Afterword, Epilogue and Postscript Summary and Analysis

In the Afterword, DeWalt speculates about what might actually have happened to Fischer and the missing climbers from Rob Hall's team. Based on the description of his condition from Lopsang Sherpa, Fischer may have died from HACE or High Altitude Cerebral Edema, a type of altitude sickness that affects the brain.

Andy Harris, one of Hall's guides, was never found but his ice axe was discovered by a later climbing expedition between the Hilary Step and the South Summit on an unroped section of the climb. Rob Hall had last been heard of by radio the night of the terrible storm, and died on the mountain. Doug Hansen, one of Hall's climbers, was being helped by Hall toward the summit earlier in the day, but was not with Hall when Hall radioed Base Camp. His...