Siula Grande: Over the Edge | Long Way Down | 2

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0:08Simon Yates:A listener note. Against the Odds uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, may be invented, but everything is based on research. This episode contains explicit language.

0:29Simon Yates:Simon Yates crouches in the snow at the base of the cliff, untangling the ropes he just used to rappel down. He's taking his time. He needs a moment to process the situation, to think. Everything happened so fast. Joe is lying in the snow nearby. He broke his leg just a few minutes ago trying to climb down. His right knee is swollen and twisted in an obvious way. Simon doesn't know what to say to him. They still have 4 ,000 feet to get down. And they both know the score. It's 1 p.m. on June 8, 1985, their fourth day on the mountain. They didn't make much progress on their descent yesterday and had to spend yet another night in a snow cave at 20 ,000 feet.

1:16Simon Yates:They ate the last of their food. And this morning, they ran out of gas for the stove, so they can't melt any more snow for drinking water. But they weren't too worried. They thought they'd be down soon. But then, everything changed. Simon was trailing behind Joe when the rope snapped tight, yanking him into the slope. When he got up and followed the rope down, he found Joe lying here at the base of a 25-foot cliff. Joe told him he'd broken his leg. His voice was calm. But the fear in his eyes said it all. They both knew it. He's a dead man. Simon takes a deep breath as he finishes coiling the ropes.

1:57Simon Yates:Then he glances over his shoulder and is stunned. Joe is upright, or at least moving. He's hopping away around a rise in the ridge, using his ice axes like crutches. Every moment looks agonizing and terrifying. He's shuffling sideways along the edge of a 4 ,000-foot drop, with nothing anchoring him to the mountain. Simon watches, half expecting Joe to fall at any moment. And the truth is, part of him hopes he does. Then it'll be out of his hands. Because if Joe doesn't fall, Simon doesn't know what he'll do. He can't carry him. He can't drag him. But how can he possibly leave him? Simon is confident he can get himself down But if he stays with Joe, there's a good chance he'll die too And that would be pointless, just a waste Waves of panic and guilt rise in his chest as he runs the numbers The cold, brutal math of survival If I try to get him down, I could die If I leave him, I'll live Simon doesn't want to make such an impossible decision but deep down he knows he's going to have to.

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4:34Simon Yates:From Wondery, I'm Cassie DePeckel, and this is Against the Odds.

4:48Simon Yates:In June 1985, two British mountaineers, 24-year-old Joe Simpson and 21-year-old Simon Yates, set out to climb Ciola Grande, a towering 21 ,000-foot peak in the Peruvian Andes. Their goal was ambitious, to become the first people to ever scale its daunting west face. For two and a half brutal days, they battled falling rock, brittle ice, and unstable snow as they painstakingly worked their way up the Forbidding Wall. Incredibly, they achieved their goal and reached the summit, but their triumph would be short-lived. Not long after they started down, Joe fell and shattered his knee, leaving Simon with an agonizing choice.

5:30Simon Yates:Risk his own life by trying to help him or leave him to die. This is Episode 2, Long Way Down.

5:42Simon Yates:Joe Simpson hops sideways on one leg, gritting his teeth against the pain as he contours around a small rise in the ridge. Progress is slow and exhausting, but he's laser-focused on each movement. So focused, it blocks out most of the pain and panic. He's inching along the edge of the East Face. A single slip would send him plummeting 4 ,000 feet. And yet, he's not afraid. Not really. He actually thinks about jumping, just flinging himself off the side. It almost seems like the rational thing to do. He knows he's done for. Simon will leave him and he'll die alone. So why not make it quick? But instead, Joe keeps moving.

6:30Simon Yates:Maybe just out of habit. He's found a rhythm. Hop, plant the axes, swing the broken leg, shuffle sideways. Repeat. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Simon appears beside him. I'm going to check what's around the corner. He climbs past, stamping out a path in the snow for Joe to follow. But still, Simon doesn't say a word about his shattered leg. The unspoken issue hanging heavy between them. Joe understands. There's nothing really to say. They both know he's not going to make it. And Simon can get down on his own. This is just stalling. Simon's probably just lingering a little longer before he makes the call.

7:16Simon Yates:For the next two hours, they carry on like nothing's happened. Simon leads the way, breaking trail, while Joe hops behind. They avoid the subject completely. No talk of what's next. Joe's terrified that if he asks for help, Simon might leave him right then and there. So he says nothing. He just focuses on his movements. Plant, swing, shuffle. Finally, as Joe makes it around the rise, he catches up to Simon, who's sitting on the ridge up ahead, looking down the other side. Simon turns toward him and flashes a nervous smile. I can see the call! Joe's heart leaps with excitement. He tries to keep his voice steady.

8:01Simon Yates:Is the slope straight down? Pretty much. Joe keeps moving toward him. Plant, swing, shuffle. But now he's trembling. He doesn't want to get his hopes up, but he wants to believe he might actually have a chance. When he finally reaches Simon, he slumps into the snow beside him. Simon places a hand on his shoulder. How are you doing? It's better. Still painful, but... Joe stops. He can't take it any longer. He needs to know what Simon's thinking. Because without his help, Joe knows. This is where it ends. but he also knows what a big risk Simon would be taking if he agrees. Joe doesn't want to pressure him or make him feel guilty for saying no, so he decides to give him an out, a chance to walk away.

8:52Let's be real. I'm not going to be able to get myself down. Not like this, not at this pace.

8:59Simon Yates:Simon doesn't respond. He doesn't even look at him. He just starts quietly untying the rope from his harness. Joe follows his gaze down toward the call, about 600 feet below. It's all downhill from here. He starts calculating the angles in his mind, what exactly it would take. Then he looks at Simon and asks him, straight up, Do you think you can hold my weight in the snow? Simon nods, slowly. If I dig a bucket seat, I should be able to. Joe's heart is racing. Okay, I think it'll be quicker if you lower me on two ropes tied together. Simon nods again, already turning to dig out a hole in the snow where he can anchor himself.

9:45Simon Yates:Joe reaches for the ropes and starts tying them together. And just like that, they have a plan.

9:55Simon Yates:Simon sits in a deep trench he's carved into the slope, his bucket seat, with his legs braced firmly against the snow. Below, Joe lies on his chest, feet pointed down, with his axes at the ready. The rope between them stretches taut. Simon grips the belay plate, a friction device that allows him to control the speed of the descent. You ready, Joe? Yeah, take it slow and steady. They've knotted two 150-foot ropes together, one end tied to Joe, the other to Simon's harness, creating a single 300-foot line. It'll cut the number of bucket seats they'll need to make in half. The only issue is the knot at the midpoint.

10:37Simon Yates:When it reaches Simon's belay plate, he'll need to create slack, remove the rope, and reattach it on the other side of the knot. Joe will have to take his weight off briefly and stand on one leg while Simon does this. When it's time to turn the knot over, I'll give three tugs. Then you take your weight off, okay? Joe cracks a wry smile. Good thing I didn't break both my legs. Simon leans back and begins to lower him, smooth and steady. Soon, Joe is a distant blue dot on the slope below. Simon exhales. It's working. Joe might actually have a chance. Simon couldn't bring himself to leave him. Not while he was still fighting.

11:21Simon Yates:Maybe it's reckless. Maybe it'll kill them both. But he has to try. The knot soon reaches the belay plate. Simon gives three sharp tugs, and a moment later, the rope goes slack. Joe's taking his weight off. Simon moves quickly. He knows this is when they're most vulnerable. If Joe falls now, he'll drop a full rope's length, and the sudden violent jolt would rip Simon out of his seat and send them both flying off the mountain. Within seconds, he rethreads the rope and gives it three more tugs. The rope tightens. Joe is moving. A few minutes later, the second rope runs out. Once the tension lifts, Simon turns to face the slope, kicks his crampons in, and climbs down to join him.

12:10Simon Yates:After lowering Joe twice more, they finally reach the call. It's windy and exposed. But for the first time, they can clearly see the path home. The glacier they walked up five days ago lies directly beneath them, 3 ,000 feet below, curving away toward the rock fields that lead back to base camp. The only thing threatening their rising hope is the weather. It's now 4 p.m. The temperature's dropping and heavy clouds are moving in fast. They won't reach the glacier before dark, but the way down looks pretty straightforward. Simon turns to Joe. I think we should keep going. Will you be all right? Joe nods firmly.

12:52Simon Yates:Yes, let's keep moving. I'm freezing. Okay, good. At this rate, we should be down in five hours. I sure hope so. As they start down again, Simon feels a surge of cautious optimism. Maybe, just maybe, they'll pull this off.

13:13Simon Yates:Joe slides downward, concentrating hard on keeping his broken right leg clear of the snow. It's dark. He can't see much. But it doesn't matter. His mood has shifted from despair to a fragile optimism. They've developed an efficient system and are moving at a good pace. Death has been downgraded from inevitable to possible. The partnership is back on. Once climbing partners, now rescue partners. It had all felt uncertain at first. But once they started acting decisively, things began to click. Suddenly, the slope gets steeper. Joe feels the pull. He's accelerating, sliding faster than before. His right boot, rigid with a crampon, can't help but snag in the snow.

14:02Simon Yates:Each twist of his shattered knee sends electric jolts of pain up his thigh. He yells for Simon to stop, but his voice is swallowed by the wind. Finally, the slope eases and he slows to a halt. Then, three tugs. The signal. They've hit the end of another 300 feet of rope. Joe hacks into the slope with an axe, grits his teeth, and forces himself up onto his good leg. He returns three tugs to confirm. A few minutes later, Simon's headlamp cuts through the swirling snow. A storm has now descended in full force, whipping powder in every direction. How's the leg? Joe forces a smile. He's in pain. But it's obvious Simon is wrecked.

14:54Simon Yates:The exhaustion is written all over his face. So Joe plays down his own suffering. Not too bad. How are your hands? Frostbitten. My fingers are turning black, but hey, we're not far now. Joe squints through the whiteout, trying to make out the slope below. I don't know if it's a good idea for us to keep going when we can't see what's down there. Could be anything. A rock wall or an ice ball. I know, but I don't remember seeing anything major. Do you? Joe thinks back to their training climbs. No, maybe just some scattered rocks. But still, maybe we should stop for the night, get some rest. Simon shakes his head.

15:36Simon Yates:It's more dangerous to stay here. We've got no gas, no water. If the storm keeps up, we could be trapped. Joe nods. It's clear they don't have a choice. They have to keep moving.

15:53Simon Yates:Simon settles into his latest bucket seat and braces to lower Joe once again. After hours of this, the routine has become almost second nature. Lower, regroup, dig, repeat. Despite the whiteout conditions and brutal cold, they've kept a steady pace. Simon has lowered Joe more than 3 ,000 feet, 300 feet at a time. And now, finally, they're almost down the mountain. He looks at Joe, lying on the slope just beneath him, and grins. Two more lower downs at most. We'll be on the glacier within the hour. Joe flashes him a quick smile, then disappears from the beam of Simon's headlamp into the darkness below.

16:39Simon Yates:Simon shifts his weight and flexes his fingers. Four fingertips are black with frostbite. His right thumb is completely numb. He can't really feel the rope, but somehow he's still managing to control the belay. Then the pull on his harness tightens. Simon instinctively leans back, digging his feet in deeper. The slope must be steepening again. He knows Joe's leg must be taking a beating, but he has to let the rope run faster to ease the strain on his own body. But then, suddenly, he's yanked forward from the waist, nearly out of his seat. He throws his weight back, bracing his legs as hard as he can, and lets the rope slide slowly to a stop before locking off the belay.

17:27Simon Yates:Christ, Joe's fallen, he thinks. Simon holds steady, his heart pounding as the rope pulls between his legs, threatening to drag him down. He stares at the rope, willing it to go slap, but nothing. No shift. Joe isn't taking his weight off. The harness bites deeper into Simon's hips. His legs are going numb. He doesn't understand. Why hasn't Joe found a foothold? Why isn't he trying to climb up? Then it hits him. He must have lowered Joe over a cliff. Simon holds his position as the seat beneath him starts to crumble bit by bit. There's no way he can haul Joe back up, and he knows he won't be able to hold him much longer.

18:19Simon Yates:If Joe can't get his weight off the rope soon, they're both going to die.

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19:35Simon Yates:Joe Simpson dangles like a marionette, confused and disoriented. It takes him a moment to register what's happened. He's no longer on the slope, but suspended in midair. He shines his headlamp upward and follows the rope until it disappears over a steep overhang, about 15 feet above. Then he looks down, and a wave of dread grips his chest. There's nothing, just far below the shadowy mouth of a gaping crevasse. It doesn't seem real. Just moments ago, he was feeling hopeful while Simon steadily lowered him down the slope. For the first time since the accident, it hadn't felt like a desperate fight.

20:19Simon Yates:He actually believed he was going to make it. But then the slope steepened, and he started sliding fast. He tried to jam his axes into the snow, but they wouldn't bite. He cried out, and the next thing he knew, his feet were in the air, and then his whole body swung off the edge. He kept descending for a few seconds before coming to a stop. Now, panic floods his chest. He knows Simon is up there, still holding his weight from the bucket seat. And if nothing changes soon, they'll both be ripped off the mountain. Joe grips the rope, steadies himself into a seated position, and shines his headlamp toward the wall.

21:02Simon Yates:It's solid ice, maybe six feet away. He swings toward it, stretching out an axe. But it's just out of reach. He tries again, harder. If he could just reach it. Just plant one pick. Suddenly, he jerks down a few inches. He whips his head back toward the wall and gasps. Simon is lowering him again. No! No! Stop! Joe screams up into the storm. Simon has no idea what he's gone over. He must be feeding out the rest of the rope, hoping he'll hit solid ground before the knot comes up. But there is no ground. Joe grips the rope tighter and screams again. Stop! There's nothing! Stop! But his voice vanishes into the wind, and he drops deeper into the abyss.

22:00Simon Yates:Simon Yates slowly feeds out the rope through his frozen fingers. Five, ten, fifteen feet. Lowering Joe is his only option. With every foot lower, he desperately hopes Joe will find solid ground, the toehold, anything. Come on, please find something. But nothing changes. No slack. Just the same brutal tension. And then he sees the knot, the end of the rope. It's coming up fast. But Joe is still down there, somewhere in the dark, hanging. He has to face the truth. There's nothing more he can do for Joe. There's no rope left to feed out, and no way to get around the knot without taking Joe's full weight in his hands, which is out of the question.

22:53They're stuck in a stalemate.

22:56Simon Yates:Simon looks down between his legs. The seat he dug, his only anchor, is now half its original size. He stamps his feet into the crumbling snow, trying to pack it down, but it barely helps. He knows what's next. He's going to be dragged off the mountain.

23:19Simon Yates:Joe looks down and sees the crevasse clearly now, about 50 feet below. It's massive, stretching along the entire base of the ice cliff. A roof of snow covers most of it, but one collapsed section reveals the black void beneath, a gaping open mouth into the abyss. Above him, he can no longer see the edge of the cliff, just the rope vanishing up into the whiteout. He stops shouting. He knows Simon is also stuck, unable to do anything but hold on. At some point, the strain will become too much. He'll be pulled from his seat, and they'll both go down together. Joe is freezing, exhausted, weak, almost too tired to care, too tired to fight.

24:09Simon Yates:There's no way out of this slow, suspended death. His thoughts turn back to Simon. He shouldn't have to die because of his broken leg. Joe's sadness boils into rage. After all the pain, all the effort, this is how it ends? On the last bloody lowering? Joe screams, hurling obscenities into the wind. He cries, for himself, and for Simon. It was his fault. His knee. His fault. Simon shouldn't have to die too. Simon should have left him back on the ridge. Suddenly, the rope jerks, and he bounces down a few more inches. Crumbs of snow and ice rain down on him. Then, another slip. His breath catches.

25:04Simon Yates:Oh, God, this is it! Simon will be coming down any moment now. Joe lets his body go slack and waits for it to happen.