The Reunion

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Series which reunites a group of people intimately involved in a moment of modern history

The Reunion: The 1996 Mount Everest disaster

The 1996 Mount Everest disaster

BBC Radio 4 - The Reunion, The 1996 Mount Everest disaster

The events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster are recalled with Kirsty Wark.

Kirsty Wark brings together those caught up in the storm on Mount Everest in May 1996, where eight people died.

Reaching the summit of Everest is a lifelong ambition for many mountaineers. But climbing the world's highest mountain requires years of gruelling training and costs a significant amount of money. There are also deadly dangers along the way, from avalanches to altitude sickness. 

Since Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary first reached the summit in 1953, dozens of commercial outfits have emerged promising to take clients to one of the most inaccessible places on Earth. Thousands of climbers have succeeded, but many have failed or even died in the process.

In the spring of 1996, hundreds of people were trying to reach the summit of Everest. Among them was Rob Hall, a New Zealand mountain guide leading an international expedition of paying clients, and another team led by the American Scott Fischer. Both men were accomplished mountaineers who were well-respected in the industry. 

But a deadly storm enveloped the upper slopes of the mountain, and eight climbers died during a 48-hour period in May 1996 - including Scott Fischer and Rob Hall. 

In this episode, Kirsty is joined by:
Lene Gammelgaard, a mountaineer who was a client on Scott Fischer’s expedition team. 
Helen Wilton, basecamp manager with Rob Hall’s expedition team.
Leader of the Taiwanese expedition team Makalu Gau who survived the night near the summit of Everest. 
Neil Laughton, a mountaineer who was near the summit when the storm hit.
British mountaineer Alan Hinkes who was attempting to summit from the North Side of Everest with a team that included actor Brian Blessed. 
Mike Trueman, a British mountaineer who helped coordinate the rescue effort from base camp.  

Voiceover actor for Makalu Gau: Windson Liong 
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Series Producer: David Prest
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