Climbing and skiing is seriously burly. Especially at altitude. You can’t breathe. Every step is labored. You’re usually carrying a significant store of gear. There’s the technical aspect of reaching a summit, then the technical aspect of descending. Namely avalanche and general snow conditions. Which this group of mountaineers that included Emily Harrington, Adrian Ballinger, Hilaree O’Neill and Jim Morrison, dealt with in spades on their attempt to climb 27,765-foot Makalu in the heart of the Himalayas and the world’s fifth highest peak. The struggle is real.
