What problem did Krakauer encounter at the Hillary Step after starting down from the summit?

What problem did Krakauer encounter at the Hillary Step after starting down from the summit?

• A. Bottleneck of climbers heading up the single rope.
• B. Broken oxygen valve.
• C. Rope snag left by a previous party.
• D. A sudden avalanche blocked the route.

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how chokepoints on iconic climbing passages can create real danger and delay. On Hillary Step, passage is done using a fixed rope up a near-vertical rock step near the summit. When Krakauer began his descent, he found a line of climbers advancing upward on that same rope. With only one fixed line available, there isn’t room for two-way traffic, so the ascenters slowed to a crawl, and those descending had to wait. The result is a bottleneck that traps climbers at a critical high-altitude point, increasing exposure, fatigue, and risk. This fits the described moment precisely: the core issue isn’t equipment failure, an earlier party’s rope snag, or an avalanche, but the congestion of people trying to move up the single fixed rope at Hillary Step.

The situation tests how chokepoints on iconic climbing passages can create real danger and delay. On Hillary Step, passage is done using a fixed rope up a near-vertical rock step near the summit. When Krakauer began his descent, he found a line of climbers advancing upward on that same rope. With only one fixed line available, there isn’t room for two-way traffic, so the ascenters slowed to a crawl, and those descending had to wait. The result is a bottleneck that traps climbers at a critical high-altitude point, increasing exposure, fatigue, and risk.

This fits the described moment precisely: the core issue isn’t equipment failure, an earlier party’s rope snag, or an avalanche, but the congestion of people trying to move up the single fixed rope at Hillary Step.