To really uncover an individual's fault in their death, we can start with the deaths of Rob Hall and Doug Hansen. The first choice they made to lead to their death can be foreshadowed in Hall’s instruction to his group. “... Hall had contemplated two possible turn around times-either 1:00 P.M. or 2:00 P.M.” (200) This turn around time was crucial as if you didn’t follow it, you would be left on the mountain with no one to help. This instruction is then ignored when at “... 4:00, Hansen at last appeared …”(248) on the summit with Hall waiting for him. This is 2 hours after Hall’s original turn around time of 2:00 P.M. There was reasoning behind this decision though, as Hall restrained Hansen from reaching the summit previously even though it was just in sight, “Exactly one year earlier, Hall had denied Hansen around on the South Summit at 2:30 P.M., and to be denied so close to the top was a crushing disappointment to Hansen.” (248) This was a burden to Hansen and as well as Hall, as he knows how it must’ve felt to be turned down so close to the end. Hall’s grief then led to him being irresponsible, allowing himself and Hansen to be at the summit so much later than the turn around time and eventually leading to their death. This catastrophe would have been very easily avoided, but their determination for the summit ultimately lead to their end. Andy Harris was another person among many to die on Everest the year of Krakauer’s expedition. It may not be totally clear at first how his death was at his fault, as he was clearly showing signs of hypoxia. “I chipped it off with the pick of my ice ask, then asked Andy to return the favor by turning off my regulator in order to conserve my gas until the Step cleared. He mistakenly opened the valve instead of closing it, however, and ten minutes later all my oxygen was gone.” (210) This action was clearly not one Harris would purposely make, and gave evidence that something was causing this. His airborne illness also caused other misjudgment, like thinking …show more content…
This rule clearly got the best of Doug Hansen, Rob Hall, and Andy Harris. Into Thin Air was a story Jon Krakauer wrote about his trip to Everest. He described his experiences there, as well as the many deaths that came. Krakauer’s story shows how insignificant other climbers become to each other the higher they went. Of the many who died that year, they didn’t take note that almost noone would help them, leaving everything they did to their