Dying for Everest

The death of Englishman David Sharp in May 2006 as he attempted to reach the summit of Mt Everest thrust the debate surrounding commercial high altitude guiding firmly back onto the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Mark Inglis, who had passed Sharp on the way up the mountain claimed that he and other mountaineers tried to assist but there was little that could be done to save Sharp. The world’s media latched onto these comments giving Mark Inglis and his fellow climbers little opportunity to defend themselves. But Inglis has his own story to tell. So too does his climbing companion, veteran Himalayan guide and cameraman Mark Whetu. Whetu lost his toes and nearly his own life trying to rescue his friend Mike Rheinburger from the summit of Everest over a decade before. So who is right? In Dying for Everest we hear their stories and witness the strange effect Everest has on the rules of survival and the morality of climbing in the Death Zone.