Talks at Google
3 HN recommenders · recommended in 4 months, 2010–2014
1:00:42 · 39K views · Jan 10, 2009
Climber Chris Warner talks at Google about his book on high altitude leadership and the 2007 K2 expedition, where eighteen climbers summited and two died.
Strongly recommended as a gripping hour on K2 and on leadership and summit fever in extreme conditions.
5 comments from Hacker News
There's a few videos I've seen recently -- I've also just been trekking in the Everest region and watched and read a lot before going -- that do an amazing job of conveying that summit-fever attitude. The one that most sticks in my mind is this talk on K2: this video It's an hour long, but I highly recommend it. There was an incredible documentary, which you can probably find online, called "Doctors in the Death Zone" which followed a team of doctors studying the effects of altitude on themselves as they attempted Everest. There's some pretty horrific footage of a team they encounter along the way watching their companion, in obvious distress, drunkenly attempt to reach their position, while they just wait. Lastly, this talk from TEDMed is by the only doctor on Everest during the 1996 disaster, and it's both a great depiction of the main route, and a frightening reminder of just how dangerous it still is up there despite the number of summits and knowledge of the route these days: [LINK]
For those interested in mountaineering, I highly, highly recommend listening to Chris Warner's talk on summitting K2: this video A very very gripping talk by someone who's climbed Everest (and K2, a more dangerous ascent) multiple times. I saw this in person (Chris is the founder of the chain of climbing gyms I used to frequent) and it's even more gripping in person.
Anyone interested in a fantastic 1 hour talk on summitting K2, check this video: this video I've seen this in person (Chris is the CEO of my climbing gym and I saw this in a library near by) and it was awe-inspiring to say the least.
I don't think these two events are similar. Most of the fatalities on K2 in 2008 where due to poor planning or preparation of the climbers themselves. While recent tragedy on Everest was simply an ice-fall and avalanche. this video is a very good video of Chris Warner talking to Google employees about leadership. He has climbed K2 in 2007 and gives his opinion on the events in 2008. Also The Summit [0] is a nice film about this tragedy. [0] [LINK]
I had no idea that stealing supplies was so common! I really only heard on it -- and was shocked -- while listening to this talk (about K2): this video