1. Chapter 9: Problems with the Climbers
This is the chapter in which most of the people in the group start significantly feeling the effects of the journey. Most encounter frostbite or worse, and for the first time the team hits weather that prevents them from going as far as they'd planned. Not yet up as high as Camp Three, they are already pushed back by the unpredictability of Everest. "Even without unleashing the worst it could dish out, the mountain had sent us scurrying for safety."
It's 4:00AM and Krakauer is currently preparing to make the trek to Camp Three, which sits at a brisk 24,000 feet.
In order to reach Camp Three, he'll need to ascend the Lhotse Face, a "vast, titled sea of ice" Krakauer considers turning back out of fear of frostbite, but before he can, Rob Hall buzzes over the intercom and tells everybody to turn back around for Camp Two.
Turns out that Krakauer isn't the only one who's struggling. John Taske, a doctor from Australia, is actually beginning to suffer from minor frostbite.
Doug Hansen is even worse. His toes—damaged from his previous Everest attempt—are particularly susceptible to frostbite. And that's not even getting into his throat illness, for which he had surgery mere weeks before coming to Everest.
Given all of this, the mood at Camp Two is gloomy. Plus, it doesn't help that Hall is currently arguing with the leaders of the Taiwanese and South African teams.

2. Chapter 9: The Sherpas
The relationship between Fischer's primary Sherpa, Lopsang, and Ngawang is revealed in this chapter. Lopsang actually makes an entire extra climb when he descends to be with his uncle, and then climbs up again to rejoin the group. He covers territory that the other climbers have toiled and sweat over with remarkable speed. After climbing professionally for three years, he had already reached the summit of Everest three times without using supplemental oxygen.
Krakauer barely comments on his absence, except to say that the extra trip has made Lopsang tired. This demonstrates the strength and skill of the Sherpas. However, Lopsang is in rough shape—his uncle has just died, and he has physically overexerted himself. With each passing day it seems as if some of the climbers who anchor the expeditions become less and less strong.

3. Chapter 9: The Sherpas
Krakauer is fascinated that the Sherpas believe that Ngawang is stricken with an illness other than HAPE. The concept of retaliation by a God on Everest is an entirely new concept altogether. The idea that to make it up the mountain safely, one must appease Sagarmatha is simple, and Krakauer seems to embrace it.
The Sherpas strict adherence to the Buddhist traditions and rituals is an attempt to control the eventual outcome of the climb.

4. Chapter 9: The Other Expeditions
The primary issue between the teams is a lack of trust and cooperation, which is vital in these conditions.
For the safety of all climbers, fixed rope lines must be installed on the Lhotse Face. Securing the rope is not simply something that helps the clients, but it is a necessity for every climber.
Two days earlier, Ang Dorje (along with other guides from Hall's and Fischer's teams) was supposed to install fixed rope lines up the Lhotse Face with Sherpas from the Taiwanese and South African teams, who had already agreed to help secure these ropes. They didn't show up, though.
The Sherpas in particular are there to help, and their failure to provide even the most basic assistance lends credence to Hall's prediction that disaster is inevitable. The leader of the Taiwanese team apologizes profusely. Woodall, the leader of the South African team, however, chooses instead to cuss Hall out and accuse Ang Dorje of lying.
Their lack of cooperation also adds an unnecessary tension to the climb.

5. Chapter 10: Motivations for Climbing
On the 29th, Hall's team (minus Hansen who stays behind due to his frozen larnyx) makes a second attempt at reaching Camp Three. Though the going is agonizingly painful, Krakauer successfully makes it.
Unlike Camps One and Two, Camp Three is precariously perched on the side of the mountain. In other words, "the vista was primarily sky rather than earth."

6. Chapter 10: Motivations for Climbing
Along the way, Krakauer finds himself impressed by his inexperienced colleagues, namely Beck Weathers.
Krakauer refers to Beck as the prime example of the commercialization of Everest. He has no business being on the mountain, yet he is able to climb because he is wealthy.
Krakauer does , however, find himself respecting Weathers fearless pursuit of his goals.
Krakauer realizes that his fellow climbers are climbing to reach personal goals rather than for thrill seeking.
Despite his pride, Krakauer is a little freaked out—he worries that he has High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). He notes that his body is not in good shape. He has lost 20 pounds, and he has a very bad hacking cough.

7. Chapter 10: Motivations for Climbing
Hall's team descends back to Base Camp over the next several days. This is a momentous occasion, as it marks the final acclimatization trip—they'll be heading for the summit on May 10 because Rob has always had great success on this day previously.
Fischer's team will be attempting the summit the same day, and the other teams, including the Taiwanese and South Africans, have agreed and are supposed to make their own attempts on the days before and after.

8. Krakauer’s Role as a Reporter
During this last acclimatization trip, Krakauer notes that he feels uncomfortable in his role as a journalist at this point in the climb. No one who signed up to go with Rob Hall originally knew a reporter would be coming along. Krakauer He feels bad that he is taking away the climber’s privacy. After the expedition, climber Beck Weathers noted that having a reporter with them added a lot of stress. “It’s bad enough to go up there and make a fool of yourself if it’s just you and the climbing group. That somebody may have you written across the pages of some magazine as a buffoon and a clown has got to play upon your psyche as to how you perform, how hard you’ll push,” Weathers said.

9. Chapter 11: The Ascent
May 6th 4:30AM- Krakauer’s team leaves base camp for summit attempt
While at Camp Two, they see Goran Kropp—29, Swedish, solo climber, left Stockholm in October by bike—on his way back down.
He climbed all the way to the South Summit, a mere couple of hundred feet from the top, before deciding he was so exhausted that it would be unsafe for him to press on and that he would be in no condition to descend if he kept going.
Hall remarks on what great judgment Kropp displayed in doing that which is so unspeakably hard—turning around when the top is in sight.

10. Chapter 11: The Ascent May 7th is a “rest day” at Camp Two.
Doug Hansen and Krakauer talk about getting to the summit. Doug is determined to make it this time, even though his throat is still bothering him.
In the afternoon, Scott Fischer arrives, tired and angry because he has had to make special trips to help his clients and has just come back from base camp for the second time.

11. Chapter 11: The Ascent
Fischer had originally gone to Camp Two ahead of his group and instructed Boukreev to bring up the rear and help their team.
Boukreev slept late and left Base Camp 5 hours after his group.
Because Fischer paid him $25,000 to guide the group, he was understandably angry that Boukreev was not fulfilling his end of the deal.

12. Chapter 11: The Ascent
Tensions between Fischer and Boukreev spike, largely because Boukreev feels that "'if client cannot climb Everest without big help from guide…this client should not be on Everest'“ (156).
By this time, Fischer's health has begun to reflect the fact that his guide hasn't been as helpful as he expected.

13. Chapter 11: The Ascent
On May 8, Hall’s and Fischer's teams both leave Camp Two and begin to climb up the Lhotse Face.
Just beneath Camp Three, a boulder falls from the cliffs above and slams into Andy Harris's chest. He falls, dangling from his rope. They eventually reach the Camp and Harris claims to be okay, acknowledging that had the rock hit him on the head he wouldn't be.
A few of the members have trouble reaching Camp Three, and need assistance. Two team members, Lou and Frank, struggle into camp hours later. Krakauer is stunned—Frank is one of the climbers he expected to make it to the summit.

14. Chapter 11: The Ascent They begin using supplemental oxygen.
Some climbers feel that using canned oxygen is cheating.
The most legendary climber of all, Reinhold Messner, was the first to summit the mountain without oxygen. Many people, especially Sherpas, were skeptical that these men—Westerners—had actually achieved the feat without supplemental oxygen, but investigation yielded support for the claim.
Two years later, Reinhold made a solo ascent up the Tibetan side of the mountain, again without oxygen.
Climbing without oxygen is a distinction, but most guides feel that climbing without gas is irresponsible and renders them almost useless as a guide.
Krakauer feels claustrophobic wearing the mask. He has the sensation that he really cannot breathe despite the extra oxygen.

15. Chapter 11: The Ascent
The next morning, a member of the Taiwanese team, Chen Nu-Yan, slips on the ice and falls down the Lhotse Face.
He falls into a crevasse after only seventy feet, and survives.
The Taiwanese leader leaves Chen in the tent to recover, and then tells Hall of his intention to summit on May 10, despite his promise to avoid the peak on that day.
Later, Chen suddenly takes a turn for the worse. He is in pain and disoriented, and as he is descending the mountain he suddenly loses consciousness.
A few minutes later he stops breathing.
The IMAX team hurries to help, but when they arrive, Chen is dead.
Gau, the Taiwanese leader, upon hearing of Chen's death, says: "O.K." and announces that no plans for his team have changed.
Chen’s death is the first that they have experienced during this climb.