Surviving the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster, five successful summits of eight-thousanders
Spouse
Amy Beidleman
Neal Jay Beidleman is an American mountaineer and climbing guide, known for surviving the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.[1] After the disaster, Beidleman's stories were featured on the U.S. television news show Nightline and PBS's Frontline, in which his decisions and patience were credited for likely saving the lives of himself and several other less-experienced climbers along the Kangshung Face.[2] Beidleman has reached the summit of eight-thousanders five times, Makalu (1x), Cho Oyu (1x) and Mount Everest (3x).[3][4]
Background
Neal Biedleman grew up in Colorado, as the son of ski lodge operator and resort planner. At age 5, the Beidleman family moved to Aspen, where Neal "grew up on skis" and went on to learn to mountain climb and would guide tours for children during the summer.[5]
He participated in ski races while attending University of Colorado and earning a degree in engineering.[5] After university he moved to California to work as an engineer, but the death of his younger brother encouraged him to live every day at its fullest.[5] It was then he headed to the Himalayas.
On May 15 1994, the anniversary of the first summit (1955), Neal Beidleman accompanied Anatoli Boukreev on a summit of Makalu. Anatoli has planned a record speed ascent, but gave up that idea after realizing his tent in camp III was destroyed by strong wind. It was on this trip that Beidleman became engaged to his wife Amy.[4][6]
Neal Beidleman was working as a guide with his co-worker and friend Scott Fischer in the spring of 1996 on Mount Everest. While the assistant guide for the team, Beidleman successfully summitted Everest for the first time on May 10, 1996.[7] After the summit, a strong storm descended, setting off the pattern of events that would later cause the death of Fischer and several other climbers that season.[8] The survival of some of Everest's summiteers that day have been directly attributed to Beidleman's efforts to guide clients to safety after Fischer's death.[9][10]
After Everest
Aspen, Colorado, where Beidleman has continued climbing since returning from the Himalayas.
Prior to the disaster, Beidleman planned to pursue a career as a professional mountaineer. Afterwards, he said the 1996 trip changed him in inexplicable ways. At home in Aspen, he continued his work as a mechanical engineer, building various products for the aerospace and outdoor recreation industries, including devices to protect people in avalanches, ski boot heaters, shovels to bike pedals.[11][12] Since returning from Everest, he has conducted numerous public talks on his experiences in that disaster, especially in regard to decision-making and team management.[13][14]
He remained close to the mountains, continuing to climb and ski across the Rockies. Shortly after returning from Everest, he and friend Jeff Hollenbaugh made a 34 hour traverse of Western Colorado's Elk Mountains to Pyramid Peak.[15] In 2006, he published Aspen Ski and Snowboard Guide, a trail guidebook to the towns' local ski areas.[16] When his son Finn was 13, the two summited Mt. Kilimanjaro together.[17]
He would not return to Nepal until 2000, with an attempt at Annapurna, but called the expedition off at 5900m due to avalanche risk.[7] After the unsuccessful summit, it would be more than a decade before he returned to the Himalayas.
In 2011, he felt ready to tackle Everest again, and summitted via the S Col-SE Ridge on May 20th.[7][18] The return, and successful summit after many years was an attempt to find closure for the events that happened in 1996.[19] While acclimatizing for Everest, he and Chris Davenport made a 2,000ft ski descent of Everest's Lhotse Face.[20]
In 2014, he again returned to Everest, but the team abandoned the attempt shortly after arriving at basecamp due to the 2014 Everest Avalanche.[7]
In 2018, he summited Cho Oyu (8,188m) via the NW route with Adrian Ballinger's Lightning Ascent team. After two days rest, the team headed to Mount Everest, where Beidleman summitted the earth's highest peak once more, seven years to the day from his last summit.[7][21]
^ abMarshall, Lisa (1 December 2011). "When Everest Speaks". University of Colorado Alumni Association. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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