How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Beidleman, Groom, the two Sherpas, and the seven clients staggered blindly around in the storm, growing ever more exhausted and hypothermic. (15.37)
Beidleman and Co. get a first-hand lesson in just how brutal the natural world can be. Although they're only a few minutes away from the safety of Camp Four, the storm is so thick that they can't even tell up from down or left from right. It's a terrifying predicament.
Quote #8
"Rob and I had talked about the impossibility of being rescued from the summit ridge. As he himself had put it, 'You might as well be on the moon.'" (17.34)
This really puts things into perspective. Although Everest has indeed been conquered, that doesn't mean it's any easier to reach the summit—it just means that people know how to do it. Not even a helicopter can reach such insane heights, which leaves Hall in one nasty spot.
Quote #9
"I was astounded. They looked like they'd been through a five-month war. Sandy started to break down—she was crying." (19.18)
Breashears is a very experienced climber, but he's never witnessed anything like this before. These novice climbers expected their climb of Everest to be more like a guided tour—they didn't know they would become soldiers, stuck in hostile land and forced to fight for their very lives.