Cory Richards

Without the windshield. So that's like minus 60 Fahrenheit. It's terrible. But I loved it at the time. I absolutely adored it. And we start climbing through the night, you know, six or eight hours later, we're sort of, it was almost as if it just happened. We were on the summit. It's almost like I blacked out, you know, and then the weather came in.

I think on the summit, it was registering at minus 80 without the wind chill.

I think on the summit, it was registering at minus 80 without the wind chill.

I think on the summit, it was registering at minus 80 without the wind chill.

Well, you're wearing these huge down suits that kind of look like spacesuits.

Well, you're wearing these huge down suits that kind of look like spacesuits.

Well, you're wearing these huge down suits that kind of look like spacesuits.

And you've got a ton of layers on, but it's tricky because if you, if you, layer up too much, you start sweating, which makes you cold. So if your feet are sweating in that kind of temperature, your toes are going to get frostbitten. And it's very, very... It's tenuous too. You have to be very, very careful because if you say you drop a glove or a mitten, I mean, that hand is gone.

And you've got a ton of layers on, but it's tricky because if you, if you, layer up too much, you start sweating, which makes you cold. So if your feet are sweating in that kind of temperature, your toes are going to get frostbitten. And it's very, very... It's tenuous too. You have to be very, very careful because if you say you drop a glove or a mitten, I mean, that hand is gone.

And you've got a ton of layers on, but it's tricky because if you, if you, layer up too much, you start sweating, which makes you cold. So if your feet are sweating in that kind of temperature, your toes are going to get frostbitten. And it's very, very... It's tenuous too. You have to be very, very careful because if you say you drop a glove or a mitten, I mean, that hand is gone.

You can't handle stuff at that temperature. It's kind of like grabbing dry ice. So we got to the summit and I didn't know this, by the way, at the time. I became the first and I still am the only American to summit any of the 8,000 meter peaks in winter. So we start descending and this storm hits us and it just starts dumping snow.

You can't handle stuff at that temperature. It's kind of like grabbing dry ice. So we got to the summit and I didn't know this, by the way, at the time. I became the first and I still am the only American to summit any of the 8,000 meter peaks in winter. So we start descending and this storm hits us and it just starts dumping snow.

You can't handle stuff at that temperature. It's kind of like grabbing dry ice. So we got to the summit and I didn't know this, by the way, at the time. I became the first and I still am the only American to summit any of the 8,000 meter peaks in winter. So we start descending and this storm hits us and it just starts dumping snow.

And we got back to Camp 1, and we had a, you know, it's relatively flat, but it's this huge glacial valley that's just, if you look at pictures of it, it looks like sliced bread. These crevasses just kind of, as the grade gets steeper, they just spill over. I have video of it. Where like the snow is up to our waist. And I heard above us this sort of crack. Sounds a little bit like thunder.

And we got back to Camp 1, and we had a, you know, it's relatively flat, but it's this huge glacial valley that's just, if you look at pictures of it, it looks like sliced bread. These crevasses just kind of, as the grade gets steeper, they just spill over. I have video of it. Where like the snow is up to our waist. And I heard above us this sort of crack. Sounds a little bit like thunder.

And we got back to Camp 1, and we had a, you know, it's relatively flat, but it's this huge glacial valley that's just, if you look at pictures of it, it looks like sliced bread. These crevasses just kind of, as the grade gets steeper, they just spill over. I have video of it. Where like the snow is up to our waist. And I heard above us this sort of crack. Sounds a little bit like thunder.

And I know what's coming. And I turn and I look. And the cloud ceiling was very low. And then the air blast of this avalanche just took us. And then we're in the snow.

And I know what's coming. And I turn and I look. And the cloud ceiling was very low. And then the air blast of this avalanche just took us. And then we're in the snow.

And I know what's coming. And I turn and I look. And the cloud ceiling was very low. And then the air blast of this avalanche just took us. And then we're in the snow.

I mean, it's just like being in a washing machine. It's very violent. It's very loud. Your mind goes absolutely crazy trying to make sense of what to do, how to make it stop, how to not die. And yet it's flooding with memories at the same time. So the idea that your life flashes before your eyes is accurate. But in my experience, it wasn't poetic. It was just random shit going through my head.