Camp Two: April 28, 1996 - 21,300 Feet Summary and Analysis

Krakauer awakes in his tent at 4:00 a.m. at Camp Two. The group is scheduled to climb to Camp Three at 24,000 feet to spend a night to acclimatize to the altitude. It is very cold, and Krakauer and his tent mate Hansen have difficulty getting out of their warm sleeping bags. They dress quickly and are soon on the slope of the mountain, climbing. Krakauer has dressed relatively lightly, expecting the sun to beat down after it rises, but there is a steady wind that makes him colder.

The wind increases, and ice begins to form on his goggles. He is climbing at the head of the line, just in front of one of the guides, Groom. Groom gets a radio call from Hall calling off the climb because of the bad weather...