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Overview
In March 2003, six climbers from three continents left their respective homes and converged in Katmandu, Nepal to begin the arduous journey to the top of the world. The team, joined by three Nepali Sherpas, traveled over land for several days before arriving at Base Camp (17,000ft) and realizing that years of dreaming, months of preparation and weeks of travel had delivered them to the foot of the highest peak on Earth.

Over the course of the next month and a half, the team and the three Sherpas set up five camps on the mountain, became acclimated and thoroughly readied themselves for their summit attempt. As is normal procedure on mountains over 26,000ft, teams establish themselves on the mountain, then return to Base Camp to rest and wait for a positive weather forecast. By the second week of May, it was clear that the weather would be most hospitable on the 21 st or 22 nd . Harboring different views on the weather, the expedition split into two teams of three and planned to make their summit bids on consecutive days.

The first summit team, consisting of Peter Madew (38, Australia), Conan Harrod (34, UK), and Walid Abuhaidar (22, USA) began to battle their way from camp to camp en route to the summit. 17,000ft, then 21,500ft, then 23,000ft, then 25,500ft, to 27,200ft; four days of continuous climbing found the team at high camp, just one day away from their goal.

On Mt. Everest, as in most highly dangerous undertakings, a single unforeseen event can have disastrous consequences. Once teams have reached high camp it is imperative to have a very early start to ensure an early arrival at the summit and to limit interaction with other climbers from other teams.

Just before 2:00 AM on May 21 st the team set off for the summit of Mt. Everest. Walid, who was feeling quite strong, set off first and was about an hour in front of Peter and Conan. They ascended the final stretch of the North Ridge and began the mile long climb of the Northeast Ridge.

Three cliff sections on the Northeast Ridge, known as "the Steps", represent the last and most technically challenging obstacles of summating the mountain. Walid arrived at the second step, the highest of the three, at 7:00am when his radio crackled. To his horror, the second team, now at Advance Base Camp (21 , notified him that Conan had broken his leg.

Conan and Peter were traversing some of the more exposed sections of the Northeast Ridge, above the first step, when an American climber ahead of them slipped and fell. His fall caused a chain reaction as he dragged off a Sherpa, ripped out a rock piton, and pulled Conan from his stance. The impact from the fall snapped Conan's tibia and fibula. The severity was obvious: the bones had punctured the skin. The threats of finite supplies of supplemental oxygen, worsening weather conditions, hypo-volemic shock and immobility suggested Conan would most definitely perish high on the mountain.

Conan and Peter began their grueling descent and within the hour Walid had descended to assist in the rescue. Conan crawled, Peter pulled, Walid pushed and inch by inch they descended the mountain over cliffs, ice falls, and even a frozen dead body of a climber who perished on a previous attempt to climb Mt. Everest. In the details of this story lies one of the great rescues in mountaineering history. Conan's struggle to survive would last several days and come with the loss of Peter's frozen fingers.

Their story is one of courage, sacrifice, and humanity. In a sport that is defined by individual drive and ego, they showed us there is something greater and more poignant than personal achievement - compassion for others and the imperative of survival.

In the face of death, some people never give up...