Alan appreciates that his expedition needs everything to fall in to place smoothly for him to acheive all six 8000 peaks within the climbing season. Climbing at extreme altitude is agony. Even through this haze of suffering, my oxygen starved brain was aware of the intense seriousness of the situation. No celebration was due yet. I was completely alone on the summit of K2, the worlds second highest and hardest mountain.
People die on the descent in good weather, with optimum conditions and in daylight.
The light was already fading. I would be descending in the dark. I must get down. Returning from an expedition is a success, the summit is only a bonus. This was the culmination of three year's attempts at the 'Savage mountain'.