Posted: Mar 27, 2008 12:58 am EDT
Beijing Olympics are dividing the world. More than half Canadians in a recent media survey said the Games should not be boycotted. The other half, a bit smaller, said it should be.

The Swiss Olympic committee says sports shouldn't mix with human rights. Sponsors say that corporate interests shouldn't mix with human rights. In Himalaya, many commercial guides, clients and climbers say climbing shouldn't mix with human rights.

Money, politics, cousins and strawberries - just about everyone find their own reason to look the other way. And then there are men like Luis Benitez.

The email

October 2, 2006 an email arrived. The message so explosive we only decided to publish it because we trusted the source, an American commercial guide.

"There is a story that happened here on the 30th and the 1st that is not being told," wrote the climber. "It is tragic, it is haunting, and it is apparently all too real for Tibetans."

In the middle of a massive Cho Oyu summit push, soldiers kneeled and took potshots into a crowd of mostly kids, only 100 yards away from climbers. Two figures dropped to the snow, two struggled up and staggered on, one tried to crawl but then collapsed. Soon, ABC was swarmed by the Chinese army.

As hours passed by, we began to worry about having posted the story. Normally and issue like this would require two sources at least. Yet out of hundreds of climbers and satellite phones, this was the only report about the incident - anywhere. In addition, the guide spoke on condition of anonymity. Our cred as a news source was hugely at stake.

The next day, our worst nightmare seemed to come true. The guide asked us to retract the story, because "some commercial expedition leaders say the shot were not refugees but human traffickers." We refused, and then the guide too suddenly changed his mind.

The proof

On October 5 at last, the International Campaign for Tibet organization released a full report.

A very young Tibetan nun was shot dead by Chinese border patrols while on her way into exile in Nepal. Out of 70 refugees, most kids and young monks in their twenties and thirties, 43 were able to escape from the gun-fire. The 30 remaining, including children, were swept off to the infamous prison in Shigatse.

China denied anything had happened at all. We posted a call for pictures. Slovenian climber Pavle Kozjek sent the first images. China claimed self defense. We posted a call for video footage. Romanian climber Alex Gavan obliged, his video corroborating the entire story as it had been told. China fired a general and then clammed up.

The aftermath

Our source finally went on the record, in a follow up article made by Men's Journal. He was American Luis Benitez, a six-time Everest summiteer and a tremendously popular mountain guide. Already his previous story for ExWeb, "King of Cardboard," showed that to Luis, mountains are about people.

Some on Cho Oyu disagreed. When Luis confined to his assistant guide, Paul Rogers, that he'd sent the email to us, Rogers "did a Judas," Luis said, and went straight to Everest north side expedition leader mogul Russell Brice.

"Russell Brice dropped the sage, avuncular manner of his television persona and became enraged," stated the article in Men's Journal. Brice, with Rogers at his side, stormed down the hill, "Paul told me you sent an email to ExplorersWeb," Brice accused Benitez. "Are you trying to get us kicked out of the country?" He began jabbing his finger at the younger guide. "Are you fucking crazy?"

Brice was mad at Luis and felt no compassion for the nun - instead he treated the Chinese soldiers who killed her for snow blindness shortly after the shooting. 45 minutes after lashing out at Luis, Russell returned with Everest commercial expedition leader Henry Todd. "You should be fucking hung out to dry for what you have done," Todd yelled at Benitez, adding "I think your name has been given to the Chinese." This is when Luis began to doubt the rumors blaming the victims and agreed the story should stay.

This spring, another email from Luis arrived, and another grenade: he was quitting Himalaya guiding. Here goes ExWeb's interview with Benitez, explaining why.

ExWeb: After all these years, you have quit guiding Everest - how come?

Luis: A few reasons. The time had come to make a change, for both professional and ethical reasons. The company I was currently working for and I were no longer seeing eye to eye on how the business should be run. This combined with the fallout from the Nangpa La incident a few years ago, led to my departure.

ExWeb: Is it really definite, or would you consider guiding again?

Luis: Of course I will go back. You simply cannot spend 14 months of your life on a mountain like that and NOT go back. I have already joined with another guiding service to hopefully return in a few years. I chose this other company because I feel that their ethics and educational framework are more in line with my own.

ExWeb: You were the one who broke the "code of silence" on Nangpa La. Did this affect you decision to give up guiding?

Luis: It affected it tremendously. In an industry of big business, my speaking out created enough conflict to heavily influence my decision to step back.

ExWeb: How do you feel about that decision today?

Luis: The same I did on the day I sent the email to ExplorersWeb. It was, and always will be, the right thing to do. No regrets. I continue to work with International Campaign for Tibet out of Washington DC to strive for increased global awareness of the issues in Tibet.

ExWeb: How do you feel about the current situation on Everest and in Tibet?

Luis: I believe that Everest is being over run by a select few guiding services that are morally bankrupt. This is a real tragedy because it ruins the overall impression of the guide companies that work really hard to maintain a high quality level and also work very hard to be a part of the local communities that they work in.

My thoughts and feelings are with the Tibetan people, and the situation as it stands right now is unforgivable. The ironic thing about this, is instead of expeditions boycotting climbing from the Nepal side this year, people are scurrying to "save their trips" when human rights are being trampled on right across the border.

While I understand that I have had the benefit of summiting Everest numerous times, and others are simply striving for the same goal, at some point you have to ask yourself, "at what cost"? Frostbite? Loss of a job? Marriage/relationship? Ignoring an international incident of significant proportions? The line must be drawn, and as of right now, the ones that have the power to stand up and protest by boycotting business there, are simply choosing not to.

I understand that my Sherpa and Nepali make their living from these mountains. Politics have no place in their thoughts of working hard, and simply providing for their families. It is unfair that they are thrust into this through no fault of their own.

But for those that stand behind this as an excuse not to step away from Everest this year, that is the biggest insult of all.

ExWeb: Do you feel that your decision on Nangpa La "cost" you? How?

Luis: Ironically, I was accused of my speaking out on the incident being simply a "stunt to be more popular and increase my media visibility".

The irony is that this incident has caused so much friction, and tension within my community, that it in essence forced me to step away from the industry for the time being, and change careers. If that has made me more visible, I am not sure how!

ExWeb: Was it worth it?

Luis: 110% worth it. If faced with the same decision, I would do it all over again. Regardless of the outcome.

ExWeb: Why didn't the others say anything?

Luis: I cannot speak for others, I am of course dumbfounded by the lack of outrage from the over 200 people that were at base camp at the same time as me. I feel that possibly others didn't speak out for a few reasons; 1. Major outfitters in Tibet were wary of losing permits and business if they spoke out. 2. People were genuinely scared as they were still in Tibet and knew they needed to get out safely or 3. They simply didn't care.

ExWeb: What made you take the decision to "rat"?

Luis: I need to be really clear about this, when I sent the original story to ExplorersWeb, no "names were named". I asked to remain anonymous, as I too was still in Tibet, responsible for clients and staff's safety. I simply wanted the world to know of the shooting, not of me.

The "ratting" portion only came after Russell Brice and Henry Todd and Paul Rodgers tried to strong arm me to keep quiet, and berated me for what I had done. This, combined with my employer's decision to take the side of those mentioned above, led me to telling the whole story.

I did it not do it to put these people in a bad light, they did that to themselves, I simply did it to illustrate just how far we have fallen away from the ethos and the code of conduct that led me to mountaineering in the 1st place. The belief that we are all in this together, and that the condition of the "human struggle" should bring out the best in us, make us strive for the seemingly impossible, lifting each other up in the process.

Not as sponsored athletes, or rich clients, or important guiding companies, but as human beings.
ExWeb: So you would do it again. In spite of the cost, no regrets?

Luis: The friction I have faced from this has been tremendous. But would I do it again? You fucking bet I would. This behavior must stop. The mountaineering community needs to re invent itself in the sense of returning to what is most important, and who placed how many people on the summit of Everest is not it.

ExWeb: Alex Gavan told us the other day, "look what we did on Nangpa La, and what did it lead to - nothing." How do you feel about that?

Luis: I have a quote that I like to share whenever I hear something like this; "Rage," "Rage against the dying of the light".

No matter what the odds, or what the adversity, the decision to do what morally is correct should be simple. There should be no guessing. Will it stop what is going on in Tibet now? No. But do I think that we speaking out possibly empowered other Tibetans to know that the world outside of Tibet cares for them, and that they should continue to fight for what matters most? I truly hope so.

Next, final: About impossible battles on and off the mountains, Tibet's chances, memories, and - the future.

Part 2 of the interview

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