Top 7 (+) most incredible adventures ever occurred
I recently noticed something. I didn’t care, now I know it - and I didn’t like it. In all these corporate trainings of yours, as well as starting from elementary grades at school, they tell us a lot of things, where, as a rule, there is not enough space for adventurism, recklessness and triumph of the human spirit in its pure, sublimated form. All sorts of different films are made, documentaries and feature films, but only a few of them tell about events so outstanding that it is difficult to believe in them. And those that are filmed have a low budget and rarely gather a lot of viewers. It is believed that no one is interested. And nobody needs to be reminded once again. Who knows, suddenly someone will be inspired out of place and ... also wants to. And then losses and sheer frustration. Anonymous is sitting in his cozy office without ventilation, then he comes to his home in panel Khrushchev on the outskirts of the sleeping area, where he is waiting for a salted borsch for dinner. At this time, perhaps, somewhere in the world, a drama is unfolding that will go down in history and which almost everyone will forget about right there. But we do not know about it. But we know about some - and, of course, not all - stories of incredible adventures that have happened to people in the past. I want to talk about some of them that have impressed me the most. I will not tell about all that I know, while I, of course, do not know about all. The list is subjective, here is only what, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. where he is waiting for a salted borsch for dinner. At this time, perhaps, somewhere in the world, a drama is unfolding that will go down in history and which almost everyone will forget about right there. But we do not know about it. But we know about some - and, of course, not all - stories of incredible adventures that have happened to people in the past. I want to talk about some of them that have impressed me the most. I will not tell about all that I know, while I, of course, do not know about all. The list is subjective, here is only what, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. where he is waiting for a salted borsch for dinner. At this time, perhaps, somewhere in the world, a drama is unfolding that will go down in history and which almost everyone will forget about right there. But we do not know about it. But we know about some - and, of course, not all - stories of incredible adventures that have happened to people in the past. I want to talk about some of them that have impressed me the most. I will not tell about all that I know, while I, of course, do not know about all. The list is subjective, here is only what, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. But we do not know about it. But we know about some - and, of course, not all - stories of incredible adventures that have happened to people in the past. I want to talk about some of them that have impressed me the most. I will not tell about all that I know, while I, of course, do not know about all. The list is subjective, here is only what, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. But we do not know about it. But we know about some - and, of course, not all - stories of incredible adventures that have happened to people in the past. I want to talk about some of them that have impressed me the most. I will not tell about all that I know, while I, of course, do not know about all. The list is subjective, here is only what, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. there is only that which, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous. there is only that which, in my opinion, is especially worthy of mention. So, the 7 most incredible stories. Not all of them ended happily, but I promise that there will not be one that could be called ridiculous.
Britain, without a doubt, owes its greatness to its fleet and colonial policy. In the past, for centuries it has equipped expeditions for something useful, forming an era of great geographical discoveries. One of these ordinary, but important expeditions was to be a sea trip for a bread tree. The seedlings of the tree were supposed to be taken on the island of Tahiti, and then delivered to the southern possessions of England, where to introduce and overcome hunger . In general, the state task was not completed, and the events became much more interesting than anticipated.
The Royal Navy allocated a new three-masted ship Bounty, just in case equipped with 14 (!) Guns, commanded by captain William Bly.
The team was recruited voluntarily-forcibly - as befits a navy. The assistant to the captain was someone Fletcher Christian - a bright person of upcoming events. On September 3, 1788, the dream team anchored and advanced towards Tahiti.
A grueling 250-day voyage with hardships in the form of scurvy and the harsh captain Bly, who, in particular, to raise his spirits made the team every day sing and dance to the accompaniment of a violin, successfully arrived at their destination. Bly had already been to Tahiti before, and was received by the natives amiably. Taking advantage of his position, and for reliability having bribed local influential people, he received permission to camp on the island and collect seedlings of breadfruit located in these places. For six months, the team gathered seedlings and prepared to sail home. The ship had a suitable carrying capacity, so a lot of seedlings were prepared, which explains the long stay on the island, as well as the fact that the team just wanted to relax.
Of course, free life in the tropics was much better than sailing in conditions typical of the 18th century. The team members began relations with the local population, including romantic ones. Therefore, several people fled shortly before departure on April 4, 1789. The captain, with the help of the natives, found them and punished them. In short, the team began to murmur from the newly fallen trials and the severity of the captain. Particularly outraged by the fact that the captain saved on water for people in favor of requiring watering plants. Blah can hardly be blamed for this: his task was to deliver the trees, and he carried it out. And the cost of human resources was the cost of the decision.
April 28, 1789 the patience of most of the crew ran out. The rebellion was led by the first man after the captain - that same assistant, Fletcher Christian. In the morning, the rebels took the captain in his cabin and tied him right in bed, and then brought him to the deck and arranged a trial chaired by Christian. To the rebels' credit, they did not mess and did relatively mildly: Blya and 18 people who refused to support the rebellion were put on a longboat, given them some provisions, water, some rusty sabers and released. Of the navigation equipment, Bly had only a sextant and a pocket watch. They landed on Tofua Island, 30 miles away. Fate was not favorable to everyone - one person was killed by the locals on the island, but the others sailed away and, having covered 6701 km (!!!), reached the island of Timor in 47 days, which is an incredible adventure in itself. But this is not about them. The captain was then tried, but he was acquitted. From this moment, the adventure itself begins, and all that was earlier is a saying.
24 people remained on board the ship: 20 conspirators and 4 more members of the crew loyal to the former captain who did not have enough space on the longboat (I remind you that the rebels were not chaos). They, of course, did not dare to sail back to Tahiti, fearing punishment from the side of their native state. What to do? That's right ... base yourstate with breadfruit and Tahitians. But it was also easy to say. To begin with, the fighters with the system went to the island of Tubuai and tried to live there, but did not get along with the natives, because of which they nevertheless had to return to Tahiti 3 months later. When asked where the captain went, the natives were told that he had met with Cook, with whom he was friends. The irony was that Bly managed to tell the locals about Cook's death, so they had no more questions. Although in reality the unfortunate captain lived for many more years and died in his bed from natural causes.
In Tahiti, Christian immediately set about planning a further rebellion scenario in order to consolidate his success and not be put on trial - representatives of the punitive detachment on the Pandora ship under the command of Edward Edwards had already left for them. 8 Englishmen, along with Christian, decided to leave the friendly island on the Bounty in search of a more peaceful place, while the rest, guided by considerations of their innocence (they saw it) decided to stay. After the rest, they really arrived and took into custody (by the time of the arrest, two had already died on their own, then four died in the crash of the Pandora, four more - those who did not have enough space on the longboat - were acquitted, one was pardoned, five more were hanged - of them, two for non-resistance to the rebellion, and three for participating in it).
After a while, the ship docked on a desert island, on which the notorious bread tree and bananas grew, there was water, a beach, a jungle - in short, everything that is supposed to be on a desert island. It was the island of Pitcairn, which relatively recently, in 1767, was discovered by the navigator Philippe Carteret. The fugitives were incredibly lucky on this island: its coordinates were mapped with an error of 350 kilometers, and therefore the search expedition of the Royal Navy could not find them, although it regularly searched every island. Thus arose and still exists a new dwarf state on the island of Pitcairn. The Bounty had to be burned in order not to leave evidence and not be tempted to swim away somewhere. They say that the ballast stones of the ship can still be seen in the lagoon of the island.
Further, the fate of free immigrants developed as follows. After several years of free life, in 1793, a conflict broke out between Tahitian men and the British, as a result of which the first were no longer left, and Christian was also killed. Presumably, the causes of the conflict were the lack of women and the oppression of the Tahitians, to whom the white (who, however, became no longer white) were treated as slaves. Two more Englishmen soon died of alcoholism - they learned to extract alcohol from the roots of a local plant. One died of asthma. Three Tahitian women also died. In total, by 1800, about 10 years after the rebellion, only one of his participants remained alive, still able to properly use the results of his demarche. It was John Adams (also known as Alexander Smith). He was surrounded by 9 women and 10 minor children. Then the children became 25: Adams did not waste time in vain. In addition, he brought order to the community, accustomed the inhabitants to Christianity and organized the education of youth. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. surrounded by numerous and passionately loving children and women. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. surrounded by numerous and passionately loving children and women. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown.
Today, about 100 people live in the state of Pitcairn, which is not so small for an island with an area of 4.6 square kilometers. The population peak of 233 people was reached in 1937, after which the population declined due to emigration to New Zealand and Australia, but, on the other hand, there were those who came to live on the island. Formally, Pitcairn is considered overseas territory of Great Britain. It has its own parliament, school, 128 kbps Internet channel and even its own .pn domain, a telephone code with a beautiful value of +64. The basis of the economy is tourism with a small share of agriculture. For Russians, a British visa is required, but, in agreement with the local authorities, they can be allowed without for a period of up to 2 weeks.
I learned about this story from the movie of the same name. That rare case when the film is good. He is good for many reasons. Firstly, the very beautiful Claudia Cardinale is filmed there (she is still alive, she is over 80 years old). Secondly, the film is color (the name obliges), which is not taken for granted in 1969, and was shot with the joint participation of the USSR and Great Britain, which also had an unusual and positive effect on the picture. Thirdly, the presentation of the story in the film is incomparable. What is the final dialogue of the heroes worth? Fourth, the film has historical value, and this story requires special attention.
Before the space race and before World War II, there was an aeronautics race in the world. Stratospheric balloons of various shapes and sizes were built, and new altitude records were reached. USSR, of course, toodistinguished himself . This was a matter of national importance, everyone wanted to be the first and risked their lives for this no less than the era of the beginning of space exploration. The media described in detail the achievements in aeronautics, so on the Internet you can easily find many articles on this topic. So, one of such high-profile projects was the expedition of the airship "Italy" . An Italian (which is obvious) aircraft arrived in Svalbard to fly toward the North Pole on May 23, 1928.
The goal was to reach the pole and return, and the tasks were scientific: to explore the Franz Joseph Land, the Northern Earth, the areas north of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic archipelago, to finally solve the question of the existence of the hypothetical Crocker Earth, which Robert Peary allegedly observed in 1906, and make observations in the fields of atmospheric electricity, oceanography, and terrestrial magnetism. Hype business is hard to overestimate. The Pope gave the team a wooden cross, which was supposed to be installed on the pole.
The airship under the command of Umberto Nobile successfully reached the pole. Previously, he had already participated in a similar under the leadership of Royal Amundsen, but then, it seems, their relationship went wrong. The film mentions an interview with Amundsen, which he gave to the newspaper, here are some passages:
- What significance can the expedition of General Nobile have for science if it turns out to be successful?
“Of great importance,” answered Amundsen.
- Why do not you lead the expedition?
“She is no longer for me.” Plus, they didn't invite me.
“But Nobile is not an Arctic expert, is she?”
- He takes them with him. I know some. You can rely on them. And Nobile himself is a magnificent airship builder. I was convinced of this during our flight to the North Pole on the Norwegian airship he built. But this time, he not only built an airship, but also led an expedition.
- What are their chances of success?
- The chances are good. I know Nobile is a great commander.
Technically, the airship was a fabric semi-rigid balloon filled with explosive hydrogen - a typical airship of the time. However, not this ruined him. On the way back, the ship lost its course due to the wind, so it spent more time in flight than was planned. On the third day, in the morning, the airship flew at an altitude of 200-300 meters and suddenly began to decline. The reasons are called weather conditions. The immediate cause is not reliably known, but most likely it was icing. Another version considers shell rupture and subsequent hydrogen leakage. The team’s actions could not prevent the airship from dropping, and as a result, after about 3 minutes, it hit the ice. Motorist died in a collision. The ship was dragged by the wind for about 50 meters, during which time a part of the crew, including Nobel, appeared on the surface, along with some equipment. The other 6 people remained inside the gondola (as well as the main cargo), which the wind blown on the broken airship - their further fate is unknown, only a column of smoke was noticed, but there was no flash and the sound of the explosion, which does not suggest the ignition of hydrogen.
Thus, a group of 9 people led by Captain Nobel, who, however, was wounded, appeared on ice in the Arctic Ocean. There was also a Nobel dog named Titina. The group as a whole was very lucky: the bags and containers that fell on the ice contained food (including 71 kg of canned meat, 41 kg of chocolate), a radio station, a pistol with cartridges, sextants and chronometers, a sleeping bag and a tent. The tent, however, is only four-seater. It was made red for noticeability by dousing with paint from marker balls, which also fell out of the airship (which is what the film means).
The radio operator (Biaggi) immediately set up the radio station and began trying to get in touch with the support ship of the Città de Milano expedition. Several days were unsuccessful. As Nobile later claimed, the radio operators of Città de Milano, instead of trying to catch the signal from the expedition's transmitter, were sending personal telegrams. The ship went to sea in search of the missing, but without the coordinates of the crash site there was no serious chance of success. On May 29, the radio operator Città de Milano heard Biaggi's signal, but he mistook him for the call station in Mogadishu and did not do anything. On the same day, one of the members of the group, Malmgren, shot dead a polar bear, whose meat was put into food. He, along with two others (Mariano and Zappi), separated the next day (Nobel was against but allowed separation) from the main group and independently advanced towards the base. During the transition, Malmgren died, two survived, however, one of them (navigator Adalberto Mariano) froze his leg. Meanwhile, nothing was known about the fate of the airship. So in total about a week passed, during which the Nobel group expected to be discovered.
June 3 was lucky once again. Soviet amateur radio operator Nikolai Schmidt from the hinterland (Voznesenie-Vokhma village of the Northern Dvina province) received a signal “Italie Nobile Fran Uosof Sos Sos Sos Sos Tirri teno EhH” from the Biaggi radio station on a makeshift receiver. He sent a telegram to his friends in Moscow, the next day the information was transferred to the official level. Under Osoaviahim (the very one who was actively involved in aeronautical activities), an aid headquarters was created, headed by its deputy commissar for military and naval affairs of the USSR Joseph Unshlikht. On the same day, the Italian government was informed of the distress signal, but only 4 days later (on June 8) did the Citta de Milano finally establish contact with Biaggi and get the exact coordinates.
In fact, it still did not mean anything. It was still necessary to get to the camp. Different countries and communities participated in the rescue operation. On June 17, two aircraft chartered by Italy flew over the camp, but did not notice it due to poor visibility. Amundsen died in search. He could not remain without participation and on June 18 flew out in search of the French seaplane allocated to him, after which he disappeared with the crew (later a float from his plane was found in the sea, and then an empty fuel tank - the plane probably got lost, and it ran out of fuel). Only on June 20 did we manage to find the camp on the plane and deliver the goods in 2 days. On June 23, General Nobel was evacuated from the camp in a light plane - it was assumed that he would provide assistance by coordinating actions to save the remaining. Later it will be used against him, the public accused the general of the crash of the airship. There is such a dialogue in the film:
- I had 50 reasons to fly away, and 50 to stay.
- Not. 50 for staying and 51 for flying. You flew away. What is the 51st?
- I dont know.
- Remember what you were thinking then, at the time of departure? You are sitting in the cockpit, the plane is in the air. Have you thought about those who stayed on the ice?
- Yes.
- And about those who were carried away in an airship?
- Yes.
- About Malmgren, Zappi and Mariano? About Krasin?
- Yes.
- About Romagna?
- About me?
- Yes.
- About daughter?
- Yes.
- About the hot tub?
- Yes. Oh my God! I also thought about the Kingsbay hot tub.
The Soviet icebreaker Krasin also took part in the rescue operations, delivering a small plane in an unassembled form to the search area - it was assembled already on the spot, on ice. On July 10, his crew discovered a group, dropped food and clothing. A day later, they found a group of Malmgren. One of them lay on ice (presumably it was the deceased Malmgren, but then it turned out that these were most likely things, and Malmgren himself could not go much earlier and therefore asked him to leave). Due to poor visibility, the pilot was unable to return to the icebreaker, so he made an emergency landing, having damaged the plane, and broadcast on the radio that the crew was completely safe and asked to save the Italians first, and then them. Krasin took Mariano and Zappi on July 12. Malmgren’s warm clothes were on Zappi. On the whole, he was very well dressed and in good physical condition. On the contrary Mariano was half-naked and severely exhausted; his leg was amputated. Zappi was accused, but no tangible evidence was found against him. In the evening of the same day, the icebreaker took 5 people from the main camp, after which it transferred everyone together aboard the Città de Milano. Nobile insisted on finding an airship with six expedition members remaining in the shell. However, the Krasin captain Samoilovich said that he was not able to conduct searches due to a lack of coal and a lack of aircraft, so he took the pilots and the plane off the ice on July 16 and was about to go home. And the captain of the "Citta di Milano" Romagna referred to the order from Rome to immediately return to Italy. However, Krasin nevertheless took part in the search for a shell that ended in nothing (on October 4 he arrived in Leningrad). On September 29, another search aircraft crashed, after which the rescue operation was discontinued.
In March 1929, the state commission recognized Nobile the main culprit in the disaster. Immediately after this, Nobile resigned from the Italian Air Force, and in 1931 he left for the Soviet Union to head the program for the construction of airships. After the victory over fascism in 1945, all charges were dropped from him. Nobile was reinstated in the rank of Major General and died many years later, at the age of 93.
The Nobile expedition was one of the most tragic and unusual expeditions of this kind. The wide scatter in the estimates is that for the sake of saving the group too many people were put at risk, of whom more died than were saved as a result of a search operation. At that time, apparently, this was treated differently. The very idea of flying on a clumsy airship damn knows where worthy of respect. It is symbolic for the era of steampunk. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it seemed to mankind that almost everything was already possible, and there was no limit to technological progress, there was a crazy adventure in checking the ultimate strength of technical solutions. Primitive? Yes, and do not care! In search of adventure, many lost their lives and put others at unreasonable risk, so this story is the most ambiguous of all, although, of course, very interesting. Well, the movie is good.
The story about Kon Tiki is known mainly due to the film (I admit that good adventure films are still shot more often than I thought at first). In fact, Kon Tiki is not only the name of the film. This is the name of the raft on which the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1947 (well, not really, and nonetheless). And the raft is named, in turn, by the name of some Polynesian deity.
The fact is that Tours developed a theory according to which people from South America on primitive ships, presumably rafts, reached the islands of the Pacific Ocean and thus populated them. The raft was chosen for the reason that it is the most reliable of the simplest swimming facilities. Few believed in Tur (according to the film, so few that, in general, no one), and he decided to prove the possibility of such a sea passage, and at the same time test his theory. To do this, he recruited a somewhat dubious team into his support group. Well, who else would agree to that? The Tour was familiar with some, some not very well. More about recruiting is best to watch a movie. There is, by the way, a book, and not one, but I have not read them.
To begin with, the Tour was, in principle, an adventurous citizen, in which his wife supported him. Together with her, he once in his youth lived for some time in semi-wild conditions on the island of Fatu Hiva. This is a small volcanic island that Tour called "paradise" (in paradise, however, it was not very good with climate and medicine, and the wife had an unhealed wound on her leg, which made the island urgently leave). In other words, he was ready and able to dare to do something like that.
In general, I will not describe the journey for a long time, it is best to really watch the movie. Not just because he was awarded an Oscar. The story is very unusual, I just could not forget about it, but I can hardly add anything of value. Swimming completed successfully. As Tur expected, ocean currents carried the raft towards the islands of Polynesia. They landed safely on one of the islands. Along the way, we made observations, collecting scientific data. But with the wife in the end it did not work out - she was tired of her husband’s adventures, she abandoned him. The uncle spent a very active life and lived up to 87 years.
It was not so long ago, in 1985. Climbing deuce climbed the summit of Siula Grande (6344) in the Andes in South America. There are beautiful and unusual mountains: despite the great steepness of the slopes, the snow firn holds, which, of course, simplified the ascent. We went to the top. And then, according to the classics, difficulties should begin. Descent is always more difficult and more dangerous than climbing. Everything went quietly, as usual in such cases. For example, it was getting dark - which is quite natural. As usual, the weather deteriorated, fatigue accumulated. A deuce (Joe Simpson and Simon Yates) walked around the pinnacle ridge to use a more logical route. In short, everything was as it should be on a standard, albeit technically difficult, ascent: hard work, but nothing like that.
But then something happened that, in general, could well happen: Joe falls. This is bad, but still not dangerous. Partners, of course, should, and were ready for this. Simon detained Joe. And they would go further, but only Joe fell unsuccessfully. His leg fell between the stones, the body continued to move by inertia and broke his leg. Walking with a deuce is in itself ambiguous, because together, everything goes well until something starts to go bad. In these cases, the campaign can fall into two solo campaigns, and this is a completely different conversation (the same, however, can be said about any group). And they were not quite ready for him. More precisely, Joe was there. He then thought something like: “Now Simon will say that he will go for help, try to calm me down. I will understand him, he must do so. And he will understand that I understood we both will understand. But in no other way. ” Because to conduct salvage operations at such peaks means only increasing the number of people being saved, and this is not at all what they are being done for. However, Simon did not say that. He offered to go down right here, right now by the shortest route, taking advantage of the great steepness of the slope. Let the relief be unfamiliar, the main thing is to quickly lower the height and go to a gentle area, and then we’ll figure it out further.
With the help of triggers, the partners began to decline. Joe was for the most part in the role of ballast: he was lowered on a rope by Simon. Joe comes down, fixes himself, then Simon passes one rope, removes, we repeat. Here it is necessary to recognize the relatively high efficiency of the idea, as well as the good preparation of the participants. The descent really went fine, insurmountable difficulties on the terrain did not come across. A certain number of iterations performed allowed us to move noticeably down. By this time it was almost dark. But here Joe stole the second time in a row - he again breaks down during the next descent with a rope. During the fall, he flies back onto the snow bridge, breaks it and flies further into the crack. Simon, meanwhile, is trying to linger, and we must pay tribute to his preparation, he succeeds. Exactly up to this point, the situation was not that normal, but it was by no means catastrophic: the descent was controlled, the injury was a natural risk for such events, and the fact that the weather turned dark and dark was a common thing in the mountains. But now Simon was sitting on the slope, holding on to Joe, who had flown over the bend, and of which nothing was known. Simon screamed, but did not hear the answer. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours.
Joe, meanwhile, was hanging in the crack. The standard rope is 50 meters long, I don’t know what they had, but most likely about that length. This is not so much, but in bad weather, beyond the inflection, in the crevice, it is likely that it was really not heard. Simon began to freeze and, not seeing any prospect to improve the situation, cut the rope. Joe flew some other distance, and only now bad luck was replaced by unspeakable luck, which is the meaning of history. He hit another snow bridge inside the crack and accidentally lingered on it. Next came a piece of rope.
Simon, meanwhile, went down the kink and saw a broken bridge and a crack. It was so dark and bottomless that there could be no thought that there could be a living person in it. Simon “buried” his friend and went down to the camp on his own. This is blamed on him - he did not check, he was not convinced, he did not help ... However, this is comparable to the fact that if you knock down a pedestrian and in the mirror you see how the head and body are flying in different directions. You have to stop, but does that make sense? So Simon decided that there was no point. Even if we assume that Joe is still alive, he must still get it out. And they don’t live in cracks for a long time. And endlessly, without food and rest at altitude, one also cannot work.
Joe was sitting on a small bridge in the middle of a crack. He, among other things, had a backpack, a flashlight, a system, a trigger, and a rope. He sat for such a long time and came to the conclusion that it was not possible to get upstairs in any way. What happened to Syson is also unknown, maybe now he is not in the best position. Joe could either continue to sit or do something, and that something was to see what was below. He decided to do so. He organized the base and slowly descended to the bottom of the crack. The bottom turned out to be passable, in addition, by this time it had already dawn. Joe managed to find a way out of the crack on the glacier.
On the glacier, Joe also had a hard time. This was only the beginning of his long journey. He moved crawling, dragging a broken leg. It was difficult to find a way among the labyrinth of cracks and pieces of ice. He had to crawl, raise the front of his body in his arms, look around, choose a landmark and crawl on. On the other hand, slope and snow cover ensured creep. Therefore, by the time Joe, exhausted, reached the base of the glacier, two news awaited him. The good thing was that at last he was able to drink water - muddy slurry with particles of rock washed out from under the glacier. And the bad thing, of course, is that the area has become more gentle, even less smooth and, most importantly, not so slippery. Now he had much more difficulty dragging his body.
For several days, Joe crawled to the camp. Simon at this time was still there, along with another member of the group who did not go up the hill. Night fell, she was supposed to be the last, the next morning the camp was about to turn off and leave. The usual evening rain began. Joe was a few hundred meters from the camp by this time. He was no longer waiting, clothes and things were burned. Joe had no more strength to crawl on a horizontal surface, and he began to scream - the only thing he could do. Because of the rain, they did not hear him. Then the people sitting in the tent seemed to cry, but how much will the wind bring? When you sit in a tent by the river, you can hear conversations that are not there. Decided that this is the spirit of Joe came. And yet Simon went out to see with a lantern. And then he found Joe. Exhausted, hungry, reckless, but alive. He was quickly taken to a tent, where they provided first aid. He could no longer walk. Then there was a long treatment, a lot of operations (apparently, Joe had the funds for this), and he was able to recover. He didn’t abandon the mountains, continued climbing the difficult peaks, then once again injured his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice. then once again damaged his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice. then once again damaged his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice.
Joe wrote a book about this ascent, and in 2007 a detailed documentary was shot .
I won’t stop here much, it’s better ... right, to watch the movie of the same name. But the power of tragedy is astounding. In short, the essence of this. One guy named Aron Ralston walked along a canyon in North America, Utah. The walk ended in falling into the crevice, in the process of falling it carried along a large boulder that held his hand. At the same time, the rest of Aron remained unharmed. The book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", written by him later, became the basis for the film.
For several days Aron lived at the bottom of the gap, where the sun fell only for a short time. I tried to drink urine. Then he decided to cut off his clasped hand, because no one climbed into this hole, it was useless to shout. The trouble was aggravated by the fact that there was nothing special to cut: only a stupid household folding knife was available. The bones of the forearm had to be broken. There was a problem with nerve transection. In the film, all this is well shown. With tremendous torment, having beaten by hand, Aron left the canyon, where he came across a strolling couple who gave him water to drink and called for a rescue helicopter. This concludes the story.
The case is certainly impressive. The stone was then lifted and mass was estimated - according to various sources, it is from 300 to 400 kg. Of course, raising it yourself would be impossible. Aron made a cruel but sure decision. Judging by the smile in the photo and hype in the media, the fact that he remained a cripple did not sadden the guy very much. Then he even got married. As you can see in the photo, I attached a prosthesis in the form of an ice ax to my hand so that it would be more convenient to climb mountains.
This is not even a story, but rather a story and the name of the book of the same name by Grigory Fedoseev, in which he described his life in the Siberian wilds of the mid-20th century. Originally from the Kuban (now the birthplace is on the territory of the KCR), the pass to the ridge is named after him. Abishira-Akhuba in the vicinity of the village. Arkhyz (~ 3000, n / a, grassy-scree). Wikipedia writes about Gregory in short: "Soviet writer, engineer-geodesist." In general, it is, he gained fame thanks to his notes and books, written later. Honestly, the writer from him is not so bad, but not Leo Tolstoy. The book leaves a contradictory impression in the literary sense, but in the documentary, undoubtedly, has a high value. This book describes the most interesting segment of his life. Published in 1962, but events happened earlier, in 1948-1954.
I highly recommend reading the book. Here I will only briefly outline the basis of the plot. By that time, Grigory Fedoseyev became the head of the expedition in the Priokhotsk Territory, where he commanded several detachments of geodesists-cartographers, and he was directly involved in the work. It was a harsh wild land in the no less harsh USSR. In the sense that, by modern standards, the expedition did not have equipment. There was a plane, some equipment, throws, provisions and military-built logistics. But at the same time, poverty directly reigned in the expedition's everyday life, as, incidentally, it was practically everywhere in the Union. So, people themselves built rafts and shelters with an ax, ate tortillas, hunted game. Then they carried bags of cement and iron on the mountain in order to equip a survey site there. Then another, one more and more. Yes, these are the very trigger points that were used for peaceful purposes to map the terrain, and in the military for pointing bussolas on the very maps compiled earlier. There are many such points scattered throughout the country. Now they are in a dilapidated state, because there is GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, has remained unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how. because there are GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, remained an unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how. because there are GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, remained an unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how.
In addition to the construction of trigger points and mapping (determining distances, heights, etc.), the tasks of expeditions of those years included the study of geology and wildlife of Siberia. Gregory also describes the life and appearance of local residents, Evenks. In general, he talks a lot about everything he saw. Thanks to the work of his team, we now have maps of Siberia, with which then roads and oil pipelines were built. The scale of his work is difficult to exaggerate. But why am I so impressed with the book and put it in second place? But the fact is that the guy is extremely tenacious and wear-resistant. In his place, I would die in a month. But he did not die and lived normally for his time (69 years).
The culmination of the book is the autumn rafting on the May River. Local people said about May that the log would not reach the mouth without turning into chips. And Fedoseyev with two comrades planned to carry out a first ascent. The rafting was successful, but in the process, the trinity went beyond the reasonable. The boat, hollowed out with an ax, was broken almost immediately. Then they built a raft. He regularly turned over, he was caught, lost, made a new one. In the canyon of the river it was damp and cold, in addition, frost was approaching. At some point, the situation was completely out of control. There is no raft, there are no things, one comrade paralyzed at death, the other lost the devil knows where. Gregory hugs a dying comrade, being with him on a stone in the middle of the river. It begins to rain, the water rises and is about to wash them off the stone. But, nevertheless, everyone was saved, and not by the will of a miracle, but thanks to their strength. And the title of the book is not about that at all. In general, if interested, it is more correct to read the source.
Regarding the personality of Fedoseyev and the events described by him, my opinion is ambiguous. The book is positioned as an art. The author does not hide this, but does not specify what exactly, limiting himself to deliberately squeezing time to please the plot, and asking for forgiveness for this. Indeed, inaccuracy is small. But confuses another. Very naturally everything turns out. Like the immortal Rambo, he storms adversity one after another, where each subsequent one is more serious and requires unprecedented efforts. One danger - lucky. Another - got out. Third - a friend helped. The tenth is the same. While each is worthy, if not a book, then a story, and the hero had to die at the very beginning. Hopefully there were few exaggerations. Grigory Fedoseyev was, after all, a Soviet man in the good sense of the word (not like the generation of the 60s, which made out all the polymers), then it was fashionable to behave decently. On the other hand, even if the author exaggerated, it is all the same, even though the tenth part was really as described, it is worthy of mention in the top three incredible stories, and the title of the book rightly reflects the essence.
Dare climbers go. There are old climbers. But there are no brave old climbers. Unless, of course, this is Reinhold Messner. This 74-year-old citizen, being the main climber of the world, still lives in his castle, sometimes runs into some kind of bump, and in his spare time from these classes he builds models of mountains visited in the garden. “If he was on a big mountain - let him bring big stones from her”, as was the case in “The Little Prince” - Messner, obviously, is also a troll. He is much more than famous, but most famous for his first solo climb on Mount Everest. The climb itself, as well as everything that accompanied and preceded it, Messner wrote in all details in the book “Crystal Horizon”. He is also a good writer. But the character is bad. He bluntly states that he wanted to be the first, and his ascent to Everest is somewhat reminiscent of the launch of the first satellite of the Earth. During the campaign, he psychologically mocked his girlfriend Nena, who accompanied him all the way, which is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are neither in the book nor in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. what is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are not in the book or in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. what is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are not in the book or in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout.
To better understand the essence of Messner and his ascent, let us recall the very beginning of the path. Moving away from the camp, where Nena was left to wait, for several hundred meters, he fell into the crack. The incident happened inappropriately and threatened the worst. Messner then remembered about God and asked to get him out of there, promising that if this happens, he will refuse to ascend. And in general, he will give up ascents (but only for eight-thousanders) in the future. Hacked up, Messner climbed out of the crack and continued on his way, thinking: "What stupidity does not come to mind." Nena then wrote (she, by the way, drove to the mountains):
However, quite about Messner. I believe I have sufficiently explained why his outstanding achievement does not fit the role of one of the most incredible. Many films have been made about him, books have been written, and every second well-known journalist has interviewed. It's not about him.
Remembering Messner, one cannot fail to mention climber No. 2, Anatoly Bukreev, or, as he is also called, the “Russian Messner”. By the way, they were friends (there is a joint photo ). Yes, this is about him, including the filming of the base film “Everest”, which I do not recommend for viewing, but I recommend reading a book in which the events of 1996 are most carefully understood, including transcripts of interrogations of participants. Alas, Anatoly did not become the second Messner and, as a brave climber, he died in an avalanche near Annapurna. It was impossible not to mention him, however, we will not talk about him either. Because the most interesting is historically the first ascent.
The first documented climb was made by a team of Edmund Hillary from Britain. A lot is also known about him. And there is no need to repeat - yes, the story is not about Hillary. It was a well-planned expedition of the state level, which took place without extraordinary incidents. Then what is it all for? Let us return better to Messner. Let me remind you that this outstanding person in combination is also a snob, and he did not let go of the thought of primacy. Taking his business extremely seriously, he began his preparations by studying the “current state of affairs”, having studied the sources for any information about anyone who had ever visited Everest. All this is in the book, which by the level of circumstance can lay claim to scientific work. Thanks to Messner, his fame and meticulousness, we now know about the almost forgotten, but no less and perhaps a more unusual climb to Mount Everest, which was long before Messner and Hillary. Messner was digging and digging up data about a man named Maurice Wilson. It’s just his story that I’m going to put in first place.
Maurice (also British, like Hillary), was born and raised in England, fought in World War I, where he was wounded and was demobilized. In the war, he began to have health problems (cough, pain in his arm). In an attempt to recover, Wilson did not find success in traditional medicine and turned to a god who, according to his own assurances, helped him cope with the disease. By chance, in a cafe from the newspaper, Maurice found out about the next upcoming expedition to Everest in 1924 (it ended unsuccessfully), and decided that he should climb to the top. And prayer and faith in God will help in this difficult matter (Maurice probably realized this).
However, one could not just take and go to Everest. At that time there was no such bias as now, but another extreme reigned. Climbing was considered a state affair, or, if you like, political, and took place in a militarized style with clear delegation, supplies, work in the rear and assault the summit by a specially trained unit. This is largely due to the poor development of mountain equipment of those years. To get on an expedition, you had to be a member. No matter what, most importantly respected. The more you are a member, the better. Maurice was not like that. Therefore, the British official, who turned to Maurice for support, said that he would not help anyone in such a scrupulous state affair and, moreover, would do everything in order to impede his plan. Theoretically, of course, there was another way, for example, as in Nazi Germany to the glory of the Führer, or not to go far, as in the Union: it is completely not clear why this particular idiot should go up the hill at a time when it is necessary to forge a labor feat, but if you coincide with this day Lenin’s birth, Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of some congress, no one had any questions — they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel and generally anything. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion. Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of any congress, no one had any questions - they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel, and whatever. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion. Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of any congress, no one had any questions - they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel, and whatever. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion.
In addition, a couple more problems loomed. It was necessary to get to Everest somehow. Maurice chose the air way. It was 1933, civil aviation was still underdeveloped. To do this well, Wilson decided to do it himself. He bought (he didn’t have a financial issue) a used De Havilland DH.60 Mothand having written “Ever Wrest” on board, he began to prepare for the flight. True, Maurice did not know how to fly. So you need to learn. Maurice went to a flight school, where at one of the first practical classes he successfully crashed a training plane, having heard from the evil instructor a notation that he would never learn to fly, and it would be better for him to quit training. But Maurice did not give up. He began to fly on his plane and normally mastered control, although not completely. In the summer, he crashed and was forced to repair an aircraft, which finally attracted attention, because of which he was issued an official ban on flying to Tibet. Another problem was no less serious. Maurice had no more knowledge about the mountains than about airplanes. He began training with the aim of pulling up physical training on low hills in England, for which he was criticized by friends,
The maximum range of the aircraft was about 1000 kilometers. Consequently, the route from London to Tibet was to consist of many stops. Wilson tore off a telegram from the Ministry of Air Transport, which reported that his flight was prohibited, and May 21, 1933 began his journey. First, Germany (Freiburg), then, on the second attempt (it was not possible to fly over the Alps the first time), Italy (Rome). Then the Mediterranean Sea, where Maurice met zero visibility on the way to Tunisia. Further Egypt, Iraq. A setup was waiting for the pilot in Bahrain: the native government, through the consulate, petitioned for a flight ban, which was why he was refused refueling and offered to get away, and in case of disobedience they promised to be arrested. The conversation took place at the police station. There was a map on the wall. Need to say, that Wilson generally didn’t have good cards (in the process of preparation he was forced to use even a school atlas), therefore, listening to the policeman and nodding, Wilson used the case to his advantage and carefully studied this map. The plane was tucked under the promise of flying in the direction of Baghdad, after which Maurice was released.
Having flown to Baghdad, Maurice turned towards India. He intended to fly 1,200 kilometers - an extraordinary distance for the antediluvian aircraft. But either the wind was successful, or the Arab fuel turned out to be exceptionally good, or the plane was designed with a margin in range, Maurice successfully reached the westernmost airfield of India in Gwadar in 9 hours. In a few days, then, several simple flights were made across India to Nepal. Considering that India at that time was under the influence of Britain, it is surprising that the plane was arrested only now, motivating that the flight of foreigners over Nepal is forbidden, and given the stubbornness of the pilot, it would not have happened. 300 kilometers remained to the border with Nepal, which Wilson overcame on the ground, from where he called to Kathmandu, to request permission to travel around Nepal and to climb itself. The official on the other end of the line chose to remain indifferent to the needs of a novice climber, permission was refused. Maurice also tried to obtain permission to enter from Tibet (i.e., from the north, from where Messner came, then Tibet had already become China, while the southern Khumbu icefall on the way from Nepal was considered impassable, which is now not so), but and then he was refused. Meanwhile, the rainy season began, and then the winter that Maurice spent in Darjeeling, where the police watched him. Maurice managed to lull the vigilance of the authorities, saying that he refused to climb, now he is an ordinary tourist. But he did not stop collecting information and preparing in every possible way. The money was running out. He stepped on three Sherpas (Tevang, Rinsing and Tsering, last year working for the British expedition of 1933), who agreed to accompany him and helped find the horse, packing the equipment in wheat sacks. On March 21, 1934, Wilson and the Sherpas left the city on foot. Sherpas dressed like Buddhist monks, and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone hunting for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border. and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone to hunt for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border. and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone to hunt for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border.
Now, in front of Wilson, from the Congra La pass, endless ridges of the Tibetan Plateau opened. The path ran along the passes at a height of 4000-5000. April 12 Wilson first saw Everest. Surely the landscapes that Messner admired gave Wilson strength as well. On April 14, he and the Sherpas reached the Rongbuk Monastery at the foot of the northern slope of Everest. The monks received him in a friendly manner and allowed him to stay with them, and upon learning of the purpose of the visit, they suggested using the equipment stored in the monastery after the British expedition. Waking up the next morning, he heard the monks singing and decided that they were praying for him. Maurice immediately took up the passage of the Rongbuk glacier, so that on April 21 - on his birthday - rise to the mark 8848, which is the top of the world. The monastery itself is located at an altitude of ~ 4500. Remained a little over 4 kilometers. Little if it were any Alps or the Caucasus, but it is unlikely that Maurice knew much about high-altitude ascents. In addition, you must first overcome the glacier.
Since everything he read about this area was written by climbers who considered it a good tone to play down difficulties, he found himself in a difficult situation. An intricate maze of ice towers, cracks and rock blocks arose in front of him. With amazing stubbornness following the trail of compatriots, Wilson managed to overcome almost 2 kilometers. Which, of course, is too small, but for a start more than worthy. He lost his way many times, in the region of 6000 he found camp No. 2 of previous expeditions. At 6250 he was met by heavy snowfall, which caused two days to wait out the weather in his tent on the glacier. There, alone and away from the top, he celebrated his 36th birthday. At night, the storm stopped, and in 16 hours Wilson went down to the monastery in fresh snow, where he told the Sherpas about his adventures and ate the first hot soup for 10 days,
The attempt to climb to the top with a swoop greatly spoiled Wilson's health. The wounds received during the war were aggravated, eyes were inflamed, eyesight fell due to snow blindness. He was physically exhausted. He was treated with fasting and prayer for 18 days. By May 12, he announced that he was ready for a new attempt, and asked the Sherpas to go with him. The Sherpas refused on various pretexts, but, seeing Wilson's obsession, agreed that they would accompany him to the third camp. Before leaving, Maurice wrote a letter asking the authorities to forgive the Sherpas for violating the climbing ban. Apparently, he already knew that he was going to stay here forever.
Since the Sherpas knew the route, the group relatively quickly (in 3 days) climbed to 6500, where the expedition's equipment and food leftovers were excavated. Above the camp is the northern saddle at an altitude of 7000 (the next camp is usually arranged there). Maurice and the Sherpas spent several days in camp at 6500, waiting for bad weather, after which, on May 21, Maurice made an unsuccessful attempt to climb, which took four days. He crept over the crack along the bridge, went out to the ice wall 12 meters high and was forced to return. This happened, apparently, due to the fact that for some reason Wilson refused to go along the rails held by the expedition. On the evening of May 24, Wilson, half dead, slipping and tearing down, came down from the icefall and fell into the hands of the Sherpas, admitting that he could not climb Mount Everest. Sherpas persuaded him to immediately go down to the monastery, but Wilson wanted to make another attempt on May 29, asking him to wait 10 days. In reality, the Sherpas considered the idea madness and went on a descent, and they no longer saw Wilson.
Everything that came next is known from Maurice's diary. But for now, something needs to be clarified. For the third week, recovering from a recent illness, Maurice was at an altitude of just under 7,000. Which in itself is a lot and raises some questions. For the first time, a French citizen named Nicolas Zhezhe decided to seriously study these questions. Being not only a climber, but also a doctor, in 1979 he went on an experiment, during which he spent 2 months at an altitude of 6768, living alone and watching his body (he even had a cardiogram recorder). Namely, Zhezhe wanted to answer whether it is possible for a person to stay for a long time at such a height without oxygen. After all, it does not occur to anyone to live in a zone of glaciers, and climbers are rarely at an altitude of more than a few days. Now we know that above 8000 the death zone begins, where it’s dangerous in principle to walk without oxygen (in fact, Zhezhe also wanted to refute this), but with regard to the 6000-8000 range (less interesting), the traditional opinion is that a healthy and acclimatized person usually has nothing not threatening. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. but as regards the 6000-8000 range (less is not interesting), the traditional opinion is that, as a rule, nothing threatens a healthy and acclimatized person. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. but as regards the 6000-8000 range (less is not interesting), the traditional opinion is that, as a rule, nothing threatens a healthy and acclimatized person. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. that feels great. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. that feels great. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him.
Actually, it’s not long left. The next day, May 30, Maurice wrote: “It's a great day. Forward!". Thus, we know that at least the weather was fine that morning. Clear visibility at height always cheers up. Dying at the foot of the northern saddle in his tent, Maurice was most likely happy. The next year, Eric Shipton found his body. The tent is torn, clothes too, for some reason there is no boot on one leg. We now know the details of the story only from the diary and the stories of the Sherpas. Its presence, as well as the presence of Maurice himself, formally cast doubt on Messner's solo primacy. However, common sense and conservative assessment are unlikely to provide serious reasons for this. If Maurice nevertheless went upstairs and died on the descent, why hadn't he climbed the north saddle earlier, when he had not been so exhausted yet? Let's say he still managed to reach 7000 (Wikipedia says that he reached 7400, but this is obviously wrong). But further, closer to the top, he would have been waiting for the Hillary step, which is technically even more difficult. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. which is technically even more complicated. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. which is technically even more complicated. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something.
But to speak of failure would be completely inappropriate in this case. Maurice demonstrated a number of qualities, each of which, and all together all the more so, testify just the opposite, of a very significant success. Firstly, he showed the ability to master aircraft in compressed lines and proved himself not only as a pilot who had flown half the globe without experience, but also as an engineer, having strengthened the airplane’s landing gear and incorporating an additional tank into it, and these solutions worked. Secondly, he showed diplomacy skills, avoiding the premature arrest of the aircraft and getting fuel, and later finding the Sherpas, who, we must give them their due, were with him almost to the last. Thirdly, among other things, Maurice overcame considerable difficulties all the way, being under the yoke of circumstances that were superior in strength. Even the supreme lama assisted him, impressed by perseverance, and the first climber of the planet devoted a paragraph to Wilson in his, we will not dissemble, ambitious book. Finally, climbing the 6500 for the first time in itself, without normal equipment, without skills, partially solo, is also worth noting. It is more difficult and higher than such popular peaks as Mont Blanc, Elbrus or Kilimanjaro and is comparable to the highest peaks in the Andes. During his journey, Maurice did nothing wrong and did not endanger anyone. He did not have a family, no salvage was carried out, he did not beg for money. The maximum that he can be blamed for is the inconsistent use of equipment abandoned by previous expeditions in the camps and abandoned abandonment left there, but this practice is generally acceptable to this day (if it does not cause direct harm to other groups). Through the chaos of chance, he went to his need to be on top. He did not reach the geographical, but Maurice Wilson, obviously, reached his own peak.
It would seem that it could be more incredible than the stubborn, maddening Maurice, who, for the sake of a dream, laid out 100% not in words, but in practice? I thought nothing could. Messner also wondered if he had equaled Maurice in degree of frenzy, or not yet. However, there is another case that shows how a person can not only know the limit of his capabilities, but also look for him. The unusualness of this case, in addition to incredible incredibility, also gives a violation of the law. In case of failure, the hero would have been waiting for 10 years in prison, and we are still discussing the act after almost 50 years. Despite the fact that there was no chaos and was not planned. At first I wanted to write a separate article, but then I decided to include it in the main one, but I put it in a separate paragraph. Because this story, by the degree of madness, leaves far beyond just Maurice Wilson, but in general everything said earlier is taken together. This simply could not happen. But it happened, and, unlike many other spontaneous adventures, being carefully planned and impeccably executed, without extra words and emotions, without witnesses, without direct harm to anyone, without a single shot, but with the effect of a bomb explosion.
It's all about Stanislav Kurilov. Born in Vladikavkaz in 1936 (then Ordzhonikidze), then the family moved to Semipalatinsk. He served in the army of the USSR in chemical forces. Then he graduated from the Naval College, after which he entered the Oceanographic Institute in Leningrad. From that moment, a long history began for many, many years, ending so extraordinarily. Like Maurice, Slava Kurilov had a dream. It was a dream about the sea. He worked as a diver, instructor and wanted to see the world's oceans with coral reefs, animals and uninhabited islands, which he read about in childhood in books. However, then it was impossible to buy a ticket to Sharm el-Sheikh or in the same Male. It was necessary to get an exit visa. This was not easy to do. And everything foreign caused unhealthy interest. Here, for example, is one of the memories:
When Glory was preparing to participate in the expedition of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who was just starting his career as a researcher, was refused. “We consider it unreasonable to comrade Kurilov to visit capitalist states,” such a visa appeared on Kurilov’s statement. But Glory did not lose heart, and just worked. Where I could, I visited there. Traveled the Union, was on Lake Baikal in the winter. Gradually began to show interest in religion and, especially, yoga. In this sense, he is also similar to Wilson, because he believed that training the spirit, prayer and meditation would expand opportunities and achieve the impossible. Maurice, however, did not succeed, but Glory - more than. Yoga, of course, was also impossible to do just like that. Literature was banned and spread from hand to hand (as, for example, karate literature), which in the pre-Internet era created significant difficulties for Kurilov.
The interest in religion and yoga was quite pragmatic and specific for Slava. He learned that, according to the stories, experienced yogis have hallucinations. And he diligently meditated, asking God to send him even the smallest, simplest hallucination (this was not achieved, only once something similar happened) in order to feel what it was like. He was also very interested in the statement of the doctor Bombar Alain, who crossed over in 1952ocean in an inflatable boat: “Victims of the legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know: it was not the sea that killed you, it was not hunger that killed you, it was not thirst that killed you! Swinging in the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear. " Kurilov spent a day in meditation, and in general periods could last a week or a month. At this time, he dropped out of work and family. The wife didn’t saw. Did not ask to hammer a nail or take out the trash. Of course, there was no question of sex. The woman of Glory endured all this silently, for which he later thanked her and asked for forgiveness for her broken life. Most likely, she understood that her husband was unhappy, and preferred not to bother.
Thanks to yoga exercises, Glory was very well trained psychologically. Here is what he wrote about his refusal to participate in the Cousteau expedition:
The case for such actions turned up unexpectedly. Glory read in the newspaper, like Maurice (one more coincidence!), An article about the upcoming cruise of the Soviet Union liner from Vladivostok to the equator and back. The tour was called "From Winter to Summer." The ship did not plan to call at ports and limited itself to sailing in neutral waters, so a visa was not needed, and there was no strict selection, which gave Slava the opportunity to take part in it. He decided that the cruise would be useful anyway. At a minimum, it will become a training one, and then how it goes. Here, by the way, is the ship:
Its name is some trolling. The German vessel, military, was originally called "Hansa" and served as a transport in the Nazi army. In March 1945, the Hansa hit a mine and sank, lying at the bottom for 4 years. After the division of the German fleet, the ship withdrew to the USSR, was raised and repaired, being ready by 1955 under the new name “Soviet Union”. The vessel operated passenger cruise and charter flights. Just such a flight was the one on which Kurilov bought a ticket (the ticketee, suddenly, was not left without punishment later).
So, Slava left the family without telling his wife anything provocative, and came to Vladivostok. Here he is on board with another 1,200 idle passengers. The description of what is happening with the words of Kurilov in itself delivers lulza. He notes that compatriots, having escaped from their gray dwellings, realizing the short duration of rest, behave as if they were living the last day. There were few entertainments on the ship, they were all quickly tired, so that the passengers thought up classes for themselves, which was a big deal. Spa romances immediately formed, which is why groans were regularly heard outside the walls of the cabins. To raise the culture and at the same time entertain the holidaymakers a bit, the captain came up with the idea of arranging fire exercises. “What does a Russian person do when he hears a fire alarm?” Asked Slava. And then he answered: “That's right, he continues to drink.” Surely with humor as well as writing skills, he has complete order. In order to better understand Kurilov, and just enjoy reading, I recommend a couple of stories: “Serving the Soviet Union” and “Night and the Sea”. And also, especially, “City of childhood” about Semipalatinsk. They are small.
Walking on the ship, Slava somehow went to the navigator in the wheelhouse. He dedicated it to the details of the route. He passed, among other things, by the Philippines. The nearest point is Siargao Island. It is located in the very east of the Philippines. Here is an approximate area of the ship:
Later on the ship a map appeared on which the visualized route was displayed. The future route, however, was not reported. According to Kurilov’s calculations, the ship, if it does not change course, will be opposite the island of Siargao the next night at a distance of about 30 kilometers.
After waiting for the night, Slava went down to the wing of the navigating bridge and asked the watchman about the coastal lights. He replied that no lights were visible, which, however, was already understandable. A thunderstorm began. The sea was covered with 8-meter waves. Kurilov rejoiced: the weather contributed to success. The restaurant went towards the end of the dinner. The deck swayed, free chairs rode back and forth. After dinner, he returned to his cabin and left it with a small bag and a towel. Walking down the corridor, which seemed to him a rope over the abyss, he went out onto the deck.
“Young man!” A voice came from behind. Kurilov was taken aback. "How to get into the radio room?". Glory explained the way, the man listened and left. Glory took a breath. Then he walked along the illuminated part of the deck, past the dancing couples. “I said goodbye to my native land earlier in the Vladivostok Bay,” he thought. He went aft and approached the bulwark, looked for him. The waterline was not visible, only the sea. The fact is that the design of the liner has convex sides, and the cut surface of the water was hidden behind the bend. Before it was about 15 meters (the height of a 5-story Khrushchev). At the stern, in a cot, three sailors sat. Glory left there and walked a little longer, then, returning, was pleased to find that two sailors had gone somewhere, and the third made the bed, turning his back to him. Then Kurilov did which is worthy of a Hollywood film, but, apparently, was not spectacular enough for such a film to appear. Because he did not take the sailor hostage and steal the ship. A NATO submarine did not emerge from the high waves; American helicopters did not fly from the Angeles base (I recall, the Philippines is a pro-American state). Glory Kurilov leaned one hand on the bulwark, threw the body overboard and pushed off strongly. The sailor did not notice anything.
The jump was good. Entrance to the water took place underfoot. Water twisted the body, but Glory managed to press the bag to his stomach. Surfaced to the surface. Now he was at arm's length from the ship's hull, which was moving at high speed. There was no bomb in the bag, as you might think. He was not going to blow up the ship and was not a suicide bomber. Nevertheless, he froze from the fear of death - a huge screw was spinning nearby.
Flashed aft spotlights. It seemed that they noticed him - for so long they shone - but then it became completely dark. In the bag were a scarf, flippers, a mask with a snorkel and webbed gloves. Glory put them on and threw away the bag along with an unnecessary towel. The clock was 20:15 ship time (later the clock also had to get out, as they stopped). In the Philippines, the water was relatively warm. You can spend a lot of time in such water. The ship retired and soon disappeared from view. Only from the height of the ninth shaft was it possible to discern its lights on the horizon. Even if a person’s disappearance has already been discovered there, in such a storm no one will send a lifeboat after him.
Kurilov did not see the shore. He could not see him, because the ship deviated from the intended course, presumably due to a storm, and in fact was not at 30, as Slava suggested, but about 100 kilometers from the coast. At the moment, he was most afraid that the search would begin, so he leaned out of the water and tried to make out the ship. He was still retiring. So it took about half an hour. Kurilov began to swim to the west. At first it was possible to navigate the lights of the departing ship, then they disappeared, the thunderstorm subsided, and the sky was evenly cloudy, it began to rain, it became impossible to determine its position. Again, there was a fear in which he could not hold out for half an hour, but Slava overcame him. It felt like not even midnight. Not at all the glory of the tropics. However, the storm began to subside. Jupiter appeared. Then the stars. Glory knew the sky a little. Waves decreased, it became easier to maintain direction.
At dawn, Glory began to try to make out the shore. Ahead, in the west, there were only mountains of cumulus clouds. The third time, fear came. It became clear: either the calculations were erroneous, or the ship changed its course, or during the night over the course it was strongly set aside. But this fear was quickly supplanted by others. Now, in the afternoon, the liner can return, and will easily detect it. You need to get to the Philippines maritime border as soon as possible. At one point, an unidentified ship really appeared on the horizon - most likely, the “Soviet Union”, but it did not come nearer. Closer to noon, it became noticeable that in the west, rain clouds are clustered around one point, while in other places they either appear or disappear. And later, the subtle outlines of the mountain appeared.
It was an island. Now he was visible from any position. It's a good news. The bad thing was that the sun was now at its zenith, and the clouds had dissolved. Somehow I foolishly swam in the Philippine Sea Sulu, contemplating fish, about 2 hours. Then I spent 3 days in the room. True, Slava had an orange shirt (he read that this color scares off sharks, then, however, he read the opposite), but his face and hands were burning. The second night came. On the island it was already possible to distinguish the lights of the villages. The sea calmed down. The mask showed a phosphorescent underwater world. Each movement caused a burning spray - it shone with plankton. Hallucinations began: sounds were heard that could not be on Earth. A severe burn, and a cluster of jellyfish physalis swam by, falling into which, you can get paralysis. By sunrise, the island looked already a big rock,
Glory continued to float. By this time he was already very tired. Feet began to be taken away, it began to freeze. Already almost two days of swimming! A fishing boat seemed to meet, it went straight at him. Glory was delighted because he was already in coastal waters, and it could only be a Filipino ship, which means he was noticed and soon pulled out of the water, he will be saved. He even stopped rowing. The ship passed by without noticing it. Evening came. Palm trees were already visible. Big birds were fishing. And then the island current seized Glory and carried away with him. There are currents around each island; they are quite strong and dangerous. Every year they take to the sea gullible tourists who have sailed too far. If you are lucky, the current will beat to some other island, but often it simply carries to the sea. Fighting him is useless. Kurilov Being a professional swimmer, I also could not overcome it. The muscles were tired and he hung in the water. He noted with horror that the island began to deviate to the north and decline. For the fourth time, fear dashed. The sunset burned out, the third night at sea began. The muscles were no longer working. Visions began. Glory thought of death. He asked himself whether it would be worthwhile to prolong the torment for several hours, or to drop the equipment and swallow water as soon as possible? Then he fell asleep. The body still automatically continued to float on the water, while the brain gave out pictures of some other life, which Kurilov later described as a divine presence. Meanwhile, the current that carried him from the island nailed back closer to the shore, but on the other, southern side. Glory woke up from the roar of the surf and realized that it was on a reef. Around were huge, as it seemed from below, waves, rolling out on corals. There should be a calm lagoon behind the reef, but it was not there. For some time Slava fought with the waves, thinking that each new one would be his last, but in the end he was able to master them and saddle the ridges that carried him to the shore. Suddenly he found himself standing waist-deep in the water.
The next wave washed away him, and he lost support, and the bottom no longer felt. The excitement decreased. Glory realized that he was in the lagoon. He tried to return to the reef to relax, but could not, the waves did not allow him to climb. Then he decided with all his strength to sail in a straight line away from the sound of the surf. Further there will be a coast - this is obvious. The lagoon swim lasted about an hour, and the bottom was still deep enough. It was already possible to take off the mask, look around and bandage the ragged knees on the reef with a scarf. Then he continued to sail to the lights. As soon as the crowns of palm trees appeared in the black sky, the forces again left the body. Dreams began again. Having made one more effort, Glory felt the bottom with his feet. Now you could walk on your chest in the water. Then to the waist. Glory came out on the white coral sand, which today is so fond of showing in advertising, and, leaning against a palm tree, sat on it. There were hallucinations right there - Glory finally achieved all his desires at once. Then fell asleep.
Woke up from insect bites. In search of a more pleasant place in the coastal thickets I came across an unfinished pie, where I slept a little more. I didn’t want to eat. I wanted to drink, but not in the way thirsty dying people want to drink. A coconut fell under his feet. Glory hardly broke it, but found no liquid - the nut was ripe. For some reason, it seemed to Kurilov that he, like a robinson, would now live on this island and had already begun to dream of building a bamboo hut. Then he remembered that the island is inhabited. “We'll have to look for an uninhabited one tomorrow,” he thought. Motion was heard from the side, and then people showed up. They were extremely surprised by the appearance in their area of Kurilov, who still glowed with plankton, like a Christmas tree. The highlight was the fact that there was a cemetery nearby, and the locals thought they saw a ghost. It was a family coming back from evening fishing. The first to come were the children. They touched him and said something about "american." Then they decided that Glory survived the shipwreck and began to question him about the details. Upon learning that there was nothing of the sort, that he himself jumped off the ship and sailed here, they asked a question to which he did not have a clear answer: “Why?”
Locals escorted him to the village and let him into his house. Again hallucinations began, the floor went from under the legs. They gave some hot drink, and Glory drank the whole kettle. I could not eat because of an inflamed mouth damaged by a mouthpiece. Most of all the locals were interested in how he was not eaten by sharks. Glory demonstrated an amulet around his neck - such an answer perfectly suited them. It turned out that the white man (Filipinos swarthy) never in the entire history of the island appeared from the ocean. Then they brought a policeman. He asked to put the case on a piece of paper and left. Glory Kurilov put to bed. And in the morning the whole population of the village came to meet him. Then he saw a jeep and guards with machine guns. The military took him to prison, and did not allow him to enjoy the paradise (according to the glory) island.
The prison did not really know what to do with it. He was not a criminal, except for illegal border crossing. They sent digging trenches together with the rest for correctional labor. So a month and a half passed. I must say that even in the Philippine prison Kurilov liked more than in his homeland. There were tropics around which he sought. The head of the prison, feeling the difference between Glory and the other thugs, sometimes took it in the evening after working in the city, where they went to bars. Once, after a bar, I called to visit me. Kurilov recalled this moment with admiration for the local women. Having met them at 5 am drunk at home, the wife not only did not say anything against, but, on the contrary, affectionately met, softened something (the Philippines have such a specific speech) and started making breakfast. And after several months he was released.
It was the sister from Canada who turned out to be the first obstacle, and then the key to Kurilov’s freedom. It was because of her that he was not allowed to leave the country, because she married a Hindu and emigrated to Canada. In Canada, he got a job as a handyman and spent some time there, subsequently working for companies engaged in marine research. His story was admired by the Israelis, who planned to make a film and invited to Israel for this purpose, giving an advance of $ 1,000. The film, however, was never shot (instead, in 2012, a home movie was shot based on the recollections of his new wife, Elena, whom he found there). And in 1986 he moved to live in Israel permanently. Where, after 2 years, he died while diving, entangled in fishing nets, at the age of 61. We know the basic information about the history of Kurilov from his notes and book.published on the initiative of his new wife. And the home-made film, it seems, was even shown on domestic television.
7. The rebellion of the Bounty
Britain, without a doubt, owes its greatness to its fleet and colonial policy. In the past, for centuries it has equipped expeditions for something useful, forming an era of great geographical discoveries. One of these ordinary, but important expeditions was to be a sea trip for a bread tree. The seedlings of the tree were supposed to be taken on the island of Tahiti, and then delivered to the southern possessions of England, where to introduce and overcome hunger . In general, the state task was not completed, and the events became much more interesting than anticipated.
The Royal Navy allocated a new three-masted ship Bounty, just in case equipped with 14 (!) Guns, commanded by captain William Bly.
The team was recruited voluntarily-forcibly - as befits a navy. The assistant to the captain was someone Fletcher Christian - a bright person of upcoming events. On September 3, 1788, the dream team anchored and advanced towards Tahiti.
A grueling 250-day voyage with hardships in the form of scurvy and the harsh captain Bly, who, in particular, to raise his spirits made the team every day sing and dance to the accompaniment of a violin, successfully arrived at their destination. Bly had already been to Tahiti before, and was received by the natives amiably. Taking advantage of his position, and for reliability having bribed local influential people, he received permission to camp on the island and collect seedlings of breadfruit located in these places. For six months, the team gathered seedlings and prepared to sail home. The ship had a suitable carrying capacity, so a lot of seedlings were prepared, which explains the long stay on the island, as well as the fact that the team just wanted to relax.
Of course, free life in the tropics was much better than sailing in conditions typical of the 18th century. The team members began relations with the local population, including romantic ones. Therefore, several people fled shortly before departure on April 4, 1789. The captain, with the help of the natives, found them and punished them. In short, the team began to murmur from the newly fallen trials and the severity of the captain. Particularly outraged by the fact that the captain saved on water for people in favor of requiring watering plants. Blah can hardly be blamed for this: his task was to deliver the trees, and he carried it out. And the cost of human resources was the cost of the decision.
April 28, 1789 the patience of most of the crew ran out. The rebellion was led by the first man after the captain - that same assistant, Fletcher Christian. In the morning, the rebels took the captain in his cabin and tied him right in bed, and then brought him to the deck and arranged a trial chaired by Christian. To the rebels' credit, they did not mess and did relatively mildly: Blya and 18 people who refused to support the rebellion were put on a longboat, given them some provisions, water, some rusty sabers and released. Of the navigation equipment, Bly had only a sextant and a pocket watch. They landed on Tofua Island, 30 miles away. Fate was not favorable to everyone - one person was killed by the locals on the island, but the others sailed away and, having covered 6701 km (!!!), reached the island of Timor in 47 days, which is an incredible adventure in itself. But this is not about them. The captain was then tried, but he was acquitted. From this moment, the adventure itself begins, and all that was earlier is a saying.
24 people remained on board the ship: 20 conspirators and 4 more members of the crew loyal to the former captain who did not have enough space on the longboat (I remind you that the rebels were not chaos). They, of course, did not dare to sail back to Tahiti, fearing punishment from the side of their native state. What to do? That's right ... base yourstate with breadfruit and Tahitians. But it was also easy to say. To begin with, the fighters with the system went to the island of Tubuai and tried to live there, but did not get along with the natives, because of which they nevertheless had to return to Tahiti 3 months later. When asked where the captain went, the natives were told that he had met with Cook, with whom he was friends. The irony was that Bly managed to tell the locals about Cook's death, so they had no more questions. Although in reality the unfortunate captain lived for many more years and died in his bed from natural causes.
In Tahiti, Christian immediately set about planning a further rebellion scenario in order to consolidate his success and not be put on trial - representatives of the punitive detachment on the Pandora ship under the command of Edward Edwards had already left for them. 8 Englishmen, along with Christian, decided to leave the friendly island on the Bounty in search of a more peaceful place, while the rest, guided by considerations of their innocence (they saw it) decided to stay. After the rest, they really arrived and took into custody (by the time of the arrest, two had already died on their own, then four died in the crash of the Pandora, four more - those who did not have enough space on the longboat - were acquitted, one was pardoned, five more were hanged - of them, two for non-resistance to the rebellion, and three for participating in it).
After a while, the ship docked on a desert island, on which the notorious bread tree and bananas grew, there was water, a beach, a jungle - in short, everything that is supposed to be on a desert island. It was the island of Pitcairn, which relatively recently, in 1767, was discovered by the navigator Philippe Carteret. The fugitives were incredibly lucky on this island: its coordinates were mapped with an error of 350 kilometers, and therefore the search expedition of the Royal Navy could not find them, although it regularly searched every island. Thus arose and still exists a new dwarf state on the island of Pitcairn. The Bounty had to be burned in order not to leave evidence and not be tempted to swim away somewhere. They say that the ballast stones of the ship can still be seen in the lagoon of the island.
Further, the fate of free immigrants developed as follows. After several years of free life, in 1793, a conflict broke out between Tahitian men and the British, as a result of which the first were no longer left, and Christian was also killed. Presumably, the causes of the conflict were the lack of women and the oppression of the Tahitians, to whom the white (who, however, became no longer white) were treated as slaves. Two more Englishmen soon died of alcoholism - they learned to extract alcohol from the roots of a local plant. One died of asthma. Three Tahitian women also died. In total, by 1800, about 10 years after the rebellion, only one of his participants remained alive, still able to properly use the results of his demarche. It was John Adams (also known as Alexander Smith). He was surrounded by 9 women and 10 minor children. Then the children became 25: Adams did not waste time in vain. In addition, he brought order to the community, accustomed the inhabitants to Christianity and organized the education of youth. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. In this form, after another 8 years, the "state" discovered an American whaling ship "Topaz" accidentally passing by. The captain of this ship told the world about a paradise island on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to which the British government reacted surprisingly mildly and forgave Adams for the expiration of the statute of limitations. Adams died in 1829, at the age of 62, surrounded by many children and women who were passionately loving him. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. surrounded by numerous and passionately loving children and women. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown. surrounded by numerous and passionately loving children and women. His name is the only settlement on the island - Adamstown.
Today, about 100 people live in the state of Pitcairn, which is not so small for an island with an area of 4.6 square kilometers. The population peak of 233 people was reached in 1937, after which the population declined due to emigration to New Zealand and Australia, but, on the other hand, there were those who came to live on the island. Formally, Pitcairn is considered overseas territory of Great Britain. It has its own parliament, school, 128 kbps Internet channel and even its own .pn domain, a telephone code with a beautiful value of +64. The basis of the economy is tourism with a small share of agriculture. For Russians, a British visa is required, but, in agreement with the local authorities, they can be allowed without for a period of up to 2 weeks.
6. Red tent
I learned about this story from the movie of the same name. That rare case when the film is good. He is good for many reasons. Firstly, the very beautiful Claudia Cardinale is filmed there (she is still alive, she is over 80 years old). Secondly, the film is color (the name obliges), which is not taken for granted in 1969, and was shot with the joint participation of the USSR and Great Britain, which also had an unusual and positive effect on the picture. Thirdly, the presentation of the story in the film is incomparable. What is the final dialogue of the heroes worth? Fourth, the film has historical value, and this story requires special attention.
Before the space race and before World War II, there was an aeronautics race in the world. Stratospheric balloons of various shapes and sizes were built, and new altitude records were reached. USSR, of course, toodistinguished himself . This was a matter of national importance, everyone wanted to be the first and risked their lives for this no less than the era of the beginning of space exploration. The media described in detail the achievements in aeronautics, so on the Internet you can easily find many articles on this topic. So, one of such high-profile projects was the expedition of the airship "Italy" . An Italian (which is obvious) aircraft arrived in Svalbard to fly toward the North Pole on May 23, 1928.
The goal was to reach the pole and return, and the tasks were scientific: to explore the Franz Joseph Land, the Northern Earth, the areas north of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic archipelago, to finally solve the question of the existence of the hypothetical Crocker Earth, which Robert Peary allegedly observed in 1906, and make observations in the fields of atmospheric electricity, oceanography, and terrestrial magnetism. Hype business is hard to overestimate. The Pope gave the team a wooden cross, which was supposed to be installed on the pole.
The airship under the command of Umberto Nobile successfully reached the pole. Previously, he had already participated in a similar under the leadership of Royal Amundsen, but then, it seems, their relationship went wrong. The film mentions an interview with Amundsen, which he gave to the newspaper, here are some passages:
- What significance can the expedition of General Nobile have for science if it turns out to be successful?
“Of great importance,” answered Amundsen.
- Why do not you lead the expedition?
“She is no longer for me.” Plus, they didn't invite me.
“But Nobile is not an Arctic expert, is she?”
- He takes them with him. I know some. You can rely on them. And Nobile himself is a magnificent airship builder. I was convinced of this during our flight to the North Pole on the Norwegian airship he built. But this time, he not only built an airship, but also led an expedition.
- What are their chances of success?
- The chances are good. I know Nobile is a great commander.
Technically, the airship was a fabric semi-rigid balloon filled with explosive hydrogen - a typical airship of the time. However, not this ruined him. On the way back, the ship lost its course due to the wind, so it spent more time in flight than was planned. On the third day, in the morning, the airship flew at an altitude of 200-300 meters and suddenly began to decline. The reasons are called weather conditions. The immediate cause is not reliably known, but most likely it was icing. Another version considers shell rupture and subsequent hydrogen leakage. The team’s actions could not prevent the airship from dropping, and as a result, after about 3 minutes, it hit the ice. Motorist died in a collision. The ship was dragged by the wind for about 50 meters, during which time a part of the crew, including Nobel, appeared on the surface, along with some equipment. The other 6 people remained inside the gondola (as well as the main cargo), which the wind blown on the broken airship - their further fate is unknown, only a column of smoke was noticed, but there was no flash and the sound of the explosion, which does not suggest the ignition of hydrogen.
Thus, a group of 9 people led by Captain Nobel, who, however, was wounded, appeared on ice in the Arctic Ocean. There was also a Nobel dog named Titina. The group as a whole was very lucky: the bags and containers that fell on the ice contained food (including 71 kg of canned meat, 41 kg of chocolate), a radio station, a pistol with cartridges, sextants and chronometers, a sleeping bag and a tent. The tent, however, is only four-seater. It was made red for noticeability by dousing with paint from marker balls, which also fell out of the airship (which is what the film means).
The radio operator (Biaggi) immediately set up the radio station and began trying to get in touch with the support ship of the Città de Milano expedition. Several days were unsuccessful. As Nobile later claimed, the radio operators of Città de Milano, instead of trying to catch the signal from the expedition's transmitter, were sending personal telegrams. The ship went to sea in search of the missing, but without the coordinates of the crash site there was no serious chance of success. On May 29, the radio operator Città de Milano heard Biaggi's signal, but he mistook him for the call station in Mogadishu and did not do anything. On the same day, one of the members of the group, Malmgren, shot dead a polar bear, whose meat was put into food. He, along with two others (Mariano and Zappi), separated the next day (Nobel was against but allowed separation) from the main group and independently advanced towards the base. During the transition, Malmgren died, two survived, however, one of them (navigator Adalberto Mariano) froze his leg. Meanwhile, nothing was known about the fate of the airship. So in total about a week passed, during which the Nobel group expected to be discovered.
June 3 was lucky once again. Soviet amateur radio operator Nikolai Schmidt from the hinterland (Voznesenie-Vokhma village of the Northern Dvina province) received a signal “Italie Nobile Fran Uosof Sos Sos Sos Sos Tirri teno EhH” from the Biaggi radio station on a makeshift receiver. He sent a telegram to his friends in Moscow, the next day the information was transferred to the official level. Under Osoaviahim (the very one who was actively involved in aeronautical activities), an aid headquarters was created, headed by its deputy commissar for military and naval affairs of the USSR Joseph Unshlikht. On the same day, the Italian government was informed of the distress signal, but only 4 days later (on June 8) did the Citta de Milano finally establish contact with Biaggi and get the exact coordinates.
In fact, it still did not mean anything. It was still necessary to get to the camp. Different countries and communities participated in the rescue operation. On June 17, two aircraft chartered by Italy flew over the camp, but did not notice it due to poor visibility. Amundsen died in search. He could not remain without participation and on June 18 flew out in search of the French seaplane allocated to him, after which he disappeared with the crew (later a float from his plane was found in the sea, and then an empty fuel tank - the plane probably got lost, and it ran out of fuel). Only on June 20 did we manage to find the camp on the plane and deliver the goods in 2 days. On June 23, General Nobel was evacuated from the camp in a light plane - it was assumed that he would provide assistance by coordinating actions to save the remaining. Later it will be used against him, the public accused the general of the crash of the airship. There is such a dialogue in the film:
- I had 50 reasons to fly away, and 50 to stay.
- Not. 50 for staying and 51 for flying. You flew away. What is the 51st?
- I dont know.
- Remember what you were thinking then, at the time of departure? You are sitting in the cockpit, the plane is in the air. Have you thought about those who stayed on the ice?
- Yes.
- And about those who were carried away in an airship?
- Yes.
- About Malmgren, Zappi and Mariano? About Krasin?
- Yes.
- About Romagna?
- About me?
- Yes.
- About daughter?
- Yes.
- About the hot tub?
- Yes. Oh my God! I also thought about the Kingsbay hot tub.
The Soviet icebreaker Krasin also took part in the rescue operations, delivering a small plane in an unassembled form to the search area - it was assembled already on the spot, on ice. On July 10, his crew discovered a group, dropped food and clothing. A day later, they found a group of Malmgren. One of them lay on ice (presumably it was the deceased Malmgren, but then it turned out that these were most likely things, and Malmgren himself could not go much earlier and therefore asked him to leave). Due to poor visibility, the pilot was unable to return to the icebreaker, so he made an emergency landing, having damaged the plane, and broadcast on the radio that the crew was completely safe and asked to save the Italians first, and then them. Krasin took Mariano and Zappi on July 12. Malmgren’s warm clothes were on Zappi. On the whole, he was very well dressed and in good physical condition. On the contrary Mariano was half-naked and severely exhausted; his leg was amputated. Zappi was accused, but no tangible evidence was found against him. In the evening of the same day, the icebreaker took 5 people from the main camp, after which it transferred everyone together aboard the Città de Milano. Nobile insisted on finding an airship with six expedition members remaining in the shell. However, the Krasin captain Samoilovich said that he was not able to conduct searches due to a lack of coal and a lack of aircraft, so he took the pilots and the plane off the ice on July 16 and was about to go home. And the captain of the "Citta di Milano" Romagna referred to the order from Rome to immediately return to Italy. However, Krasin nevertheless took part in the search for a shell that ended in nothing (on October 4 he arrived in Leningrad). On September 29, another search aircraft crashed, after which the rescue operation was discontinued.
In March 1929, the state commission recognized Nobile the main culprit in the disaster. Immediately after this, Nobile resigned from the Italian Air Force, and in 1931 he left for the Soviet Union to head the program for the construction of airships. After the victory over fascism in 1945, all charges were dropped from him. Nobile was reinstated in the rank of Major General and died many years later, at the age of 93.
The Nobile expedition was one of the most tragic and unusual expeditions of this kind. The wide scatter in the estimates is that for the sake of saving the group too many people were put at risk, of whom more died than were saved as a result of a search operation. At that time, apparently, this was treated differently. The very idea of flying on a clumsy airship damn knows where worthy of respect. It is symbolic for the era of steampunk. At the beginning of the twentieth century, it seemed to mankind that almost everything was already possible, and there was no limit to technological progress, there was a crazy adventure in checking the ultimate strength of technical solutions. Primitive? Yes, and do not care! In search of adventure, many lost their lives and put others at unreasonable risk, so this story is the most ambiguous of all, although, of course, very interesting. Well, the movie is good.
5. Kon Tiki
The story about Kon Tiki is known mainly due to the film (I admit that good adventure films are still shot more often than I thought at first). In fact, Kon Tiki is not only the name of the film. This is the name of the raft on which the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1947 (well, not really, and nonetheless). And the raft is named, in turn, by the name of some Polynesian deity.
The fact is that Tours developed a theory according to which people from South America on primitive ships, presumably rafts, reached the islands of the Pacific Ocean and thus populated them. The raft was chosen for the reason that it is the most reliable of the simplest swimming facilities. Few believed in Tur (according to the film, so few that, in general, no one), and he decided to prove the possibility of such a sea passage, and at the same time test his theory. To do this, he recruited a somewhat dubious team into his support group. Well, who else would agree to that? The Tour was familiar with some, some not very well. More about recruiting is best to watch a movie. There is, by the way, a book, and not one, but I have not read them.
To begin with, the Tour was, in principle, an adventurous citizen, in which his wife supported him. Together with her, he once in his youth lived for some time in semi-wild conditions on the island of Fatu Hiva. This is a small volcanic island that Tour called "paradise" (in paradise, however, it was not very good with climate and medicine, and the wife had an unhealed wound on her leg, which made the island urgently leave). In other words, he was ready and able to dare to do something like that.
The expedition members did not know each other. Everyone had different characters. Therefore, it’s not very soon that the stories we will tell each other will bother us on the raft. No storm clouds and no pressure promising bad weather were as dangerous for us as a depressed moral state. After all, we six, for many months we will be completely alone on the raft, and under such conditions a good joke is often no less valuable than a life belt.
In general, I will not describe the journey for a long time, it is best to really watch the movie. Not just because he was awarded an Oscar. The story is very unusual, I just could not forget about it, but I can hardly add anything of value. Swimming completed successfully. As Tur expected, ocean currents carried the raft towards the islands of Polynesia. They landed safely on one of the islands. Along the way, we made observations, collecting scientific data. But with the wife in the end it did not work out - she was tired of her husband’s adventures, she abandoned him. The uncle spent a very active life and lived up to 87 years.
4. Touching the Void
It was not so long ago, in 1985. Climbing deuce climbed the summit of Siula Grande (6344) in the Andes in South America. There are beautiful and unusual mountains: despite the great steepness of the slopes, the snow firn holds, which, of course, simplified the ascent. We went to the top. And then, according to the classics, difficulties should begin. Descent is always more difficult and more dangerous than climbing. Everything went quietly, as usual in such cases. For example, it was getting dark - which is quite natural. As usual, the weather deteriorated, fatigue accumulated. A deuce (Joe Simpson and Simon Yates) walked around the pinnacle ridge to use a more logical route. In short, everything was as it should be on a standard, albeit technically difficult, ascent: hard work, but nothing like that.
But then something happened that, in general, could well happen: Joe falls. This is bad, but still not dangerous. Partners, of course, should, and were ready for this. Simon detained Joe. And they would go further, but only Joe fell unsuccessfully. His leg fell between the stones, the body continued to move by inertia and broke his leg. Walking with a deuce is in itself ambiguous, because together, everything goes well until something starts to go bad. In these cases, the campaign can fall into two solo campaigns, and this is a completely different conversation (the same, however, can be said about any group). And they were not quite ready for him. More precisely, Joe was there. He then thought something like: “Now Simon will say that he will go for help, try to calm me down. I will understand him, he must do so. And he will understand that I understood we both will understand. But in no other way. ” Because to conduct salvage operations at such peaks means only increasing the number of people being saved, and this is not at all what they are being done for. However, Simon did not say that. He offered to go down right here, right now by the shortest route, taking advantage of the great steepness of the slope. Let the relief be unfamiliar, the main thing is to quickly lower the height and go to a gentle area, and then we’ll figure it out further.
With the help of triggers, the partners began to decline. Joe was for the most part in the role of ballast: he was lowered on a rope by Simon. Joe comes down, fixes himself, then Simon passes one rope, removes, we repeat. Here it is necessary to recognize the relatively high efficiency of the idea, as well as the good preparation of the participants. The descent really went fine, insurmountable difficulties on the terrain did not come across. A certain number of iterations performed allowed us to move noticeably down. By this time it was almost dark. But here Joe stole the second time in a row - he again breaks down during the next descent with a rope. During the fall, he flies back onto the snow bridge, breaks it and flies further into the crack. Simon, meanwhile, is trying to linger, and we must pay tribute to his preparation, he succeeds. Exactly up to this point, the situation was not that normal, but it was by no means catastrophic: the descent was controlled, the injury was a natural risk for such events, and the fact that the weather turned dark and dark was a common thing in the mountains. But now Simon was sitting on the slope, holding on to Joe, who had flown over the bend, and of which nothing was known. Simon screamed, but did not hear the answer. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours. He could not get up and down either, fearing not to restrain Joe. So he sat for two hours.
Joe, meanwhile, was hanging in the crack. The standard rope is 50 meters long, I don’t know what they had, but most likely about that length. This is not so much, but in bad weather, beyond the inflection, in the crevice, it is likely that it was really not heard. Simon began to freeze and, not seeing any prospect to improve the situation, cut the rope. Joe flew some other distance, and only now bad luck was replaced by unspeakable luck, which is the meaning of history. He hit another snow bridge inside the crack and accidentally lingered on it. Next came a piece of rope.
Simon, meanwhile, went down the kink and saw a broken bridge and a crack. It was so dark and bottomless that there could be no thought that there could be a living person in it. Simon “buried” his friend and went down to the camp on his own. This is blamed on him - he did not check, he was not convinced, he did not help ... However, this is comparable to the fact that if you knock down a pedestrian and in the mirror you see how the head and body are flying in different directions. You have to stop, but does that make sense? So Simon decided that there was no point. Even if we assume that Joe is still alive, he must still get it out. And they don’t live in cracks for a long time. And endlessly, without food and rest at altitude, one also cannot work.
Joe was sitting on a small bridge in the middle of a crack. He, among other things, had a backpack, a flashlight, a system, a trigger, and a rope. He sat for such a long time and came to the conclusion that it was not possible to get upstairs in any way. What happened to Syson is also unknown, maybe now he is not in the best position. Joe could either continue to sit or do something, and that something was to see what was below. He decided to do so. He organized the base and slowly descended to the bottom of the crack. The bottom turned out to be passable, in addition, by this time it had already dawn. Joe managed to find a way out of the crack on the glacier.
On the glacier, Joe also had a hard time. This was only the beginning of his long journey. He moved crawling, dragging a broken leg. It was difficult to find a way among the labyrinth of cracks and pieces of ice. He had to crawl, raise the front of his body in his arms, look around, choose a landmark and crawl on. On the other hand, slope and snow cover ensured creep. Therefore, by the time Joe, exhausted, reached the base of the glacier, two news awaited him. The good thing was that at last he was able to drink water - muddy slurry with particles of rock washed out from under the glacier. And the bad thing, of course, is that the area has become more gentle, even less smooth and, most importantly, not so slippery. Now he had much more difficulty dragging his body.
For several days, Joe crawled to the camp. Simon at this time was still there, along with another member of the group who did not go up the hill. Night fell, she was supposed to be the last, the next morning the camp was about to turn off and leave. The usual evening rain began. Joe was a few hundred meters from the camp by this time. He was no longer waiting, clothes and things were burned. Joe had no more strength to crawl on a horizontal surface, and he began to scream - the only thing he could do. Because of the rain, they did not hear him. Then the people sitting in the tent seemed to cry, but how much will the wind bring? When you sit in a tent by the river, you can hear conversations that are not there. Decided that this is the spirit of Joe came. And yet Simon went out to see with a lantern. And then he found Joe. Exhausted, hungry, reckless, but alive. He was quickly taken to a tent, where they provided first aid. He could no longer walk. Then there was a long treatment, a lot of operations (apparently, Joe had the funds for this), and he was able to recover. He didn’t abandon the mountains, continued climbing the difficult peaks, then once again injured his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice. then once again damaged his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice. then once again damaged his leg (other) and face, and even then continued to engage in technical mountaineering. The severe uncle. And overall lucky. Miraculous salvation is not the only such case. Once he was on what he thought was a saddle, stuck an ice ax that went inside. Joe thought it was a hole and threw it in the snow. Then it turned out that this was not a hole, but a hole in the snow cornice.
Joe wrote a book about this ascent, and in 2007 a detailed documentary was shot .
3.127 hours
I won’t stop here much, it’s better ... right, to watch the movie of the same name. But the power of tragedy is astounding. In short, the essence of this. One guy named Aron Ralston walked along a canyon in North America, Utah. The walk ended in falling into the crevice, in the process of falling it carried along a large boulder that held his hand. At the same time, the rest of Aron remained unharmed. The book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", written by him later, became the basis for the film.
For several days Aron lived at the bottom of the gap, where the sun fell only for a short time. I tried to drink urine. Then he decided to cut off his clasped hand, because no one climbed into this hole, it was useless to shout. The trouble was aggravated by the fact that there was nothing special to cut: only a stupid household folding knife was available. The bones of the forearm had to be broken. There was a problem with nerve transection. In the film, all this is well shown. With tremendous torment, having beaten by hand, Aron left the canyon, where he came across a strolling couple who gave him water to drink and called for a rescue helicopter. This concludes the story.
The case is certainly impressive. The stone was then lifted and mass was estimated - according to various sources, it is from 300 to 400 kg. Of course, raising it yourself would be impossible. Aron made a cruel but sure decision. Judging by the smile in the photo and hype in the media, the fact that he remained a cripple did not sadden the guy very much. Then he even got married. As you can see in the photo, I attached a prosthesis in the form of an ice ax to my hand so that it would be more convenient to climb mountains.
2. Death will wait for me
This is not even a story, but rather a story and the name of the book of the same name by Grigory Fedoseev, in which he described his life in the Siberian wilds of the mid-20th century. Originally from the Kuban (now the birthplace is on the territory of the KCR), the pass to the ridge is named after him. Abishira-Akhuba in the vicinity of the village. Arkhyz (~ 3000, n / a, grassy-scree). Wikipedia writes about Gregory in short: "Soviet writer, engineer-geodesist." In general, it is, he gained fame thanks to his notes and books, written later. Honestly, the writer from him is not so bad, but not Leo Tolstoy. The book leaves a contradictory impression in the literary sense, but in the documentary, undoubtedly, has a high value. This book describes the most interesting segment of his life. Published in 1962, but events happened earlier, in 1948-1954.
I highly recommend reading the book. Here I will only briefly outline the basis of the plot. By that time, Grigory Fedoseyev became the head of the expedition in the Priokhotsk Territory, where he commanded several detachments of geodesists-cartographers, and he was directly involved in the work. It was a harsh wild land in the no less harsh USSR. In the sense that, by modern standards, the expedition did not have equipment. There was a plane, some equipment, throws, provisions and military-built logistics. But at the same time, poverty directly reigned in the expedition's everyday life, as, incidentally, it was practically everywhere in the Union. So, people themselves built rafts and shelters with an ax, ate tortillas, hunted game. Then they carried bags of cement and iron on the mountain in order to equip a survey site there. Then another, one more and more. Yes, these are the very trigger points that were used for peaceful purposes to map the terrain, and in the military for pointing bussolas on the very maps compiled earlier. There are many such points scattered throughout the country. Now they are in a dilapidated state, because there is GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, has remained unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how. because there are GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, remained an unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how. because there are GPS and space images, and the idea of a full-scale war using massive artillery strikes, thank God, remained an unrealized Soviet doctrine. But every time I met the remnants of a trigger point on some kind of bump, I thought, how was it built here? Fedoseev tells how.
In addition to the construction of trigger points and mapping (determining distances, heights, etc.), the tasks of expeditions of those years included the study of geology and wildlife of Siberia. Gregory also describes the life and appearance of local residents, Evenks. In general, he talks a lot about everything he saw. Thanks to the work of his team, we now have maps of Siberia, with which then roads and oil pipelines were built. The scale of his work is difficult to exaggerate. But why am I so impressed with the book and put it in second place? But the fact is that the guy is extremely tenacious and wear-resistant. In his place, I would die in a month. But he did not die and lived normally for his time (69 years).
The culmination of the book is the autumn rafting on the May River. Local people said about May that the log would not reach the mouth without turning into chips. And Fedoseyev with two comrades planned to carry out a first ascent. The rafting was successful, but in the process, the trinity went beyond the reasonable. The boat, hollowed out with an ax, was broken almost immediately. Then they built a raft. He regularly turned over, he was caught, lost, made a new one. In the canyon of the river it was damp and cold, in addition, frost was approaching. At some point, the situation was completely out of control. There is no raft, there are no things, one comrade paralyzed at death, the other lost the devil knows where. Gregory hugs a dying comrade, being with him on a stone in the middle of the river. It begins to rain, the water rises and is about to wash them off the stone. But, nevertheless, everyone was saved, and not by the will of a miracle, but thanks to their strength. And the title of the book is not about that at all. In general, if interested, it is more correct to read the source.
Regarding the personality of Fedoseyev and the events described by him, my opinion is ambiguous. The book is positioned as an art. The author does not hide this, but does not specify what exactly, limiting himself to deliberately squeezing time to please the plot, and asking for forgiveness for this. Indeed, inaccuracy is small. But confuses another. Very naturally everything turns out. Like the immortal Rambo, he storms adversity one after another, where each subsequent one is more serious and requires unprecedented efforts. One danger - lucky. Another - got out. Third - a friend helped. The tenth is the same. While each is worthy, if not a book, then a story, and the hero had to die at the very beginning. Hopefully there were few exaggerations. Grigory Fedoseyev was, after all, a Soviet man in the good sense of the word (not like the generation of the 60s, which made out all the polymers), then it was fashionable to behave decently. On the other hand, even if the author exaggerated, it is all the same, even though the tenth part was really as described, it is worthy of mention in the top three incredible stories, and the title of the book rightly reflects the essence.
1. Crystal horizon
Dare climbers go. There are old climbers. But there are no brave old climbers. Unless, of course, this is Reinhold Messner. This 74-year-old citizen, being the main climber of the world, still lives in his castle, sometimes runs into some kind of bump, and in his spare time from these classes he builds models of mountains visited in the garden. “If he was on a big mountain - let him bring big stones from her”, as was the case in “The Little Prince” - Messner, obviously, is also a troll. He is much more than famous, but most famous for his first solo climb on Mount Everest. The climb itself, as well as everything that accompanied and preceded it, Messner wrote in all details in the book “Crystal Horizon”. He is also a good writer. But the character is bad. He bluntly states that he wanted to be the first, and his ascent to Everest is somewhat reminiscent of the launch of the first satellite of the Earth. During the campaign, he psychologically mocked his girlfriend Nena, who accompanied him all the way, which is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are neither in the book nor in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. what is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are not in the book or in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. what is directly written in the book (it seems that there was love, but details about this are not in the book or in popular sources). Finally, Messner was a biased character, and made the ascent in relatively modern conditions, with appropriate equipment, and the level of training was fully consistent. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout. He even flew in a sealed 9000 plane to acclimatize. Yes, the event required tremendous effort, and physically devastated it. But actually it’s a lie. Messner himself later stated, after K2, that Everest was just a workout.
To better understand the essence of Messner and his ascent, let us recall the very beginning of the path. Moving away from the camp, where Nena was left to wait, for several hundred meters, he fell into the crack. The incident happened inappropriately and threatened the worst. Messner then remembered about God and asked to get him out of there, promising that if this happens, he will refuse to ascend. And in general, he will give up ascents (but only for eight-thousanders) in the future. Hacked up, Messner climbed out of the crack and continued on his way, thinking: "What stupidity does not come to mind." Nena then wrote (she, by the way, drove to the mountains):
The indefatigability of this man cannot be described in words ... The Reinhold phenomenon is that he is always upset, although his nerves are in perfect order
However, quite about Messner. I believe I have sufficiently explained why his outstanding achievement does not fit the role of one of the most incredible. Many films have been made about him, books have been written, and every second well-known journalist has interviewed. It's not about him.
Remembering Messner, one cannot fail to mention climber No. 2, Anatoly Bukreev, or, as he is also called, the “Russian Messner”. By the way, they were friends (there is a joint photo ). Yes, this is about him, including the filming of the base film “Everest”, which I do not recommend for viewing, but I recommend reading a book in which the events of 1996 are most carefully understood, including transcripts of interrogations of participants. Alas, Anatoly did not become the second Messner and, as a brave climber, he died in an avalanche near Annapurna. It was impossible not to mention him, however, we will not talk about him either. Because the most interesting is historically the first ascent.
The first documented climb was made by a team of Edmund Hillary from Britain. A lot is also known about him. And there is no need to repeat - yes, the story is not about Hillary. It was a well-planned expedition of the state level, which took place without extraordinary incidents. Then what is it all for? Let us return better to Messner. Let me remind you that this outstanding person in combination is also a snob, and he did not let go of the thought of primacy. Taking his business extremely seriously, he began his preparations by studying the “current state of affairs”, having studied the sources for any information about anyone who had ever visited Everest. All this is in the book, which by the level of circumstance can lay claim to scientific work. Thanks to Messner, his fame and meticulousness, we now know about the almost forgotten, but no less and perhaps a more unusual climb to Mount Everest, which was long before Messner and Hillary. Messner was digging and digging up data about a man named Maurice Wilson. It’s just his story that I’m going to put in first place.
Maurice (also British, like Hillary), was born and raised in England, fought in World War I, where he was wounded and was demobilized. In the war, he began to have health problems (cough, pain in his arm). In an attempt to recover, Wilson did not find success in traditional medicine and turned to a god who, according to his own assurances, helped him cope with the disease. By chance, in a cafe from the newspaper, Maurice found out about the next upcoming expedition to Everest in 1924 (it ended unsuccessfully), and decided that he should climb to the top. And prayer and faith in God will help in this difficult matter (Maurice probably realized this).
However, one could not just take and go to Everest. At that time there was no such bias as now, but another extreme reigned. Climbing was considered a state affair, or, if you like, political, and took place in a militarized style with clear delegation, supplies, work in the rear and assault the summit by a specially trained unit. This is largely due to the poor development of mountain equipment of those years. To get on an expedition, you had to be a member. No matter what, most importantly respected. The more you are a member, the better. Maurice was not like that. Therefore, the British official, who turned to Maurice for support, said that he would not help anyone in such a scrupulous state affair and, moreover, would do everything in order to impede his plan. Theoretically, of course, there was another way, for example, as in Nazi Germany to the glory of the Führer, or not to go far, as in the Union: it is completely not clear why this particular idiot should go up the hill at a time when it is necessary to forge a labor feat, but if you coincide with this day Lenin’s birth, Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of some congress, no one had any questions — they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel and generally anything. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion. Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of any congress, no one had any questions - they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel, and whatever. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion. Victory Day or, at worst, to the date of any congress, no one had any questions - they were released at work, the state gave preferences and was not averse to helping out with money, grubs, travel, and whatever. But Maurice was in England, where there was no suitable occasion.
In addition, a couple more problems loomed. It was necessary to get to Everest somehow. Maurice chose the air way. It was 1933, civil aviation was still underdeveloped. To do this well, Wilson decided to do it himself. He bought (he didn’t have a financial issue) a used De Havilland DH.60 Mothand having written “Ever Wrest” on board, he began to prepare for the flight. True, Maurice did not know how to fly. So you need to learn. Maurice went to a flight school, where at one of the first practical classes he successfully crashed a training plane, having heard from the evil instructor a notation that he would never learn to fly, and it would be better for him to quit training. But Maurice did not give up. He began to fly on his plane and normally mastered control, although not completely. In the summer, he crashed and was forced to repair an aircraft, which finally attracted attention, because of which he was issued an official ban on flying to Tibet. Another problem was no less serious. Maurice had no more knowledge about the mountains than about airplanes. He began training with the aim of pulling up physical training on low hills in England, for which he was criticized by friends,
The maximum range of the aircraft was about 1000 kilometers. Consequently, the route from London to Tibet was to consist of many stops. Wilson tore off a telegram from the Ministry of Air Transport, which reported that his flight was prohibited, and May 21, 1933 began his journey. First, Germany (Freiburg), then, on the second attempt (it was not possible to fly over the Alps the first time), Italy (Rome). Then the Mediterranean Sea, where Maurice met zero visibility on the way to Tunisia. Further Egypt, Iraq. A setup was waiting for the pilot in Bahrain: the native government, through the consulate, petitioned for a flight ban, which was why he was refused refueling and offered to get away, and in case of disobedience they promised to be arrested. The conversation took place at the police station. There was a map on the wall. Need to say, that Wilson generally didn’t have good cards (in the process of preparation he was forced to use even a school atlas), therefore, listening to the policeman and nodding, Wilson used the case to his advantage and carefully studied this map. The plane was tucked under the promise of flying in the direction of Baghdad, after which Maurice was released.
Having flown to Baghdad, Maurice turned towards India. He intended to fly 1,200 kilometers - an extraordinary distance for the antediluvian aircraft. But either the wind was successful, or the Arab fuel turned out to be exceptionally good, or the plane was designed with a margin in range, Maurice successfully reached the westernmost airfield of India in Gwadar in 9 hours. In a few days, then, several simple flights were made across India to Nepal. Considering that India at that time was under the influence of Britain, it is surprising that the plane was arrested only now, motivating that the flight of foreigners over Nepal is forbidden, and given the stubbornness of the pilot, it would not have happened. 300 kilometers remained to the border with Nepal, which Wilson overcame on the ground, from where he called to Kathmandu, to request permission to travel around Nepal and to climb itself. The official on the other end of the line chose to remain indifferent to the needs of a novice climber, permission was refused. Maurice also tried to obtain permission to enter from Tibet (i.e., from the north, from where Messner came, then Tibet had already become China, while the southern Khumbu icefall on the way from Nepal was considered impassable, which is now not so), but and then he was refused. Meanwhile, the rainy season began, and then the winter that Maurice spent in Darjeeling, where the police watched him. Maurice managed to lull the vigilance of the authorities, saying that he refused to climb, now he is an ordinary tourist. But he did not stop collecting information and preparing in every possible way. The money was running out. He stepped on three Sherpas (Tevang, Rinsing and Tsering, last year working for the British expedition of 1933), who agreed to accompany him and helped find the horse, packing the equipment in wheat sacks. On March 21, 1934, Wilson and the Sherpas left the city on foot. Sherpas dressed like Buddhist monks, and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone hunting for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border. and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone to hunt for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border. and Maurice himself disguised himself as a Tibetan llama (at the hotel he said that he had gone to hunt for tigers). Moved at night. During the trip, only one old man revealed the deception, who, having learned that the llama had stopped near his house, wanted to get into his tent, but he remained silent. In 10 days, I managed to get to Tibet and cross the border.
Now, in front of Wilson, from the Congra La pass, endless ridges of the Tibetan Plateau opened. The path ran along the passes at a height of 4000-5000. April 12 Wilson first saw Everest. Surely the landscapes that Messner admired gave Wilson strength as well. On April 14, he and the Sherpas reached the Rongbuk Monastery at the foot of the northern slope of Everest. The monks received him in a friendly manner and allowed him to stay with them, and upon learning of the purpose of the visit, they suggested using the equipment stored in the monastery after the British expedition. Waking up the next morning, he heard the monks singing and decided that they were praying for him. Maurice immediately took up the passage of the Rongbuk glacier, so that on April 21 - on his birthday - rise to the mark 8848, which is the top of the world. The monastery itself is located at an altitude of ~ 4500. Remained a little over 4 kilometers. Little if it were any Alps or the Caucasus, but it is unlikely that Maurice knew much about high-altitude ascents. In addition, you must first overcome the glacier.
Since everything he read about this area was written by climbers who considered it a good tone to play down difficulties, he found himself in a difficult situation. An intricate maze of ice towers, cracks and rock blocks arose in front of him. With amazing stubbornness following the trail of compatriots, Wilson managed to overcome almost 2 kilometers. Which, of course, is too small, but for a start more than worthy. He lost his way many times, in the region of 6000 he found camp No. 2 of previous expeditions. At 6250 he was met by heavy snowfall, which caused two days to wait out the weather in his tent on the glacier. There, alone and away from the top, he celebrated his 36th birthday. At night, the storm stopped, and in 16 hours Wilson went down to the monastery in fresh snow, where he told the Sherpas about his adventures and ate the first hot soup for 10 days,
The attempt to climb to the top with a swoop greatly spoiled Wilson's health. The wounds received during the war were aggravated, eyes were inflamed, eyesight fell due to snow blindness. He was physically exhausted. He was treated with fasting and prayer for 18 days. By May 12, he announced that he was ready for a new attempt, and asked the Sherpas to go with him. The Sherpas refused on various pretexts, but, seeing Wilson's obsession, agreed that they would accompany him to the third camp. Before leaving, Maurice wrote a letter asking the authorities to forgive the Sherpas for violating the climbing ban. Apparently, he already knew that he was going to stay here forever.
Since the Sherpas knew the route, the group relatively quickly (in 3 days) climbed to 6500, where the expedition's equipment and food leftovers were excavated. Above the camp is the northern saddle at an altitude of 7000 (the next camp is usually arranged there). Maurice and the Sherpas spent several days in camp at 6500, waiting for bad weather, after which, on May 21, Maurice made an unsuccessful attempt to climb, which took four days. He crept over the crack along the bridge, went out to the ice wall 12 meters high and was forced to return. This happened, apparently, due to the fact that for some reason Wilson refused to go along the rails held by the expedition. On the evening of May 24, Wilson, half dead, slipping and tearing down, came down from the icefall and fell into the hands of the Sherpas, admitting that he could not climb Mount Everest. Sherpas persuaded him to immediately go down to the monastery, but Wilson wanted to make another attempt on May 29, asking him to wait 10 days. In reality, the Sherpas considered the idea madness and went on a descent, and they no longer saw Wilson.
Everything that came next is known from Maurice's diary. But for now, something needs to be clarified. For the third week, recovering from a recent illness, Maurice was at an altitude of just under 7,000. Which in itself is a lot and raises some questions. For the first time, a French citizen named Nicolas Zhezhe decided to seriously study these questions. Being not only a climber, but also a doctor, in 1979 he went on an experiment, during which he spent 2 months at an altitude of 6768, living alone and watching his body (he even had a cardiogram recorder). Namely, Zhezhe wanted to answer whether it is possible for a person to stay for a long time at such a height without oxygen. After all, it does not occur to anyone to live in a zone of glaciers, and climbers are rarely at an altitude of more than a few days. Now we know that above 8000 the death zone begins, where it’s dangerous in principle to walk without oxygen (in fact, Zhezhe also wanted to refute this), but with regard to the 6000-8000 range (less interesting), the traditional opinion is that a healthy and acclimatized person usually has nothing not threatening. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. but as regards the 6000-8000 range (less is not interesting), the traditional opinion is that, as a rule, nothing threatens a healthy and acclimatized person. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. but as regards the 6000-8000 range (less is not interesting), the traditional opinion is that, as a rule, nothing threatens a healthy and acclimatized person. Nicolas came to the same conclusion. Going down after 60 days, he noted that he was feeling fine. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. that feels great. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him. that feels great. But that was not true. Doctors examined and found that Nicolas was on the verge of not only physical, but also nervous exhaustion, ceased to perceive reality adequately and, most likely, he could not have survived another 2 months at an altitude above 6000. Nicolas was a trained athlete, what can we say about Maurice? Time worked against him.
Actually, it’s not long left. The next day, May 30, Maurice wrote: “It's a great day. Forward!". Thus, we know that at least the weather was fine that morning. Clear visibility at height always cheers up. Dying at the foot of the northern saddle in his tent, Maurice was most likely happy. The next year, Eric Shipton found his body. The tent is torn, clothes too, for some reason there is no boot on one leg. We now know the details of the story only from the diary and the stories of the Sherpas. Its presence, as well as the presence of Maurice himself, formally cast doubt on Messner's solo primacy. However, common sense and conservative assessment are unlikely to provide serious reasons for this. If Maurice nevertheless went upstairs and died on the descent, why hadn't he climbed the north saddle earlier, when he had not been so exhausted yet? Let's say he still managed to reach 7000 (Wikipedia says that he reached 7400, but this is obviously wrong). But further, closer to the top, he would have been waiting for the Hillary step, which is technically even more difficult. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. which is technically even more complicated. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. which is technically even more complicated. The speculation about the possible achievement of the goal is based on the statement of the Tibetan mountain climber Gombu, who allegedly saw the old tent at an altitude of 8500 in 1960. This mark is higher than any of the camps abandoned by the British expeditions, and thus, if the tent really existed, it could belong only to Wilson. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something. His words are not confirmed by the words of other participants in the ascent and, in addition, the organization of the camp at such a height without oxygen is extremely doubtful. Most likely, Gombu mixed up something.
But to speak of failure would be completely inappropriate in this case. Maurice demonstrated a number of qualities, each of which, and all together all the more so, testify just the opposite, of a very significant success. Firstly, he showed the ability to master aircraft in compressed lines and proved himself not only as a pilot who had flown half the globe without experience, but also as an engineer, having strengthened the airplane’s landing gear and incorporating an additional tank into it, and these solutions worked. Secondly, he showed diplomacy skills, avoiding the premature arrest of the aircraft and getting fuel, and later finding the Sherpas, who, we must give them their due, were with him almost to the last. Thirdly, among other things, Maurice overcame considerable difficulties all the way, being under the yoke of circumstances that were superior in strength. Even the supreme lama assisted him, impressed by perseverance, and the first climber of the planet devoted a paragraph to Wilson in his, we will not dissemble, ambitious book. Finally, climbing the 6500 for the first time in itself, without normal equipment, without skills, partially solo, is also worth noting. It is more difficult and higher than such popular peaks as Mont Blanc, Elbrus or Kilimanjaro and is comparable to the highest peaks in the Andes. During his journey, Maurice did nothing wrong and did not endanger anyone. He did not have a family, no salvage was carried out, he did not beg for money. The maximum that he can be blamed for is the inconsistent use of equipment abandoned by previous expeditions in the camps and abandoned abandonment left there, but this practice is generally acceptable to this day (if it does not cause direct harm to other groups). Through the chaos of chance, he went to his need to be on top. He did not reach the geographical, but Maurice Wilson, obviously, reached his own peak.
God mode
It would seem that it could be more incredible than the stubborn, maddening Maurice, who, for the sake of a dream, laid out 100% not in words, but in practice? I thought nothing could. Messner also wondered if he had equaled Maurice in degree of frenzy, or not yet. However, there is another case that shows how a person can not only know the limit of his capabilities, but also look for him. The unusualness of this case, in addition to incredible incredibility, also gives a violation of the law. In case of failure, the hero would have been waiting for 10 years in prison, and we are still discussing the act after almost 50 years. Despite the fact that there was no chaos and was not planned. At first I wanted to write a separate article, but then I decided to include it in the main one, but I put it in a separate paragraph. Because this story, by the degree of madness, leaves far beyond just Maurice Wilson, but in general everything said earlier is taken together. This simply could not happen. But it happened, and, unlike many other spontaneous adventures, being carefully planned and impeccably executed, without extra words and emotions, without witnesses, without direct harm to anyone, without a single shot, but with the effect of a bomb explosion.
It's all about Stanislav Kurilov. Born in Vladikavkaz in 1936 (then Ordzhonikidze), then the family moved to Semipalatinsk. He served in the army of the USSR in chemical forces. Then he graduated from the Naval College, after which he entered the Oceanographic Institute in Leningrad. From that moment, a long history began for many, many years, ending so extraordinarily. Like Maurice, Slava Kurilov had a dream. It was a dream about the sea. He worked as a diver, instructor and wanted to see the world's oceans with coral reefs, animals and uninhabited islands, which he read about in childhood in books. However, then it was impossible to buy a ticket to Sharm el-Sheikh or in the same Male. It was necessary to get an exit visa. This was not easy to do. And everything foreign caused unhealthy interest. Here, for example, is one of the memories:
There were three hundred people at Bataisk — oceanographic students and cadets of naval schools. We, the students, were just not trusted the most, fearing all sorts of troubles. Nevertheless, the ship was forced to make a short stop in the Bosporus Strait to take on board a local pilot who would lead the Bataysk through a narrow strait.
In the morning, all students and cadets poured onto the deck to at least look at the minarets of Istanbul from a distance. The assistant captain immediately got alarmed and began to drive everyone away from the sides. (By the way, he was the only one on the ship who had nothing to do with the sea and did not understand anything in the maritime industry. They said that at his previous job as a commissar in a naval school, he could not get used to the word “come in” and, calling students for conversations, he continued to habitually say “enter.”) I sat above the navigational bridge and could see everything that was happening on the deck. When the curious were driven away from the port side, they immediately ran to the starboard side. The assistant captain rushed after them to drive them away from there. Of course, they didn’t want to go down. I saw how a crowd of no less than three hundred people ran several times from side to side. "Bataisk" began to roll slowly from side to side, as with a good sea pitching. The Turkish pilot, in bewilderment and dismay, turned to the captain for clarification. By this time, a crowd of local residents had already gathered on both sides of the narrow Bosphorus, watching with amazement how the Soviet ship swung sharply on the mirror-calm surface of the strait, as in a strong storm, and in addition it appeared or disappeared over its sides at the same time several hundred faces.
The matter ended with the enraged captain ordering to immediately remove the assistant captain from the deck and lock him in the cabin, which, with pleasure, was immediately executed by two dozen cadets. But we were still able to consider Istanbul - from both sides of the ship.
When Glory was preparing to participate in the expedition of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who was just starting his career as a researcher, was refused. “We consider it unreasonable to comrade Kurilov to visit capitalist states,” such a visa appeared on Kurilov’s statement. But Glory did not lose heart, and just worked. Where I could, I visited there. Traveled the Union, was on Lake Baikal in the winter. Gradually began to show interest in religion and, especially, yoga. In this sense, he is also similar to Wilson, because he believed that training the spirit, prayer and meditation would expand opportunities and achieve the impossible. Maurice, however, did not succeed, but Glory - more than. Yoga, of course, was also impossible to do just like that. Literature was banned and spread from hand to hand (as, for example, karate literature), which in the pre-Internet era created significant difficulties for Kurilov.
The interest in religion and yoga was quite pragmatic and specific for Slava. He learned that, according to the stories, experienced yogis have hallucinations. And he diligently meditated, asking God to send him even the smallest, simplest hallucination (this was not achieved, only once something similar happened) in order to feel what it was like. He was also very interested in the statement of the doctor Bombar Alain, who crossed over in 1952ocean in an inflatable boat: “Victims of the legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know: it was not the sea that killed you, it was not hunger that killed you, it was not thirst that killed you! Swinging in the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear. " Kurilov spent a day in meditation, and in general periods could last a week or a month. At this time, he dropped out of work and family. The wife didn’t saw. Did not ask to hammer a nail or take out the trash. Of course, there was no question of sex. The woman of Glory endured all this silently, for which he later thanked her and asked for forgiveness for her broken life. Most likely, she understood that her husband was unhappy, and preferred not to bother.
Thanks to yoga exercises, Glory was very well trained psychologically. Here is what he wrote about his refusal to participate in the Cousteau expedition:
What an amazing state it is when there is no more fear. I wanted to go to the square and burst out laughing in front of the whole world. I was ready for the craziest action
The case for such actions turned up unexpectedly. Glory read in the newspaper, like Maurice (one more coincidence!), An article about the upcoming cruise of the Soviet Union liner from Vladivostok to the equator and back. The tour was called "From Winter to Summer." The ship did not plan to call at ports and limited itself to sailing in neutral waters, so a visa was not needed, and there was no strict selection, which gave Slava the opportunity to take part in it. He decided that the cruise would be useful anyway. At a minimum, it will become a training one, and then how it goes. Here, by the way, is the ship:
Its name is some trolling. The German vessel, military, was originally called "Hansa" and served as a transport in the Nazi army. In March 1945, the Hansa hit a mine and sank, lying at the bottom for 4 years. After the division of the German fleet, the ship withdrew to the USSR, was raised and repaired, being ready by 1955 under the new name “Soviet Union”. The vessel operated passenger cruise and charter flights. Just such a flight was the one on which Kurilov bought a ticket (the ticketee, suddenly, was not left without punishment later).
So, Slava left the family without telling his wife anything provocative, and came to Vladivostok. Here he is on board with another 1,200 idle passengers. The description of what is happening with the words of Kurilov in itself delivers lulza. He notes that compatriots, having escaped from their gray dwellings, realizing the short duration of rest, behave as if they were living the last day. There were few entertainments on the ship, they were all quickly tired, so that the passengers thought up classes for themselves, which was a big deal. Spa romances immediately formed, which is why groans were regularly heard outside the walls of the cabins. To raise the culture and at the same time entertain the holidaymakers a bit, the captain came up with the idea of arranging fire exercises. “What does a Russian person do when he hears a fire alarm?” Asked Slava. And then he answered: “That's right, he continues to drink.” Surely with humor as well as writing skills, he has complete order. In order to better understand Kurilov, and just enjoy reading, I recommend a couple of stories: “Serving the Soviet Union” and “Night and the Sea”. And also, especially, “City of childhood” about Semipalatinsk. They are small.
Walking on the ship, Slava somehow went to the navigator in the wheelhouse. He dedicated it to the details of the route. He passed, among other things, by the Philippines. The nearest point is Siargao Island. It is located in the very east of the Philippines. Here is an approximate area of the ship:
Later on the ship a map appeared on which the visualized route was displayed. The future route, however, was not reported. According to Kurilov’s calculations, the ship, if it does not change course, will be opposite the island of Siargao the next night at a distance of about 30 kilometers.
After waiting for the night, Slava went down to the wing of the navigating bridge and asked the watchman about the coastal lights. He replied that no lights were visible, which, however, was already understandable. A thunderstorm began. The sea was covered with 8-meter waves. Kurilov rejoiced: the weather contributed to success. The restaurant went towards the end of the dinner. The deck swayed, free chairs rode back and forth. After dinner, he returned to his cabin and left it with a small bag and a towel. Walking down the corridor, which seemed to him a rope over the abyss, he went out onto the deck.
“Young man!” A voice came from behind. Kurilov was taken aback. "How to get into the radio room?". Glory explained the way, the man listened and left. Glory took a breath. Then he walked along the illuminated part of the deck, past the dancing couples. “I said goodbye to my native land earlier in the Vladivostok Bay,” he thought. He went aft and approached the bulwark, looked for him. The waterline was not visible, only the sea. The fact is that the design of the liner has convex sides, and the cut surface of the water was hidden behind the bend. Before it was about 15 meters (the height of a 5-story Khrushchev). At the stern, in a cot, three sailors sat. Glory left there and walked a little longer, then, returning, was pleased to find that two sailors had gone somewhere, and the third made the bed, turning his back to him. Then Kurilov did which is worthy of a Hollywood film, but, apparently, was not spectacular enough for such a film to appear. Because he did not take the sailor hostage and steal the ship. A NATO submarine did not emerge from the high waves; American helicopters did not fly from the Angeles base (I recall, the Philippines is a pro-American state). Glory Kurilov leaned one hand on the bulwark, threw the body overboard and pushed off strongly. The sailor did not notice anything.
The jump was good. Entrance to the water took place underfoot. Water twisted the body, but Glory managed to press the bag to his stomach. Surfaced to the surface. Now he was at arm's length from the ship's hull, which was moving at high speed. There was no bomb in the bag, as you might think. He was not going to blow up the ship and was not a suicide bomber. Nevertheless, he froze from the fear of death - a huge screw was spinning nearby.
I almost physically feel the movement of his blades - they ruthlessly cut the water right next to me. Some inexorable force pulls me closer and closer. I make a desperate effort, trying to sail to the side - and bind in a dense mass of stagnant water tightly coupled to the screw. It seems to me that the liner suddenly stopped - and after all, only a few moments ago it was moving at a speed of eighteen knots! The terrifying vibrations of hellish noise, the roar and buzz of the body pass through my body, they are slowly and inexorably trying to push me into the black abyss. I feel myself creeping into this sound ... The screw rotates above my head, I clearly distinguish its rhythm in this monstrous rumble. The screw seems to me animated - he has a gloatingly smiling face, I am held tightly by his invisible hands. Suddenly, something throws me aside and I’m rapidly flying into the widening abyss. I got into a strong stream of water to the right of the screw, and I was thrown to the side.
Flashed aft spotlights. It seemed that they noticed him - for so long they shone - but then it became completely dark. In the bag were a scarf, flippers, a mask with a snorkel and webbed gloves. Glory put them on and threw away the bag along with an unnecessary towel. The clock was 20:15 ship time (later the clock also had to get out, as they stopped). In the Philippines, the water was relatively warm. You can spend a lot of time in such water. The ship retired and soon disappeared from view. Only from the height of the ninth shaft was it possible to discern its lights on the horizon. Even if a person’s disappearance has already been discovered there, in such a storm no one will send a lifeboat after him.
And then silence fell upon me. The feeling was sudden and struck me. It was as if I was on the other side of reality. I still did not fully understand what had happened. The dark ocean waves, the spiky splashes, the luminous crests around seemed to me something like a hallucination or sleep - it was enough to open my eyes and everything would disappear, and again I would be on the ship, with friends, in the midst of noise, bright light and fun. By force of will, I tried to return myself to the old world, but nothing changed, there was still a stormy ocean around me. This new reality did not yield to perception. But time passed, the crests of waves overwhelmed me, and I had to carefully monitor so as not to blow my breath. And I finally fully realized that I was completely alone in the ocean. Help is nowhere to wait. And I have almost no chance to get to the shore alive. At that moment, my mind sarcastically remarked: “But now you are completely free!” Isn't that what you so longed for ?! ”
Kurilov did not see the shore. He could not see him, because the ship deviated from the intended course, presumably due to a storm, and in fact was not at 30, as Slava suggested, but about 100 kilometers from the coast. At the moment, he was most afraid that the search would begin, so he leaned out of the water and tried to make out the ship. He was still retiring. So it took about half an hour. Kurilov began to swim to the west. At first it was possible to navigate the lights of the departing ship, then they disappeared, the thunderstorm subsided, and the sky was evenly cloudy, it began to rain, it became impossible to determine its position. Again, there was a fear in which he could not hold out for half an hour, but Slava overcame him. It felt like not even midnight. Not at all the glory of the tropics. However, the storm began to subside. Jupiter appeared. Then the stars. Glory knew the sky a little. Waves decreased, it became easier to maintain direction.
At dawn, Glory began to try to make out the shore. Ahead, in the west, there were only mountains of cumulus clouds. The third time, fear came. It became clear: either the calculations were erroneous, or the ship changed its course, or during the night over the course it was strongly set aside. But this fear was quickly supplanted by others. Now, in the afternoon, the liner can return, and will easily detect it. You need to get to the Philippines maritime border as soon as possible. At one point, an unidentified ship really appeared on the horizon - most likely, the “Soviet Union”, but it did not come nearer. Closer to noon, it became noticeable that in the west, rain clouds are clustered around one point, while in other places they either appear or disappear. And later, the subtle outlines of the mountain appeared.
It was an island. Now he was visible from any position. It's a good news. The bad thing was that the sun was now at its zenith, and the clouds had dissolved. Somehow I foolishly swam in the Philippine Sea Sulu, contemplating fish, about 2 hours. Then I spent 3 days in the room. True, Slava had an orange shirt (he read that this color scares off sharks, then, however, he read the opposite), but his face and hands were burning. The second night came. On the island it was already possible to distinguish the lights of the villages. The sea calmed down. The mask showed a phosphorescent underwater world. Each movement caused a burning spray - it shone with plankton. Hallucinations began: sounds were heard that could not be on Earth. A severe burn, and a cluster of jellyfish physalis swam by, falling into which, you can get paralysis. By sunrise, the island looked already a big rock,
Glory continued to float. By this time he was already very tired. Feet began to be taken away, it began to freeze. Already almost two days of swimming! A fishing boat seemed to meet, it went straight at him. Glory was delighted because he was already in coastal waters, and it could only be a Filipino ship, which means he was noticed and soon pulled out of the water, he will be saved. He even stopped rowing. The ship passed by without noticing it. Evening came. Palm trees were already visible. Big birds were fishing. And then the island current seized Glory and carried away with him. There are currents around each island; they are quite strong and dangerous. Every year they take to the sea gullible tourists who have sailed too far. If you are lucky, the current will beat to some other island, but often it simply carries to the sea. Fighting him is useless. Kurilov Being a professional swimmer, I also could not overcome it. The muscles were tired and he hung in the water. He noted with horror that the island began to deviate to the north and decline. For the fourth time, fear dashed. The sunset burned out, the third night at sea began. The muscles were no longer working. Visions began. Glory thought of death. He asked himself whether it would be worthwhile to prolong the torment for several hours, or to drop the equipment and swallow water as soon as possible? Then he fell asleep. The body still automatically continued to float on the water, while the brain gave out pictures of some other life, which Kurilov later described as a divine presence. Meanwhile, the current that carried him from the island nailed back closer to the shore, but on the other, southern side. Glory woke up from the roar of the surf and realized that it was on a reef. Around were huge, as it seemed from below, waves, rolling out on corals. There should be a calm lagoon behind the reef, but it was not there. For some time Slava fought with the waves, thinking that each new one would be his last, but in the end he was able to master them and saddle the ridges that carried him to the shore. Suddenly he found himself standing waist-deep in the water.
The next wave washed away him, and he lost support, and the bottom no longer felt. The excitement decreased. Glory realized that he was in the lagoon. He tried to return to the reef to relax, but could not, the waves did not allow him to climb. Then he decided with all his strength to sail in a straight line away from the sound of the surf. Further there will be a coast - this is obvious. The lagoon swim lasted about an hour, and the bottom was still deep enough. It was already possible to take off the mask, look around and bandage the ragged knees on the reef with a scarf. Then he continued to sail to the lights. As soon as the crowns of palm trees appeared in the black sky, the forces again left the body. Dreams began again. Having made one more effort, Glory felt the bottom with his feet. Now you could walk on your chest in the water. Then to the waist. Glory came out on the white coral sand, which today is so fond of showing in advertising, and, leaning against a palm tree, sat on it. There were hallucinations right there - Glory finally achieved all his desires at once. Then fell asleep.
Woke up from insect bites. In search of a more pleasant place in the coastal thickets I came across an unfinished pie, where I slept a little more. I didn’t want to eat. I wanted to drink, but not in the way thirsty dying people want to drink. A coconut fell under his feet. Glory hardly broke it, but found no liquid - the nut was ripe. For some reason, it seemed to Kurilov that he, like a robinson, would now live on this island and had already begun to dream of building a bamboo hut. Then he remembered that the island is inhabited. “We'll have to look for an uninhabited one tomorrow,” he thought. Motion was heard from the side, and then people showed up. They were extremely surprised by the appearance in their area of Kurilov, who still glowed with plankton, like a Christmas tree. The highlight was the fact that there was a cemetery nearby, and the locals thought they saw a ghost. It was a family coming back from evening fishing. The first to come were the children. They touched him and said something about "american." Then they decided that Glory survived the shipwreck and began to question him about the details. Upon learning that there was nothing of the sort, that he himself jumped off the ship and sailed here, they asked a question to which he did not have a clear answer: “Why?”
Locals escorted him to the village and let him into his house. Again hallucinations began, the floor went from under the legs. They gave some hot drink, and Glory drank the whole kettle. I could not eat because of an inflamed mouth damaged by a mouthpiece. Most of all the locals were interested in how he was not eaten by sharks. Glory demonstrated an amulet around his neck - such an answer perfectly suited them. It turned out that the white man (Filipinos swarthy) never in the entire history of the island appeared from the ocean. Then they brought a policeman. He asked to put the case on a piece of paper and left. Glory Kurilov put to bed. And in the morning the whole population of the village came to meet him. Then he saw a jeep and guards with machine guns. The military took him to prison, and did not allow him to enjoy the paradise (according to the glory) island.
The prison did not really know what to do with it. He was not a criminal, except for illegal border crossing. They sent digging trenches together with the rest for correctional labor. So a month and a half passed. I must say that even in the Philippine prison Kurilov liked more than in his homeland. There were tropics around which he sought. The head of the prison, feeling the difference between Glory and the other thugs, sometimes took it in the evening after working in the city, where they went to bars. Once, after a bar, I called to visit me. Kurilov recalled this moment with admiration for the local women. Having met them at 5 am drunk at home, the wife not only did not say anything against, but, on the contrary, affectionately met, softened something (the Philippines have such a specific speech) and started making breakfast. And after several months he was released.
Для всех заинтересованных лиц и организаций. Данный документ подтверждает, что г-н Станислав Васильевич Курилов, 38 лет, русский, был направлен на настоящую комиссию военными властями, и после расследования выяснилось, что он был найден местными рыбаками на берегу Генерал Луна, остров Сиаргао, Суригао, 15 декабря 1974 года, после того, как он прыгнул с борта советского судна 13 декабря 1974 года. Г-н Курилов не имеет при себе ни туристских документов, ни какого-либо другого документа, удостоверяющего его личность. Он утверждает, что родился во Владикавказе (Кавказ) 17 июля 1936 года. Г-н Курилов выразил желание просить убежища в любой западной стране, предпочтительно в Канаде, где, по его словам, проживает его сестра, и сообщил, что он уже направил письмо в Канадское посольство в Маниле с просьбой разрешить ему проживание в Канаде. Настоящая комиссия не будет иметь возражений против его депортации из страны с указанной целью. Данное свидетельство выдано 2 июня 1975 года в Маниле, Филиппины.
It was the sister from Canada who turned out to be the first obstacle, and then the key to Kurilov’s freedom. It was because of her that he was not allowed to leave the country, because she married a Hindu and emigrated to Canada. In Canada, he got a job as a handyman and spent some time there, subsequently working for companies engaged in marine research. His story was admired by the Israelis, who planned to make a film and invited to Israel for this purpose, giving an advance of $ 1,000. The film, however, was never shot (instead, in 2012, a home movie was shot based on the recollections of his new wife, Elena, whom he found there). And in 1986 he moved to live in Israel permanently. Where, after 2 years, he died while diving, entangled in fishing nets, at the age of 61. We know the basic information about the history of Kurilov from his notes and book.published on the initiative of his new wife. And the home-made film, it seems, was even shown on domestic television.