Эльбрус. Точка невозврата

Of course, I understand the unimaginable pain of the relatives of the victims, but words like "We want them to suffer" and "I won't complain to you only if you stay there" sound inadequate.
The right words are that everyone who went to the mountains signed a suspended death sentence. And Taulan's words are very correct about the wrong motivation, that a person cannot challenge nature, and that in the struggle between man and mountains, a person has lost in advance.
Obviously, it takes months to prepare for any ascent, and even in this case, a happy outcome is not guaranteed. To think that if you have paid the money, you will be prepared, acclimatized in a week and carried to the top in your arms is stupid. Yes, perhaps the guides made a number of mistakes, and perhaps if there had been other guides there would have been more victims. The problem is not in specific guides, or even in the number of guides per participant, but in the existence of such an industry of "rapid mountain climbing by dummies."

The best documentary series seen in recent years (including Netflix's super popular hits, they were nowhere near as good as Elbrus).
Amazing directing/screenwriting, bravo Kirill Verkhozin! I'm sure this director has a great future, I don't even know what to find fault with for 5 episodes - everything, right down to the design of the titles, is thought out and executed perfectly. Big bow to the entire film crew, filigree work.

Those who go to conquer the mountains are the first to take responsibility for their lives. And now the relatives of the victims are looking for the culprits, not realizing that the victims themselves are primarily to blame, because this is not an accident, this is a deliberate search for adventure and self-destruction, otherwise this recklessness cannot be called.
No one drags you to the mountains, it's not a daily thing, not everyday life, not an urgent need. It's just a choice that, unfortunately, ended badly.
I'm definitely sorry for everyone.

I watched the series in one go. The work is of high quality, there is nothing to complain about. It's very good that the relatives were included in a separate episode.
I have travel experience and am a little familiar with the mountains, and here's what I think about the above points:
1. The number of beginners per guide. I was leading a group, and even on an easy hike, I won't take on more than 4 people I know. And at least two of them should not be beginners. And it is highly advisable to spend a couple of trips with such a company in advance to look at the psychological and physical condition of people in stressful situations.
2. The repeated phrases about dead phones and dead walkie-talkies are surprising. Have people in the 20th and 21st centuries ever heard of offline maps, setting up their phone before going to the mountains to save battery? Powerbanks? A backup push-button dialer? I don't have the words.
3. About the pressure drop due to bad weather and the air discharge due to the wind, I fully admit it.
4. The key point is the panic that prevented us from making decisions. I don't blame the guides, but in a difficult situation, it's extremely difficult to keep your mind and energy and self—confidence in order to be able to calm down and guide "clients" (ugh, what a word in relation to tourism). As I said in paragraph 1, I would have pulled out a maximum of 4 people on my morally strong-willed ones. That is, it's not about physical strength (not only them), but the fact that in difficult situations I can calm 2-4 people down and at the same time do something myself. If there are more panicked, exhausted or traumatized people, then I will give up very quickly and I know about it.

The film is good, hiking and mountaineering are good. The situation is terrible, and the business of misleading newcomers is disgusting. Unfortunately, this tragedy is not the only one.
Forums and news are full of examples of failed nature tours.
And I don't think government regulation will really help. The first thing to do is to inform people about the real risks, to teach them about the right tourist movement, where there is no place for consumerism towards nature.

@bumblebee_95: therefore, the story of the relatives has been released in a separate series, each with its own truth and its own view on this tragedy.
Personally, I think it's a combination of circumstances and all the factors.