Pretty Scary with Clair Buckley
Sep 4, 2026 · 49 min · 25 segments
For years, Mount Everest has been seen as the ultimate test of human endurance - a mountain where reaching the summit can become the achievement of a lifetime. But in May 1996, a group of climbers set…
Clair BuckleyHost
For many years, Mount Everest has been seen as the ultimate test of human endurance.
And in May 1996, a group of climbers set out believing that they had the experience, the guides and all the preparation to make it safely to the top.
What they didn't know was that within hours, a series of small decisions and unexpected changes would turn their journey into a fight for survival.
Although all this does matter, this mountain can change your journey in a matter of minutes.
And when an unpredicted situation arises, when you are so far above the ground, where the air is thin, the temperatures are below human survival, This isn't just about climbing.
Decisions made on Everest can be a decision between life and death and today we are going to talk about one of those journeys.
A journey that started with excitement, determination and teamwork but ended in one of the most unpredictable and deadliest days the mountain has ever seen.
People from all over the world make the long trip to base camp to begin their own journey up to the peak of the world's highest mountain.
Seen as the greatest achievement for any keen climber or accomplished outdoors men and women, Nepal's Mount Everest has long been the ultimate challenge.
For anyone who hikes or climbs mountains, its peak stands at 29,000 feet above sea level.
The first to reach the summit and return safely was a New Zealand climber named Edmund Hillary along with his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in May 1953.
A Sherpa, for those of you who don't know, is a member of an ethnic group native to the mountainous regions of Nepal and Tibet.
They are renowned for their elite mountaineering skills and their genetic adaptations to high altitudes.
On Mount Everest, Sherpas serve as the essential guides, route setters and load carriers who make commercial ascents possible.
They carry people to safety when disaster strikes, making multiple trips up and down the mountain, making sure oxygen tanks are available and setting ropes and ladders in place.
For many years, Mount Everest has been seen as the ultimate test of human endurance.
And in May 1996, a group of climbers set out believing that they had the experience, the guides and all the preparation to make it safely to the top.
What they didn't know was that within hours, a series of small decisions and unexpected changes would turn their journey into a fight for survival.
Although all this does matter, this mountain can change your journey in a matter of minutes.
And when an unpredicted situation arises, when you are so far above the ground, where the air is thin, the temperatures are below human survival, This isn't just about climbing.
Decisions made on Everest can be a decision between life and death and today we are going to talk about one of those journeys.
A journey that started with excitement, determination and teamwork but ended in one of the most unpredictable and deadliest days the mountain has ever seen.
People from all over the world make the long trip to base camp to begin their own journey up to the peak of the world's highest mountain.
Seen as the greatest achievement for any keen climber or accomplished outdoors men and women, Nepal's Mount Everest has long been the ultimate challenge.
For anyone who hikes or climbs mountains, its peak stands at 29,000 feet above sea level.
The first to reach the summit and return safely was a New Zealand climber named Edmund Hillary along with his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in May 1953.
A Sherpa, for those of you who don't know, is a member of an ethnic group native to the mountainous regions of Nepal and Tibet.
They are renowned for their elite mountaineering skills and their genetic adaptations to high altitudes.
On Mount Everest, Sherpas serve as the essential guides, route setters and load carriers who make commercial ascents possible.
They carry people to safety when disaster strikes, making multiple trips up and down the mountain, making sure oxygen tanks are available and setting ropes and ladders in place.
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