Chapter XX There Are Other Annapurnas Summary and Analysis

The final chapter describes Herzog's appearance before the Maharajah of Nepal. Still unable to walk, he is carried into an elaborate ceremony dressed formally and seated in a chair. He is presented with an award for bravery, the Gurkha Right Hand, which he accepts on behalf of his entire expedition.

Herzog closes the book as he and Lachenal and the others are preparing to land back in France. He thinks about the incredible hardships he and the others faced as they skirted the line between life and death and the stark contrast between their life for the past months and the comfortable life they have at home. The mountains have provided them with a challenge they all seem to need as badly as air or water. He looks forward to "other...