Mount Everest North Side Expedition
 

Mark Whetu, who nine year ago, spend the night out on Everest, appears to have done it again for his third time according to reports from New Zealand. We should be able to confirm Mark apparent summit in a few days.

However, Mark is maybe best known for the epic nine years ago on Everest that resulted in the movie, Mount Everest-Summit of Dreams. The movie chronicles the attempt of the American North Ridge Expedition to summit Mount Everest from the North Side during the Spring of 1994. The tape opens in Tibet and videos members of the expedition, capturing their reasons for being there and their hopes relative to Everest.

The video is not of the best quality because the sound is not synchronized with the speakers. Notwithstanding this technical problem, the video has some good shots of Everest and the daunting climb up. Unfortunately, the entire video has all the drama of a cereal commercial. Notwithstanding its lack of oomph, the video does have some solid moments.

One can see the yak train carrying loads up to Advanced Base Camp. The Sherpas prayer flag ceremony is likewise captured for posterity. Bad weather hammers the expedition on their climb to the North Col, preparing them for existence higher up on the mountain. The expedition struggles to reach Camp Five which is the gateway to the upper reaches of Everest. Only a handful of them make it, as they are hit by a raging gale.

At Camp Six, now in the death zone, a number of them turn back, unable to continue climbing in such inhospitable terrain. A few hardy souls continue. Cameraman Mark Whetu, a veteran Everest summiteer, continues on to the summit with Australian climber, Mike Rheinberger, who had climbed Everest six times before, but never before reached the summit.

Unfortunately, they summit as darkness desends and are forced to bivouac overnight just below the summit. Mike gets altitude sickness and is ultimately left behind. Having lost the struggle, he is never seen again. Mark Whetu barely makes it down, suffering from severe frost bite.

Review from Amazon: Mount Everest-Summit of Dreams