Because He Was There

In 2003, seven astronauts are killed instantly when their space shuttle, Columbia, disintegrates on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The NASA shuttle program is grounded with immediate effect. On the International Space Station, three men - two astronauts and a cosmonaut - h ...  Show more

It’s 2008 and Columbian presidential hopeful Ingrid Betancourt and three US nationals have been held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) for over five years. They are considered “VIP hostages" by the militant organisation. With numerous rescue attempts of ...  Show more

As his surname suggests, Jules Mountain is a man destined to scale the heights. After battling cancer and emerging with a new lease of life, he takes on the epic challenge of reaching the top of Mount Everest. But when an enormous earthquake causes the slopes to crumble around hi ...  Show more

Welcome to When It Goes Wrong, the podcast about disasters, accidents and when things fall apart. On this episode I discuss the 2006 climbing season on Mount Everest where 10 people would die. I focus in on the case of David Sharp, who many think could have been saved if he had b ...  Show more

Every year, adventurers brave the elements and attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Yet dangers abound, and more than a hundred bodies litter the mountain. Listen in and learn more about Mount Everest in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

In 1991 Mount Everest is a very different place than it is today. A young American arrives at the remote outpost of Base Camp intent on tackling the planet’s tallest peak. Using the last of his student loan, Dan Mazur has blagged his way onto a Soviet climbing team. But his unlik ...  Show more