[1][2] The expedition was led by Ian Woodall, intended to be a celebration of post-apartheid South Africa.
[3] While the expedition team was positioned on the South Col waiting for a weather window for their summit bid, eight climbers were killed during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.
[7] A year later, American climber Peter Athans found Herrod's body on Everest, retrieved his camera and cut the ropes tying him to the mountain.
After a falling out with the paper,[8] other outlets covered the expedition including 702 Talk Radio.
[9][10] There were also accusations that Deshun Deysel,[11][12] an inexperienced Coloured[13] woman was included in the expedition because of her race.