Chapters 20-21 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 20 is entitled "The Last Attempt." As the morning of May 11 arrived, the Mountain Madness team had run out of oxygen. Boukreev awoke from a few hours sleep anxious about Fischer and eager to try to find out if he was still alive somewhere up the mountain. Boukreev spoke with Neal Beidleman and they agreed that Beidleman would lead the climbers down the mountain while Boukreev stayed behind to find out what he could about Fischer. The climbers were given oxygen by David Breshears, a climber leading a documentary film crew.

Rob Hall and one of his climbers had also not returned to Camp IV, and some of the Sherpas from Halls group started climbing up to help him. They encountered Fischer on the way, unconscious, but still breathing. They placed an oxygen mask over his face and left...