Chomolungma—Ascent and Descent Summary and Analysis

A light snow falls on the summit, it is windless, and Messner has no view, but he does not mind. He feels like a corpse. He wonders if he must roll his mythical stone all his life, and thinks perhaps he himself is the summit. After 45 minutes, he has the strength to stand and begin the descent, which is much easier than the climb. His energy seems to be concentrated in his sight, hearing, and sense of smell. He is so tired that he sits and slides on the snow. After a rest, he tries to stand but almost steps into a crevasse. He dodges it, slips, and slides down the middle of an avalanche cone to the foot a glacier. He rises, slips again, and slides farther. He is at the bottom...