Sandy Hill (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Sandy Hill is a published author, a former New York fashion editor and contributing editor to Vogue
, Allure
and Conde Nast Traveler
, and a mountaineer who became famous for being the fourth American woman to ascend the seven summits of the world
. She is the 34th woman to ever climb and reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
. Her father ran a successful business that rented mobile facilities to construction sites. She graduated from UCLA before moving to New York for her first job, working for the now defunct Bonwit Teller
. After meeting an editor at Mademoiselle
, she landed her second job as Merchandising Editor of the magazine. In addition, Hill was a television producer, and ran a division of RJR Nabisco
called In Fashion where she produced shows about fashion and style. One of those shows was called Fashion America, which was the first TV program to feature fashion commentary, videos and runway
footage.
In 1997, Hill attended the Graduate School for Architecture and Planning at Columbia University
in New York. She graduated in 1999.
Hill was briefly married to Jerry Solomon, who works in the sport business and was a graduate student of Columbia at the time; the couple were divorced by the time she was 23. In July 1979, Hill married MTV
co-founder Robert W. Pittman
; the couple divorced in 1997. They have one son.
Hill was later married to former futures trader Thomas Dittmer. The couple are currently separated.
. As part of the Mountain Madness expedition headed by Scott Fischer
, during what was her third attempt to climb Mt. Everest, she made an agreement with NBC Interactive Media
, which streamed the information to schoolchildren in the United States, to do a daily video blog and talk about her team's journey. Hill's team was moving through the Southeast Ridge when the storm hit them, making it impossible for her and her teammates, including Tim Madsen and Charlotte Fox, to find their camp base. The three climbers were rescued by Anatoli Boukreev
who died a year later in an avalanche
on the south side of Annapurna
.
Much controversy around the 1996 climb to the top was published in numerous magazines (Vanity Fair
, Life
, Outside
, Men's Journal
), through interviews with other survivors and even books, including Jon Krakauer
's first person account best-selling book Into Thin Air
which has generated considerable criticism, both from the climb's participants and from renowned mountaineers such as Galen Rowell
who cited numerous inconsistencies in his narrative while observing that Krakauer was sleeping in his tent while Anatoli Boukreev
was rescuing other climbers. Hill rebutted all negative claims in various media outlets, including an interview with Newsweek
where she stated, "We behaved like a team at all times..." and because she was the most visible person in the expedition, she believed she was "pigeonholed as a rich New Yorker..." and that "painted such an easy picture of a villain right there."
In a 2006 interview with Outside
, Hill defended Anatoli Boukreev
's decisions on Everest and attacked the media and various authors and journalists who covered the disaster in a defamatory light saying that "most of what was reported in 1996 was prejudiced, sensationalist, and overblown -- thrilling fiction at best -- but not journalism." Anatoli Boukreev
(now deceased) was given an award for heroism by the Alpine Club
and defended by Hill in his 1997 book, The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
which was, at least partly a response to Jon Krakauer
's account of the same campaign in his book, in which he had laid some of the blame for the disaster on Boukreev, Hill and a few others. Martin Adams, retired Wall Street
bond trader and survivor of the 1996 disaster implied in an interview that Krakauer had every reason to vilify Boukreev. "Krakauer couldn't acknowledge Anatoli as the hero of this story because if Anatoli is the hero, who's going to get the book contract? Anatoli, not Jon."
In the August issue of Vogue
that same year, Hill wrote about the whole experience and went into detail about her long history as a climber and her passion for mountain climbing that developed since a young age. She talked about the difficulties she experienced during her climbs of the Seven Summits
and about the real dangers she experienced during her final climb of Mt. Everest.
The 1997 movie, Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
is based on Jon Krakauer's best selling book, Into Thin Air
that recalls events of the disaster. The movie starred Peter Horton
, Nathaniel Parker
and Richard Jenkins
with Pamela Gien playing the role of Sandy Hill.
Hill was interviewed in the 2008 documentary film Storm Over Everest, by David Breashears
which was aired on the PBS program Frontline on May 13, 2008.
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Allure
Allure (magazine)
Allure is the leading U.S. women’s beauty magazine, published monthly by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by editor in chief Linda Wells, who has been at the helm of the magazine ever since. From its inception, the magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent,...
and Conde Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
, and a mountaineer who became famous for being the fourth American woman to ascend the seven summits of the world
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
. She is the 34th woman to ever climb and reach the summit of Mt. Everest.
Personal life
Sandy Hill grew up in Los Gatos, CaliforniaLos Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
. Her father ran a successful business that rented mobile facilities to construction sites. She graduated from UCLA before moving to New York for her first job, working for the now defunct Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller
Bonwit Teller was a department store in New York City founded by Paul Bonwit in 1895 at Sixth Avenue and 18th Street. In 1897 Edmund D. Teller was admitted to the partnership and the store moved to 23rd Street, East of Sixth Avenue...
. After meeting an editor at Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
, she landed her second job as Merchandising Editor of the magazine. In addition, Hill was a television producer, and ran a division of RJR Nabisco
RJR Nabisco
RJR Nabisco, Inc., was an American conglomerate formed in 1985 by the merger of Nabisco Brands and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. RJR Nabisco was purchased in 1988 by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co...
called In Fashion where she produced shows about fashion and style. One of those shows was called Fashion America, which was the first TV program to feature fashion commentary, videos and runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
footage.
In 1997, Hill attended the Graduate School for Architecture and Planning at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York. She graduated in 1999.
Hill was briefly married to Jerry Solomon, who works in the sport business and was a graduate student of Columbia at the time; the couple were divorced by the time she was 23. In July 1979, Hill married MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
co-founder Robert W. Pittman
Robert W. Pittman
Robert Warren "Bob" Pittman , is an American businessman and the founder of MTV. On October 2, 2011, Pittman was named CEO of Clear Channel Media Holdings, Inc.. Pittman has also been the CEO of MTV Networks, AOL, Six Flags Theme Parks, Quantum Media, Century 21 Real Estate and Time Warner...
; the couple divorced in 1997. They have one son.
Hill was later married to former futures trader Thomas Dittmer. The couple are currently separated.
1996 Everest disaster
Hill was one of the survivors of the 1996 Everest disaster1996 Everest Disaster
The 1996 Mount Everest disaster refers to the events of 10-11 May 1996, when eight people died on Mount Everest during summit attempts. In the entire season, fifteen people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest single year in Mount Everest's history...
. As part of the Mountain Madness expedition headed by Scott Fischer
Scott Fischer
Scott E. Fischer was an American climber and guide, and the first American to summit 27,940-foot Lhotse, fourth highest mountain in the world.-Career:...
, during what was her third attempt to climb Mt. Everest, she made an agreement with NBC Interactive Media
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, which streamed the information to schoolchildren in the United States, to do a daily video blog and talk about her team's journey. Hill's team was moving through the Southeast Ridge when the storm hit them, making it impossible for her and her teammates, including Tim Madsen and Charlotte Fox, to find their camp base. The three climbers were rescued by Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev, , was a Kazakhstani climber who made ascents of seven of the 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. In total he made 18 successful ascents on peaks above 8000 m . Boukreev was lost under an avalanche on Annapurna...
who died a year later in an avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
on the south side of Annapurna
Annapurna
Annapurna is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes Annapurna I, thirteen additional peaks over and 16 more over ....
.
Much controversy around the 1996 climb to the top was published in numerous magazines (Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
, Outside
Outside
Outside may refer to:* Wilderness* Outside , an outdoors magazine* Outside , a short film written and directed by Jenn Kao and starring Courtney Ford* Outside, a book by Marguerite Duras...
, Men's Journal
Men's Journal
Men's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
), through interviews with other survivors and even books, including Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
's first person account best-selling book Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details the author's presence at Mount Everest during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster when eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a 'rogue storm'...
which has generated considerable criticism, both from the climb's participants and from renowned mountaineers such as Galen Rowell
Galen Rowell
Galen Avery Rowell was a noted wilderness photographer and climber. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.-Early life and education:...
who cited numerous inconsistencies in his narrative while observing that Krakauer was sleeping in his tent while Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev, , was a Kazakhstani climber who made ascents of seven of the 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. In total he made 18 successful ascents on peaks above 8000 m . Boukreev was lost under an avalanche on Annapurna...
was rescuing other climbers. Hill rebutted all negative claims in various media outlets, including an interview with Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
where she stated, "We behaved like a team at all times..." and because she was the most visible person in the expedition, she believed she was "pigeonholed as a rich New Yorker..." and that "painted such an easy picture of a villain right there."
In a 2006 interview with Outside
Outside
Outside may refer to:* Wilderness* Outside , an outdoors magazine* Outside , a short film written and directed by Jenn Kao and starring Courtney Ford* Outside, a book by Marguerite Duras...
, Hill defended Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev, , was a Kazakhstani climber who made ascents of seven of the 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. In total he made 18 successful ascents on peaks above 8000 m . Boukreev was lost under an avalanche on Annapurna...
's decisions on Everest and attacked the media and various authors and journalists who covered the disaster in a defamatory light saying that "most of what was reported in 1996 was prejudiced, sensationalist, and overblown -- thrilling fiction at best -- but not journalism." Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Boukreev
Anatoli Nikoliavich Boukreev, , was a Kazakhstani climber who made ascents of seven of the 8,000 metre peaks without supplemental oxygen. In total he made 18 successful ascents on peaks above 8000 m . Boukreev was lost under an avalanche on Annapurna...
(now deceased) was given an award for heroism by the Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
and defended by Hill in his 1997 book, The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
The Climb (book)
The Climb is an account by Russian mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev of the 1996 Everest Disaster, during which eight climbers lost their lives on Mount Everest. The co-author, G...
which was, at least partly a response to Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
's account of the same campaign in his book, in which he had laid some of the blame for the disaster on Boukreev, Hill and a few others. Martin Adams, retired Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
bond trader and survivor of the 1996 disaster implied in an interview that Krakauer had every reason to vilify Boukreev. "Krakauer couldn't acknowledge Anatoli as the hero of this story because if Anatoli is the hero, who's going to get the book contract? Anatoli, not Jon."
In the August issue of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
that same year, Hill wrote about the whole experience and went into detail about her long history as a climber and her passion for mountain climbing that developed since a young age. She talked about the difficulties she experienced during her climbs of the Seven Summits
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
and about the real dangers she experienced during her final climb of Mt. Everest.
The 1997 movie, Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
Into Thin Air: Death on Everest
Into Thin Air: Death on Everest is a made-for-TV movie based on the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. The film is to be directed by Robert Markowitz and written by Robert J. Avrech. The film tells the story of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster. It was released on November 9, 1997.-Plot:The film is...
is based on Jon Krakauer's best selling book, Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling non-fiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details the author's presence at Mount Everest during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster when eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a 'rogue storm'...
that recalls events of the disaster. The movie starred Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
, Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker is an English actor best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.-Personal life:...
and Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
with Pamela Gien playing the role of Sandy Hill.
Hill was interviewed in the 2008 documentary film Storm Over Everest, by David Breashears
David Breashears
David Breashears is an American mountaineer and filmmaker. In 1985, he became the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest twice...
which was aired on the PBS program Frontline on May 13, 2008.