i have a lot of experience of expeditions in this area... so i'm raising what I think are valid questions... If you guys are so informed, then tell me, save the personal insults. if the questions don't dignify you answering then don't answer them...

I just watched the TV show First Ascent on NGC about the attempt to climb "Mt. Edgar" in Sichuan Province, China.

At the end of the show, I was really shocked and saddened to find that the guys died. However all the way through the show, I was thinking - "is this for real?"

I'm going to add some comments for debate... my comments by no means dishonour the guys that died but my intention is rather to raise questions.

After all, as we know, when we find ourselves in precarious situations we can often look back and see that the outcome was a series of red flags that we either chose to ignore or just couldn't see.

Firstly, I'd like to say that my only knowledge of their expedition is from the show only. So, it can hardly be described as extensive, but seeing as the show was made by the close friends of the guys that died, we can pretty much surmise that they were represented in a realistic way... so, all my assumptions are based on what I saw on the show.

Secondly, I want to say that I know Kham (Western China or eastern Tibet) better than most, and although I'm not a mountaineer i've trekked these areas a lot and have experience with these volatile mountains.

So... my first point... in the documentary, the guys were talking about the amount of research they were doing for the climb and it showed them looking at books in the library or studying close up pictures of the face trying to find climbing lines etc. All good research, but I can't believe that they didn't go recce the mountain before hand. In fact, it was folly that they didn't do any kind of recce before hand and ultimately lead to their demise Maybe they did, but it certainly didn't represent this in the show and it seemed to emphasize that really they had no clue about the actual conditions of the mountain or even how to get there.
If they'd done a proper recce of the area, say a year in advance, they could have staked out a few camps and seen what kind of climatic conditions they experienced during the season they intended to climb. instead they parked themselves basically at the mercy of the mountains with no idea what the mountain was capable of and when.

A good recce would have also left them with the sense of just how volatile these mountains are in May and June. The weather is just starting to warm up, wet air masses of the monsoon begin to sweep in making the conditions really unstable. Who advised them that it would be a good time to climb? I think the fact that their weather, and the weather experienced by the rescue teams confirms this. When I was watching the show I was thinking, "Why are they climbing now, wont that be dangerous?" Don't get me wrong, I dunno what the best time would be, if there ever is.... but that unstable time between spring and summer on such a precipitous face seemed to be a little ill-advised. I would have recommended early Autumn - much calmer, stiller, rain is lighter, most of the unstable snow has gone from the summer heat... Look at the Tibetans, they do a lot of high altitude koras in the general area (walking around holy mountains) and they do it in the autumn, because it's safer and more stable.

Once on the mountain, i have to say, that the guys behaviour wasn't suitable for what they were about to do. When I was watching the show, I didn't know the guys actually died... but when I saw them dicking around, drinking and basically acting like they were on a beach I said to my wife, "I don't think they deserve to get up this mountain." Of course at the end when they died, I felt really bad... but the point still remains... these mountains deserve the utmost respect, most of them have some sacred element to them and many of the locals believe that deities and spirits reside there. Now, I'm not preaching superstition here, just commenting that these places are insanely wild and fitness, skill and bravado aren't the only qualities you need to survive in these places, you also need humbleness and deference. Again, maybe they did act like this, but it certainly wasn't represented in the show and their mates made the show. Any local, watching the show would not be surprised that they didn't make it off the mountain.

My next point, i admit I may not be up to date on.... but I'll make it anyway. These guys were Alpinist, attempting to complete the first ascent of Edgar, Alpine style.
Now, I have a little experience climbing, but not a lot, but the Alps, are all under or around 4000m. Edgar is 6800, this isn't something that should be tackled onsight, Alpine style. These faces demand ultimate respect, which I think they lacked in their plan. I think if they'd have recced the place they'd have realized that it really wasn't feasible to attempt something like this in the way they planned. Yes, i know, we've had solo climbs of all the 8000m peaks, so it is possible for 3 guys to summit a 6800, but the peaks in Kham are a breed un-to themselves. There's a good reason why most of them are unclimbed, because they're shear, gnarly and incredibly unstable. Just take a look at the failed attempt to climb Kawa Karpo, 15 people wiped out at basecamp at 5500m. Over on Everest you have tourist trudging up to 5500m all the time, in fact you have sherpas dragging business men to the top. In Kham, at 5500m you're in an unstable death zone that hardly anyone fears to tred.... the conditions couldn't be more different and I think the guys would have seen this if they'd recced it properly.

To conclude, I think the guys got the entire expedition wrong, they underestimated the mountain and the area, and their lack of on sight knowledge basically cancelled out all of their previous extensive experience. In reality, when it cam down to it, they were in way over their heads. They committed to the mountain too early and in return the mountain committed to them.
Their foray up to advance basecamp should have been done on a different trip. So they could assses the situation and not be so committed. instead, they trekked all their gear into a place that was inherently unstable at that time of the year. They had no idea how the mountain could behave, and oblivious to this kept on trekking in more and more gear.

As you can see, the show affected me a lot, and I hope by writing this a discussion could open up and the mistakes of the past not be repeated again. I know that eastern Tibet is now becoming very popular with climbers who want to do some first ascents, and all I can advise is that this region should be treated as a separate area with it's own rules and demands. Just because you've done 8000m in the Himalayas, north faces in the Alps and the highest peaks in the Rockies doesn't mean that you can just rock up to Kham and bag yourself a 6500m+ first ascent.

These mountains are Alive and Ferocious!

Richard
p.s check out my Tibet site www.tibettreking.org

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My next point, i admit I may not be up to date on.... but I'll make it anyway. These guys were Alpinist, attempting to complete the first ascent of Edgar, Alpine style.
Now, I have a little experience climbing, but not a lot, but the Alps, are all under or around 4000m. Edgar is 6800, this isn't something that should be tackled onsight, Alpine style. These faces demand ultimate respect, which I think they lacked in their plan. I think if they'd have recced the place they'd have realized that it really wasn't feasible to attempt something like this in the way they planned. Yes, i know, we've had solo climbs of all the 8000m peaks, so it is possible for 3 guys to summit a 6800, but the peaks in Kham are a breed un-to themselves. There's a good reason why most of them are unclimbed, because they're shear, gnarly and incredibly unstable. Just take a look at the failed attempt to climb Kawa Karpo, 15 people wiped out at basecamp at 5500m. Over on Everest you have tourist trudging up to 5500m all the time, in fact you have sherpas dragging business men to the top. In Kham, at 5500m you're in an unstable death zone that hardly anyone fears to tred.... the conditions couldn't be more different and I think the guys would have seen this if they'd recced it properly.