23-500: Adventure Consultants , formerly Hall and Ball Adventure Consultants , is a New Zealand-based adventure company that brings trekking and climbing groups to various locations. Founded by Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1991, it is known for its pioneering role in the commercialisation of Mount Everest and the 1996 Mount Everest climb during which eight people died , including Hall, a guide, and two Adventure Consultant clients. Prior to starting Adventure Consultants, Hall and Ball climbed
46-428: A high-altitude guiding business. Their company, Adventure Consultants , was incorporated in 1992 and quickly became a premier expedition guiding company. That year they guided six clients to the top of Everest. In October 1993, Gary Ball died of pulmonary edema on Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-highest mountain, leaving Hall to run Adventure Consultants on his own. By 1996, Hall had guided thirty-nine climbers up to
69-612: A story about the growing popularity of commercial expeditions to Everest. Shortly after midnight on 10 May 1996, the Adventure Consultants expedition began a summit attempt from Camp IV, atop the South Col . They were joined by climbers from Scott Fischer 's Mountain Madness company, as well as expeditions sponsored by the governments of Taiwan and India . The expeditions quickly encountered delays. Upon reaching
92-422: The 2015 Mount Everest avalanche , and they reported that people had been evacuated, including one Sherpa who was sent to Kathmandu Medical College . In the aftermath of the avalanche, Adventure Consultants worked to collect and donate to the victims of the disaster. Adventure Consultants experienced a great tragedy in the 2015 Avalanche, in which six Nepali employees died and another nine were injured. In response
115-460: The Hillary Step , the climbers discovered that no fixed line had been placed, and they were forced to wait for an hour while the guides installed the ropes (Rob nonetheless "fixed most of the mountain in 1996"). Since some 33 climbers were attempting to reach the summit on the same day, and Hall and Fischer had asked their climbers to stay within 150 m of each other, there were bottlenecks at
138-718: The Seven Summits in a seven-month time frame. Heavily covered by the media, they became celebrities in New Zealand. They undertook 47 expeditions together; their friendship was noted in the mountaineering world. Following the deaths of Ball and Hall, the company was purchased by Guy Cotter, who continued to operate the business. Gary Ball and Rob Hall founded Adventure Consultants in 1991, while based in New Zealand. They were famous New Zealand climbers that got attention for offering commercial trips to Mount Everest's summit. However, Gary died in 1993, and Hall in 1996, leaving
161-543: The Seven Summits , but upped the ante by ascending to the summits of all seven in seven months. They started with Everest in May, and climbed the last mountain, Antarctica 's Vinson Massif , on 12 December 1990, hours before the deadline. After this success they realised that to retain their sponsorships, each successive climb would have to be ever riskier and more spectacular, increasing the chances of an accident. Hall and Ball therefore decided to quit professional climbing and form
184-468: The British Empire , for services to mountaineering. Adventure Consultants' 1996 Everest expedition consisted of eight clients and three guides (Hall, Mike Groom, and Andy Harris). Among the clients was Jon Krakauer , a journalist on assignment from Outside magazine. Hall had brokered a deal with Outside ; he would guide one of their writers to the summit in exchange for advertising space and
207-533: The Hillary Step at 5:30 pm with water and supplementary oxygen. On 11 May, at 4:43 am, close to twelve hours after the blizzard had started, Hall radioed down and said that he was on the South Summit. He reported that Harris had reached the two men, but that Hansen had died sometime during the night and that Harris was missing as well. Hall was not breathing bottled oxygen, because his regulator
230-493: The book Into Thin Air , written by Jon Krakauer (who was actually on the expedition) and hearing it referenced in a highly acclaimed IMAX film, shot during the same disastrous climbing season, although the filmmakers summitted later in the season. In 1996, Hall also employed two Sherpa people , Ang Dorje Sherpa and Ngawang Norbu Sherpa who managed to survive. (see also List of people who died climbing Mount Everest ) Despite
253-669: The company coordinated aid to both its employees and other aid organisations in Nepal (because of widespread damage from the 2015 Nepal earthquake ). Some of the victims: Also: One of the charities Adventure Consultants set up was the Adventure Consultants Sherpa Future Fund, which helps provide education and other benefits to the children of those killed. Rob Hall Robert Edwin Hall NZBS MBE (14 January 1961 – 11 May 1996)
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#1732783969599276-506: The company to Guy Cotter. By the time of Rob's death, Rob had led 39 people to the summit of Mount Everest. Rob Hall's friend and climbing partner Gary Ball died in his arms on 8,167m Dhaulagiri in October 1993. Ball had come down with a case of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) at six and a half kilometres altitude. Despite this loss, Hall went on to lead a highly successful expedition to Mount Everest in 1994 with Ed Viesturs . This
299-538: The disaster in the spring 1996 and the death of Rob Hall, the company already had clients for a Cho Oyu expedition. Rather than cancel, Guy Cotter took over and successfully led the Cho Oyu expedition in the autumn of 1996. The company guided a climb on the Matterhorn . Another peak they have offered guided climbs on is Carstensz Pyramid . The pyramid has noted difficulties that have to be navigated when getting to
322-438: The mountain. One route is through jungle, although some have tried to go through a nearby mine only to be taken prisoner, caged in a metal box, and escaping only after paying a bribe. By 2013 the company had led 19 expeditions to Mount Everest. Cotter suggested an "Everest ID" for each climber at this time, basically like a snow-pass for Mount Everest. Adventure Consultants was contacted for information about hurt climbers during
345-610: The move to replace British bravery awards with an indigenous New Zealand Bravery system. The medal, which may be awarded posthumously, is granted in recognition of "acts of outstanding bravery in situations of danger". The medal is primarily a civilian award, but it is also awarded to members of the armed forces who perform acts of bravery in non-operational circumstances (given that the New Zealand gallantry awards may only be awarded "while involved in war and warlike operational service (including peacekeeping)". Bars are awarded to
368-570: The scene, he sent the Sherpas down to assist the other clients, and stated that he would remain to help Hansen, who had run out of supplementary oxygen. At 5:00 pm, a blizzard struck the Southwest Face of Everest, diminishing visibility and obliterating the trail back to Camp IV. Shortly afterward, Hall radioed for help, saying that Hansen had fallen unconscious but was still alive. Adventure Consultants guide Andy Harris began climbing to
391-479: The single fixed line at the Hillary Step . Many of the climbers had not yet reached the summit by 2:00 pm, the last safe time to turn around to reach Camp IV before nightfall. Hall's Sardar , Ang Dorje Sherpa , and other climbing Sherpas waited at the summit for the clients. Near 3:00 pm, they began their descent. On the way down, Ang Dorje encountered client Doug Hansen above the Hillary Step, and ordered him to descend. Hansen refused. When Hall arrived at
414-523: The summit of Everest together. In the catastrophic 1996 season, Arnold would have accompanied Hall on his Everest expedition, but she was pregnant. Hall grew up in New Zealand where he climbed extensively in the Southern Alps . In 1989, Rob Hall met Gary Ball , who became his climbing partner and close friend. As with most other mountain climbers, Hall and Gary Ball sought corporate sponsorships to fund their expeditions. The partners decided to climb
437-452: The top of Everest. Although the price of a guided summit attempt – US$ 65,000 – was considerably higher than that of other expeditions, Hall's reputation for reliability and safety attracted clients from all over the world. Rob Hall was well known in the mountaineering world as the "mountain goat" or the "show". In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours , Hall was appointed a Member of the Order of
460-437: Was Hall's fourth summit of Everest. In 1995 Hall's expedition had to turn back because of bad weather as they neared the summit. In May 1996 Hall and a group of climbers made it to the summit of Mount Everest, but he and several other members of his party died on the way down. This event had a noted impact on media, appearing in various books and films. The disaster became very well known, with ten million people reading about it in
483-720: Was a New Zealand mountaineer . He was the head guide of a 1996 Mount Everest expedition during which he, a fellow guide, and two clients died. A best-selling account of the expedition was given in Jon Krakauer 's book Into Thin Air and the expedition was dramatised in the 2015 film Everest . At the time of his death, Hall had just completed his fifth ascent to the summit of Everest, more at that time than any other non- Sherpa mountaineer. Hall met his future wife, physician Jan Arnold, during his Everest summit attempt in 1990. Hall and Arnold climbed Denali for their first date and later married. In 1993, Hall and Arnold climbed to
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#1732783969599506-558: Was found on 23 May by mountaineers from the IMAX expedition , and still remains just below the South Summit. In the 1999 New Zealand bravery awards , Hall was posthumously awarded the New Zealand Bravery Star for his actions. New Zealand Bravery Star The New Zealand Bravery Star ( NZBS ) is the second-level civil decoration of New Zealand. It was instituted by Royal Warrant on 20 September 1999 as part of
529-484: Was too choked with ice. By 9:00 am, Hall had fixed his oxygen mask, but indicated that his frostbitten hands and feet were making it difficult to traverse the fixed ropes. Later in the afternoon, he radioed to Base Camp, asking them to call his wife, Jan Arnold, on the satellite phone. During this last communication, he reassured her that he was reasonably comfortable and told her, "Sleep well my sweetheart. Please don't worry too much." He died shortly thereafter. His body
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