
OnAugust2008,twenty-fourclimbersfromseveralinternationalexpeditionsconvergedonHighCampofK2,thelaststopbeforethesummitofthemostdangerousmountainonearth.Forty-eighthourslater,elevenhadbeenkilledorhadvanished,makingittheworstK2climbingdisasterinhistory.<br/> AttheheartofTheSummitliesamysteryaboutoneextraordinaryman,GerMcDonnell.Byallaccounts,hewasfacedwithaheart-breakingdilemma--attheverylimitofhismortalresources,heencounteredadisastroussceneandamoraldilemma:threeclimberstangledupinropesandrunningoutoftime.Inthedeathzone,above8,000metres,thebodyisliterallydyingwitheachpassingsecond.Moralityisskewed180degreesfromtherestoflife.Whenaclimberfallsorwandersoffthetrail,theunwrittencodeofthemountainistoleavethemfordead.HadGerMcDonnellstucktotheclimbers'code,hemightstillbealive.
