Two of my favorite subjects are Paul Butterfield, the blues harmonica master who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, as well as Mount Everest, the mountain I climbed for the first time after three attempts, dating back to 1999. Paul Butterfield was inducted into the Rock Hall after three attempts at getting him in. It was through my efforts and those of others in the production of a short documentary that helped Paul and his band gain acceptance.
I returned to Everest this year and witnessed firsthand the madness that ensues when too many people try to climb it at the same time. My remarks and thoughts cover not only 2019, but also my experiences on Everest in 2014, during which time a massive avalanche took the lives of 16 sherpa. I successfully climbed Everest in 2016, and returned again to the north side with a crew from National Geographic.
The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment by Peter H. Hansen can be found on Amazon and other major booksellers His panel discussion about the commercialization of Everest for the Boston Museum of Science called Tales From the Top can be found on YouTube.
Music is from Paul Butterfield Revisited. The Everest section is by Lobo Loco, found on the free music archive. For more information please contact me at eyesopenproductions.com
CORRECTION: Paul Butterfield Revisited band members Jimmy Eppard, Pete Levin and Jim Curtin are from Woodstock, New Yoirk, not Vermont as stated.
Also, the film featuring Jim Geiger, who endeavored to become the oldest American to climb Mount Everest, is called Accidental Climber, not Mountaineer as stated.
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