During the ascent to Camp 3, why does Doug feel that his climb is over?

• A. He is coughing and has a frozen larynx from a prior surgery
• B. He injured his knee
• C. He dropped his oxygen canister
• D. He refused to descend

Answer: (A)

At extreme altitude the airway is the first thing that can derail a climb. Doug’s coughing and a frozen-larynx from a prior throat surgery indicate his breathing is severely compromised. Cold, dry air along with high altitude irritates the airway, and scar tissue from surgery can make the larynx more prone to stiffness or spasm. With the airway effectively blocked or painful to use, continuing the ascent becomes life-threatening, so he feels the climb is over even as others press on. The other scenarios—knee injury, dropping a canister, or choosing not to descend—don’t capture this immediate respiratory danger he’s experiencing in that moment.