The Summit Page #2

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The main tactic to avoid

the dangers of the serac

is to be fast,

to minimize the time

when you're exposed to it.

It was not with a good feeling,

waiting there.

We had a lot of respect

for the serac, yeah.

We knew that that was a...

A little monster up there.

I put the ice screws in...

You've got a lot of people

coming behind

with all the weight

that's on the rope,

that's pulling on the screws.

Well, that was a worry.

Above 8,000,

you can only trust yourself.

We wanted to traverse

out to the right

to have a rest

outside of the fixed ropes.

It's exhausting

to be in a queue to wait.

You can't climb

in your own pace.

Several others

also wanted to wait there

until people had passed.

The bigger the chain,

the bigger the chance

that there is somebody

in this chain

who is, you know,

making a mistake.

Dren, he unclipped his rope

and tried to pass me.

Aah!

We were all shocked

when he fell,

but when he stopped,

he stood up and waved.

So we thought he was fine.

He's standing up.

He's okay.

But then we saw him

falling again

and sliding further down.

Yeah, right there at the edge.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- What's happening?

- What do you see?

Yeah, Chhiring,

this is Eric, Camp Four, over.

I picked up my camera,

and I zoomed in,

trying to find him, locate him.

How can someone fall

at this perfect day?

No wind. It's bright.

It's great.

How is it possible?

Chhiring, I understood

that you and Pemba are climbing.

Are you in the lead,

and has there been an accident?

Over.

Is he in the rock?

He's here.

There is the rock.

- Yeah.

- Down.

- Yeah.

- Down this.

- Yeah.

- Chhiring says he's moving.

Wow.

He's still alive.

We have to do something.

Is everybody coming down?

Ask the question.

Chhiring, do you know if...

if everyone

is coming down at this point?

Over.

Of course, we had a discussion.

Should we turn around,

you know, to try to help?

We talked about it,

and then we said,

"Listen. The Serbian guys are going down."

"We know the Americans

are there, you know."

"I think it doesn't make sense,

you know, to go down."

There is a not big conversation

each other about the accident.

After three, four minutes,

they start climbing again.

I was like,

"I'm gonna save this guy."

"I'm gonna save him."

"There's no way he's gonna die,"

"not this day, no way."

"It's not gonna happen."

I just shoot up.

He hit on the rock,

lose control,

keep falling

for 200 more meters,

and stopped.

And then I started coming down.

There were maybe two guys

below me,

so I came down pretty fast,

maybe 'IO minutes.

He was wrapped in rope

and just giving no signs

of life.

Already very pale and gray,

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