Q2 Post 7

In chapters 13 and 14, the team does their final section of the journey to the top of the mountain. A lot of the team members are feeling sick from lack of oxygen and from the high altitude. They enter one of the deadliest parts of the climb, and area called the Death Zone. It's almost the last push before the summit, and normally people's oxygen runs out if they don't do it quickly. The climber has to be focused on that part. Several of the team members decide to turn around at this point because they don't have enough oxygen. They have to make the decision themselves if they are well enough to summit. Often a climber can be blinded by the fact that they are so close to the top, they ignore their body and go anyway. These decisions have led to death on Everest before. Later, Krakauer reaches the summit, but turns back right away. When Krakauer returns back down the mountain, he comes across a friend at the top of the traffic-jammed Hillary Step. He has his friend turn down the oxygen flow on his tank so he saves more. His friend accidentally opens the tank more so Krakauer gets too much oxygen and is wasting it. I think that in situations like that, when everyone is a little delusional I would've been more careful and protective of my oxygen supply than Krakauer. In these chapters, Krakauer indirectly explains to us how vital oxygen is. Most people don't even think about it or even notice it. On the mountain, it is the most important factor in determining the climber's survival.