Regarding the reaction to my original post, and rather than replying in
each sub-thread, I thought I'd start a new one with a consolidated reply.
At the end of the talk, Cathy O'Dowd was questioned - face-to-face by
members of the audience - not a TV interviewer with editing facilities -
about aspects of the controversy that surrounds her and her climbing
past, particularly Everest 1996 and 1998.
Personally, I thought her answers were honest and forthright. She
answered everything she was asked and didn't fudge, like many do under
the pressure of questions. Whether you think her actions - or inactions
- around Everest 1996/98 are 'right' or not is up to you, but there are
some specific points she made :
1. The point regarding the 'refusal' of the SA team to hand over radios,
as described in 'Into Thin Air'. Jon Krakauer was not at Base Camp, nor
was he in the SA team tent. His version is refuted by O'Dowd and Woodall
and crucially, Mal Duff. Mal was the person that actually spoke to
Woodall on the radio, after the SA team had received a garbled call from
an unknown person, ordering them to give the radio to another unknown
party. The SA team asked who was co-ordinating the rescue, indeed who
was involved in the rescue, and what was the rescue plan - this was not
clear to anyone. Woodall asked to speak to Mal Duff, who came on the
radio and suggested that the SA team keep their radio as a means of
communication between Base Camp and the higher camp. This is not
mentioned anywhere in 'Into Thin Air'. Krakauer later admitted that his
book contained inaccuracies due to editorial time pressure.
2. Fran Arsentiev - when Cathy O'Dowd found Fran, her and her team
stayed with her for an hour whilst they tried to decide what to do. They
sought the help of 3 Uzbeks who had made the decision that Fran was gone
already. They tried and failed to make radio contact with Base Camp.
They assessed that there was little they could do - she would require
all of their oxygen just to stay alive a little longer - she was a dead
weight that could not be managed at that altitude by their team and the
Sherpas. She was in the last stages of extreme hypothermia, as had
removed much of her clothing, with severe frostbite as a result.
They decided that they could not continue to the summit and carry on, as
the Japanese had done to the dying Indian climbers earlier that month,
however they concluded that they could not save her life.
3. During the 1996 storm, when news of missing descending climbers
reached their tent, the South Africans DID attempt to help. Herrod and
Woodall left the tents to mount a search. O'Dowd was too weak to even
get up, let alone leave the tent following the exertions of reaching the
camp. She asserts that if she had tried to 'rescue' anyone at that
point, she would be another that would be needed to be rescued, and
would have probably died herself.
Someone posted that they would not want to be on a mountain with me, as
I'd posted positively about Cathy O'Dowd, and because I found her to be
inspirational.
Well, her talk included, as well as her explanation and viewpoint of the
tragedies of 1996, why she got into climbing and adventure in the first
place and how she sets about attempting feats that others would have
written her off for, and what is required to achieve these goals. All of
this, I found to be highly inspirational for my own goals. Also, I
believe that she answers her critics honestly and truthfully.
Whether, because of this, you don't want to be on a mountain with me,
well that's up to you. My guess is that you have jumped to the
assumption that, because of my views on the above, I would leave you to
rot in a sticky situation.
Thankfully, my walking/climbing friends are not so prejudiced - well,
they know me I suppose.
You don't know.
Cheers,
Steve