Into Thin Air Summary
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Here you will find a Into Thin Air summary (Jon Krakauer's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters
Chapters Into Thin Air Summary Overview
A seasoned mountaineer is commissioned by a popular outdoor publication to document the increasing commercialization of Mount Everest. His curiosity piqued, he joins an expedition, which turns out to be one of the most catastrophic in the mountain's history. The team he joins is led by a company known as Adventure Consultants, whose role is to expedite the acclimatization process to the extreme altitude and guide the climbers safely to Everest's peak. The expedition is divided into multiple camps: Base Camp and four others positioned at various altitudes. After weeks at Base Camp, the team embarks on several trips to the higher camps to hasten their adaptation to the high altitude. In May, they finally set out for the summit. The mountaineer chronicles his journey, detailing the experiences of his teammates and guides, and mapping out the timeline of their time on the formidable mountain. The climbers find the altitude hard to adjust to, each dealing with exhaustion, weight loss, and slow movement. Their experience varies greatly, with some well-equipped for the challenge, while others are amateurs heavily reliant on their guides. Tragedy truly strikes in the latter part of the journey. The group leader sets a 2:00 pm deadline to reach the summit and turn back, but this is largely disregarded. Only a few, including the mountaineer, make the deadline, with others, including the team leader, reaching the peak as late as 4:00 pm. A storm hits soon after, leaving various members stranded, lost, and ultimately leading to fatalities. Through a miracle, one climber presumed dead manages to return to camp and survives the ordeal, though he suffers profound injuries. In all, the expedition results in 12 deaths, leaving the mountaineer haunted by the experience. In the aftermath, he publishes the commissioned article but feels compelled to delve deeper into the events of the tragic expedition. Through extensive research and interviews with survivors, he writes a more comprehensive account, aiming to present an accurate and thorough narrative of the harrowing events. His reflections on his own survival and the loss of life he witnessed lead to a redefinition of his own mortality and a lasting sense of survivor's guilt. Despite potential backlash, he is determined to share the full scale of the tragic, heroic, and selfish actions that occurred during their attempt to conquer Everest.
chapter 1
The story kicks off with Krakauer on Everest's peak, however, he feels nothing but exhaustion and cold. Insomnia and physical discomfort plague him due to a lack of oxygen. Two other guides, Anatoli Boukreev and Andy Harris, reach the summit before him. Krakauer stays on top only briefly, noticing clouds before starting his descent. Krakauer then introspects, foreseeing the questions he will face following the disaster where six people died and others were injured. He contemplates why climbers didn't turn back despite visible signs of bad weather and why guides charged a fortune to lead amateurs in such conditions. He admits he saw no red flags that morning—just familiar, seemingly harmless clouds. As the narrative returns to the descent, Krakauer's concern shifts from the clouds to his depleting oxygen. Starting his descent, he faces the deadly Hillary Step. Several climbers are queued to ascend, causing delay. He asks Harris to shut off his oxygen tank's valve to save gas, but Harris mistakenly empties it. Fresh oxygen awaits 250 feet below, but until then, Krakauer has to manage without it. As he waits, his team, and another team led by Scott Fischer, pass him by. Fischer, climbing without extra oxygen, looks weary but assures Krakauer he's fine. Krakauer reaches the South Summit by afternoon, replenishing his oxygen. As the weather turns nasty and visibility drops, he thinks of the climbers still celebrating on the summit, unaware of the impending doom.
chapter 2
The second part of the book explores the history of Everest starting from 1852 in Dehra Dun, India where Everest's height was first calculated, thus cementing its reputation as the tallest mountain globally. Sir Andrew Waugh, the surveyor general of India, named it Mount Everest after his predecessor, Sir George Everest. Everest soon became a coveted target for mountaineers due to its towering stature. Almost immediately after its discovery, numerous individuals aspired to conquer Everest, despite the risks involved. Over a span of 101 years and fifteen missions, twenty-four men died before the mountain was successfully summited. Krakauer then recounts the various attempts to reach Everest's peak. The first eight efforts were British and largely influenced by the accessibility of the mountain, given its location between Nepal and Tibet. Renowned climber George Leigh Mallory instigated the initial three attempts. His famous response to why he wanted to conquer Everest was, "Because it is there." Though Mallory and his partner were spotted near the summit, their fate remains unknown. In 1949, Nepal opened its borders, allowing access to Everest's southern side. This route led to the first successful ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Hillary's achievement brought him fame and knighthood, becoming a hero worldwide. Krakauer weaves his own story into Everest's history. He was too young to remember Hillary's success but recalls the ascent of Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld. Krakauer idolized these climbers from a young age and dreamt of climbing Everest himself. Despite his passion for climbing, Everest lost its appeal for Krakauer in his twenties as other mountains offered more technical challenges. His disinterest was further compounded when millionaire Dick Bass paid for guidance to the summit. However, this incident ironically led to the commercialization of Everest, which Krakauer was hired to investigate. Today, Nepal and Tibet, both impoverished nations, depend on guide services up Everest for revenue, with costs reaching over $70,000. Despite initially being hired to cover the story from Base Camp, Krakauer found the prospect of remaining idle unbearable and decided to train for the summit, unexpectedly getting the magazine to sponsor his climb.
chapter 3
Krakauer's journey begins with a flight to Kathmandu, gazing at the looming Himalayan peaks, including the formidable Everest. He's introduced to Andy Harris, a fellow New Zealander and one of the guides for the expedition. Harris, like Krakauer, is attempting Everest for the first time. They're joined by Lou Kasischke, another expedition member, and check into a hotel favored by renowned climbers, among them their chief guide, Rob Hall. Rob Hall, charismatic and humorous, started his Himalayan climbing journey at 19 and successfully scaled Everest a decade later, alongside Peter Hillary, son of Edmund Hillary. Hall, together with his climbing partner Gary Ball, achieved the remarkable feat of summiting the highest peaks on each of the seven continents in just seven months. However, this success led to financial dependency and they transitioned into guiding to maintain funding. Hall and Ball initiated their guiding venture in 1992, successfully leading six clients to Everest's peak. Despite their success, Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Everest, criticizes Hall's commercialization of mountain climbing, deeming it disrespectful. Tragically, soon after this, Gary Ball succumbs to an altitude-related illness. Hall persists, continuing to lead expeditions up Everest. He's successful, guiding 39 climbers to the summit in five years. He proudly declares his company as the "world leader in Everest climbing," charging a hefty $65,000 per person. Krakauer, sponsored by Outside Magazine, chooses Hall due to his esteemed reputation. The group proceeds to Base Camp by helicopter. However, Krakauer is unsettled by the perceived inexperience of his fellow climbers. He befriends Doug Hansen, a postal worker who had previously attempted to summit Everest with Hall. Krakauer questions the safety of climbing in such a large, unfamiliar group, understanding the potential domino effect if one member falters. Previously, he only climbed with trusted friends. Now, he must put his faith in Hall, hoping it's not a mistake.
chapter 4
In this section, the journey begins with the team reaching Phakding, a place with some habitation. They continue their trek and cross Namche Bazaar, referred to as "Sherpa society" by Krakauer. He clarifies common misconceptions about Sherpas, explaining that they are a specific group of 20,000 people, originally from Tibet, residing in Nepal. Their livelihood depends largely on Everest's climbing season since they began working as climbing guides in 1921. Sherpas vie for spots on climbing expeditions and business from travelers. They rely on yaks for transportation and utilities and have adopted various aspects of Western culture, including attire and entertainment. The influx of funds from tourism has resulted in improved infrastructure and amenities for the community. Acclimatization is a crucial process for the climbers, arriving from sea level, who sometimes rest for days. Upon reaching Tengboche, an important monastery, Krakauer interacts with the "head lama" of Nepal. The lama shows Krakauer photos of his visit to America, including pictures with celebrities Richard Gere and Steven Seagal. Krakauer bonds with Doug Hansen and Andy Harris. Harris, despite being in the middle of building a house with his partner Fiona McPherson, couldn't resist the Everest climb. Both Harris and McPherson are experienced climbers who have contributed to a clinic for altitude sickness. Jan Arnold, partner of Hall, who is also a seasoned climber, is pregnant during this expedition. A conversation over dinner between Hall and Harris touches on the potential dangers on Everest due to inexperienced climbers, a prophetic discussion in hindsight. The team reaches Lobuje next, a place with poor living conditions and a climbers' lodge that is far from comfortable. Despite a heavy snowfall, Hall leaves the group to assist in the rescue of a Sherpa, Tenzing, who has fallen into a crevasse. Krakauer recounts stories of misfortunes befalling young Sherpas due to lax safety practices.
chapter 5
The team spends another night at Lobuje, where Hall communicates through Harris's radio that Tenzing has been safely assisted down the mountain with the help of thirty-five Sherpas. Hall instructs the team to advance towards Base Camp, a relief for the group that has grown ill from the unsanitary living conditions. Harris spends the night battling an intestinal bug, leaving him dehydrated and weary but ready to guide the team to Base Camp the following day. Though Harris struggles, the team treks on, encountering an icy landscape that Krakauer describes as a "translucent, frozen medium that glistened like polished onyx." As they journey east, they spot hundreds of tents belonging to climbers and Sherpas from various expeditions. Once they arrive, they meet Hall at their camp. They will spend roughly six weeks at Base Camp, which serves as a makeshift village, for acclimatization purposes. The temperature is comfortable during the day but plummets at night. Base Camp surprisingly offers various amenities such as a table, stereo, library, lights, phone, fax machine, heated water shower, and fresh vegetable and water deliveries coursed by yaks. Krakauer notes the cleanliness of the campsite, a far cry from Everest's previous reputation as a dump. Krakauer encounters Scott Fischer at Base Camp. Despite being rivals, Fischer and Hall maintain a friendly relationship. Fischer, who has previously climbed Everest sans oxygen and led an expedition up another high peak, runs a guiding service called "Mountain Madness." He is known for his adventurous, almost reckless nature. Krakauer first met Fischer in Seattle. Fischer suggested that Krakauer should write an article for Outside Magazine, endorsing his claim that Krakauer is capable of making the climb since they've "built a yellow brick road to the summit." Despite the initial plan of Krakauer joining Fischer's guide service, Krakauer ended up with Hall's group after Hall proposed a better deal to the magazine. Despite this, Fischer holds no ill will towards Krakauer. Even at Base Camp, the altitude's effects are palpable. Simple tasks like walking to the mess hall leave Krakauer breathless, eating and sleeping become challenges, wounds take longer to heal, and weight loss becomes evident. Some team members suffer from digestive issues or severe headaches. Regardless of these challenges, Hall remains optimistic about the acclimatization process.
chapter 6
Krakauer's team, consisting of twenty-six members, stays at Base Camp to adapt to the altitude. Hall, their guide, efficiently keeps them fit and prepares diligently with data and schedules to avoid unwelcome surprises. They unveil their climbing strategy which involves setting up four camps, each higher than the previous by about 2000 feet, on the journey to the summit. They will carry essential supplies to each camp, a task that becomes increasingly tough, primarily for the Sherpas. To become accustomed to the altitude, multiple trips from Base Camp are necessary before the actual climb. Krakauer becomes concerned about some members sporting new climbing boots and the fact that many haven't climbed recently. He provides a layout of the route up the mountain's lower half. They intend to ascend a valley, relatively safe with few crevasses, and then climb a part of the mountain known as the Icefall, a glacier resting over a precipice that moves daily. The Icefall has claimed eighteen lives. Hall's adopted approach is to have a team establish the route ahead of time. This practice, which originated in 1988, was initially troubling for Hall but he eventually embraced it, even collecting the toll himself from 1993 to 1995. Sherpas have already installed ladders and ropes on the glacier for the expedition. Climbers ascend the Icefall individually using a special roping method, much to Krakauer's relief as it lessens the need for trust in his teammates. He witnesses an avalanche and acknowledges the dangers the Icefall presents. He describes its "phantasmal beauty" that tempers his fear. Close to base camp, the team meets a towering serac created by the moving glacier. They must climb quickly to dodge any potential collapse. Krakauer talks about the struggle of climbing rapidly without being fully acclimatized but successfully conquers the Icefall. Hall sets a turn-around time of 10:00 am for reaching Camp One. With only half the team on target, they all return to Base Camp. This gives Krakauer a chance to evaluate his teammates' climbing skills, some impressing him, others causing worry. After returning to Base Camp, Krakauer suffers a severe ultraviolet radiation headache. It eventually subsides after he manages to take some medicine. He gets a call from his wife, Linda. He concludes the chapter reflecting on their relationship. Linda had been pleased when he'd quit climbing and believed he would stay at Base Camp for this assignment. She was upset when he left for the expedition, knowing he wouldn't just stay at Base Camp.
chapter 7
Krakauer emphasizes the allure of Everest, attracting numerous inexperienced climbers. He recounts a 1947 expedition by Earl Denman, a novice Canadian mountaineer who persuaded two Sherpas to join him despite lacking permission to enter Tibet. Unfortunately, a storm at 22,000 feet hindered their advance. Maurice Wilson, another inexperienced climber, attempted the Everest ascent thirteen years before Denman. His objective was to gain publicity to promote his belief that fasting and faith could remedy world problems. His journey to Everest was delayed as he lacked permission to fly over Nepal. Despite reaching 21,000 feet, he encountered difficulties navigating the glaciers. His body was discovered by another climber a year later. Krakauer acknowledges the criticism of the growing number of unskilled climbers attempting Everest. However, he argues that paying a high price for the climb doesn't necessarily denote inexperience. At Camp One, Krakauer encounters Klev and Pete Schoening, a renowned Himalayan climber. Pete Schoening was renowned for his successful climbs and a heroic rescue. During a climb, Schoening saved five climbers from falling with a roping technique now known as The Belay. Schoening, a member of Scott Fischer's team, exemplifies that not all paying climbers are unfit. Krakauer admits his team doesn't match Fischer's but surpasses other teams, including a clumsily descending Taiwanese expedition. Krakauer describes Taiwanese expeditions as notorious for their lack of training and recklessness. He recalls a Taiwanese expedition in serious trouble on Mount McKinley, led by the same leader of the 1996 Everest climb. The South African team is equally infamous. Backed by the entire country to symbolize the end of apartheid, the expedition faced controversy due to the lead guide, Ian Woodall. He was accused of breaking promises and misleading people about his nationality. Krakauer reveals that several climbers resigned from the South African expedition before reaching the mountain due to Woodall's disagreeable behavior. The presence of these groups underscores Hall's assertion about the looming disaster on Everest.
chapter 8
The group embarks on their second acclimatization climb on April 16, from Base Camp to Camp One. Krakauer is beginning to adapt to the altitude, but the Icefall remains intimidating, particularly a staggering twelve-story block of ice that appears unstable. For this trip, Hall's plan involves spending two nights at Camp One, three nights at Camp Two, before returning to Base Camp. Krakauer reaches Camp One before most of his team and attempts to assist Sherpa Ang Dorje in setting up camp, but finds the task exceptionally challenging at this altitude. Dorje, who has summated Everest thrice, has a history of climbing alongside Hall, whom he refers to as his "main man." The next morning, they set off for Camp Two, which is almost four miles above. They traverse the world's highest box canyon and another glacier. Although the initial temperature is freezing, the sun soon transforms the area into a furnace. On reaching 21,000 feet, Krakauer comes across a dead body, presumably a Sherpa who passed away years ago. They finally make it to Camp Two at 21,300 feet, a site featuring 120 tents. The following two days prove arduous due to the extreme altitude. Krakauer describes spending most of his time trying to "lay in my tent with my head in my hands, trying to exert myself as little as possible" (138). On the third day, he stumbles upon another corpse while climbing above Camp Two. After returning to Base Camp, Krakauer and Andy Harris pay a visit to the South American team. Despite rumors surrounding their leader, Ian Woodall, they extend an invitation for tea and come across as pleasant. Back at their own camp, a conversation ensues between Hall, Base Camp's doctor Caroline Mackenzie, Scott Fischer, and his medic, concerning someone higher up the mountain. Fischer's Sherpa, Ngawang Topche, has been feeling unwell for some days. He has been experiencing symptoms of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), a condition characterized by fluid in the lungs due to rapid ascent. Unfortunately, he is alone because Fischer allows everyone to climb at their own pace during acclimatization. Medicine and supplemental oxygen prove ineffective in alleviating Ngawang's symptoms. Neil Beidleman and a group of Sherpas rush from Base Camp to aid him. Despite their efforts, Ngawang's condition worsens and he passes away in a hospital. One of the rescuers also contracts HAPE. Krakauer remarks on the irony that more people online were privy to Ngawang's plight than those on the mountain itself. This observation segues into a discussion about the various teams broadcasting their journeys from Everest, including a group filming an IMAX movie and Sandy Pittman, an internet correspondent with Fischer's team for NBC Interactive Media. Pittman, who had attempted to scale the mountain thrice before, had publicly announced her aim to become the first woman to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents. She had succeeded on all but Everest, but another woman beat her to it.
chapter 9
The team undertakes their final acclimatization trek, journeying from Camp Two to Camp Three and spending a night at an altitude of 24,000 feet before heading back to Base Camp. The expedition members set off from Camp Two at 4:45 am in a freezing temperature of -7°F. Doug Hansen and Jon Krakauer wake up feeling dreadfully cold, fatigued, and afflicted with ailments such as frostbite. Braving a wind chill that drops to -40°F, the group begins to ascend. Krakauer, underdressed in expectation of solar heat, becomes too chilled to continue climbing. His extremities numb, he halts to await a guide. Meanwhile, Hall orders the team via radio to descend as almost all members have frostbite. Hansen, who had minor throat surgery two weeks prior to the expedition, develops a frozen larynx, making him vulnerable to infection and jeopardizing his climb. This deeply disappoints him as he had been close to the peak in his previous attempt in 1995. The camp's spirits are low and tensions rise when Hall quarrels with the South African and Taiwanese teams over a climbing rope for a dangerous pass known as the Lhotse Face. A shared responsibility to set up the ropes had not been fulfilled, leading to a dispute. When Sherpas from Hall and Fischer's teams depart to secure the ropes, the South African and Taiwanese Sherpas resist helping. Apologies from the Taiwanese guide are offset by threats and profanity from Woodall, a South African, straining relations between Hall's team and the South African team. Meanwhile, Ngawang's health is deteriorating but the Sherpas dismiss the idea of HAPE, attributing his condition to punishment from the sky goddess, Sagarmatha. They believe a climber from Fischer's team incurred her wrath for having a high-altitude affair. The Sherpas, devout Buddhists, try to placate Sagarmatha with altars, prayer flags, incense, and prayers. They insist on a religious ceremony before each attempt at the Icefall. Upon Ngawang's death, Lopsang, his nephew and one of Fischer’s Sherpas, descends the mountain to be with him, but is spent by the time he re-ascends. Fischer is concerned as a weakened Lopsang, famed for his multiple oxygen-less summits and his "astonishing prowess above 26,000 feet" (168), renders the team vulnerable.
chapter 10
The team embarks for Camp Three, with Doug Hansen sitting out due to a throat injury. Their path leads up the Lhotse Face, a grueling climb in the thin air. Krakauer remarks on the overwhelming misery compared to the scant moments of thrill, stating the "ratio of misery to pleasure" is high. He realizes that the climbers' varied motivations aren't enough to overcome these harsh conditions. Krakauer notes Beck Weathers, a teammate suffering from new boot woes but persisting due to his goal to climb each continent's highest summit. The resilience of his teammates surprises Krakauer. As Krakauer forms bonds with his team, he feels increasingly odd about his role as a journalist. In a later TV interview, Weathers would say knowing someone was documenting their actions added pressure, especially on him and Rob Hall. When Krakauer reaches Camp Three at 24,000 feet, he's still a vertical mile from the peak. He feels "stupid," which he attributes to solar radiation rather than high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), a condition causing brain swelling at high altitudes. As night falls, the temperature drops, and he starts to think more clearly. After a restless night, they descend back to Base Camp. By this point, Krakauer and his teammates are dealing with numerous health issues. Back at Base Camp, they plan their summit attempt. Hall targets May 10, a previously successful date, despite the small window due to weather. Other groups also aim for this timeframe, leading to an agreed summiting order starting with Swedish climber Goran Kropp on May 3, followed by a Montenegrin team, then the IMAX team. Hall and Fischer are due to summit on May 10, with other teams promising to avoid that date. However, Ian Woodall of the South African team refuses to abide by this agreement, angering Hall who is concerned about potential disaster.
chapter 11
On May 6 before dawn, the team departs Base Camp for their final attempt at the summit. The trek to Camp Two through the Icefall proves harder due to the climbers' deteriorating health. They encounter a Swedish climber, Goran Kropp, on his descent, having decided to abandon his goal a few hundred feet from the top due to extreme fatigue. Team leader Hall commends Kropp's crucial judgement in turning back despite being so close to the summit. While resting the following day, Krakauer and Doug Hansen discuss what it is like at the peak. Despite a persistent throat issue, Hansen remains determined to reach the summit. In the afternoon, Scott Fischer, another team leader, arrives at the camp, visibly tired from multiple impromptu ascents and descents during the acclimatization period to assist his team members. This additional exertion was due to team guide, Boukreev, straying far ahead of their clients, causing Fischer to help struggling team members. Tensions rise between Fischer and Boukreev, who believes that those needing significant help from guides shouldn't be attempting Everest. Fischer's health begins to suffer as a result. Both Hall's and Fischer's teams depart Camp Two on May 8 to ascend the Lhotse Face. Andy Harris, a team member, is hit in the chest by a falling boulder but manages to survive. They finally reach Camp Three with some members requiring aid. Two members, Lou and Frank, arrive much later. Krakauer is taken aback as he expected Frank to easily make the summit. The team starts using supplemental oxygen that night. Some climbers, like renowned mountaineer Reinhold Messner, view this as cheating. Messner was the first to ascend Everest without oxygen, a feat initially doubted by many, but later verified. Most guides consider attempting the ascent without oxygen to be reckless. Krakauer struggles to sleep due to claustrophobia caused by wearing the oxygen mask. The following morning, Chen Nu-Yan, a member of the Taiwanese team, falls into a crevasse but survives. The Taiwanese leader informs Hall of his intention to summit on May 10, disregarding his earlier promise. Later, Chen's condition worsens rapidly. He becomes unconscious while descending, and stops breathing shortly after. Despite the IMAX team's efforts to save him, Chen dies. The Taiwanese leader, Gau, remains unperturbed by Chen's death, stating that their plans remain unchanged.
chapter 12
Frank and Lou lead a group of fifty climbers, including Krakauer, up the mountain towards Camp Four. Despite initial feelings of asphyxiation, Krakauer gets used to supplemental oxygen and navigates the Lhotse Face swiftly. From his vantage point, he spots four struggling climbers from the Montenegrin expedition on the South Summit. The South Col plateau serves as a departure point for their summit attempt. The area, known for its harsh wind tunnel, is also littered with over a thousand discarded oxygen canisters. The weather deteriorates as the day progresses. Lopsang, a Sherpa, arrives bearing an 80-pound load, primarily Sandy Pittman’s satellite phone and hardware. By late afternoon, all of Hall's team is present, with the last of Fischer's team arriving amid a roaring storm. Montenegrin climbers come later, unsuccessful in their summit attempt, which is disheartening news to Hall and Fischer's groups. That same night, Bruce Herrod, part of the South African team, appears disoriented and hypothermic outside Krakauer's tent. Additionally, Doug Hansen is also in a bad state, weakened from not eating in days. On the Col, Krakauer feels a strange detachment from the other climbers, linking them only by circumstance, not by trust or loyalty. The weather improves around 7:30 p.m., and Hall decides they'll proceed to the summit the next morning. At 11:35 p.m., Hall's team sets off, followed by Fischer's team, and then the Taiwanese team, totaling thirty-three climbers. A few hours later, Frank opts to turn back due to an inexplicable feeling of unease. Doug Hansen also steps out of line, but after a chat with Rob Hall, he rejoins the group. Hall had them all promise to stay within 100 meters of each other for safety and tracking. Krakauer spends time waiting for slower climbers and notices Lopsang pulling Pittman up the mountain with a tether. By 5:30 a.m., Krakauer reaches the Southeast Ridge, waits for his group, and watches as Fischer and the Taiwanese group pass him. Two hours later, Rob allows him to continue. Further up, Krakauer finds Lopsang in the snow, sick from exhaustion. It's unclear why Lopsang "short-roped" Pittman, as she denies asking for it. Krakauer concludes his account by noting that Lopsang's decision didn’t seem significant at the time.
chapter 13
Having crossed the South Col, they enter the lethal terrain known as the Death Zone. Swift movement is crucial here to reach the summit before the oxygen supply runs out. Each climber has two oxygen cylinders meant to last five to six hours. Prolonged stay, especially without oxygen, above the South Col can be fatal. To mitigate risks, Hall traditionally uses fixed ropes in the Death Zone. This time, however, no ropes are set up. Hall and Fischer plan to deploy two Sherpas each beforehand to fix the ropes. Mysteriously, no Sherpas set out to secure the ropes the night preceding the summit attempt, possibly due to high winds. Hall's Sherpa, Ang Dorje, confides about an ominous vision of ghosts he had at Base Camp. Dorje intends to fix the ropes, but Lopsang's delay prevents timely completion. The absent ropes slow down the climbers, causing a bottleneck at approximately 28,000 feet. Hall is concerned they might not reach the summit before the turnaround time. There's ambiguity about the turnaround time. Hall contemplates between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm but doesn't share his final decision. Realizing they wouldn't make it to the summit by either time, climbers Taske and Hutchinson retreat. Krakauer ponders how hard it must be to abandon the mission so close to the peak, having already braved so much "misery" and shelled out around $70,000. He expresses concern over the climbers who push ahead disregarding safety, logic, and health risks, which presents a major problem for Everest expeditions. Near the Hillary Step, a notorious vertical ridge, Krakauer notices Boukreev without any extra oxygen or a backpack. He is surprised as it's his first time seeing a guide without gas or any gear. Boukreev claims to have discarded them to conserve energy. As Krakauer and two of Hall's Sherpas await below the Hillary Step, they decide against fixing the ropes, presumably due to lack of help. Eventually, Beidleman, Andy Harris, and Boukreev decide to set up the ropes, but by then a line of climbers has formed. They start climbing the Step, led by Boukreev. Krakauer frets about his dwindling oxygen supply. He had abandoned his second canister, assuming he could fetch another during descent, but he realizes he's about an hour from running out. He rushes to the summit and succeeds. However, upon reaching the top, he is filled with dread anticipating the upcoming descent.
chapter 14
Concerned about their dwindling oxygen, Krakauer descends from the summit quickly, passing Fischer's team members. He vaguely notes the presence of thin clouds but fails to recognize them as storm signals. Krakauer experiences a delay at Hillary Step due to a bottleneck of climbers and in the confusion, Harris ends up emptying instead of conserving their oxygen supply. Krakauer crosses paths with Hall, who expresses disappointment at several team members retreating before reaching the top. As the delay extends to an hour, Krakauer, now without extra oxygen, feels increasingly vulnerable. He gradually makes his way to the South Summit where additional oxygen canisters are stored. Harris wrongly informs him that the canisters are empty and it isn't until Krakauer checks them himself that he realizes most are full, understanding that Harris is suffering from hypoxia. Despite his guilt, Krakauer continues his descent leaving Harris behind. Most of the climbers are now descending, guided by their leaders. Krakauer continues until he runs into teammate Beck Weathers, who had earlier decided to retreat due to eye complications following a surgery. With worsening weather conditions, Krakauer suggests escorting Weathers down, but he opts to wait for a group behind them. Descending becomes difficult as the snowfall obscures their ascent tracks and Krakauer struggles to remember the right path. By 6:00 pm, he finds himself in the middle of a blizzard and again low on oxygen, leading to hallucinations. Close to the campsite, Krakauer encounters Harris, whose face is frostbitten. He directs Harris towards the tents and watches him scramble down the slope. Summoning his remaining strength, Krakauer manages to reach the camp and dives into his tent, believing that he, Harris, and his teammates have made it through safely.
chapter 15
Beidleman reaches the summit soon after Krakauer's departure around 1:25 pm, joining Boukreev and Harris. Schoening follows suit twenty minutes later. Despite being past the 2:00 pm turnaround time, there is no sight of Fischer or his group, stirring anxiety in Beidleman who lacks a radio for communication. At 2:10 pm, Pittman, along with Lopsang and other climbers, arrives. Hall, Mike, and Yasuko Namba summit around this timeframe too. Hall presumed Doug Hansen and Fischer were close behind, but they weren't– Fischer summits at 3:40 pm and Hansen at 4:00 pm. Krakauer later learns that Fischer was actually ill during his climb. His fatigue, stemming from unplanned climbs to aid his team members, compounded by an intestinal parasite acquired in 1984, had him suffering frequent bouts of sickness since this expedition's Base Camp. Despite his frail condition, it was not perceived as a severe problem. Growing anxious about lingering at the summit and trusting in Fischer's resilience, Beidleman descends. Pittman, on the brink of a coma during descent, is administered dexamethasone to alleviate altitude effects and given a fresh oxygen canister. Almost twenty minutes later, she regains control and continues the descent. En route down, the climbers spot Martin Adams deviating from the path, heading down towards Tibet. They guide him to a tent and then assist another climber, Beck Weathers. Weathers, who waited for his guide for hours, is assisted down by Mike Groom. Namba's oxygen gets depleted above the South Col, leaving her immobile. Groom, along with Weathers, haul her down the mountainside. Krakauer is only a quarter hour ahead and by his time, the weather worsens, with visibility dropping to zero and hurricane-like winds. Unable to locate the camp amidst the storm, Beidleman, Groom, two Sherpas, and seven clients wander off course for two hours, merely 1,000 feet away from camp. Back in the camp, Hutchinson tries to guide the lost climbers by making noise but to no avail. With the storm subsiding, four clients are too sick to move. Beidleman, Schoening, and the Sherpas leave Madsen to take care of the others while they go in search of the camp. Twenty minutes later, they find the camp and guide Boukreev to the others. Upon finding them, Boukreev discovers that Namba seems lifeless and Pittman, Weathers, and Dr. Charlotte Fox are incapacitated. Despite his efforts to revive them, Weathers gets blown off the mountain. Boukreev manages to get Pittman and Fox back to camp, reporting that Weathers and Namba are likely dead.
chapter 16
Stuart Hutchinson rouses Krakauer at 6:00 am with the news that Andy Harris didn't return to his tent last night. This stuns Krakauer who believed he'd seen Andy reach the tents safely. He decides to retrace Andy's route back to the Col where he remembers Andy slipping. If Andy didn't take the left turn towards camp, he would have instead descended into an icy gully leading to a precipice. A sense of dread fills Krakauer as he spots footprints heading in the potentially fatal direction. Krakauer is filled with guilt, recalling how he had reassured everyone, including Andy's girlfriend, of his safety the night before. Despite an hour of searching, he finds no signs of Andy. Back at the camp, he overhears a radio conversation between Rob Hall, still stranded on the summit ridge, and Base Camp. Meanwhile, Fischer remains missing. The IMAX team offers help and tries to borrow a radio to contact Krakauer's group. They are denied access to the South African team's high-powered radio by Woodall. Breaking from his narrative, Krakauer shares that upon returning home, he reached out to all the survivors to reconstruct the climb's events. Martin Adams was the only one who initially refused to speak. However, after a few months, Adams recounts his own harrowing descent during which he fell into a crevasse. After pulling himself out, he encountered a stranger who guided him towards the tents. Krakauer is struck by a horrifying realization as he hears Adams' account. He suspects that he might have been the anonymous climber who guided Adams. Although Adams initially disagrees, he soon acknowledges the possibility. This revelation stuns Krakauer, suggesting that he never actually saw Harris that night. Krakauer is tormented with guilt, having previously told everyone that Harris fell off the side of the mountain. He reproaches himself for mistakingly identifying someone else as Harris, particularly when Harris and Adams look nothing alike. The haunting question, however, is what truly happened to Andy Harris.
chapter 17
Fischer and Hall are the focus of this part of the story. Fischer reaches the summit at 3:40 pm on May 10, with Lopsang there to welcome him. Shortly after, Gau, the Taiwanese team's leader, and Rob Hall arrive at the peak while waiting for Doug Hansen. Fischer mentions feeling ill, with stomach discomfort. He starts his descent at 3:55 pm, removing his mask despite using additional oxygen during the climb. Everyone vacates the summit except for Hall, who is joined by Doug Hansen at about 4:00 pm. Hall lets Hansen summit despite exceeding his designated turn-around time by two hours, likely because Hall halted Hansen's summit attempt the previous year, creating disappointment. Hansen and Hall descend after spending a few minutes at the peak with Lopsang, who then rushes off to join Fischer. However, Hansen quickly runs out of oxygen, depleting his energy. Hall attempts to radio for help at 4:30 pm and 4:41 pm, needing extra oxygen. He’s unaware of full canisters on the South Summit, mistakenly informed by Harris that they are empty. Hall tries to descend but struggles due to a debilitated Hansen. Information about the available oxygen comes from Mike Groom. Upon reaching the South Summit, Lopsang meets with Harris, who insists on getting the oxygen to Hall and Hansen, but Lopsang declines since he needs to reconnect with Fischer. Despite suffering hypoxia and physical decline, Harris tries to deliver the oxygen himself. Lopsang reunites with Fischer by 6:00 pm, urging him to use the oxygen. However, Fischer, whose mental state is questionable says, "'I am very sick, too sick to go down. I am going to jump'" (297). Lopsang successfully talks Fischer down, and they begin their descent. Fischer ultimately can't continue due to exhaustion, so Lopsang halts to wait with him. Eventually, Gau and two Sherpas catch up, but leave Gau behind due to similar incapacitation. Lopsang heads down to camp to relay a message to Boukreev at Fischer's request. Meanwhile, Guy Cotter at Base Camp receives Hall’s radio call for help. He advises Hall to climb down and find oxygen for Doug, but after forty minutes, both are still at the Hillary Step. Cotter pleads with Hall to descend alone, but Hall stands his ground. Hall radios in the night, sounding increasingly distressed. He's managed to acquire two oxygen canisters, but the valves are frozen. A call from Hall's wife is patched through at 5:00 am. Later, Hall announces that Doug is "gone." Neither Hansen's nor Harris's bodies were ever found, leaving their fates a mystery. The following day, Hall finally gets his oxygen working. He vows to descend but never does. A rescue attempt is made by Ang Dorje and another Sherpa but they cannot reach Hall due to harsh weather. A similar attempt is made for Fischer, but it’s too late. They manage to bring Gau down. A final call from Hall's wife is patched through from Base Camp. Ten days later, Hall's body is discovered on the South Summit.
chapter 18
While Hansen makes it to the peak, three Indian climbers mistakenly believe they too have scaled the peak from the Tibetan side. Their wrong assumption is evident as they haven't run into Hall or Hansen. As Boukreev begins his rescue mission, a Japanese team and three Sherpas stumble upon an Indian climber in the snow, alive but frostbitten. However, the Japanese continue their ascend, not wanting to jeopardize their own summit bid. Later, the Japanese mountaineers discover the remaining Indian climbers, but again, choose not to offer assistance. They continue their journey and reach the summit, despite the harsh winds and weather. It's doubtful they crossed paths with Hall, who was fighting for his life on the South Summit.
chapter 19
On May 11, Krakauer wakes up to the harsh reality that several members of his team, including guides, are dead. The group, stuck at Camp Four at an altitude of 26,000 feet without gas, is suffering severely. Among them, Lou Kasischke is rendered useless by snow blindness, while others are unconscious or deeply asleep. Krakauer's search for an oxygen canister is fruitless. In the absence of their guides, Stuart Hutchinson, the fittest among them, assumes leadership. Tasking four Sherpas, Hutchinson initiates the recovery of Weathers and Namba's bodies. Against all odds, they find Namba still breathing, albeit barely, with limbs frozen and skin turned white. Weathers, too, is alive. Faced with a difficult decision, they decide it's best to leave Weathers and Namba behind. Meanwhile, the rest of the group struggles to decide their next move, most of them too weak to descend. Beidleman leads the other rescued climbers, including Sandy Pittman, to descend to Camp Three. In the process, a Sherpa gets hit on the head by a rock. The IMAX team joins the rescue efforts, providing batteries and oxygen. They attempt to climb from Camp Two to assist the stranded teams. In a dramatic turn of events, Beck Weathers shows up at the camp at 4:35 pm, having somehow "arisen from the dead". Weathers recalls freezing and falling unconscious, only to wake up and muster the energy to return to camp. They provide him with oxygen, wrap him in sleeping bags, and keep him warm with hot water bottles, but remain skeptical about his survival chances. Seeing Weathers' return, Boukreev regrets leaving Fischer behind and goes back to retrieve him, only to find Fischer dead. That night, a severe storm threatens to tear apart Krakauer's tent. He and Hutchinson struggle to secure it. In the morning, they manage to convince everyone to leave immediately. As they prepare to leave, Krakauer visits Weathers, whom he presumes dead, one last time. However, Weathers is still alive, having lost his sleeping bags to the wind and having called for help for hours. They administer an injection and serve him hot tea, still uncertain if they should try to help him descend or leave him behind yet again.
chapter 20
The team retraces their path down the mountain with Krakauer noting the significant decrease in their numbers. Upon reaching Camp Two, they are greeted by better weather, ample supplies, and the improved health conditions of the climbers. Doctors immediately attend to Gau upon their arrival. Surprisingly, Beck Weathers is also found alive and brought down by the Sherpas an hour and a half later. Krakauer, the next day, scopes out the edge of the Icefall for a potential helicopter landing site. Guy Cotter had organized a helicopter for Beck from Base Camp, but setting down on the Icefall is risky. When the helicopter does land, it has room for only one individual. Since Gau's feet had completely defrosted at Base Camp, rendering him unable to walk, he is evacuated instead of Beck. Debate ensues among the climbers about how to transport Beck down the Icefall. Soon, they hear the returning helicopter for Beck. The section concludes with Krakauer, now safe, starting to understand the immense ordeal he has undergone.
chapter 21
Krakauer reaches Base Camp on May 13 and starts crying, a reaction he hasn't had since childhood. A tribute is held on the mountain including prayers, burning incense, reading Buddhist scriptures, and giving eulogies. The following day, a helicopter comes to take Dr. Fox and Mike Groom, who both suffered from severe frostbite. Subsequently, the rest of the team leaves Base Camp, returning to Namche Bazaar to await their flight to Kathmandu. During their wait, they are approached by three Japanese men including Yasuko Namba's spouse and brother, and a seasoned Himalayan climber. They interrogate the team about the tragic events on the mountain. Krakauer struggles to answer their queries. The presence of numerous Japanese journalists compounded his difficulties as Namba's ascent was a major news story in Japan. Krakauer finds it challenging to condense the ordeal into "sound bites." Back in the U.S., Krakauer meets with Doug Hansen's family, handing them Hansen's belongings and struggling to find the right words. He tries to reintegrate into his life in Seattle, but the expedition's aftermath follows him. He confesses to Jan, Rob Hall's wife, about feeling guilty which ironically leads to her comforting him. The disaster prompts him to reassess his views on life and death. Krakauer speculates on the causes of the catastrophe. He cites arrogance, especially in guides assuming they can take anyone to the summit, as a factor. He also blames the disaster on ignoring the turn-around time, weather conditions, rivalry between Hall and Fischer, hypoxia, and climbers underestimating the risks involved. Also, he points out that climbing Everest is not strictly controlled since poor nations welcome the economic benefits. Strangely, 1996 was a comparatively safe year for Everest. Krakauer quotes, "Between 1921 and May 1996, 144 people died and the peak was climbed some 630 times—a ratio of one in four" (357). The chapter concludes with Krakauer sharing information about other expeditions. On May 17, an Austrian and a Hungarian climber reached great heights but the former falls ill and succumbs to his ailments. The IMAX team attempts the summit again, and one of them sees the bodies of Fischer and Hall on their climb. The South African team is also spotted in bad shape with one of their members, Bruce Herrod, last heard from at the summit at 5:15 pm.
epilogue
Krakauer concludes the book by discussing the aftermath of the Everest expedition and the interactions with his companions. He receives a letter from Lou Kasischke who describes the Everest climb as the worst experience of his life, but affirms he has moved on. Lou also talks about Beck Weathers, who had to undergo amputations after the expedition, leaving him physically scarred. Beck, however, refrains from blaming others and copes well with the disaster. Half a year after Everest, Krakauer reveals that Everest still dominates his thoughts. He recounts the critical responses he got to his article in Outside Magazine, including a reprimanding letter from Scott Fischer's sister. During this period, he receives news of Lopsang's death in an Everest avalanche and Anatoli Boukreev's severe injuries from a car accident in Kazakhstan. Krakauer shares an online message from a Sherpa orphan, who criticizes the Sherpa community for assisting outsiders in exploiting Sagarmatha and holds them responsible for the 1996 catastrophe, calling it "sacrilege." The book closes with Krakauer explaining how the experience adversely affected many involved. Some relationships fell apart, and one of the victim's spouse ended up hospitalized for depression. Sandy Pittman returned to New York to face negative publicity for her role in the disaster. Krakauer mentions that even Beidleman, who heroically rescued clients in the storm, experienced guilt for not being able to save Yasuko Namba.
