Scott Fischer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Scott Fischer
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Fischer on Annapurna Fang in 1984
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| Born | December 24, 1955 |
| Died | May 11, 1996 (aged 40) |
| Cause of death | Exposure, AMS |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Mountain guide |
| Known for | First American to summit Lhotse |
| Spouse(s) | Jeannie Price |
| Children | 2 |
Scott Eugene Fischer (born December 24, 1955 – died May 11, 1996) was a famous American mountain climber and guide. He was well-known for climbing some of the world's tallest mountains without using extra oxygen. Scott Fischer and Wally Berg were the first Americans to reach the top of Lhotse. This mountain is the fourth highest in the world. Fischer, Charley Mace, and Ed Viesturs also climbed K2, the second highest mountain, without extra oxygen. Fischer first climbed Mount Everest in 1994. Sadly, he died during a big snowstorm on Everest in 1996 while coming down from the top.
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Early Life and Adventures
Scott Fischer grew up in Michigan and New Jersey. When he was 15, he watched a TV show about the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). This school teaches people how to survive and lead in the outdoors. After watching it, he spent a summer in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.
While he was in high school, he kept spending his summers with NOLS. He eventually became a senior instructor there. This meant he taught others how to climb and explore mountains safely.
Scott's Climbing Career
Scott Fischer loved climbing, especially ice climbing. In 1977, he was climbing a frozen waterfall called Bridal Veil Falls in Utah. His ice axe broke, and he fell a long way. He survived, but he hurt his foot.
In 1984, Scott and his friend Wes Krause became the second team ever to climb the tough Breach Icicle on Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.
Starting Mountain Madness
In 1984, Scott Fischer and two friends, Wes Krause and Michael Allison, started a company called Mountain Madness. This company helped people go on adventure trips and climb big mountains around the world.
Challenges on K2
In 1992, Scott was climbing K2 as part of a team. He fell into a deep crack in the ice, called a crevasse. He hurt his right shoulder badly. Even though the doctor told him to rest, Scott wanted to keep climbing. His climbing partner, Ed Viesturs, taped his shoulder so he could keep going, using mostly his left arm.
During this climb, Scott and his team also helped rescue other climbers who were in trouble. Scott Fischer, Ed Viesturs, and Charley Mace eventually reached the top of K2 without extra oxygen. On the way down, they helped other climbers, including Rob Hall and Gary Ball, who were very sick from the high altitude.
Climbing for a Cause
In 1993, Scott guided a climb on Denali in Alaska. This climb was called "Climb for the Cure." It was organized by students from Princeton University and raised a lot of money for AIDS research.
In 1994, Scott Fischer and Rob Hess climbed Mount Everest without extra oxygen. They were also part of a team that cleaned up Everest. They removed thousands of pounds of trash and old oxygen bottles from the mountain. By this time, Scott had climbed the highest peaks on six of the seven continents. He was recognized for his efforts to protect the environment.
The Last Everest Climb
In May 1996, Scott Fischer led a team of 18 people to climb Mount Everest. This team included two other guides, Neal Beidleman and Anatoli Boukreev, and eight clients. Eight Sherpas, led by Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa, also helped them.
On May 6, the team started their climb from base camp. At Camp II, Scott found out his friend Dale Kruse was sick and couldn't climb higher. Scott went back down to help Kruse get to base camp. Then, he climbed back up to rejoin his team.
Scott was slower than usual on the climb to Camp III and Camp IV. On May 10, he reached the top of Everest, but it was much later than planned. Many climbers tried to reach the summit that day, which caused delays. Scott was very tired and becoming sick, possibly from the high altitude affecting his lungs or brain.
As he was coming down, a big snowstorm started. Near a spot called the Southeast Ridge balcony, Scott asked Lopsang to go ahead and send help. After the storm calmed down, two Sherpas found Scott and another climber, "Makalu" Gau Ming-Ho. Scott was not responding. The Sherpas gave him oxygen and carried Gau to Camp IV. Later, Boukreev found Scott, but he had already passed away.
Sadly, Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa died in an avalanche on Everest later that year. Anatoli Boukreev also died in an avalanche in 1997 on another mountain. Scott Fischer's company, Mountain Madness, was bought by Keith and Christine Boskoff in 1997.
Family Life
In 1981, Scott Fischer married Jeannie Price. She had been his student on a NOLS climbing course in 1974. They moved to Seattle in 1982 and had two children, Andy and Katie Rose.
Scott Fischer's Legacy
- A special stone monument, called a stupa, was built by the Sherpas in 1996 to remember Scott Fischer. It is located near the village of Dughla in Nepal, close to Everest Base Camp. In 1997, a doctor from the 1996 Everest expedition placed a bronze plaque on it in his honor.
- The American Alpine Club created the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund. This fund helps expeditions around the world that work to protect the environment.
- A climbing route on Mount Kilimanjaro is named after Scott Fischer. It's called the Western-Breach Route, and there's a plaque there to remember him.
See also
In Spanish: Scott Fischer para niños
- List of Mount Everest summiters by number of times to the summit
- List of people who died climbing Mount Everest
