Everest: Is Doug Hansen Based on a Real Mountain Climber?

The 2015 film ‘Everest’ presents a mountain adventure story in which a group of daring mountain climbers take on the herculean task of scaling the highest peak in the world. The narrative centers around professional mountaineers Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, who are both leading their own expedition to Everest, hoping to arrive at the Summit on May 10, 1996. However, an unexpected blizzard hits right as they’re at the top, making their climb back near impossible. Amidst these groups of professional mountaineers and adrenaline-seeking amateur but experienced climbers, one individual, Mailman Doug Hansen, stands apart. Therefore, his story of reaching Everest’s peak remains that much more inspiring, inviting curiosity about his origins in reality.

Doug Hansen Was a Real-Life Mailman Who Scaled Everest

Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Everest’ is a dramatization of the real-life 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers lost their lives while one, Beck Weathers, emerged miraculously back from the dead. Since the film takes a more biographical approach to the true event, it maintains the identities of the climbers, modeling different characters after their real-life counterparts. Thus, John Hawkes’ character, Doug Hansen, is indeed based on a real eponymous person.

The real Hansen hailed from Aberdeen, South Dakota, and fostered a passion for outdoor activities from a young age. Along with scaling mountains, he also had a knack for scuba diving and river rafting and found his love for mountain climbing through Washington State’s Mount Rainier. Thus, he took easily to amateur mountain climbing while juggling his profession as a mailman. In the early 90s, he first made an attempt to climb the Shishapangma mountain in China but was ultimately unsuccessful. Nonetheless, he didn’t let the same stop him from following his dreams at full speed. As such, in 1995, he became a member of Adventure Consultants, employing Rob Hall’s professional skills to help him to the top of Everest.

That year wasn’t a success for Hansen—who reportedly experienced frostbite during this adventure—or the rest of Hall’s clients since the guide had to issue a retreat before reaching the summit due to heavy snowfall. Even so, when the time came to try again in 1996, the mailman/mountaineer strapped himself in for a second attempt, once again joining Hall as an Adventure Consultants customer.

Hansen was as motivated as ever and is said to have had a few tricks up his sleeve to help him in the ascension, learned from his past experience. Nevertheless, the climb held an unexpected reality for Hansen and his fellow climbers. Hall and his Adventure Consultant clients extended their previously established 2 P.Mm deadline to 4 P.M. However, this put their descent in direct collision with an unexpected oncoming blizzard. Worse yet, Hansen underwent respiratory problems at the mountain’s Summit, overwhelmed by the low oxygen levels in the area.

Doug Hansen Met a Tragic End at the Everest Summit

After the storm’s arrival, descension became a difficult task for Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, and their climbers. Ultimately, eight people lost their lives that day, including Doug Hansen. Later, accounts from the survivors, including fellow climbers who were acquainted with Hansen, revealed some of the details about the incident. As Jon Krakauer’s recollection suggests, the mailman was apparently worried about the effect of his age on his ability to climb. He was struggling with frostbite and hadn’t eaten or slept as needed in the past few days. Additionally, he is also said to have expressed concerns about his throat, having recently undergone surgery for it.

Still, Hansen preserved since he had already spent so much time, effort, and money on the endeavor. Allegedly, the climber attempted to back out of the climb on the final day, but Hall encouraged him to continue forward. Nonetheless, oxygen depletion caught up to him shortly after he arrived at the Summit. Worse yet, on his descent back with Hall, the pair ran out of supplemental oxygen. As a result, Hansen’s condition took an adverse turn—both mentally and physically. Even though Hall attempted to stay with his client and help him descend for a while, he eventually had to leave him alone.

Eventually, another climber, Andy Harris, attempted to come to Hansen’s rescue with extra oxygen. Nonetheless, by then, the latter’s condition had grown severe, with hypothermia setting in. Thus, Harris also had to leave him to try and save his own life. In the end, all three climbers, along with several others, died atop Everest. Until 2005, Hansen’s body remained on the mountain, where it was then discovered. In his death, the climber left behind a girlfriend, an ex-wife, and two kids. ‘Everest’ brings the inspirational climber’s story to life with authenticity and accuracy to his story. Even though some creative embellishments slip through the cracks, Doug Hansen’s character ultimately remains a tribute to the real man.