS
HIS LAST ATTEMPT ON THE SUMMIT.

IF HE FAILS AGAIN,
HE'LL TURN HIS BACK ON EVEREST

AND SETTLE DOWN WITH HIS NEW
FIANCéE, CHRISTINA, IN DENMARK.

BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE SUMMIT,
HE LEFT HER A LAST MESSAGE.

THE STRENGTH YOU GIVE ME
AND THE BELIEF YOU HAVE IN ME

GIVES ME WINGS
WHEN I'M GOING UP.

BEFORE YOU EVEN BLINK
NOT TOO MANY TIMES,

I'LL BE BACK, HOPEFULLY,
FROM THE SUMMIT.

Narrator:
AT 4:28, THE SUN RISES.

THIS IS THE BEST WEATHER
ON EVEREST

FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY,

BUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S A
FLESH-FREEZING -4 FAHRENHEIT.

THE CLIMBERS HAVE REACHED
THE TREACHEROUS SECOND STEP.

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

Narrator: THEY ARE NOW CLIMBING
THE HIGHEST LADDER IN THE WORLD.

YANAGI, THE 71-YEAR-OLD
JAPANESE EX-SCHOOLTEACHER,

IS BRINGING UP THE REAR
WITH HIS GUIDE, HIRO.

Brice:
THIS IS PRETTY COOL.

HERE'S AN OLD MAN WHO, YOU KNOW,
HAS HUGE AMOUNTS OF EXPERIENCE,

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT HE'S MOVING
VERY, VERY WELL.

Narrator:
MOGENS, HOWEVER, IS NOT.

MOGENS, DO YOU COPY?

MAYBE HE'S NOT INTERESTED.

Narrator: AFTER FIVE HOURS
OF LUNG-BUSTING EFFORT,

MOGENS IS TAKING FIVE BREATHS
FOR EVERY STEP.

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

Narrator:
UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO,

HE BELIEVED HE COULD CLIMB
EVEREST WITHOUT BOTTLED OXYGEN.

[ COUGHING ]

Narrator: BUT AFTER
AN ASTHMA ATTACK AT CAMP 2...

[BLEEP]

Narrator:
...HIS DREAM WAS SHATTERED.

EVEN ON BOTTLED OXYGEN,
MOGENS IS STRUGGLING.

AND AS HE GETS HIGHER,
IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET HARDER.

MOGENS IS AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE SNOW SLOPE

THAT LEADS TO THE SUMMIT.

HE AND HIS SHERPA
HAVE ANOTHER 500 FEET TO GO.

THIS IS A BATTLE
BETWEEN MIND AND BODY.

Jensen: I DON'T COME TO CONQUER
THE MOUNTAIN.

I COME HERE TO CONQUER MYSELF.

IT'S MY FIGHT AGAINST MYSELF
AND WITH MYSELF.

Narrator: BUT IF MOGENS SUFFERS
ANOTHER ASTHMA ATTACK

AT THIS ALTITUDE,

IT'LL BE HIS LAST.

Brice: I WORRY A LOT ABOUT HIM
THIS YEAR.

HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO PUSH HARD.

I'M JUST CONCERNED
THAT HE PUSHES TOO HARD.

Narrator: AFTER THREE
FAILED SUMMIT ATTEMPTS,

MOGENS HAS FINALLY
REALIZED HIS DREAM,

AND HE'S LOST FOR WORDS.

MOGENS, MOGENS, DO YOU COPY?

Narrator: RUSSELL GENTLY BRINGS
MOGENS BACK DOWN TO EARTH --

THE HIGHEST POINT ON EARTH.

MOGENS, DO YOU COPY?

YEAH, MOGENS, I'M VERY PLEASED

THAT YOU DECIDED TO USE OXYGEN
AND GO FOR IT.

I CAN SEE YOU IN THE PICTURES
THERE.

I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU MADE IT.
OVER.

YEAH, ROGER.

Narrator: ALSO ON THE SUMMIT
ARE KOBE AND TAKE.

BUT THEIR TEAMMATE YANAGI
IS STILL FAR BELOW

AT THE START OF THE SNOW SLOPE.

HEY, MOGENS, GOOD MORNING.
IT'S FRED.

I'M DOWN HERE WITH RUSS.

YOU LOOK GREAT ON CAMERA
UP THERE, BUDDY.

Narrator: THERE'S ONE PHOTO
MOGENS WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING.

THE ONE FOR HIS FIANCéE,
CHRISTINA,

WHO HELPED GET HIM HERE.

Brice:
MOGENS, DO YOU COPY?

REMEMBER, YOU'RE HALFWAY.

LET'S NOT STAY TOO LONG
BEFORE COMING DOWN. OVER.

Narrator: IT'S TIME TO GO,
BUT MOGENS IS RUNNING ON EMPTY.

Brice: PEOPLE FORGET TO EAT,
THEY FORGET TO DRINK,

BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST
SO INTERESTED IN THAT SUMMIT.

IT'S PART OF
THE SUMMIT-FEVER THING.

OTHER THINGS DON'T MATTER
AROUND YOU.

Narrator:
MOGENS HAS BEEN SO OBSESSED

WITH REACHING THE SUMMIT,

HE'S ONLY DRUNK HALF A PINT OF
WATER IN THE LAST SEVEN HOURS.

HE'S BADLY DEHYDRATED, AND HIS
MIND IS NUMB WITH EXHAUSTION,

BUT THE MOST DANGEROUS PART
OF THE CLIMB IS STILL TO COME.

THE DESCENT.

Narrator:
AFTER SUMMITING YESTERDAY,
TIM MEDVETZ IS RESTING UP.

HE INJURED HIS HAND ON THE CLIMB
AND THINKS IT'S BROKEN,

BUT HE'S TOUGHING IT OUT.

WARM SLEEPING BAG.

GOOD TEAMWORK.

[ LAUGHS ]

FRIEND.

NOW WE GO DOWN.

OKAY.

Narrator:
HALF A MILE ABOVE HIM,

MOGENS AND KOBE ARE ALSO
ON THEIR WAY DOWN.

JUST BELOW THE SUMMIT,

THEY PASS YANAGI
WHO'S STILL ON HIS WAY UP.

HIRO, HIRO, DO YOU COPY?

Narrator: AT 8:06 A.M.

YANAGI STEPS
ONTO THE SUMMIT OF EVEREST.

YEAH, HIRO.
WELL DONE.

WELL DONE TO ALL OF YOUR TEAM.

Narrator: YANAGI, THE QUIET
AND MODEST 71-YEAR-OLD,

HAS JUST CLIMBED
INTO THE RECORD BOOKS

AS THE OLDEST PERSON TO STAND ON
THE WORLD'S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Baber:
ISN'T THAT AMAZING?

HE'S LITERALLY DOUBLE MY AGE.
DOUBLE MY AGE.

IMAGINE YOU SEE YOUR GRANDDAD
AND YOU GO,

"WHAT'D YOU DO LAST WEEK,
GRANDDAD?"

"OH, I JUST CLIMBED EVEREST."

WHAT AN AMAZING THING.

HIRO, HIRO,
REMEMBER YOU'RE HALFWAY.

LET'S NOT STAY TOO LONG
BEFORE COMING DOWN.

OKAY.

Narrator: THE TEAM'S CHALLENGE
IS FAR FROM OVER.

CLIMBERS OVER 60 ARE 10 TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO DIE ON DESCENT

THAN A YOUNGER CLIMBER.

YANAGI HAS REACHED
THE SUMMIT LATE,

AND THE WEATHER IS CHANGING.

HIRO, YOU CAN'T STAY THERE
VERY LONG. OVER.

YEAH, ROGER, ROGER.

I THINK HIRO'S GOT A BIT
OF A JOB AHEAD OF HIM

AND ME, TOO.

Narrator: TIM SHOULD BE
ON HIS WAY DOWN BY NOW,

BUT, AS EVER, HE'S LATE.

WATCHING TIM COME DOWN,

I WAS SHOCKED.

REAL SHOCKED AT HOW
LITTLE EXPERIENCE HE HAS.

Narrator: TIM STILL HASN'T TOLD
RUSSELL HOW BAD HIS HAND IS

AND THAT USING THE FIXED ROPES
IS AGONIZING.

HALF A MILE ABOVE,

MOGENS HAS PASSED THE THIRD STEP
ON HIS DESCENT.

THE SAFETY ROPES
MAKE IT POSSIBLE

FOR AMATEURS TO CLIMB EVEREST,

BUT ONE OF THE ROPES AHEAD
OF MOGENS HAS COME LOOSE,

AND RUSSELL ASKS HIS TEAM
TO FIX IT.

PITONS ARE PEGS JAMMED
INTO THE ROCK.

THE LIVES OF ALL THE CLIMBERS
DEPEND ON THEM.

WHILE YANAGI AND HIS GUIDE HIRO
MOVE SLOWLY DOWN THE SNOW SLOPE,

MOGENS IS HAVING TROUBLE
AT THE SECOND STEP.

IT MIGHT BE A LADDER
HE'S STEPPING ONTO,

BUT THERE'S A LONG WAY TO FALL
IF HE MISSES.

AND BECAUSE OF HIS OXYGEN MASK,
MOGENS CAN'T SEE HIS FEET.

[ BREATHING HEAVILY ]

Narrator: HE'S MADE IT

AND IS CONFIDENT THE WORST
IS NOW OVER.

FINALLY, TIM ARRIVES AT CAMP 1.

WE'RE GETTING READY TO LEAVE.
IS EVERYTHING OKAY?

ABOUT [BLEEP] TIME.

OKAY?

MAN.

YOU'RARE YOU?CLIMBER,
WHAT?

I WAS WATCHING YOU
THROUGH THE TELESCOPE.

COMING DOWN?
YEAH.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
YOUR HANDS ARE COLD.

YOU TRY CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST
UP AND DOWN WITH A BROKEN HAND.

TRY IT. OKAY?

AT LEAST YOU CAN'T HIT ME.

YOU SON OF A BITCH.

MOGENS IS JUST BEHIND YOU.
HE'LL CATCH UP TO YOU SOON.

I BET.

PUT OXYGEN ON THAT GUY.
FORGET ABOUT IT.

NO, HE'S STRUGGLING.

HE'S STRUGGLING.

Narrator:
JUST BELOW THE SECOND STEP,

MOGENS IS NEGOTIATING A NARROW
AND TREACHEROUS PATHWAY.

A SHEER CLIFF TO THE RIGHT

AND A MILE-AND-A-HALF DROP
TO THE LEFT.

THIS IS WHERE TIM HAD
A TERRIFYING FALL LAST YEAR.

Medvetz: THE MOST NERVE-RACKING
ADRENALINE RUSH

YOU CAN EVER FEEL.

ANY MOMENT, YOU CAN DROP,

AND YOU BETTER PRAY THAT ROPE
HOLDS YOU OR YOU WILL DIE.

Narrator:
MOGENS' CARELESS TECHNIQUE

IS WORRYING SHERPA DORJI.

THE SLIGHTEST MISTAKE
COULD BE FATAL.

MOGENS' LIFE HAS JUST BEEN SAVED
BY A HALF-INCH PIECE OF ROPE.

THE PITON HE WAS HANGING ON
PULLED OUT OF THE ROCK,

AND HE'S FALLEN 15 FEET
DOWN THE SIDE OF EVEREST.

IF THE REMAINING PITONS
HAD FAILED,

HE WOULD HAVE CARRIED ON
FALLING AND FALLING.

SHERPA DORJI TRIES TO PUT
THE PITON BACK.

MOGENS IS SO SHAKEN BY HIS FALL
HE CAN BARELY MOVE.

HE'S IN SHOCK
AND IN THE DEATH ZONE.

IF HIS SHERPA
CAN'T GET HIM MOVING,

HE'S A DEAD MAN.

Narrator:
RECORD-BREAKING YANAGI

HAS BEEN ON THE SUMMIT
FOR HALF AN HOUR,

AND RUSSELL IS GETTING WORRIED
ABOUT THE 71-YEAR-OLD.

ROGER, ROGER.

Narrator: THEY'RE THE LAST
OF RUSSELL'S CLIMBERS

TO START THE DESCENT,

AND BECAUSE OF YANAGI'S AGE,
THERE'S A HIGH RISK OF DISASTER.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATION ]

I'M HAPPY THAT THEY MADE IT,

BUT, STILL,
THEY HAVE TO MAKE IT DOWN.

Narrator: MOGENS AND HIS SHERPA
FINALLY START RETREATING

DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.

THEY SOON CATCH UP
WITH TEAMMATES KOBE AND TAKE.

YANAGI AND HIRO ARE NEARLY DOWN
THE SECOND STEP,

BUT THEY'RE MOVING SLOWLY.

RECENT RESEARCH HAS REVEALED

A QUARTER OF CLIMBERS
AGED OVER 60

DIE COMING DOWN FROM THE SUMMIT.

YANAGI WOULD HAVE BETTER ODDS
PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE.

THEY MUST KEEP DESCENDING.

800 FEET BELOW,
MOGENS AND HIS SHERPA, DORJI,

ARE ARRIVING AT CAMP 4.

YEAH!

HEY!

Narrator: NEXT TO REACH CAMP 4
IS YOUNG KOBE.

DOWN AT THE SANCTUARY
OF ADVANCED BASE CAMP,

BIG TIM IS ARRIVING
TO A HERO'S WELCOME.

YEAH!

[ CLANGING ]

YAY!

[ LAUGHS ]

HOORAY!

COME HERE.

CONGRATS, MAN.

IT'S NICE TO GET IT DONE,
ISN'T IT?

[ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: TIM'S CONVINCED
HE'S BROKEN HIS HAND,

BUT OTHERS AREN'T SO SURE.

LET'S SEE THIS BROKEN HAND,
BIG BOY.

CAN YOU --
DO YOU HAVE SCISSORS?

MM-HMM.

AAH!

HEY!

WHOA, THAT'S SO BETTER.
SO MUCH NICER.

OHH!

LOOKS LIKE A YETI'S HAND.

AAH, AAH, OHH.

CUT, CUT, CUT!
JUST CUT THAT FINGER THING.

[ MOANING ]

YOU MIGHT HAVE BROKEN YOUR HAND,
SWEETIE.

I TOLD YOU I BROKE IT.

Narrator:
AGAINST ALL ODDS,

BIG TIM SUMMITED THE HIGHEST
MOUNTAIN IN THE WORLD

WITH TWO BROKEN BONES
IN HIS HAND.

OHH.

Narrator: HIGH ABOVE, YANAGI
AND HIRO MAKE IT TO CAMP 4.

HIRO, HIRO, DO YOU COPY?

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TELL ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO
STAND ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD.

Narrator: YANAGI IS IN
A PRECARIOUS POSITION.

HE'S STILL IN THE DEATH ZONE,
ILL AND EXHAUSTED.

IT'S JUST THE TOP.

HERE.

WHAT HAVE YOU BROKEN BEFORE?

MY HAND.
ON THIS SIDE?

JUST MY FINGERS.

HOW WAS LAST NIGHT?

IT WAS THROBBING ALL NIGHT,
BUT WE SLEPT LIKE A ROCK.

AAH! OHH!

OHH!

COME ON, MAN.
DON'T FILM THIS PART.

SHE LIKES INFLICTING PAIN.
SHE REALLY DOES, DOESN'T SHE?

AAH! OHH!

OHH!

DOC, I HAVE A SERIOUS
MEDICAL QUESTION TO ASK YOU.

I'M A RIGHTY.

HOW AM I GONNA WIPE MY BUTT
TONIGHT?

YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ASK SOMEONE
TO HELP YOU.

IS THAT PART OF A DOCTOR'S...
NO.

DO YOU HAVE A NURSE?
NO.

NO?
NO.

DO YOU HAVE A BEDPAN?
NO.

IT'S YOUR PROBLEM.

[ LAUGHTER ]

UNBELIEVABLE.

THE JOB OF AN EVEREST DOCTOR
IS VERY DEMANDING.

AAH! OHH!

OHH!

LIKE THAT.

OH, YOU DID THAT
ON PURPOSE.

AAH!

THANKS, DOC.

Narrator: 10 HOURS AFTER
STANDING ON THE SUMMIT,

A TRIUMPHANT MOGENS ARRIVES
AT ADVANCED BASE CAMP.

[ CLANGING ]

FIVE YEARS OF EVEREST
DOMINATING HIS LIFE ARE OVER.

WELCOME BACK.

THANKS.

GOOD JOB.

[BLEEP] RIGHT.

BUT FIRST OF ALL,

CREDITS TO THE SHERPAS,
ESPECIALLY TO DORJI, MY SHERPA.

HE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB
ENCOURAGING,

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING HIM
AROUND IS AMAZING.

WE DID IT, BUDDY.

[ LAUGHS ]

YO, MAN.

YOU BROKE
YOUR [BLEEP] HAND?

YOU CRAZY [BLEEP]

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO, MAN?
YEAH.

MY BROTHER
FROM ANOTHER MOTHER.

GO AND HAVE A BEER, MAN.
YEAH, EXACTLY.

HEY, GIVE THIS MAN A BEER.

Narrator:
BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN,

KOBE HAS ARRIVED AT CAMP 1
IN AWE OF YANAGI'S SUCCESS.

BUT YANAGI IS STILL
BATTLING HIS WAY DOWN.

KOBE IS WORRIED ABOUT HOW LONG
HE'S BEEN AT EXTREME ALTITUDE.

KOBE DECIDES TO WAIT AT CAMP 1
FOR YANAGI,

BUT THE WEATHER IS TURNING.

AND IT SOON BECOMES CLEAR

HIS MENTOR
ISN'T GOING TO ARRIVE.

HE SCRAPED INTO CAMP 3
HALF A MILE ABOVE

AND ISN'T GOING ANY FURTHER.

FOR YANAGI TO SPEND
A THIRD NIGHT AT HIGH ALTITUDE

COULD BE FATAL.

Narrator: JAPANESE CLIMBER
KOBE'S LONG VIGIL HAS ENDED

WHEN AN EXHAUSTED YANAGI COMES
INTO SIGHT.

HEY!

Narrator: KOBE IS RELIEVED,
BUT YANAGI IS SUFFERING.

HE AND HIS GUIDE, HIRO, HAD
A GRUELING NIGHT AT CAMP 3.

VERY DANGEROUS.

Narrator: YANAGI'S EXTRAORDINARY
ACHIEVEMENT HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL.

[ COUGHING ]

Narrator: BUT YANAGI
IS RELUCTANT TO LEAVE.

[ EXHALES SLOWLY ]

Narrator: HIRO TRIES TO
PERSUADE YANAGI TO DESCEND.

HIRO CALLS ADVANCED BASE CAMP.

HIRO TRIES EVERYTHING
TO GET YANAGI TO DESCEND.

AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION,

YANAGI AGREES THEY SHOULD GO
DOWN TO ADVANCED BASE CAMP.

BUT THEY'RE STILL 2,000 FEET

ABOVE THE SAFETY
OF ADVANCED BASE CAMP.

[ INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER ]

RUSSELL SCRAMBLES
HIS BEST SHERPAS

TO MEET THE JAPANESE CLIMBERS
HALFWAY.

EXPEDITION DOCTOR MONICA KNOWS
THEY'VE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

AT THIS ALTITUDE,
PEOPLE DON'T GET BETTER.

THEY GET WORSE.

SO, IT'S IN THEIR BEST INTEREST
TO GET THEM DOWN.

Narrator:
BUT IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD.

HIRO DOES HIS BEST TO HELP
YANAGI DOWN THE MOUNTAIN,

BUT BOTH MEN ARE EXHAUSTED.

71-YEAR-OLD YANAGI
IS STILL FAR FROM SAFETY,

AND THE DAYLIGHT IS FADING.

Narrator:
7:30 P.M., ADVANCED BASE CAMP.

THE TEAM WAIT ANXIOUSLY
FOR NEWS OF YANAGI.

EVENTUALLY, IT ARRIVES.

YOUNG KOBE HAS RUN AHEAD.

YANAGI AND HIRO-SAN
ARE COMING SOON.

YEAH, MAYBE...30 MINUTES,
20 MINUTES.

Narrator: RUSSELL'S SHERPAS
HAVE REACHED YANAGI

AND ARE NOW HELPING HIM HOME.

A RELIEVED KOBE ALLOWS HIMSELF
A SMALL CELEBRATION.

KOBE!

YEAH!

YES!

KOBE!

Narrator: AND AT 8:15,
YANAGI AND HIRO ARRIVE.

[ CLANGING ]

GOOD GOING, HUH?

Narrator:
THE BEWILDERED RECORD HOLDER

IS QUICKLY USHERED
INTO MONICA'S MEDICAL TENT.

[ SPEAKING JAPANESE ]

LEGS OKAY?

OKAY.

Narrator:
CLIMBING EVEREST AT AGE 71

HAS TAKEN A HUGE TOLL
ON YANAGI'S BODY,

BUT TO EVERYONE'S RELIEF,

IT SEEMS HE'S NO WORSE
THAN EXHAUSTED.

[ SPEAKING JAPANESE ]

NO MEDICINE.

WE JUST NEED
TO WATCH AND WAIT.

NEXT DAY, A LITTLE BETTER.

[ CLANGING ]

Narrator:
THE EXPEDITION IS OVER,

AND THE TEAM GATHERS
FOR ONE LAST MEETING.

[ INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS ]

SAFELY BACK AT BASE CAMP,

THIS IS THE CLIMBERS'
FIRST CHANCE

TO REFLECT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES.

YOU KNOW, LIKE A FAIRY-TALE --
THE FINAL STEPS.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE
YOU'RE REALLY THERE.

YOU JUST HAVE THE IMMENSELY
STRONG FEELING INSIDE OF YOU

THAT THIS IS JUST
SOMETHING MAGICAL --

A SPECIAL MOMENT OF MY LIFE.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL UP HERE!

THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU SIT DOWN
AND YOU'RE ON TOP OF THE WORLD,

GOT A LITTLE GLASSY-EYED, MAN.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, MAN,
I JUST FELT A TEAR DROP,

ROLL DOWN MY CHEEK.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

I GOT UP THERE,
AND I FELT BRILLIANT.

YIPPEE DA-DOO!

I JUST FELT REALLY,
REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

DA-DA! DONE IT!

BUT I TELL YOU WHAT.

I'M NEVER GONNA DO IT AGAIN,
EVER!

GOOD JOB.

CHEERS.

SO, AS IT TURNED OUT,

YANAGISAWA-SAN IS ACTUALLY
THE OLDEST EVEREST SUMMITER.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

OOH!

Brice: HE CLIMBED EVEREST
IN A PRETTY AMAZING EFFORT.

I'M PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH HIM.

THIS COULDN'T HAPPEN
TO A BETTER MAN.

KAMIKAZE!

[ CHEERING AND APPLAUSE ]

DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASU.

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
HELP, AND I AM VERY HAPPY."

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

THANK YOU!

Narrator: YANAGI,
LIKE ALL OF THE CLIMBERS,

KNOWS THAT THE REAL HEROES
ON EVEREST ARE THE SHERPAS.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

WITHOUT THEM,
YOU CAN'T GET TO THE SUMMIT.

I KNOW THAT FOR SURE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Narrator: THIS SEASON, OVER
500 PEOPLE REACHED THE SUMMIT.

AND SEVEN DIED TRYING.

A GOOD YEAR ON EVEREST.

CONSIDERING THE WEATHER
THIS YEAR

AND THE QUALITY OF THE ROUTE
ON THE MOUNTAIN,

I AM QUITE SURPRISED

THAT THERE WERE
SO MANY FATALITIES THIS YEAR.

YEAH, I SHED A TEAR
FOR ALL OF US.

IT'S NOT NICE.

Narrator: AS RUSSELL'S CAMP
IS PACKED AWAY,

THE CLIMBERS PREPARE TO RETURN
TO THEIR HOMES AND FAMILIES.

FOR MOGENS, THAT MEANS PLANNING
HIS WEDDING NEXT YEAR.

Jensen: I ACTUALLY THINK
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN LIFE

IS, YOU KNOW, GETTING MARRIED.
STARTING A FAMILY,

MAYBE EVEN BIGGER
THAN CLIMBING THIS ONE.

BUT WE'LL SEE IF I HAVE
THE BALLS TO DO THAT.

I THINK I DO.

Narrator: BIG TIM HAS A VERY
DIFFERENT SORT OF CHALLENGE

IN MIND.

DOWN TO THE BEACHES OF THAILAND

AND LAY ON MY HAMMOCK
FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

[ LAUGHS ]

AND THEN FIGURE IT OUT.

Narrator: AFTER THE LOWS
AND HIGHS OF EVEREST,

NONE OF THESE MEN
WILL EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

Ziel:
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M AT

IS I CAN SAY WHEN I ULTIMATELY
GO TO MY GRAVE,

I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE WRITTEN
ON MY HEADSTONE

"HE TRIED,
BUT HE COULDN'T DO IT."

Medvetz:
AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS MUCH.

I KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT MYSELF.

IT'S DEFINITELY HUMBLED ME.

THIS MOUNTAIN THROWS EVERYTHING
AT YOU, MAN.

IT TESTS YOU MENTALLY,
PHYSICALLY, SPIRITUALLY,

AND, IN THE END,

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF,

AND THAT'S WHAT I GOT
OUT OF THIS.

YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER FELT
MORE ALIVE IN MY LIFE.