Greg Hill: Manaslu Avalanche 2012

VIMFF Ski-Mountaineering Show
Saturday, February 9, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30 pm)
Centennial Theatre MAP
Buy Tickets Here

The Himalayas are a must visit on any adventurers list and Greg Hill finally traveled there this fall.  Trekking through Nepal was like traveling back in time, wandering through small communities a cultural pleasure. Greg's teams first objective was Mera peak, a 6500 m mountain; this wild 65 km trek to a great ski descent was a good way to acclimatize.  Initially his team had plans to climb and ski Cho Oyu, the easiest of the 8000 m mountains. The Tibet border was closed so his team had to change their objective to Manaslu, the 4th most deadly of the 8000m mountains. This change in plan was acceptable as long as Greg stuck to his strict code of mountain sense.
They arrived at Manaslu acclimatized and ready to ski and were quickly up to 7000m enjoying some great powder turns and thinking that the summit attempt was not far away. Then they were pinned down at base camp by a 7 day snow storm.  When they emerged from their tents it was to a much more crowded base camp with up to 300 climbers attempting the same ascent.  Having to assume more risk on a harder mountain it seemed obvious that the probability of a disaster was large.
Then on September 23 at 4:45 am Greg's team was awoken by a blast of wind from an avalanche that thundered down the mountain 200m away from their tent spot. 30 people were caught sleeping in their tents, 12 people died and Greg's team were the first people on site. After the rescue Greg had to leave the mountains to reflect on the event and learn as much as he could from it.
As in all these events there is a lot that can be taken from it and applied to future decisions, Greg will take us on a narrated video journey through the Himalayas and into the rescue that day. His self analysis allows him to reflect on the mistakes he was making and lessons he learned that day. Come and learn these first hand for yourselves and apply them to your mountain decisions.

Greg Hill
Known in the ski mountaineering community as ‘two mil Hill’ for his astonishing feat of skiing over two million feet in one year under his own steam, Greg Hill returns to VIMFF with his riveting tale of survival on Manaslu (8156, 8th highest mountain in the world). On September 22, 2012, a huge serac fall triggered a massive avalanche near the top of the mountain which obliterated Camp II and killed several high altitude mountaineers. Hill was one of the first responders on the scene, and this will be his debut Vancouver lecture on a sobering and uncomfortable topic.