There is a mystique aura surrounding Mount Everest. Standing tall at 8848m above sea level, the highest peak in the world is a sign of tragedy and triumph. The allure of standing tall on the peak of Everest has driven thousands to strive for the ultimate pinnacle of human achievement.

Reaching the summit is a feat only the bravest can comprehend. In a portal back to the past, a YouTube video spoke about the tragic disappearance of two legendary British climbers, who aimed to do the impossible.

The ugly side of the Mount Everest summit quest

The video uploaded on YouTube by the channel “Mountainclimbing Channel” was a gripping throwback to the disappearance of Peter Boardman and Joe Tasker, two mountaineering legends. The duo were part of an expedition and were determined to set out for the summit using the ‘unclimbed ridge’ on the northeast side of the mountain. Failing to make the two scheduled radio call made the crew believe they had lost them but a telescope sighting confirmed the duo were still climbing.

It was around 9pm when the crew lost all sight of them. Their crew set out on a climb to the ‘North Col’ for better sight of the duo’s path. They tried for three days but to no success. Returning to London 10 days later, the expedition manager Chris Bonington spoke to the media completely distraught and at a loss for words. The manager in his report mentioned, “‘It was inconceivable that they could have remained out of sight four nights and five days, unless some disaster occurred, particularly at that altitude, where the human body deteriorates very quickly, especially as they were not using oxygen.”

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Post-mortem of the tragic disappearance

According to the crew members, they were missing for over 10 days 27000ft above sea level, making survival next to impossible and miraculous. They failed to locate their bodies, and the disappearance remained a mystery. After 1982, several expeditions set out for the summit using the North Ridge, but they failed to reach the high point made by the legendary duo.

Nearly a decade after the incident, a Japanese-Kazakh expedition set out for the North Ridge but failed to reach the summit. On their way back, they discovered a body beyond the second pinnacle. They sent photos to Chris Bonington, who later confirmed the body was Peter Boardman, but Joe Tasker’s disappearance remained unsolved.

During the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s, the iconic duo was at the forefront of mountaineering, creating a lasting impact. With their incredible effort and creative strategies, they revolutionized the sport. 

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