South Col

It's an ice bulge, which suggests he has reached a milestone.

He's at the South Col, an ice-covered saddle between the peaks of Everest and Lhotse.

Only a little further down lies Everest's highest camp, Camp Four, and the promise of help.

It's so close now.

And the person who had reported his death could have rescued him, but chose not to.

Two days before, Beck, along with the rest of the climbers of the New Zealand Everest Expedition, had been making their final push for the summit from South Col High Camp.

The wind was absolutely still, and the pre-dawn morning sky was clear and full of stars.

Reaching the summit on time was critical.

Summiting Everest would make Yasuko the oldest woman to do so, but Beck thought that perhaps Yasuko's mind had convinced her to do something her body couldn't.

Unlike some fellow mountaineers, climbing Everest wasn't an all or nothing deal for Beck.

In fact, by just reaching the South Col camp, he had already achieved the personal goal he set for himself before arriving in Nepal.

Beck believed in a safety first approach and was okay with trying, but not reaching the top, which is why when Beck encountered a serious issue halfway up the summit face, he knew he needed to stop immediately.