第一次聽到這個故事是在和一個朋友吃飯的時候。
我們隨便聊到登山，不小心觸動了她的記憶。用了一個多小時，她流著淚給我講了1996年5月的那場珠峰登山事故。
當時並不太理解這個故事的意義，也沒去留意她給我的一些關於這場悲劇的剪報。
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其實故事的經過很簡單。
一個拍攝環幕電影的攝影隊攀登珠峰，在最後登頂過程中突然遭遇暴風雪，33人中有8人罹難，包括4名導游、2名攝影師、2名舍帕人（尼伯爾山民）。
下面是《時代周刊》關於這場事故的報道開場白，介紹罹難的導游之一，新西蘭人ROB HALL的生命最後時刻。
“It was clear to anyone listening to the Mount Everest radio traffic that Rob Hall had decided to die. Fal Hall, there seemed to be little drama in the decision – but for someone in his position, there rarely is. In the brutal cold and almost oxygen-free air found at Everest altitiudes, a sort of wozzy resignation sets in. Decisions to climb or descend, rest or trudge on, get made with a fatalistic shrug. At the moment, Hall was shrugging toward death.
David Breashears and Ed Viesturs were in radio contact with Hall as he made his decision. Filmmakers and climbers who had known the famous guide for years, they were 2,400 m below him, in the relative safety of a mountainside campsite. Hall, on the other hand, was 120 m shy of Eeverest’s 8,848-m summit – the highest peak in the world – stuck on an outcrop where he had spent the night after a sudden blizzard pounded the mountain. The situation was probably not survivable, and yet the other climbers were determined to help Hall live throught it. “Think about Thailand,” Viesturs said. “Once you come down, we’ll tour the beaches and finally see those skinny legs of yours out of a snowsuit.”
Hall laughed weakly, but didn’t stir. Quickly, someone in camp patched a satellite call to New Zealand, where Hall’s wife, pregnant with their first child, was waiting. “I’m looking forward to making you completely better when you come home,” she called to her husband when the connection was made. On top of his mountain, Hall may have smiled. “I love you,” he said. “Sleep well, my sweetheart. Please don’t worry too much.” No one ever heard from Rob Hall again.”
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自從四十多年前舍帕人TENZING NORGAY和新西蘭人EDMUND HILLARY第一次登上珠峰後，又有700多人登頂成功，同時，也有150余人在攀登中喪生。
有許多不具備身體或經濟條件的人，會在山下的營地用望遠鏡看別人登頂。更有些第一次登頂失敗後，幾年後再次來到珠峰攀登。
這是種怎樣的誘惑，又是種怎樣的執著！
是什麼，讓他們冒著付出生命的危險去作如此的攀登？
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如果說文中一開始認為“HALL決定了選擇死亡”似乎有些是誇張，那麼最後通過衛星電話和他妻子的告別，則毫無疑問已流露出“生離死別”的意味了。
其實ROB HALL作為一名有經驗的珠峰導游，其生存的能力極強。在一夜的暴風雪之後，登頂隊員（約二十人）中死傷慘重，但ROB HALL仍活著，雖然已經沒氣力動彈了。
如此執著、強健的人，一夜之後，決定舍棄生命。
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我碰到過橫強的人，也遇見過軟弱的人，最奇妙的是兩者共存於同一人身上。長年頑強地同疾病搏鬥，然而突然有一天，決定放棄一切治療和希望；或是愛情，炙烈的愛的火焰熊熊燃燒，為了一個莫名的原因，毫無聲息地突然熄滅。
執著或舍棄，全在一個念頭。
人的精神，真是一個不可思議的存在。
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在那次交談後，我曾看過兩部反映登山遇險的電影，其中一部是《垂直極限》。不過，回味起來，總覺得只有這個真實的故事觸動了我的心靈。
以我的能力，根本無法把這個故事裡蘊涵的啟示和美寫出來。
真正的作者應該是永遠的珠峰和處於極限下的人的精神。
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附注：文中報道摘自“Mountain without Mercy”《TIME》1997/10/20。另有若干書籍介紹那場悲劇，如《Into Thin Air》（有中文版），《Everest: Mountain without Mercy》等。
作者：雲南老虎
日期：2001年11月30日