From the South Summit they can see the “true peak” of the mountain. They will need to scale down a steep wall before they can move up again towards their destiny. But, now Jersted starts to behave strangely. He walks down the mountain in the wrong direction! Bishop has no idea where Jersted is going. When Jersted reaches the end of the 75-foot rope that attaches him to Bishop, he realizes that he has made a “very foolish mistake.” He painfully works his way back up to Bishop. Then, they start the tricky descent in the correct direction. They are on the path to the summit.

Jersted leads the way. The wind is intense. Bishop is breathing seven breaths for each step he takes. The two men have been climbing for over seven hours. Finally, Jersted sees the top! There is an American flag flapping in the wind. Their teammates, Whittaker and Gombu, planted it there three weeks earlier. Bishop and Jersted are thrilled to see it.

Jersted waits for Bishop to get to him. Then, the two men walk the last one hundred feet together, arm-in-arm. It is hard to breathe, harder to walk and painful even to think. But, gasping for air, they finally make it to the flag.

It is 3:30pm and the wind is blowing wildly. Bishop and Jersted have scaled the highest peak on Earth!

They cry with joy and relief.