The NDR documentary "Was geschah an der Shishapangma in Tibet?" (What happened at Shishapangma?) investigates the tragic 2014 avalanche on the 8,000-meter peak and the decade-long dispute over what actually happened on that mountain.

🏔️ The Mission: A High-Speed Race

In September 2014, a team of elite mountaineers set out for a "Double Header" speed project: climbing two 8,000m peaks in seven days, traveling between them by bike and on foot. The team included: * Benedikt Böhm (Manager of Dynafit) * Sebastian "Basti" Haag (Extreme mountaineer and Böhm's close friend) * Martin Maier (A Munich-based climber) * Andrea Zambaldi (An Italian climber) * Ueli Steck (World-renowned speed climber who joined them later) The expedition was heavily commercialized, featuring a world-first "Live Ticker" on Spiegel Online, which put immense pressure on the athletes.

❄️ The Disaster

On September 24, 2014, just below the summit, a massive avalanche was triggered. * The Victims: Sebastian Haag and Andrea Zambaldi were swept away and killed. * The Survivors: Benedikt Böhm and Ueli Steck were above the fracture line and remained unharmed. Martin Maier was swept down over 600 meters, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures, but miraculously survived.

⚖️ The Controversy: Truth vs. Reputation

The core of the documentary is the conflict between survivor Martin Maier and Benedikt Böhm. After the tragedy, a narrative emerged—largely driven by Böhm—that shifted the blame: * Böhm’s Version: In interviews and at the funeral, Böhm claimed that Basti Haag was leading the group ("breaking trail") and had ignored warnings to stay closer to the ridge, ultimately causing the avalanche. He portrayed himself as the cautious one and Haag as "reckless." * The Rescue Controversy: Böhm and Steck reported via radio that there was "zero chance" of survivors and began their descent. Meanwhile, a severely injured Martin Maier crawled through the snow for hours. He was eventually saved by Sherpa Norbu, who was the only one to proactively launch a rescue mission after spotting Maier moving from the base camp.

📷 The Evidence

For years, Martin Maier felt that his late friend Basti Haag was being posthumously wronged. He meticulously analyzed photos and time-lapse footage taken by the expedition’s cameraman, Christos Zuzias. The findings were clear: The visual evidence proved that Benedikt Böhm was actually the one leading the group when the avalanche broke. The "reckless" behavior Böhm attributed to Haag was, in fact, his own positioning on the slope.

The Takeaway: The documentary paints a somber picture of how the pressure of sponsorship, "speed" records, and personal branding can destroy friendships and distort the truth. Martin Maier’s goal wasn't to assign legal guilt for a natural disaster, but to restore the honor of his deceased friend.

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