Ulisse - Il piacere della scoperta

Season 1, Episode 3

Episode Title: Everest, la grande sfida

Air Date: 2001-04-21

Overview:

Ulisse dedicates this event to the highest peak in the world: Everest. A RAI crew went to the Himalayas, in the Everest region, to show the extraordinary landscapes of this "roof of the world", flying with a helicopter to the base camp, at almost 6 thousand metres, and going to the Sherpa villages , who are still the great protagonists of climbing today, helping mountaineers in their very risky undertakings. One fact is enough to understand the difficulties of climbing Everest: for every 6 climbers who try, one dies. The difficulty is caused above all by the disturbances caused by the high altitude: above 8 thousand meters you enter the so-called "death zone". Oxygen is reduced to a third, the mind becomes clouded, the body is subjected to superhuman efforts, strokes and pulmonary edema are constantly lurking. Not to mention bad weather, wind, frostbite and the inherent risks of climbing. The program will tell all this, through documentaries, films and testimonies.