Everest: Beyond the Limit : Program Highlights : Discovery Channel

Now or Never

Dr. Monica Piris Chavarri and Tim Medvetz

It's midnight on Summit Day 2. Asthmatic Mogens Jensen leaves Camp 4 on his fourth attempt to climb Everest. This time he's breathing bottled oxygen, "This is my last try at Everest," he says. "It's now or never." Conditions are perfect, and at 6.45 a.m. the Danish mountaineer finally makes the summit.

Also on his way to the top is 71-year-old Japanese climber Katsusuke Yanagisawa, who will be the oldest person ever to summit Everest if he makes it. He's moving well and before long he summits to the cheers of everyone at ABC.

But it's not over yet ... They've all got to get down.

Big Tim is still struggling down with his badly broken hand, which is so swollen he can't remove his glove. He's in extreme pain and to add to his difficulties he must use his broken hand to hold on to the safety ropes.

Mogens Jensen is thrilled to have summited and has passed the most dangerous parts of the downward climb when everything suddenly goes horribly wrong. An anchor point for the safety ropes gives way and Mogens is left dangling over an 8,000-foot drop. His Sherpa hauls him to safety, but Mogens is badly shaken and clings to the rock face before summoning up the courage get moving again. "If it wasn’t for the rope, I'd be dead now," he says. "I tell you I almost crapped my pants."

As the rest of the team wait at ABC, watching Team 2 through telescopes, Tim finally arrives. Expedition doctor Monica Piris cuts off his glove and it becomes clear how badly broken his hand really is.

Rod Baber is also suffering. He took his goggles off at the summit and is suffering the consequences. He's gone snow-blind in one eye.

Russell is also becoming increasingly concerned about Katsusuke Yanagisawa. He's moving very slowly and it looks like he might have suffered a stroke. He's so exhausted he can only come down one camp at a time and it's three days before he finally makes it back to Advance Base Camp to wild applause and congratulations.

Another climbing season is over and everyone on the expedition who tried for the summit has made it, but seven other climbers died. Once again, questions are raised about the wisdom of letting amateurs try to climb Everest.

"When it's vicious here it's terrible," says Russell, "and I think we've got a lot of people around who have absolutely no idea just how bad the weather can be, and how vicious Everest can be."

PHOTO: Dr. Monica Piris Chavarri must use scissors to cut the glove off Tim Medvetz's broken hand post summit

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